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McClellan wins Democratic primary in special election to succeed McEachin

State senator would be first Black Va. congresswoman if she wins

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Virginia state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) (Screen capture via Giffords/YouTube)

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) on Tuesday won the Democratic primary in the special election to succeed the late-Virginia Congressman A. Donald McEachin.

McClellan defeated state Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) by a 84.8-13.6 percent margin.

McEachin, who represented Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, died on Nov. 28.

McClellan will face Republican Leon Benjamin in the special election that will take place on Feb. 21. McClellan would become the first Black woman from Virginia in Congress if she wins.

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Virginia

Man went on ā€˜homophobic rantā€™ inside Va. pub that displayed Pride flags

Suspect arrested on charges of public intoxication, assaulting police officer

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Justin Wayne Hendricks was arrested in the case. (Photo courtesy of the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center)

The Hawk & Griffin British Pub located in Vienna, Va.,  posted a message on Facebook last week saying a man was arrested after going on a ā€œhomophobic rantā€ inside the pub on June 28 when he saw that LGBTQ Pride flags were displayed at the pub for Pride month.

ā€œLast night we had an incident here at the pub when a man came off the street to accost patrons in our beer garden because of our flags displayed for pride month,ā€ the Hawk & Griffin Facebook posting says. ā€œHe then spit on our windows and came inside to confront our staff and patrons with homophobic rants,ā€ the posting continues.

ā€œOur manager and staff handled the situation very professionally and police were called to investigate and later arrested a man a couple of blocks away,ā€ the message says. ā€œWe want to thank the Vienna Police Department for their quick response. We are and will continue to be community focused and we will never stop working to create and maintain a place of inclusion and tolerance,ā€ the statement concludes.

Vienna police charged Justin Wayne Hendricks, of no known address, with misdemeanor counts of being ā€œdrunk in publicā€ and  providing false identification to a police officer and with a felony count of assault on a police officer. A police spokesperson said Hendricks was also found to be in violation of an outstanding arrest warrant from Alexandria, Va., related to a prior charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

The spokesperson, Juan Vazquez, said Hendricks is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Online records for the Fairfax County General District Court show that Hendricks is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on Oct. 9.

ā€œOn Friday, June 28, around 9:28 p.m. the Vienna Police Department responded to reports of an intoxicated individual threatening customers of the Hawk & Griffin,ā€ a Vienna police statement says. ā€œUpon the arrival of the officers the individual had already left the premises but was promptly located at an address nearby,ā€ according to the statement.

The statement adds that Hendricks was subsequently charged with being drunk in public, providing false information about his identity to police, and assault on a police officer along with being served with the outstanding warrant related to the prior charge in Alexandria of failing to register as a sex offender.

Details of the prior sex offender charge couldnā€™t immediately be obtained from online court records. However, the online records show that Hendricks has at least a dozen or more prior arrests between 2014 and 2023 on charges including public intoxication, trespassing, and failing to register as a sex offender.

Police spokesperson Vazquez said it would be up to prosecutors with the office of the Fairfax County Commonwealthā€™s Attorney to determine if a subsequent hate crime related charge would be filed in the case.

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Virginia

Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.

Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22

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Shi-Queeta-Lee at Arlington Pride in Arlington, Va., on June 29, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Activists across Virginia last month held a series of events to mark Pride Month.

Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer-run organization founded in 1997, held 37 different Pride events throughout the region in June. 

Their biggest event, PrideFest, which is part of their larger three day event, Pride Weekend, celebrated its 36th anniversary on June 22. Pride Weekend took place from June 21-23 and began with a block party at NorVa in Norfolk. 

PrideFest took place at Town Point Park, and an estimated 30,000 people attended. More than 70 venders participated, while Todrick Hall and Mariah Counts are among those who performed.

Another PrideFest event with a DJ in the afternoon and live music at night took place in Virginia Beach on June 23. Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are among those who attended Pride events in Suffolk on June 30.

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, along with members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach City Councils, also attended the Pride events in their respective cities. Jamar Walker, the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia, also took part.

ā€œYou know people all throughout Pride Month, at all of our various events, tell me all kinds of stories about their own experiences and the past of this community … and some of our older folks especially, remember when we couldn’t have this,ā€ Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview.

ā€œIt was a great year,ā€ he added. “It was a big achievement for us to have unique celebrations in each of our seven communities. Each of these cities is so different from one another, but to be able to create a Pride celebration that’s unique in each of those places was really great, and I think really well received by folks who may not have felt represented previously. We’re always trying to do better, to embrace every aspect of our community, and take a big step forward there this year.ā€

State Dels. Adele McClure (D-Arlington County) and Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington County) are among those who spoke at Arlington Pride that took place at Long Bridge Park on June 29. The Fredericksburg Pride march and festival took place the same day at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on June 10 hosted a Pride Month reception in Richmond. 

Youngkin in previous years has hosted Pride Month receptions, even though Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups have criticized him for supporting anti-LGBTQ bills.

The Republican governor in March signed a bill that codified marriage equality in Virginia. Youngkin last month vetoed a measure that would have expanded the definition of bullying in the state. 

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Rainbow crosswalks, street murals installed in Alexandria, Arlington

Street painting received support from government officials

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One of two rainbow street murals, shown here, was installed earlier this month on South 23rd Street in the Crystal City section of Arlington across from the gay bar Freddieā€™s. (Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

With approval by local government officials, rainbow-colored crosswalks were installed this month on a street in Virginiaā€™s Old Town Alexandria and what officials are calling rainbow street murals were painted on a street in the Crystal City section of nearby Arlington, Va., in time for this yearā€™s Pride celebrations.

Kirk McPike, a gay member of the Alexandria City Council, said the Council gave unanimous approval for the installation of two bright rainbow-colored crosswalks at the intersection of King and Royal streets at Old Townā€™s Market Square ā€œright there in front of City Hall.ā€

McPike said he first proposed the rainbow crossings in June 2023, and with support from the Council,  the cityā€™s Human Rights Commission brought the proposal to him as the gay member of the Council, and he introduced it. He said the Council approved it last November. According to McPike, the crosswalks were officially dedicated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 1 during Alexandriaā€™s annual Pride festival in Old Town.

ā€œAnd this year, we had one of our Pride wrapped Dash buses drive through the ribbon to snap the ribbon and officially open the new Pride crosswalks,ā€ he told the Washington Blade.

In Arlingtonā€™s Crystal City neighborhood, rainbow stripes were painted on June 12 and 13 on South 23rd Street at the intersections of Eads Street and Fern Street. The Fern Street intersection is located steps away from Freddieā€™s Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is Arlingtonā€™s only gay bar. Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddieā€™s, was among the community leaders who advocated for the rainbow crosswalks.

Kellen MacBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington, said the Arlington Department of Environmental Services, which oversees street and roadway issues, gave approval of the installation of the two rainbow stripes as ā€œstreet muralsā€ rather than crosswalks, even though they are located next to or parallel to the crosswalks. He said for reasons he is unsure of, the Environmental Services Department didnā€™t want the crosswalks themselves to be painted with rainbow stripes.

 ā€œIf you compare what Alexandria did and what Arlington did, Alexandria has the full crosswalk painted in rainbow,ā€ he said. ā€œWhereas Arlington did the rainbow stripes on either side of the crosswalk,ā€ MacBeth told the Washington Blade. ā€œFor whatever reason, the county said they werenā€™t able to do the full rainbow crosswalk this year. And weā€™re hoping to have the full rainbow crosswalks for next year.ā€

Kathryn Oā€™Brien, a spokesperson for the Environmental Services Department, told the Blade that painting crosswalks in rainbow strips ā€œis not allowableā€ under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), which she said defines national standards for traffic signs, road markings, and other road related issues that Arlington adheres to.

MacBeth praised the National Landing Business Improvement District, an organization that promotes community-based businesses in the area known as National Landing, which includes the Pentagon City, Crystal City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods, with playing a lead role in advocating for the rainbow street mural project, among other things, by paying for the street installations.

ā€œLocated at key intersections along S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street, these installations are the first of their kind in Arlington, designed to show solidarity and support for the LGBTQIA+ community,ā€ the organization, known as National Landing BID, said in a statement. ā€œBeyond their aesthetic appeal, they foster a sense of community pride and inclusivity, transforming National Landing into a vibrant and welcoming neighborhood,ā€ the statement says. ā€œTheir presence encourages dialogue, celebration, and reflection, making them integral to the cultural fabric of our community.ā€

The installation of the rainbow crosswalks in Alexandria and the rainbow street murals in Arlington came about seven years after D.C. first installed two full rainbow-colored crosswalks on 17th Street, N.W. near Dupont Circle in 2017 near the gay bar JR.ā€™s and the LGBTQ supportive restaurant Annieā€™s Paramount Steakhouse. Additional rainbow crosswalks were installed in that section of 17th Street in subsequent years.

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