In the early morning hours of May 23, Sinners and Saints, an LGBTQ bar catering mainly to Queer and trans communities of color in Adams Morgan, was broken into.
Intruders shattered the glass on the front door, and after gaining entry, stole bottles of alcohol, shut off the bar’s electricity, and left the back door ajar.
They also scrawled a homophobic slur on a wall.
An employee from the restaurant above the bar was the first to notice the break-in after going downstairs to investigate why the building was without power.
They then called Blair Nixon, the co-owner and manager of Sinners and Saints, to inform them of the break-in.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the break-in as a suspected hate crime. Thus far, no arrests have been made.
Nixon called the vandalism “disheartening,” telling the Washington Post, “If you have somebody who’s in your space who isn’t supposed to be there, it’s scary.”
The vandalism occurred during D.C. Black Pride Weekend and mere weeks before Washington is scheduled to host WorldPride, an international LGBTQ festival that will attract hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ visitors and allies to the District.
Rather than be silenced by the attack, the bar’s co-owners wanted to defy the vandals and send a message that they wouldn’t be pushed around.
Nixon posted pictures of the vandalism on social media, writing in an Instagram post, “To the coward who broke in and scribbled slurs: your fear is loud, but our pride is louder. This space remains queer, defiant, and beautifully unbothered.”
“This space exists to protect and celebrate Queer and Trans BIPOC communities, and this attack only strengthens our resolve,” the post continues. “We will NOT be silenced. We will NOT be intimidated. We will NOT back down. To those who tried to harm us: hate fuels our defiance. To our community: we see you, we love you, and we will continue fighting for you.”
The post sparked a flood of comments from patrons and community members offering to help with repairs or stand guard outside the bar.
Sinners and Saints launched a GoFundMe page, seeking to raise $9,000. It has so far raised over $7,800.
“D.C. has one of the biggest queer communities in the entire world and what’s important to note is that the acceptance of the LGBT community has been amazing,” he said. “However, just like many other situations, the acceptance of people of the color and the trans community is lagging behind and our entire mission is to provide a space where underrepresented and marginalized communities within the greater LGBT community can feel safe.”
Twelve hours after discovering the vandalism, the bar cleaned up the debris and opened to the public, with dozens of people packing the bar’s dance floor on Friday night.
<p?>Nixon said the owners are considering framing the slur, which remains on the wall, as a way of reclaiming their power and proving how they successfully stood up to hatred.
“We don’t ever want to send the message that we can be repressed,” he said. “We don’t want to be shaken, we don’t want to be down, we want to be sure we stick to our mission.”
A man who tore down a Pride flag hanging outside a candy shop in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was reported to police by two 10-year-olds who witnessed the vandalism.
Surveillance video shows the suspect approaching Evolution Candy on East State Street -- either with a limp or dragging one leg -- before interacting with the Pride flag. He appears to say something unintelligible during the incident, according to footage aired by WPVI-TV.
James Lamb, the owner of Evolution Candy, said the incident occurred shortly after he stepped away from the store on December 6.
The Capital Pride Alliance is moving the 2026 Capital Pride celebration to the third week of June -- one week later than usual -- to avoid overlapping with major events tied to President Donald Trump's June 14 birthday and preparations for the nation's 250th anniversary. Pride weekend will run June 20-21, with the parade on Saturday and the festival and concert on Sunday.
Last year, the Trump administration marked the president's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Armed Forces with a downtown military parade. This year, all national parks will offer free entry on June 14, and the White House is expected to host several Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on the White House lawn to draw large crowds for Trump's 80th birthday and the country's Semiquincentennial celebrations.
The "Biggest Little Rainbow Bridge," created by Local Girl Scout Troop 508 in Reno, Nevada, as a memorial for deceased pets, sits in Crissie Caughlin Park. It is intended as a "beautiful and peaceful place" where visitors can "mourn the loss of our beloved four-legged family members who have crossed the rainbow bridge into the great beyond and reflect on the memories we have made with them."
But two weeks after the rainbow paint was applied -- and just as the troop was preparing to add the final touches -- an unknown vandal poured white paint over the bridge. The act sparked speculation, reports Reno-based ABC affiliate KOLO-TV, that the bridge was targeted by someone who may have wrongly assumed it honored the LGBTQ community.
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