A beloved member of Washington DC’s LGBTQ community, a DJ and hairstylist Bryan “The Barber” Smith, has tragically passed away after suffering severe injuries in a robbery. Smith was found injured near the gay bar Uproar after performing at an event called HellBENT. He was rushed to the hospital with a serious head injury and placed in a coma before passing away on Thursday, November 7. The local queer community and Smith’s friends have rallied around his family. They have also created a GoFundMe page raising over $56,500 to help cover expenses. While Smith’s family and friends grieve, Washington DC police are investigating the incident as a robbery and not as an anti-LGBTQ hate crime. However, many in the community are on edge, as the city, though generally safe, has seen previous violent incidents against LGBTQ individuals. In 2021, a trans woman was brutally assaulted at a laundromat in Kingman Park, with her attackers shouting anti-LGBTQ slurs during the assault. For now, the city waits for answers as the investigation continues. #Queer Up Social Justice