Okay, I’ll bite.

I’m dusting off this old blog to respond to the absolute shit-storm of nonsense that’s been circulating.

As I’ve said before, I’m not one to respond or entertain drama. 

However, at this point, I have my supporters insisting that I respond to all the things José has posted—telling me to fight back—suggesting that my silence is being misinterpreted as weakness. I have more of these sort of messages than I have the energy or desire to respond. 

While I appreciate that support more than you all know, this is going to be my one and only response outside of the courts.

And, look, I have a ton to say, so it’s going to be a lot to read. It won’t be concise. I’ll probably jump from topic-to-topic—it’s largely a flow of consciousness powered by ADHD. It’ll be full of em-dashes, ellipses, and Oxford Commas. It’s a blog post. This is what’s going on in my life, so I’m writing about it. Nothing more, nothing less. 

I already know José and others will try to impeach, discount, or make fun of what I write by claiming it’s some sort of “crazy manifesto.” Or maybe he’ll screenshot bits and pieces of it because, as we all know, there’s nothing he loves more than separating things from their full context. 

Read it or don’t—I assure you it doesn’t bother me either way. 

However, if you’re not absolutely committed to reading all of it, just close out and move on. Not everything needs commentary. 

Ya’ know, José’s obsession with me would be quite flattering if he wasn’t acting on his self-hatred. He’s morbidly obese (clinical fact), moronic (demonstrated fact), and ugly (opinion). That’s about as far as my bullying is going to go—and I deserve at least that much. 

To be clear, DCHomos is not an “us” or a “we.” It is José Romero and no one else. 

I’m not suing an “us” or “them.” DCHomos is not a real journalism outlet. It’s not a registered business. It’s nothing more than Josè’s response to being bullied himself throughout his life. Bullies and haters are not born. They are created as a trauma response. It’s an attempt for him to get attention.  

For those that do not know José Romero, allow me:

Absent full context (literally everything José posts) facts, or informed opinion, cannot be established. 

He can argue that he ~occasionally~ puts links to documents in his posts, but we all know that virtually no one is visiting or reading that content. He doesn’t want you to. He wants you to believe his Cliff Notes—his sensationalized version. 

Those that choose to believe his garbage and engage with his content put their own intelligence (or lack thereof) on full display. 

José is worse than Tucker Carlson or Newsmax, and the peanut gallery sounds equivalent to the commentary made by blind followers at a MAGA rally. 

The people in his comments section love drama and “breaking news.” You can almost always trace the ones  commenting back to people I’ve fired (for good cause), their friends and associates that will naturally take their side regardless of the truth, or someone I’ve challenged in court. 

The rest of ‘em? They’re the ones dumb enough to believe anything a half-rate drag queen with a sob-story posts. There’s a reason OAG hasn’t pursued a case for “wage theft”: it’s because no such theft occurred.

Speaking of disgruntled employees, let’s talk for just a sec about the ones that are making the most noise: 

1. Krisina B. Antonio—former AGM (aka “Sunni”): misrepresented herself as having an ABCA manager’s license, ServSafe certification, and 5+ years of direct industry experience. She put our alcohol license at risk. Factually, she has never held an alcohol license or certification of any kind (not even something as basic as TIPS) in any jurisdiction. She has never been employed as a bartender or manager at any bar. She personally stole over $2,000 worth of inventory (a felony in DC), and then encouraged (and facilitated) the theft of thousands more. She was dumb enough to do it on camera. Because she has enjoyed making fun of (and twisting) the details of arrest warrants, let’s talk about her active arrest warrant. She has been charged and found guilty in several different states for driving without a license and excessive speed. She has an outstanding warrant in Delaware for failure to appear in court to answer charges of…you guessed it…driving without a license, speeding, and not having insurance. She was hated by virtually every staff member, and I received constant complaints. Her original termination letter (for performance concerns) had been prepared, and her termination was to occur in alignment with her first scheduled paycheck (December 15th). It was only after her actions, confirmation of the above information, and theft that her cause for termination changed to gross misconduct. 
2. Christopher Antawn “Skipp” Williams (aka “skippadydoo” on IG)—former team lead: verbally assaulted coworkers, was the lowest-ranked team lead for sales and NPS ratings, demonstrated poor product knowledge and technique, was consistently late to work, represented himself as having far more experience than was demonstrated or could be verified. He, like Krisina, stole inventory on camera. Funny thing is, I was going to give him another chance—then he blew that within an hour of me extending that grace. Because Skipp has also loved commenting about my arrest warrants and making up stories that I was “on the run” from law enforcement, let’s talk about his active arrest warrant in Prince George’s County Maryland. Skipp was arrested on March 9th, 2020 for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license. Skipp was cited, he went to jail, and he fully knew about the case against him (unlike my situation). After several case postponements (presumably due to COVID), he failed to appear in court on June 24th, 2022, so an arrest warrant was issued and it is still active. Granted, he is still innocent until proven guilty, but he has now been “on the run” for nearly 4 years—and he knows full well of the existence of the warrant. 
3. John Erroll Marsh, II (“CakePop!”)–former talent manager and marketing assistant: took advantage of the entire situation and frames things solely for his own benefit—solely to gain popularity. He created a sob-story about doing so much “hard work.” Acted as though he was a contracted entertainer that didn’t get paid. Told the world that no one got paid so much as a penny. He refused to accept partial compensation—demanded his full compensation or nothing at all. In response, I gave him nothing. That was his wishes. I reallocated his share to the other employees. In reality, his net check was less than $2,500, yet he sold a story that he was owed thousands and thousands of dollars. When other staff members attempted to convince him to stop his madness and crusade, he doubled-down and said to multiple people (in text and verbally) that he didn’t actually care about the money—he said that his only goal was to make sure RUSH (and me specifically) failed. He vowed that he was going to do everything in his power to make that happen, no matter at what expense to others. When loyal/professional employees chose to stay and continue working, he’d corner them at bars or harass them on the phone about their decision. Those employees were terrified that John would smear their name and image if they didn’t comply and at least act like they were listening to him. His impulsivity and anger surrounding this entire situation demonstrates a lack of self-control and restraint. But, that tracks for him. John has a rather long history of anger issues. Unlike the not-guilty disposition of my alleged criminal acts, he was charged with a class 6 felony in 2014 for assaulting 2 police officers, public intoxication, and resisting arrest. He was indicted by a grand jury, and then ultimately found guilty for the misdemeanors. He ended up accepting a plea deal on the felonies. This violent crime, impulsivity, and anger led to a sentencing of 12 months probation and ~$1200 fine. John has demonstrated behavior over the past 3 months that shows he really has never learned his lesson. 

There are a few other terminated employees that I’m going to shield for now. But I will not hesitate to call them out if things continue. They know who they are. 

In any case, let’s get back to José: 

José believes that if he digs and posts enough about me, I’ll just give in and drop my suit against him. 

He thinks I’m embarrassed or ashamed of my past. I find that hilarious. 

I have no shame. I don’t consider any of the things I’ve done (that he’s tried to make news) to be wrong or bad. I am not ashamed of failures because those were the largest catalysts of personal and professional growth. 

He thinks he’s somehow exposing me. Reality is, he’s exposing himself. 

I’m sure, by now, he’s consulted with several attorneys about the lawsuit. Most, if not all, have likely told him that he’s dug himself into a deep hole. 

Chances are, he’s now found that any attorney willing to represent him will come with a hefty price tag to compensate for a high risk of losing the case. He’s likely also discovered that virtually no attorney will represent him on contingency or partial contingency for the same reasons.

What he doesn’t realize is that I have far more people that are on my side and loyal to me than he will ever have—it’s loyalty, trust, and dedication I’ve earned. 

He blocked me from seeing his content as soon as he realized I was docketing anything and everything he posted that wasn’t covered by Fair Report Privilege or, more broadly, his First Amendment Rights. I’m still getting full screenshots of everything he’s posted, I’ll continue to get them as he continues to dig his hole.

He needs me to be hurt—he craves it—it’s literally what gets him off. It’s become some sort of crazed, unhealthy obsession for him.

But, you see, what other people think of me is none of my business. If I cared about negative noise, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am. 

People can accuse me of whatever they want. Absent a conviction, I’m not guilty. Considering I do not have any sort of criminal record, that makes 34 years of not being guilty. 

He’s posted so much stuff, so I suppose I’ll just start my responses and carry them in no particular order. 

José has highlighted two of my properties that are in foreclosure—properties I pledged as collateral to fund the bar. But, guess what? Think about it from a different angle: that’s a combined $3,000,000 in real estate that he could never dream of owning with his dead-end job. He’s almost 50 years old and still renting, yet he has the nerve to be critical of someone who’s owned more homes, and accomplished more, than he ever will. 

My real estate portfolio (which stretches far beyond DC) represents a financial position I achieved from a wildly successful career that I built from absolutely nothing. 

Next topic. 

José talks about the shortcomings of a bar he could have never opened. I transformed that space. I opened RUSH. To piggyback off my previous comment: I was taught to never criticize someone or something if you can’t, or are not prepared, to do it better yourself. 

The ones that criticize the loudest—the ones that are the most negative—are the ones that couldn’t have built and opened a bar the size of RUSH even if their life depended on it. 

José talks about an eviction related to that commercial lease that he would never, ever have the assets to guarantee or obtain—much less, the grit, grind, intellect, and determination to spend eight long months building it. The only grind he can claim is sitting on his ass behind a keyboard. 

He references business filings and ownership when he demonstrates in the same breath that he is too goddamn stupid to understand basic business structure. 

He talks about—and obsesses over—a warrant and arrest for theft that’s completely unrelated to RUSH or current matters. 

When he couldn’t figure out a way to get me arrested in Maryland, he conspired with others to have me arrested in DC thinking I’d be extradited to Maryland. He made special efforts to ensure I’d be arrested late in the day so that I’d be forced to spend the night in jail waiting for arraignment. DC found the charging documents laughable and refused to enforce extradition. “Fugitives” and criminals run when they know they’ll be convicted if they get caught. I have never doubted whether I’m actually guilty of a crime because I don’t commit crimes. Sure, I take action in civil court that people might not agree with, but I never break the law. If I’m properly served or officially notified of an arrest warrant or other mandatory court appearance—I comply. I have the utmost respect for the law. 

Let’s talk about my arrests: 

For a bit of background, and as a matter of fact, Maryland is one of very few states/territories where anyone can call the police, give a person’s name, and claim that person committed a crime. Officers do not have to witness the act. No proof has to be provided. All that’s needed is a loose allegation. The officer writes the report and it goes to a commissioner. 

Maryland is the ONLY state in the country where a commissioner is not required to have a law degree and multiple years of law practice. Yes, the only state. 

These commissioners are empowered to issue arrest warrants, establish probable cause (without a formal arraignment or review of initial evidence), and determine pre-trial release conditions. It’s an archaic practice that has been criticized and fought for many, many years. Bail-bondsmen and billboard defense attorneys lobby against changing the practice because they’re the ones that profit the most from it. 

There is no sound legal system where someone without a law degree and significant practice should be issuing arrest warrants and determining whether probable cause exists. There’s no sound legal system where probable cause can be confirmed without a proper hearing—charges against you should be read by the state and a judge should confirm the basic rights of the accused have not been violated. It’s for these reasons that most jurisdictions rely on Magistrate Judges to handle the trivial and ministerial. 

Fact is, that warrant did not mean anything to anyone until José dug it up and thrust it into the spotlight. I would have never known about it. Maryland’s system has a slew of active arrest warrants that date back decades. 

The alleged crime was in January of LAST year (2025). The warrant did not get issued until June. 

Now, I encourage you to go back and have a closer look at that warrant. Take a moment to look at the last name of the commissioner who signed that warrant six full months after the alleged crime occurred. I’ll make it convenient for you: 

Commissioner (not Judge) Romero. Hmmm…fun coincidence, right? The warrant issuance date? Exactly one week (June) after the first chatter about RUSH opening started circulating.

The alleged crime? Not paying for ~$6k of bodyshop work on one of many vehicles I have owned (btw, it was a beautiful, $94k BMW that he could never dream of affording or driving). I’m not a particularly materialistic person, but I am passionate about cars and sports bikes—it’s a category where I’ll most certainly treat myself. 

The funny thing? The insurance of the person who damaged that car paid for most of the work. The balance (because I requested some additional work) was fully paid with certified funds and I have a full paper trail to that effect. That’s why the dealership gave me the keys. That’s why the vehicle was pulled around to the front of the dealership from their secured lot. That’s how it works. You pay for completed work and THEN they give you the keys. The idea that I somehow left the premises without paying is preposterous. 

This was very clearly a clerical error or employee fraud. It’s negligence that has caused me a great deal of strife for which that auto group will pay dearly—but likely a simple error, no less. 

Remember: Maryland = loose accusation first, genuine probable cause and facts later. 

Oh, and while I’m on this topic: the motion I filed to recall the warrant in exchange for a standard summons was denied only as a matter of policy due to the age of the warrant. No other reason. José, of course, would never post that. 

José, again, is too dumb to know basic criminal and civil procedure or terminology. He clearly doesn’t know the difference between a secured and unsecured bond. I did not, in fact, have to pay $5k “to get out of jail.” It was the lowest unsecured bond that the system allows. They reserve that for cases that are clearly BS and likely to be dismissed the moment the first ASA has a look at it. They reserve it for those (like me) that have a squeaky clean record and are not any sort of a flight risk. 

Now, let’s chat about my May 2024 arrest. The condo association was losing their civil case. They needed to feel like they won. It was a total sham arrest. 

The officers that responded to the association’s complaint in September of 2023 did not even want to write a report for the incident. It was a civil matter. Disputes in HOAs and condo associations happen all the time. People get passionate and sometimes a bit angry (especially when alcohol is involved). It is what it is. In any case, the officers were pressured to take a criminal report. I wasn’t arrested at the time of the incident. 

The detective assigned to the case later admitted that members of the association kept calling him and bugging him, ad nauseam, for 7 months—pushing, and pushing, and pushing for criminal charges to be filed—so he finally conceded just to get them to stop. 

The case was dismissed. No conviction. No restitution. That’s because there was no crime committed. Innocent until proven guilty. I’m innocent because I was proven innocent. I’m not ashamed of being arrested and proven innocent. That’s exactly what’s going to happen with this Maryland arrest. 

José thinks he’s winning. The exact opposite is true. In business, I’m an investor first. This bar was an investment. Sure, it had some sentimental value that my other investments do not—but business is business. 

The fact that José thinks I’m some one-trick pony and that RUSH is the only business venture and investment I have shows what a short-sighted imbecile he is. 

At the end of the day, this was just another investment that I got to exit earlier than anticipated. Was it at a significant loss monetarily and emotionally? Yes. But not all investments win. If business and investing were easy, everyone would do it. 

José yaps about the first iteration of RUSH in 2023 that was supposed to open at 9th and U. That was a commercial condominium that I purchased for ~$2,500,000—again, a number with more zeros than his pathetic, lazy existence has ever seen in a bank account with his name on it. 

José seeks out commentary only from those that oppose me—that’s all he cares about. He doesn’t care about actual fact. He doesn’t care about the real outcomes. And he sure as hell doesn’t care about being objective. 

There will always be times in business (and life in general) when you have to make the difficult decision to give in, give up, or give it your all. I’m nothing if not a quitter but, at that point, it was also time to make a sound decision based on the investment viability to energy output ratio. In early 2024, I decided RUSH needed to be shifted to the back burner—and when the right time and place came along, I’d know. It was time to give in.

By giving in that time around, I got out completely unscathed—aside from the sunken costs from all the delays caused by the selfish, disgusting members of the condominium association. I burned the shell entity that had been sued. I allowed for a default judgment against me and that shell company. 

I’m far too wise to keep any assets in my name. The moment anything held in my name flips from a liability to an asset, I bury it under layer after layer of business entities. That’s completely legal. It’s the same exact strategy that millionaires and billionaires use all the time. I do my FinCEN reporting (where required). I stay compliant, but I keep things hidden. I limit exposure.

I ultimately returned the 9th Street commercial property to the bank and went on my way. The bank didn’t enforce my personal guarantee. 

What happened to that space? Take a guess. It’s been on the market for over a year. Empty. What could have been the home of a productive business is now yet another landing zone for drugs and vagrancy.

How much did that lawsuit net the opposing party (1923 9th Condominium Association)? $0. To this day. 

Fact is, they will never see a single penny. The

condominium association spent well over $100k in legal fees with false promises of a huge recovery. They got a judgement. A piece of paper that netted them $0. Sometimes “losing” is truly winning in disguise. 

And, yes, I hated their attorney with a passion. I emailed and communicated appropriately based on that passion. I’m not at all sorry for it. It earned me some enemies. So be it. 

Those enemies were among those determined, and that conspired, to destroy the new iteration of RUSH. Why? Because they’re so damn bitter about me coming out on top the first time around, and they couldn’t live with the idea that I’d do it again. 

What’s next? Ah, yes. 

José has talked about the lawsuit over the real estate transaction from 2020 where I represented a gay couple, making the distant dream of homeownership a reality. I met this couple when I overheard them talking about their struggles to purchase a home. I knew I could help if the right strategies were executed. I do not practice real estate as a primary career or income source. I am a principal real estate broker and I have my own brokerage. I use my brokerage for A. my own deals; B. friends and family; and C. for the disenfranchised or particularly challenging cases where I know I can help. I’m also a license mortgage loan originator (although I currently have that stored away in inactive status). More often than not, I redirect any commissions back to my client, only taking the portion of that compensation that’s absolutely necessary to cover my transaction administration, licensure, and membership expenses. 

So here’s the real story about that transaction:

The home I found for my clients was a beautiful, luxurious, new construction property around the 3/4 of a million price point. Unfortunately, the developer of the home cut corners and did really some shoddy work. As a real estate professional, it was not my responsibility to endorse or warranty workmanship unless I specifically knew, or had reason to believe, the conditions existed prior to the purchase. 

It was my duty, however, to advise, make recommendations, and negotiate the sale. I ordered a comprehensive home inspection and followed my same general, procedural processes. I recommended, and contributed to, the purchase of a 5-year home warranty that covered all major systems and appliances—a warranty that my clients have, luckily, been able to call upon many, many times over the years. The developer and the listing agent were great at covering flaws—particularly those lurking behind the walls. 

I genuinely felt for my clients. I supported them throughout their conquest to sue the developer and get justice. I offered to act as a witness if it was ever needed. 

As the case became more and more expensive, I told them it simply was not worth pursuing and that they should put the money, time, and energy they were expending into completing the necessary repairs, or selling the property and finding a new one. I warned them that judgements against real estate developers are notoriously difficult to collect upon. As was discussed above, just because you have a judgement does not guarantee an avenue for collection. If there is not anything to collect upon, the judgement is rendered moot. 

They disagreed. I told their attorney that I didn’t feel comfortable putting any additional money or time into it. That was an experience-based decision. I am a crusader for justice—but it’s important to be wise in the pursuit of that justice. 

Despite my recommendations, and the initial ones of their attorney, they had a ton of anger that they needed to take out on someone. They sued me in pursuit of somewhere to place that anger. 

I have a longstanding policy that I will not fight (either as a plaintiff or defendant) a client in court. I develop a rapport and bond with clients and I honor that bond in every way feasible—even if something goes awry or we disagree. I find that litigating against a client is simply not the moral thing to do—to me, it feels like a form of treason. 

So, no, I did not respond to their legal complaint. I told them I wouldn’t fight them in court, and I didn’t. There were no mandatory appearances. I have been completely fine with them getting a default judgement. 

Again, it is not a judgement they will ever be able to collect upon because I take steps to limit my exposure and personal liability just as every other experienced businessperson does. 

I have found out that they have been quite nasty and have spread all sorts of rumors and hate about me, but, even still, I truly empathize with them. I found that they were some of the particularly vocal ones against RUSH. I have found that they went as far as approaching my employees in efforts to disparage and discredit. I can’t say enough that I truly understand the anger and frustration—I too would feel similarly if my $800k+ home was full of shoddy work. But I’d also direct that anger at the appropriate party. 

Back, once again, to José: he talks about all my civil cases when he’s never been significant, or mattered, enough to anyone to get sued. If nothing else, his actions matter to me—and I will get justice. 

I start caring when opinions are twisted and passed off as fact. Even then, I only care when the intent is to harm for personal gain. 

For José, tearing down others that are more successful, more attractive, smarter, and immensely more talented than him will always be his external intent—while distraction from himself and his own flaws will always be his internal intent. 

I have not only watched José attack me—I’ve also watched him do the same thing to other people. It’s complete, reckless disregard. He thinks it’s funny, but it cannot be disputed that his cyberbullying hurts real people and causes deep harm. He’s attacking people in his own “community” that he claims to support. 

This “community” is the first to denounce bullying and hatred the moment yet another person commits suicide—but then they turn around and drive people to that point using the same tongue. 

The First Amendment is strong. I’m a firm believer in it. However, it is too often abused. If José consulted with lawyers as real journalists do, more than half of what he posts would be vetoed for excessive legal exposure. He’s now going to find out the hard way that whether you’re a real journalist—or someone that purports to be one—you, and you alone, are responsible for the things you publish. 

His attacks on me have hurt others immeasurably. His actions caused people to lose their jobs. His actions caused landlords to lose income. His actions caused vendors to lose contracts. His actions have wasted government resources. His actions have caused everyday people to lose investments. His actions caused the community to lose a gay space entirely (it is my understanding that quo is not a dedicated gay venue). 

He claims innocence. He says things to the effect of “right, because I’m the one that didn’t pay employees.” 

But, take a minute though. Just one. 60 seconds of reasoning. 

Is this about my failure to pay employees? Really? Is that enough to shut down an entire venue? One missed payroll? Is that a big enough story? No—it wasn’t, and it isn’t. 

You miss a payroll. It’s not ideal. You catch up as quickly as you can. Life moves on. If there’s an independent bar owner or a GM that says they’ve never once been late on payroll at least once in their career, they’re lying.

Bars and restaurants all over the city couldn’t afford to pay their employees when COVID hit. The majority of restaurants and bars rely on outside financing and credit lines to maintain even float. COVID caused that funding to disappear without notice. RUSH’s missed payroll was exactly that: the funding was there—relied upon to our detriment—and then it was gone without notice. Sure, it wasn’t the result of a global pandemic, but the idea is the same. Many small business and hospitality companies can emphasize with that stress and panic. Fact is, we likely would have been able to sustain had we not been nearly $750,000 over our initial buildout budget. Even with me pinching pennies and making difficult decisions about what to fund (and not to fund) as we got closer to opening, it was a constant act of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” 

Many of the employees hired for RUSH told me that they were leaving their employers because of missed payroll or owed money. They were leaving because of constant instability. 

It doesn’t make missing payroll good or right—and the goal should always be for that not to happen—but, even still, one missed payroll is not sufficient justification to entirely shut down a venue.

The fact that it wasn’t a big enough story was the ONLY reason José needed to bring my personal life into things. What I do in my personal life should have no impact on my investments. Yet people fell right into his dramatic trap. 

I, like many gays, was raised in the church. I always heard the word “community” and “fellowship.” 

The reason why most gays end up rejecting the church and distancing themselves from religion entirely is because of the emotional pain inflicted when we realized “community” ended the moment the “community” found out we had a sexual attraction and desire to be with someone of the same sex. 

We were “all God’s children” and all “equally forgiven sinners” until it was something the “community” didn’t understand. It wasn’t a community after all. It was a cult. 

I moved to DC after high school because individuals just like me—more often than one might think—still ended up dead in a ditch if the wrong people found out you were gay. I knew I was gay and I wanted to feel safe. DC was the first city I’d traveled to where I witnessed two men walking—in broad daylight—holding hands and being affectionate towards each other. I wanted to be part of a real community—the definition I knew real community was supposed to be. 

So I left home with my car that had 116k miles on the odometer (which, at that point, ran on more oil than gasoline), a backseat full of the few possessions I had, and $113 in my bank account. In the beginning, I worked two jobs while going to school. I did whatever I had to do to make ends meet. But I, of course, was like most 18-year-olds and thought I knew everything, so I attended a private school I could not afford. I accrued over $300k in student debt (because, again, I do not come from money) to feel safe and join the DC gay community. 

Over the years, I’ve donated, directly and indirectly,  nearly $2 million to gay causes. I didn’t plaster my name all over or want praise for it. It’s my opinion that those that do take special steps to put their name on a donation—in the same way that multiple other bar owners did for the GoFundMe for RUSH employees—are more interested in recognition than the core purpose. 

If you don’t believe that I’ve been a financial pillar of this community, it’s on full display in my tax returns. It’s kept private because recognition has never been the motive behind my philanthropy. I donate because I reflect and know my success would not have been possible if it weren’t for this “community.”

While I’ve dedicated myself to fostering true community, injecting positive energy, and being a fire-starter for people, the toxic ones—like José—have been dedicated to decisiveness and dousing opportunities for people to shine. His content—and not just the content about me—speaks for itself. 

I’ve felt on top of the world and I’ve hit rock bottom. I’ve had millions in my bank account, just as I’ve been over-drafted by hundreds. I know what it’s like to be truly broke—not “I only have $100 in my checking account, but $50k in my savings account,” broke. 

I grew up watching my parents—public school teachers—pull the last $20 out of their bank accounts with almost every paycheck. I watched them write checks for the basic necessities hoping that the time it took for the check to process would be long enough to bridge the gap between paydays. While I still had things much, much better than my parents did when they were kids, I also learned that nobility and purpose in a career are far more important than dollars and cents.

DC used to have a gay community. 

We used to genuinely care about, and accept, each other in spite of our flaws. 

We used to champion success, and build others up in times of failure. 

Didn’t like someone? You didn’t hang around them. It was as simple as that. 

Went through a bad breakup? It sucked. But you just separated yourself and knew that you’d find your right match one day. We didn’t smear and highlight every single flaw of perhaps the one person who had been the most vulnerable and open with you. 

There was a clear maturity and basic morals—people didn’t disparage and alienate others to everyone as the result of disagreement.  

But DC no longer has a gay “community.” 

It is now a cult full of cliques. It’s absolutely toxic. It’s this constant reenactment of “Real Housewives,” scripted drama. 

People champion and think of those dramas as some sort of comedic relief—but, the “real” reality of that “reality” is nothing more than a constant game of “whack-a-mole” played amongst a group of individuals that have money and a lifestyle which the majority cannot relate—a frame designed to invoke envy, greed, gluttony, and nearly every other deadly sin. 

I used to love drag queens. It used to be an art and true talent. Hell, I have the popular phrase from RuPaul’s Drag Race, “charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent,” tattooed on my ribs. 

However over the last decade, drag has become a ton of scripted fights and drama. The silliest of things going far beyond competitiveness. It no longer became opening the “library” and “reading” people to filth. That’s laughing WITH you. That’s self-deprecation and awareness. That’s funny. What it has become is an entire game of laughing AT you. 

So, now, I find it difficult to respect many drag queens. I find it particularly difficult to justify the talent-to-negativity ratio. 

And, hey, you might be saying (with the utmost sarcasm) “well he must be super fun at parties.” But I’m certainly no prude or saint. 

If the escape of reality TV is your thing, that’s perfectly fine. I won’t judge you, nor is it my place to judge. Where I see a problem is when we allow that same escape from our realities to impact and influence our daily interactions and relationships with others. 

We’ve started mimicking that behavior and attitude, allowing it to infect us on such a deep level. It’s full of constant attacks against our own people and our own institutions. It’s always some kind of superficial drama. I’ve been seeing this behavior for years and it’s sickening. 

It’s heartbreaking to see just how miserable this “community” has become. There should be no “pride” found or celebrated in that. 

Intent IS important and should not be casually overlooked. 

Good intentions don’t fix damage, but they do change the narrative. 

The RUSH staff not getting paid was completely unintentional. Every dollar that could be spared went in their pockets. 

Yes, I chose not to pay utilities, rent, and other overhead. Factually, the only funds that didn’t go into my staff’s pockets were the funds needed to purchase inventory. 

Any external talent that performed after the 15th of December volunteered their services. 

I reiterate my statements from earlier that the only individuals that complained and have been super vocal were the ones that got fired for their actions or were otherwise desperate for attention. 

Had José, CakePop!, and other individuals not amplified the situation, business would have continued. We would have been able to quickly obtain alternative forms of financing to bridge the gap had members of this “community” (cult) not rallied a boycott. 

Backpay very likely would have been fully funded within two weeks, the compensation structure would have been pivoted appropriately for the unanticipated setback, and operations would have continued without issue.

People are failing to realize that the salaries offered at RUSH were the equivalent of almost three times what these employees could earn elsewhere. That was by specific design. It was to go far beyond the “living wage”—enough just to make ends meet—to what I defined as a “comfortable wage.” 

Their insurance and benefits package had an equivalent value of more than $10k per year. Their retirement benefits were a match of 4% of their contributions. The work environment and employee experience rivaled that of most major tech companies. By design. 

Why did the majority of my team stay despite that missed payroll? It was because the 30 days spent at RUSH had been the best environment they had experienced in their entire careers. Lasting friendships were made. The “all hands on deck” team effort created an environment where everyone felt equal—and where no team member ever felt like they were stuck on a hamster wheel that had no upward movement or potential. By design. 

Yet, my good intentions to change the industry have been completely disregarded. I have been framed as an evil con-artist when the foundation was already miles beyond the industry standard. 

It was 72 degrees today. We would have enjoyed brunch on the rooftop and spent “Sunday funday” with friends. But no. Drama was more important. 

There will always be things that don’t go as planned in business. It’s the reaction to those problems that separate the marginal number of businesses that succeed from the overwhelming majority that, unfortunately, fail. 

With José, where I struggled the most was figuring out his motive. There’s always a deeper motive and there’s always some connection between the dots. 

It was unexplainable how a person could have so much unbridled hatred for someone they did not truly know. Simply put, it’s a hatred that must have existed long before the payroll issue. For all I know, he may have hated me for years for reasons unknown. Even still, the hatred against RUSH and I was still uniquely strong. 

To find his motive, I needed to shift gears a bit and think deeper. 

I trust and give people the benefit of the doubt because it’s who I am as a person. 

I always put others first. If I make a promise, I keep it—whether it takes me 10 minutes or 10 years to make it happen. 

If someone hurts someone I care about, I get justice even if it means sacrificing myself. 

I met Jonathon Andrew Rube in June. For those playing the home game, Jon is the former owner of now-closed Revolt and the owner of what may become Icon. 

As many people witnessed, I was there to support and help him from day one. Neighbors helping neighbors. I never considered him to be competition as we had unique target markets. Even if I considered him to be competition, I’d still have helped out in the same fashion. 

I loaned Jon tools, equipment, and money. I spent countless hours helping him repair critical systems so he could open—and so that he would not get shut down. 

Jon was unfamiliar with DC regulations, so I became a trusted source of knowledge to guide him through. When practically everyone else was giving him hate, I stepped in to foster good energy and offer my support however I could. 

I’m a sucker for the little guy. The one thing about Jon is that he has grit. He pushed forward in the worst bands of the hurricane. I appreciate that. That’s a trait of a true entrepreneur. 

Even though Jon is nearly a decade older, he reminded me of a younger me when I was new and trying to make something of myself. But I’ve now found “grit” can be dirty or clean—and that grit alone is not enough to be successful. If you use dirty sandpaper on a clean surface, it will ruin what you’re building—or what someone else is building. 

That’s why his actions have hurt me more than he will ever know. Sure, Jon helped me out on several occasions when we were down to the wire and my two hands weren’t enough to get everything done. You know…”community.” I thought he was just being helpful in the same way that I had been there for him. 

Sadly, I was incorrect. Jon was helping because he wanted access to inside information. He was a snake that wanted to find vulnerabilities he could exploit. He wanted to get strategies he could pawn off as his own. He hated the camaraderie and morale of my team and wanted to turn employees and staff against each other. 

When his AGM approached me with interest in employment at RUSH, I expressed to that individual that he did not yet have the requisite experience to be a manager at RUSH, but that I’d be happy to consider him for employment as a bartender on one condition: that he initiate the conversation with Jon about his desire to leave Revolt. I required that employee to ensure Jon fully understood I was not poaching employees, and that I was merely offering equal employment opportunities. I required the exact same practice from any applicant that was currently employed by another gay venue. 

Jon played along and pretended he was okay with his AGM coming over to RUSH but, fact is, he was angry and jealous. Those feelings only further propelled his mission to cause damage. 

As I recalled and dissected the chain of events, I finally connected the dots and figured out José’s motive. 

You see, when the first drama about Revolt not being 100% gay-owned (a ridiculous and utterly immature requirement set by the “community,” no less), José started attacking Jon (as José does). This was, of course, prior to Revolt being open. 

Then when the Revolt vs Bunker drama happened in October/November of last year, José went on another crusade. 

But somewhere—somehow—along the way, Jon and José fostered a friendship. José’s negative commentary against Revolt almost magically ceased and José deleted all his prior negative posts made about Jon. 

José and Jon are now best buddies. They text and call each other constantly. While I cannot yet confirm, I would not be surprised if José has a direct or indirect business interest in Icon. 

I now know they’ve developed such a strong bond because they share the same toxic, immature, and downright pathetic character traits.  

You see, Jon is the type that thinks he’s been dealt a bad hand in life at the Blackjack table and that the world owes him a constant, fully-comped tab in return. 

Jon has a long, storied history. He started in Jacksonville, NC. 

Jon (and his older brother’s) teens and 20s were full of arrests (and actual convictions, unlike me) for everything from passing bad checks, to car chases, to felony theft (and subsequent possession of those stolen goods), and a ton of criminal-grade speeding tickets. 

While there are a ton of cases, I’m only mentioning the ones where he was found guilty. As of today, he owes the State of North Carolina over $4,000 in unpaid criminal judgements and assessments. 

Luckily for him, all his warrants for failure to appear have expired due to age and the state’s statute of limitations. 

I’ll be the first to say that I don’t fault people for their past so long as they can answer in the affirmative to th question: “did you learn your lesson?”

Jon had some stints in Florida, then ultimately made Vegas his home base. A fresh start in Sin City. 

His criminal history kept him from securing most types of employment, so he became an entrepreneur. He had all kinds of business ventures, but could never really keep any of them above water for long—typically the result of a mixture of bad business practices, excessive drinking, and gambling. 

He wanted to be in nightlife—to own his own club—but he could never do it the right way. 

It’s apparent that he wasn’t taught, and truly can’t grasp, the concept of putting others first. You can’t be in hospitality if you don’t first know how to be hospitable. You can’t be successful in hospitality if you do not have a strong desire to create experiences for people other than yourself (your guests). That’s the baseline. 

Jon likes the allure and satisfaction of ownership and creative control—he craves the spotlight—but he lacks the critical aspects, knowledge, and morals to operate the business itself. 

As I see it, if you belong in the spotlight—if you genuinely deserve honor or praise—it will come naturally. 

I tend to reject the spotlight because the things I do and build are not about, or for, me. If you have to claw your way into the spotlight, it’s because you’re not doing enough to get there naturally. In the same respect, if you have to attack or disparage competition, your unique value propositions simply are not powerful enough to matter. 

Jon has spent the last ~15 years selling ideas to people, but then ultimately screwing them…and himself…over. 

Vegas, West Hollywood, and several other markets. He owes former business partners huge sums of money. He’s been evicted from residential and commercial properties too many times to count—although he’s  mostly managed to convince his partners to be the lessees. 

He has been effectively homeless for years—primarily because his track record keeps him from being able to find a stable residence. He finally got a job as a flight attendant with a budget airline. He traveled the world and would stay at cheap hotels in Vegas when he wasn’t on trips. It worked for him, so that’s fine. I’m not judging. 

He ultimately screwed too many people over out west, so he decided to move to Baltimore in 2024. 

Same Jon, different tune. 

He turned a vendor relationship into a business  partnership for Revolt by joining forces with the former owner of Hashtag, Privilege, Space Bar, and others. Privilege shut down from eviction, Space got seized for nearly $100k in unpaid sales tax, and Hashtag just wasn’t doing well as a concept. 

Jon proposed the idea for his gay bar. The lease was still active and the venue unoccupied—there wasn’t much to lose. The idea was that Jon would launch Revolt and take over the rent, ultimately freeing his business partner from the liability. 

It was a true “design-on-a-dime” budget. Jon hired employees early to help with the buildout. Those employees got paid once. He expected and demanded a friendship as opposed to an employment relationship. He’d call and text them constantly. They really didn’t have any days off because if they were to ignore a call or text, Jon would take it personally and retaliate. 

Jon reassured them that he’d pay soon, and then trapped them in a negotiation that never solidified. When Revolt finally opened, they were promised transparency and their tips from a pool. The numbers never seemed to add up. 

The polarizing difference between Jon and I is that I wanted to pay my staff but the money disappeared. Jon, on the other hand, had many occasions where he could have paid appropriately and fairly, but chose to retain the money for himself or put it into other silly, dead-end ideas. 

Because of all the bridges he’s burned in his past, he’s been forced to do things the hard way. He was buying all Revolt’s inventory at retail because he couldn’t personally guarantee a credit relationship or meet the order minimums with the wholesale distributors. 

He can’t get credit lines (even secured ones) of any sort because he’s always prioritized what he wants. He can’t rent vehicles from most places (U-Haul, etc.) because he owes them money from past rentals and has a questionable driving record (lots of speeding). He has, on multiple occasions, made it an unspoken requirement for employees to use their names and credit cards to rent vehicles for him. 

Jon has used other people’s (business partners, etc.) information without permission. I, on the other hand, have always had an active, notarized power of attorney when opening credit lines or handling financial matters (notice how José didn’t post that part about the unemployment pay—the part where I won on appeal after providing proof that I was, in fact, authorized to do the things I did). 

People trust me because I know what I’m doing, I’m good at it, and they know I always execute or advise in their best interest. 

I’m the one that people call when they need financial advice. I’m the one people call when they need business advice. Hell, I’m the first one people call at 3am when they’ve made a mistake and need help. 

People in my circle call me a “Jack(son) of All Trades” for a reason. I’ve learned a whole hell of a lot through practice and failure so that others don’t have to.

Jon is an extremely jealous and deeply emotional person. He’s a hair-trigger away from emotional collapse at any given time. Any criticism, rejection, or abandonment—whether real or perceived—activates a rampage and breakdown that has no regard for collateral damage. 

But, at the same time, Jon loves gossip and drama more than anyone I’ve ever witnessed—so long as it’s not about him. It’s yet another reason why he gets along so incredibly well with José—they’re both shrouding their own feelings of inadequacy by attacking others. They use that toxic energy to turn people against each other. They do absolutely anything to prevent harmony. The only love he gets is from a potential path to a green card. 

I should have seen the signs early on. The line between being naive and trusting is a fine one. Jon knows the right words to say to distract people from his self-serving interests. 

Jon was incredibly jealous of me from day one. I had a bigger venue. More money. More power. A better brand. A better vision. More respect. More connections. And a whole hell of a lot more talent. All that was wrapped in a package that’s more physically attractive than he’ll ever be. He viewed my wide-ranging skillset as arrogance. 

And, sure, I can see how I might deliver a perception of arrogance. However, the key difference is that arrogance is all bark and no bite. I know a ton about a wide range of topics and I can prove it—believe me, I have the “bite.” 

Reading, learning, and mastering new skills isn’t just a talent of mine—it’s a passion. Self-sufficiency is incredibly important to me. But, at the same time, I’ll be the first to admit if I don’t know how to do something. I’m knowledgeable, not arrogant. I’m super competitive, but I’m also no stranger to humility. 

When Jon sees something he wants to be, he doesn’t work for it, he launches a zig-zag of attacks against the person he’s jealous of until he gets the attention he seeks. He fucked up 20 years of his life and he wants a refund at other peoples’ expense. 

I’ve been building and growing things—through success and failure—for as long as I can remember. I haven’t always known exactly where I wanted my career to take me, but my desire to do something that makes a difference and that brings people joy has always been at the center. Ask anyone that truly knows me. 

I shielded Jon from his actions on multiple occasions. I’m not sure why. Perhaps, if anything, it was to avoid perpetuating drama. 

Despite his pleadings of the opposite, Jon WAS, in fact, the one that made constant nuisance calls and reports about Bunker and Eagle to every DC agency and social media platform. He’d laugh about it as though he expected me to find it funny—like I was going to fist bump him and say “nice bro.” 

I didn’t find it amusing at all, and I made that clear. He continued the conduct. I distanced myself. He questioned my distance (because, again, perceived abandonment) and complained until I told him I didn’t find what he was doing cute or funny. He promised to stop. He didn’t. 

Jon is the one that called The Department of Buildings on Spark—multiple times—while they were trying to prep their space to roll out alcohol service. That resulted in a stop work order they didn’t deserve. I was so angry when I found out he was behind the bogus report. He knew exactly what he was doing and had no remorse. If my recollection is accurate, the reason he had a grudge against Spark is because the owners had looked at him the wrong way or didn’t welcome him to his exact standard at some point. That alone was enough to trigger an emotional explosion. Then, when alcohol was being introduced, he saw Spark as the most direct competition to Revolt because of the size, similarities, and proximity to his venue. 

Fact is, phony calls and complaints can have huge impacts on businesses. That’s not just a business owner you’ve got in the crosshairs—it’s the livelihoods of every single person they employ. 

The day of our grand opening (December 5th), Jon made special efforts to get the Apple Maps listing for Crush and RUSH combined. 

He knew that Mark Rutstein (co-owner of Crush) was already generally upset that RUSH and Crush had a similar name. He knew that if Mark saw RUSH’s information combined with Crush’s it would send him over the edge and make Mark believe that I purposely made it happen. 

Jon also knew the update would place the wrong address and information on Apple Maps in such a way that people wanting to attend the grand opening of RUSH would be confused of where to go. 

Mark and Jon fostered a friendship early on, and Jon ensured a rift would start between Mark and I on day one. Jon got exactly what he wanted. Mark was absolutely livid at me and accused me of purposely combining the names and information. At first I was disappointed by Mark’s reaction via text. Mark vowed to take RUSH down, and I simply could not understand that level of hatred. Now I know that it was Jon stirring the pot for his own benefit all along. Jon needed the entire block to turn against each other, and he made it happen. 

I will note here that, factually (as was detailed earlier), RUSH as a brand existed long before Crush opened. 

While the accusations that I knocked off Crush’s name are plentiful, they are completely inaccurate. I never considered Crush—just as I didn’t consider any of the other gay venues—to be competition. 

I decided to open RUSH in the place that I did because I wanted to be the last puzzle piece that completed and unified the new “gayborhood.” The property met our needs, and I leased it as a business decision based on that factor. It was never to compete—it was a mission of mine to create DC’s version of Boystown, WeHo, or The Castro. 

Truth is, if any business deserves a full boycott, it’s one that takes things far beyond friendly competition. If any owner deserves to be shamed, it’s one that banks on the failure of others to succeed. 

Jon ruined Revolt with his actions. He couldn’t keep his head above water as a result of the opposing drama. He couldn’t handle constructive criticism, so it led to destructive criticism. It was his decisions alone that caused its collapse.

He started going after the Bohemian Caverns (Icon) property merely days after the “#freebunker” drama started between Revolt and Bunker. He turned Revolt into a Christmas Bar to make people forget. It’s his move. He makes a huge mistake, then pivots to something else without cleaning up his mess. Again—grit—but dirty grit because he didn’t clean up before he moved on to the next thing. 

But Jon still needed something to get the target off his back. When RUSH’s payroll failed, that was his chance. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t care about all the things I had done for him. He didn’t care about all the people it would impact. He only cared about himself. Perhaps he thought the financial interruption was some sort of gift from the universe. 

He immediately—the same day—went after my best employees and attempted to offer them jobs. He didn’t disguise his clear premeditation. He supplied José with pieces and parts of my personal civil cases—and then he encouraged and perpetuated drama. He knowingly and willingly turned a molehill into a mountain. 

Jon wanted to open Icon. He was willing to sacrifice me and several others to do it. Jon wants to feel loved, but he’s trying to buy that love by being a hotshot gay bar owner as opposed to earning it. 

And the moment Icon doesn’t perform as he hopes will be the moment he’ll start stabbing more people in the back and playing dirty. 

That’s not “community.” 

Remember who Jon is. Remember who José is. Analyze their intentions. Ask if they’re making things better or just tearing people apart. Ask if the behaviors of Jon and José are something you want to endorse with your patronage or your attention. 

But, you know what? Jon and José are still human. Somewhere inside of them is a heart. They still have feelings and emotions. Every single human on this planet has made mistakes at some point. I’m I angry? Sure, maybe a little. Am I bitter? Absolutely. But, truly, I’m just disappointed in them beyond all measure. 

The real question is whether they will ever have remorse or the desire to change their ways—will they continue life constantly acting upon triggers from their own past traumas, or will they learn to recognize those triggers and stop the negative response before it hurts others? 

Two things are certain: 1. I will not drop my suit against José no matter what he posts or what pressure he attempts to apply, and 2. everyone else involved in all this mess should be on the lookout for your court summonses next. Civil conspiracy is costly. As I’ve said, I don’t settle disagreements and wrongdoings with drama—I look to the Courts. 

I’ve struggled with the decision to post some of the things I’ve been forced to write here today. It actually makes me disappointed in myself—it makes me feel like I’m stooping to the level of those that have attacked me. We have a justice system designed for that purpose, however, it does take time and some of these things have to come out now.

As for me…what’s my next move? Not sure yet. With the RUSH sale closed and my transition duties under the contract almost complete, I have plenty of time on my hands. Maybe DC will stay my home, maybe it won’t. I hope that the DC gay cult that now exists will once again become a true community. 

Change of that magnitude is only possible when we consciously make the decision to reject negativity and drama—to slow down, think, and actively reject anything that is not constructive. 

I’ll leave you with this: hating someone, holding a grudge, or seeking revenge is like consuming poison thinking it will kill the other person. What you do with that—or any of this information—is completely up to you. 

–Jackson