DC Restaurant Has a FLOTUS themed tree, they get a surprise visit! 🎄

POLITICS

Nancy Pelosi visits Christmas tree decorated in her honor

Gay manager decorates tree in honor of soon-to-be House Speaker

Published 3 years ago on December 15, 2018
By Lou Chibbaro Jr.



Rep. Nancy Pelosi stopped by Floriana in Washington, D.C. on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told LGBT activists and others who joined her on a visit Friday to a Christmas tree outside Floriana Restaurant on 17th Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C. that’s dedicated to her that she will give top priority to passing an LGBT rights bill in 2019.

Dito Sevilla, who works as Floriana’s bar manager, said he has been in charge of arranging for the installation of a large Christmas tree on the plaza in front of the popular Italian restaurant. He said he decorates the tree each year with a different theme, drawing the attention of Floriana customers and nearby residents and visitors.

“This year I said, ‘oh my God, it has to be Nancy Pelosi,’” he told the Blade. “She’s going to be our next Speaker. She’s the Democratic leader. And she looks terrific. And so that’s where it all began.”

The 17-and-a-half-foot tall Douglas fir tree has a large photo of Pelosi holding the Speaker’s gavel from when she was House Speaker in 2007 as its tree-top ornament. In addition to having more than 9,000 lights glowing at night, Sevilla placed on the tree more than a dozen American flags and large white ribbons with the names of the women elected to the U.S. House in the 2018 mid-term election along with photos of some of them.

“This is really something,” said Pelosi when she arrived at the site at 1602 17th St., N.W. “It’s really remarkable. I’m going to show the pictures to my grandchildren.”

{snip}