On Monday, August 11, the President ordered an outsized presence of federal law enforcement agencies in Washington, DC. What is happening is an outrageous targeting of those who live in, work in and love the Nation’s Capitol. The Trump administration’s actions, taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying untrained military and government agency armed forces is beyond reprehensible.
This is what we know is true: our city is a diverse, vibrant and beloved place where millions live, work and visit. The President’s lies about the safety and crime rates in The District are simply misrepresentations that are intended to justify his goal of assuming and exerting full power over this country free of rules, accountability and with disregard for the people. The truth is that crime is at historic lows and has been plummeting for years save a spike in 2023.
The National LGBTQ Task Force, whose headquarters has been in DC for decades, understands this for what it is – an attack on our city, our people and our democracy. DC has always been the target of Federal overreach and threats, which is why we continue to advocate for full statehood for the District of Columbia. What we are experiencing now is nothing less than an attempt to occupy our streets and terrorize our residents.
Washington, DC is the newest target but other cities – notably all in blue state strongholds and sanctuaries like New York, California and Illinois, are next on his list.
Free DC, a local organization is asking all of our Representatives to be in solidarity with DC communities. We want Congress to do everything in their power to stand down the National Guard, to stop freezing DC/s local budget and stop overturning DC laws. It is up to all of us across the nation and in every zip code to resist the unconstitutional and illegal use of the military and Federal law enforcement. For those of us who can, and are willing to take more risk in acts of resistance, now is the time to act.
Prioritize Joy, Organize and Resist!
