LGBTQ makeout/protest held in front of Trump Hotel
On the 19th of February, GLBTQ activists held a "make-out" protest in front of Trump Hotel. This was a spin-off from similar events held in front of Trump Tower in New York City. Organizers have stated "President Trump insists he stands for the LGBTQ+ community, the LGBTQ+ community stands for the fair and just treatment of all underprivileged groups." This is a clear rejection of the "Lavendar Shield" strategy by which some right-wing forces try to pit the GLBTQ and Muslim communities against each other.
Some far-right forces were disappointed at the size of this protest, but this appears to have been the first time out for a brand new crew in DC, using the format from a similar action in NYC. If the experience of Black Lives Matter organizers in DC who started small in Summer 2014 is any guide, nobody should bet on protests by new organizers against the kind of racist hate Trump stands for staying small for long. Now just like in summer 2014 in DC, GLBTQ protests against Trump and Pence are bringing out new people, never seen before in a protest. This is how movements grow, and if the growth experienced by Black Lives Matter here in 2014 gets repeated in this community, that could mean Trump Hotel surrounded by tens of thousands of dancing GLBTQ protesters for all of Pride Week in June.
