WASHINGTON — During what’s supposed to be a time of celebration and love, this Black Pride weekend, one popular GTBIPOC bar in Adams Morgan is recovering from a hate crime. 

DC native Quasa told WUSA9 he was headed to Sinners and Saints Sunday evening, only to find it closed.

“There is a lot of foot traffic being brought by WorldPride. Ultimately, a lot of folks aren’t as comfortable as it is. I’m anticipating more violence, sadly, as WorldPride is ramping up,” Quasa said. 

Over the weekend, Sinners and Saints, the city’s only bar created for and by queer and trans, black, and indigenous people of color was vandalized.

David Perruzza, the owner of Pitchers, which sits next door, said someone smashed the bar’s front door, walked inside, and spray-painted derogatory names.

“It doesn’t really happen here, and he apparently went in there when they were closed. Yeah, he screwed up. We have a good mayor who is pro gay establishments. She’s all about Pride, so for someone to do this right now is not a smart decision,” Perruzza said. 

The bar’s owners posted about the incident:

“Yesterday, our beloved bar, Sinners & Saints—the only QTBIPOC-owned and operated bar in DC—was broken into and vandalized in what we can only describe as a hate crime. As a safe haven for queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color in our community, this attack feels deeply personal. But we refuse to be intimidated.

For the past year, we’ve provided a space where marginalized and underrepresented QT folks can celebrate, heal, and find family. Now, we’re facing significant losses from stolen inventory and property damage, and we need your help to rebuild. Every dollar raised will go toward recouping what was taken and repairing our space so we can keep our doors open for those who need it most.

Additionally, we will be donating 15% of all donations to QTBIPOC Support Groups.

This bar isn’t just ours—it’s yours. It’s a home built by and for the community, and your support means everything right now. If you’ve ever found joy, safety, or solidarity at Sinners & Saints, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser.

Together, we can show that love is stronger than hate. We will NOT be silenced.

With gratitude and defiance,

The Sinners & Saints Team”

Despite the incident, many said they feel safe , and empowered but they expect some push back.

“I think we’ll always be fighting in the face of this as long as we are in DC, no matter what the presidency is but I think this is being magnified by that for sure,” Skyler Schubert said. 

And a message for the person who vandalized Sinners and Saints:

“It’s okay to be afraid of something you don’t understand. A better avenue is curiosity and kindness and love,” Franz Martinez said. 

DC police said no arrests have been made.

The owner of the bar has set up a GoFundMe to help cover repairs.