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'We're not trying to turn your children gay' | Amidst hate and threats, local nonprofit celebrates one year anniversary

Equality Arlington celebrated their one year anniversary at Freddie's Beach Bar & Restaurant Wednesday night.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Wednesday night, the LGBTQ+ rights non-profit, Equality Arlington, celebrated their one year anniversary.

"We kind of got our start after the Supreme Court had their decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, and a conservative justices said hey gay people we're coming for your rights next," said Kellen MacBeth, the founder and president.

"We were concerned. Do we have an infrastructure in place to advocate for our right and our protections and just to better our community and make sure we're getting the services that many of us have to get out of the county in Maryland or D.C.?" said MacBeth.

He says they've been working with Arlington County, local hospitals and the school system to try and improve things for the LGBTQ+ community.

Wednesday night, they held their anniversary celebration at Freddie's Beach Bar & Restaurant in Crystal City.

Their celebration, just a week after the beloved bar owner says he received bomb threats and death threats.

"They said we're going to kill you. But in the email, whoever sent it said we don't care that you have a gay bar.  Hang out with your gay friends at your gay bar but stay away from our children," said Freddie Lutz, the owner of Freddie's Beach Bar & Restaurant.

RELATED: After three bomb threats in one day over drag performance, Freddie’s owner emboldened to fight back

The first threat arrived via email within the hour before Freddie’s was set to hold its first drag storybook hour with drag queen Tara Hoot in the Arlington location. The staff moved all of the attendees, including children, to the back parking lot while investigators combed the bar with bomb-sniffing dogs.

Despite what happened, everyone returned to watch the performance. Aside from a similar threat against his other bar, Lutz received an email that night threatening to kill him over the drag performance.

"If I could answer that e-mail to whoever it is, I would say 'we're not after your children. We're not trying to turn your children gay'," said Lutz.

He says they're now planning a huge celebration on May 4, that will include a Drag Queen Story Hour.

Also in attendance at Wednesday's celebration, Jenna Burnett and Michelle Logan. 

"Your home is a place where you should feel comfortable and we didn't feel like that a couple months ago," said Logan.

WUSA9 first spoke with Jenna Burnett and Michelle Logan in December, after their pride flags had been ripped down three times.

RELATED: Arlington couple says someone wearing a cowboy hat keeps tearing down their Pride flag

In January, it happened two more times.  

RELATED: For the fifth time, an Arlington couple's pride flag has been ripped down

In February, two people were arrested. According to the Arlington County Police Department's Property Crimes Unit, 20-year-old Matthew Henshaw, of Fort Myer, Virginia, and 23-year-old Joseph Digregorio, of Bay Shore, New York, have been charged in connection to the ripped flags

"You hear about so many worse things happening like that poor woman for flying a pride flag outside. That's where our brains go and it's hard," said Burnett.

These are just some of the recent examples, that the founders of Equality Arlington say show how much of a need there is for organizations like theirs.

"We've seen they'll do some pretty heinous extreme things to get us to go back into hiding like we used to have to do. We're here to make sure we don't have to go back," said Samantha Perez.

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