Statement from the DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition on Federal Overreach and Attack on D.C. Autonomy

The DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition condemns the Trump administration’s decision to deploy federal agents and attempt to seize control of the Metropolitan Police Department. This is a blatant violation of D.C.’s right to self-govern and a dangerous escalation rooted in political theater, not public safety.

Our city is not a battleground, and our communities are not pawns. We stand with local community leaders and other advocates fighting for DC to be free (including our evergreen fight for statehood), and all who reject this federal overreach. Crime is down — the data is clear. And any attempts to combat the District’s issues were directly thwarted during the federal budget battles that forced our government to cut $1 billion from the local budget. This move is not about safety, but about control and fear.

We know from history and lived experience that this kind of horrific federal overreach will inevitably cause the most irrevocable harm to our Black, brown, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ siblings — communities who already bear the brunt of systemic violence, over-policing, and underinvestment. These are the very people too often left out of public safety conversations and too frequently targeted in the name of “order.”

As LGBTQ+ advocates working to ensure equitable investment in our communities, we know that safety comes from housing, healthcare, and justice — and we will not demonize those most vulnerable in this city.

Our coalition will continue to work to resist any actions that threaten our autonomy, dignity, and collective wellbeing.

—The DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition is comprised of local LGBTQ+-serving and ally organizations, advocates for targeted funding to support LGBTQ+ residents across a range of services, with a focus on marginalized groups including trans people of color, low-income individuals, those with disabilities, and migrants.