Local
Anti-gay group targets National Cathedral over gay marriage
Ralph Reed organizes petition drive to stop Cathedral from receiving historic preservation grants
![Washington National Cathedral, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2013/02/Washington_National_Cathedral_thumb_public_domain_by_Carol_M_Highsmith.jpg)
![Washington National Cathedral, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2013/02/Washington_National_Cathedral_insert_public_domain_by_Carol_M_Highsmith.jpg)
Washington National Cathedral (Public domain photo by Carol M. Highsmith)
An organization started by religious right figure Ralph Reed is circulating an online petition demanding that the federal government halt all ācurrent or futureā funds for the Washington National Cathedral because of its recent decision to perform same-sex weddings.
In a statement released on Friday, the Faith and Freedom Coalition noted that in recent years the National Cathedral has received a $700,000 grant from the National Park Serviceās āSave Americaās Treasureāsā program, which funds efforts to preserve and maintain historic buildings.
āWith this policy change, taxpayers are being asked to subsidize gay marriage ceremonies for a church that can readily access millions of their own,ā the group said in its statement.
āWe believe the definition of āmarriageā to be the union of one man to one woman,ā the statement says. āIf the National Cathedral wants to continue to receive taxpayer funding from Congress, they should respect Congressional action like the Defense of Marriage Act.ā
The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, prohibits the federal government from recognizing same sex marriages and providing federal benefits to married same-sex couples. But the law doesnāt prohibit the government from providing historic preservation funds for churches that support or perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.
The National Cathedral, an Episcopal church, announced on Jan. 8 that it would welcome same-sex weddings on its premises effective immediately.
The action is considered significant because the National Cathedral is the second largest church in the United States and often hosts religious ceremonies of national significance such as presidential inaugural prayer services and state funerals for U.S. presidents and members of Congress.
āOur response would be that we certainly are not going to be deterred by the petition,ā said Richard Weinberg, a spokesperson for the National Cathedral, in commenting on the Faith and Freedom Coalitionās call for denying the Cathedral federal funds
He said the Cathedral views as ātotally separateā the issue of receiving a one-time federal grant for historic preservation of the Cathedralās building and its position on same-sex marriage.
āThe issue of marriage equality at least within the Episcopal Church is more or less is a settled issue,ā Weinberg said. āSo weāre actually exercising our First Amendment rights to function from a pastoral-sacramental standpoint and to perform the same-sex ceremonies that we plan to perform.ā
He said the $700,000 grant from the National Park Service was awarded in May 2011. The cathedral continues to raise private funds from members and supporters for building maintenance and preservation work, including ongoing efforts to repair damage caused by the August 2011 earthquake that hit the D.C. area, Weinberg said.
People for the American Way, a liberal political advocacy group that supports LGBT rights, issued a statement saying Faith and Freedom Coalitionās call for cutting off federal funds for a church appears to contradict its longstanding calls for the government to support religious institutions.
ā[T]he same FFC which believes Obama is waging a āwar on religionā and trampling on āreligious libertyā wants the government to cut off its grants to a church due to its opposition to marriagae equality,ā said People for the American Way spokesperson Brian Tashman.
āFor more than 30 years, the Episcopal Church has prayed and studied to discern the evidence of Godās blessing in the lives of same-sex couples,ā said Rev. Gary Hall, the cathedralās dean, or director, in a statement last month.
āIt is now only fitting that the National Cathedral follow suit,ā he said. āWe enthusiastically affirm each person as a beloved child of God ā and doing so means including the full participation of gays and lesbians in the life of this spiritual home for the nation.ā
Reed served from 1984 to 1997 as executive director of the Christian Coalition, a conservative Christian political organization created by Virginia televangelist Rev. Pat Robertson. The Christian Coalition emerged as one of the nationās most outspoken groups opposing LGBT rights. Reed left the organization under a cloud after the Federal Election Commission began an investigation of alleged campaign funding irregularities.
He founded Faith and Freedom Coalition in 2006 after working as a political consultant in Georgia.
In arguing for a ban on federal funds for the National Cathedral, FFC says the cathedral should be able to obtain all the money it needs from the Episcopal Church, which the group describes as āone of the richest denominations in the United States.ā
āWhy is a church with untold billions in assets asking American taxpayers to fund their church?ā the group asks in its statement promoting its petition. āWe demand an immediate suspension of any current or future federal funds to this institution until such time that it ceases the practice of homosexual āmarriageā certification.ā
Weinberg said the National Cathedral operates as a privately owned, independent entity.
āThe Episcopal Church does not own it,ā he said. āSo it was built entirely through the support of generous donors across the country, and thatās how it has been maintained for its 107 year history now.ā
Virginia
Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.
Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240629_Shi-Queeta_Lee_at_Arlington_Pride_insert_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Activists across Virginia last month held a series of events to mark Pride Month.
Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer-run organization founded in 1997, held 37 different Pride events throughout the region in June.
Their biggest event, PrideFest, which is part of their larger three day event, Pride Weekend, celebrated its 36th anniversary on June 22. Pride Weekend took place from June 21-23 and began with a block party at NorVa in Norfolk.
PrideFest took place at Town Point Park, and an estimated 30,000 people attended. More than 70 venders participated, while Todrick Hall and Mariah Counts are among those who performed.
Another PrideFest event with a DJ in the afternoon and live music at night took place in Virginia Beach on June 23. Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are among those who attended Pride events in Suffolk on June 30.
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, along with members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach City Councils, also attended the Pride events in their respective cities. Jamar Walker, the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia, also took part.
āYou know people all throughout Pride Month, at all of our various events, tell me all kinds of stories about their own experiences and the past of this community … and some of our older folks especially, remember when we couldn’t have this,ā Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview.
āIt was a great year,ā he added. “It was a big achievement for us to have unique celebrations in each of our seven communities. Each of these cities is so different from one another, but to be able to create a Pride celebration that’s unique in each of those places was really great, and I think really well received by folks who may not have felt represented previously. We’re always trying to do better, to embrace every aspect of our community, and take a big step forward there this year.ā
State Dels. Adele McClure (D-Arlington County) and Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington County) are among those who spoke at Arlington Pride that took place at Long Bridge Park on June 29. The Fredericksburg Pride march and festival took place the same day at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg.
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on June 10 hosted a Pride Month reception in Richmond.
Youngkin in previous years has hosted Pride Month receptions, even though Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups have criticized him for supporting anti-LGBTQ bills.
The Republican governor in March signed a bill that codified marriage equality in Virginia. Youngkin last month vetoed a measure that would have expanded the definition of bullying in the state.
Baltimore
Baltimore street named in honor of trans activist
Iya Dammons is founder of support groups Safe Haven in Baltimore, D.C.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/07/20240629_Iya_Dammons_at_street_naming_ceremony_in_Baltimore_insert_courtesy_Iya_Dammons.jpg)
Baltimore city officials and LGBTQ activists participated in a ceremony on June 29 officially dedicating the renaming of a street in honor of transgender woman Iya Dammons, who founded and serves as executive director of the LGBTQ services organization Maryland Safe Haven.
A section of Baltimoreās 21st Street at the intersection of North Charles Street, where the Maryland Safe Haven offices are located, has been renamed Iya Dammons Way.
The ceremony took place six years after Dammons founded Maryland Safe Haven in 2018 and one year after she launched a Safe Haven operation in D.C.in 2023 located at 331 H St., N.E.
A statement on its website says Safe Haven provides a wide range of supportive services for LGBTQ people in need, with a special outreach to Black trans women ānavigating survival modeā living.
āThrough compassionate harm reduction and upward mobility services, advocacy support, and community engagement, we foster a respectful, non-judgmental environment that empowers individual agency,ā the statement says. āOur programs encompass community outreach, a drop-in center providing HIV testing, harm reduction, PrEP, medical linkage, case management, and assistance in accessing housing services,ā it says.
Among those participating in the street renaming ceremony were Baltimore City Council member Zeke Cohen, interim director of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scottās Office of LGBTQ Affairs Alexis Blackmon, and Dominique Morgan, an official with the national foundation Borealis Philanthropy, which provides financial support for transgender supportive nonprofit organizations, including Safe Haven.
āThis is a significant achievement and historic moment for our city,ā a statement by Maryland Safe Haven announcing the ceremony says. āIya Dammons has been a tireless advocate for transgender rights and has worked tirelessly to provide safe spaces and resources for transgender individuals in our city,ā it says. āThis honor is well-deserved, and we are thrilled to see her contributions recognized in such a meaningful way.ā
Baltimore
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
People on social media expressed concern about block party stampede
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-29-at-18.01.33.png)
BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | This yearās Baltimore Pride Week attracted 150,000 people ā record attendance that far exceeded initial projections of 100,000.
But some see room for improvement and want organizers to address safety issues and make changes so the annual event that celebrates the LGBTQ population is better run.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
-
Canada1 day ago
Toronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
-
Theater4 days ago
Stephen Mark Lukas makes sublime turn in āFunny Girlā
-
Baltimore3 days ago
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
-
Sports4 days ago
Haters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend