Suspects Plead Not Guilty of Assaulting Drag Queen in D.C.

Two women accused of assaulting a gay man dressed in drag in Washington, D.C. last month filed pleas of not guilty, despite video that shows the pair punching the victim and dragging him across the floor.

Two women pleaded not guilty last week to charges stemming from a physical altercation with a drag queen known as Heidi Glüm inside a fast food restaurant in Washington, D.C., reports MetroWeekly.

The alleged assault took place at 3:15 a.m. on June 23, when Raymone Harding, 28, and Rachel Manna Sahle, 22, got into a screaming match at Manny & Olga's takeout restaurant with Miles DeNiro, an openly gay man who was dressed in drag. The altercation was captured on video and posted to YouTube, and showed the suspects and DeNiro yelling at one another before the suspects allegedly began punching DeNiro, eventually bringing him to the floor and dragging him by his hair. The video was posted by WorldStarHipHop.com on YouTube, but has since been removed, citing YouTube's ban on "shocking and disgusting content."

Harding and Sahle were released on personal recognizance, and are scheduled for initial hearings on misdemeanor simple assault charges on Sept. 5, according to MetroWeekly.

Just a week after the assault, DeNiro and his drag persona Heidi Glüm were scheduled to return to the D.C. drag scene, reports MetroWeekly, again hosting the monthly punk-inspired dance party, ironically named the "Gay Bash," where DeNiro had just finished performing before the assault last month.