Donald Trump shall be sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol because the forty seventh president on Monday, turning into the second particular person in historical past to ever return to the Oval Workplace after dropping an election. As fencing and roadblocks start to pop up in preparation for a weekend of Trump supporters gallivanting on the Nationwide Mall and throughout the capital, many LGBTQ folks in Washington have made plans to go away the District.
Nick Gomez, a 27-year-old music director for iHeartRadio and host of PRIDE Radio informed the Washington Blade he’ll go away town for northern Maryland with a bunch of kickball crew members. Gomez defined that this weekend being each a federal vacation (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and a weekend when he didn’t need to stay in Washington, it made sense to hitch some associates on a visit.
“I assumed that it was a small group, however it’s truly a really massive group of us wanting on the group chat now,” Gomez mentioned. “We’re getting a little bit cabin out in northern Maryland.” He mentioned 27 members of his LGBTQ Stonewall Kickball crew are planning to journey out the inauguration away from Trump supporters and MAGA hats.
“Usually a little bit kickball crew cabin weekend occurs yearly, however we did coordinate it to occur on inauguration weekend this 12 months — decidedly after Nov. 5 is after we booked the Airbnb,” he mentioned.
Gomez’s alternative to go away Washington was not a snap judgment although. For some time he contemplated what to do and if he ought to go away town in any respect.
“I’ve considered this loads, truly,” he mentioned. “I used to be considering, ‘What’s it going to be prefer to stay on this metropolis whereas the administration is lively exterior of simply inauguration weekend?’ There was part of me that’s like, ‘I don’t must be caught up in all that. I do know that that’s most likely not going to be good for me. And it very nicely may flip right into a fucking hellscape out right here.’ However there was one other a part of me that’s like, ‘Nicely, why am I going to go away? As a result of that is my metropolis. I’m the one who lives right here!’ And that sort of went into fascinated with the inauguration weekend.”
Gomez understood this could not be like all earlier inauguration, given the inflammatory president-elect and his largely anti-LGBTQ followers.
“The distinction about inauguration weekend is that this inauguration is occurring on the twentieth, however there’s additionally that rally occurring on the nineteenth,” he mentioned. “Something that we are able to get caught up in on the nineteenth is simply merely not going to be helpful for queer folks within the metropolis, or town itself.”
The twice-impeached president-elect is planning to carry a “victory rally” for 20,000 supporters the day earlier than he’s sworn in. This may mark the primary time Trump will communicate to a crowd in Washington since Jan. 6, 2021, when teams of his supporters stormed the Capitol in hopes of overturning the honest election of Joe Biden. Trump’s followers, and their inclination to enterprise towards violent conduct, Gomez explains, is a big cause for why he selected to go away Washington for the weekend.
“There are going to be so many individuals from out of city right here, folks from across the nation right here whose solely goal is to help this man. We all know what that appears like when folks help this man in a bodily sense. In the event that they’re going to do this for 2 days, I don’t must be right here for that. I additionally don’t must validate their presence by welcoming them to my metropolis.”
He understands that some LGBTQ neighborhood members might really feel that’s the precise cause to remain in Washington.
“Possibly there are some differing opinions on that,” Gomez added. “Possibly folks assume, ‘You understand what, I’m going to take a seat right here and stand my floor’ and like, ‘That is my metropolis it doesn’t matter what.’ I simply assume that there’s a smarter strategy to stand my floor in my metropolis than subjecting myself to no matter chaos goes to be right here on these two days.”
“It’s extra of a refusal to go away on my half,” mentioned Luke Stowell, 22, the queer assistant director of music on the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church who’s hunkering down within the District this weekend. “I stay right here. I pay hire right here. I’m not going anyplace, simply because 650,000 Republicans are coming. That is my house.”
Stowell defined that he’s on the facet of staying in Washington for the inauguration, if nothing else to be a voice of resistance in opposition to the Trump regime.
“I nearly want that there wasn’t such a need for exodus,” they added. “I want that there have been a little bit bit extra of a ‘Hey, like, No, we’re truly going to face our floor.’ I respect the defiance, however I see it extra as a protection of this territory. It’s clearly, as we all know, a vastly liberal territory.”
Stowell has debated shifting his each day routine forward of Sunday’s MAGA rally to keep away from the Gallery-Place/Capital One Area space.
“They’re saying that there’s an enormous rally earlier than the inauguration down at Capital One Area, and that’s truly the place my Planet Health is,” they mentioned. “I’m very to see if I attempt to go to the gymnasium on Sunday, will it even be open? Will it’s overrun with MAGgots? In any other case on Monday, I’ve choir. I’ve issues to do on Monday. My life doesn’t actually cease simply because the inauguration is occurring. Some folks don’t even have break day for the MLK Day vacation. It appears so loopy that these are on the identical day, however yeah, I’ll be round.”
Sam Parker, a 30-year-old managing strategist at a political consulting agency, selected to make use of this weekend to flee from town and to get nearer to his accomplice after experiencing the primary Trump inauguration from a really shut distance.
“My boyfriend and I are going to Philly for the weekend, all the way in which till Tuesday to keep away from the inauguration, and to get out for the three-day weekend,” Parker mentioned. “It’s positively largely predicated on the truth that I lived in Foggy Backside the final time he was inaugurated.”
Parker has since moved away from any of the neighborhoods that shall be totally locked down throughout the inauguration however would somewhat simply keep away from any repeated feeling of being locked down as he was eight years in the past.
“It was solely within the shutdown zone — there have been armored vehicles on the road. It was inescapable. My present neighborhood might be rather less… omnipresent. … However I’ve sort of gotten over the concept there’s some sort of ‘noble intention’ being witness to all these things, and that it’s sort of higher for my psychological well being to only get out of city. Additionally, politics apart, it feels just like the city will get sort of locked down for an inauguration. It’s sort of good to make use of some Amtrak factors and go someplace else. Have a much less traumatic weekend.”
Justin Westley, a 28-year-old fundraising skilled for an environmental NGO, can be utilizing this weekend as a chance to develop nearer to their boyfriend, Matt. Matt, who works for the federal authorities, requested anonymity because of considerations about potential repercussions for talking out in opposition to the incoming administration, however wholeheartedly agreed about wanting to go away town forward of Trump’s arrival.
“We’re going to Boston this weekend,” Westley mentioned. “We’re visiting Matt’s sister, who lives up there. We’re going to remain and go to for some time, and this simply appeared like an excellent alternative. It’s very sensible, as a result of we have been eager to see Matt’s sister anyway. … I do know most of our associates are both doing cabin journeys or small weekend getaways anyway. We most likely would have left regardless. I do assume going to Massachusetts, a really blue state, and Boston, a really blue metropolis, shall be good to not have to fret in any respect about interacting with these folks [Trump supporters] on the day-to-day.”
“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “Visiting a metropolis that has voted primarily blue the previous a number of elections gives a political consolation. But additionally, there’s a enjoyable facet of exploring a brand new metropolis. Justin’s by no means been there. After which there’s consolation there — visiting a member of the family. That’s additionally simply sort of like a security internet.”
Matt added that he has already seen legislation enforcement start taking precautions within the District forward of Monday’s occasions, solidifying the selection to go away forward of regardless of the weekend holds.
“I truly stay fairly near the White Home, within the common Logan Circle space, and so they’ve been testing drones,” Matt mentioned. “I bear in mind seeing the information articles that they’re going to be testing them all through the week, main as much as the inauguration. I haven’t been down close to the precise mall, however the site visitors patterns have already modified, simply strolling across the neighborhood. And the transportation company has launched what streets are going to be closed and navigating the realm round my house is simply going to be a nightmare.”
This brought on Westley to mirror on the place he, and town, was 4 years in the past.
“I’ve simply been considering again to Jan. 6 — the disrespect, the terrorism, the white supremacy, but additionally simply the disrespect towards the individuals who stay right here,” Westley mentioned. “4 years later, in spite of everything of that, these persons are going to be coming again underneath the presumption of ‘Welcome to town!’ For the primary Trump administration, I lived in Nashville and in Pittsburgh. These are each crimson and like purple states, respectively. The cities themselves really did really feel like… not being in a bubble, however like, a real insulated neighborhood the place I wasn’t on edge about seeing Trump supporters — like MAGAs within the streets essentially…There’s simply going to be much more Trump supporters [in Washington], and that simply makes me really feel loads much less safe.”
Regardless of feeling much less safe this time round, Westley echoed Parker’s earlier sentiment on the significance of prioritizing his psychological well being whereas navigating this weekend, and the subsequent 4 years.
“Whereas I can’t management being round staffers within the streets for the subsequent 4 years, I can management after I’m across the kind of enthusiastic supporter that may be coming to the inauguration,” Westley mentioned. “Eradicating myself from the scenario felt just like the healthiest factor for me, particularly fascinated with the subsequent 4 years and for the power that I’ll need to dedicate to defending the folks I really like, the folks near me, in addition to the neighborhood extra broadly. I need to make it possible for I’m beginning that from a spot of security and resilience and never worry.”
Stephen Hayes, 37, a non-profit fundraising skilled, will use the lengthy vacation weekend to rejoice his wedding ceremony anniversary and keep away from pointless political battle with individuals who might not help him and his husband.
“I had already deliberate on going out of city this weekend,” Hayes informed the Blade. “It’s my husband and my eleventh wedding ceremony anniversary. We obtained married in New York and we return yearly for our anniversary. Our anniversary occurs to fall in the midst of the week, so we’re going the weekend prior.”
Hayes initially was extra hopeful the nation would go in a special route than a second Trump presidency and stored that in thoughts when initially planning his anniversary weekend.
“I had initially deliberate to return in time for the inauguration, as a result of I used to be hopefully optimistic that issues would go the opposite means. However as soon as we discovered that they didn’t go the way in which that I’d like, I modified my plans to increase my keep in New York by way of the inauguration and return the next day, hopefully avoiding most people who shall be right here on the town for the occasion.”
This journey, Hayes recollects, appears to be similar to his vacation weekend throughout Trump’s first inauguration two phrases in the past.
“It’s sort of humorous as a result of eight years in the past I used to be in New York throughout among the first protests [against Trump] with the ‘pussy hat/pink hat’ protests that happened in New York,” he mentioned. “I wasn’t planning to be there throughout the inauguration, and I wasn’t but a D.C. resident, however now it is going to be attention-grabbing to be in New York Metropolis once more for the inauguration.”
“It seems like there’s loads of unknown proper now,” Hayes added. “Personally, I sort of have my guard up. The folks coming to city may not be as pleasant as your common customer so I might simply be hyper vigilant. Concentrate on what’s occurring round you. I need to say that queer areas are protected areas, however they is likely to be a focused place. I don’t assume that’s going to occur, however the pessimist in me says be ready.”
“It’s tremendous simple to really feel actually helpless and we’re all allowed to really feel helpless, however finally one thing has to come back of that helplessness,” Gomez added. “I’ve little doubt that the queer neighborhood on this metropolis will try this, and one thing will come out of it. However I believe if there’s something that I might need to share simply from my private expertise over the past nevertheless many weeks, it’s that helplessness is OK, and it’ll not final perpetually. There’s a complete metropolis of individuals round you which might be there to lean on.”
Trump’s inauguration occurs Monday, Jan. 20 at midday on the Capitol steps. In the event you’re staying on the town, Metro has launched info relating to the change in transportation schedules forward of the three-day weekend.
“Metro is ready to maneuver prospects for Inauguration Day with extra practice service and earlier hours,” WAMATA introduced. “Per the request of the US Secret Service and the US Capitol Police, Metrorail will open at 4 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 to accommodate the crowds. 5 stations shall be closed, and trains will bypass these stations for safety causes from Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. till 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21: McPherson Sq. (Blue, Orange, Silver strains), Federal Triangle (Blue, Orange, Silver strains), Smithsonian (Blue, Orange, Silver strains), Mt. Vernon Sq.-Conference Middle (Inexperienced, Yellow strains), Archives-Navy Memorial (Inexperienced, Yellow strains).”
For extra info on public transportation in Washington forward of the vacation weekend, go to inauguration.dc.gov/ or wmata.com/service/inauguration-2025.
