Local

Film ‘Wonderfully Made LGBTQ+R(eligion)’ set for D.C. premiere

Documentary explores challenges faced by queer Catholics

Published

2 years ago

November 28, 2022

‘Wonderfully Made LGBTQ+R(eligion)’ premieres in D.C. on Dec. 12.

A feature-length documentary film called “Wonderfully Made LGBTQ+R(eligion),” which explores how religion has played a leading role in perpetuating anti-LGBTQ attitudes and highlights the challenges and aspirations of LGBTQ Catholics, is scheduled for a special D.C. screening on Dec. 12 at the E Street Cinema.

The film’s director is gay filmmaker, actor, and LGBTQ rights advocate Yuval David. It was jointly produced by David and his husband, attorney and LGBTQ Catholic advocate Mark McDermott. The premiere D.C. showing of the film is being hosted by Real Affirmations, D.C.’s LGBTQ film festival.

“The film focuses on the Catholic Church because it is one of the largest religious organizations in the world, and because its anti-LGBTQ+ stance is known and growing more hardline, at least in some circles,” a statement announcing the D.C. showing of the film says.

“The narrative of the film is shaped by the process of a fine art project creating unprecedented, photographic iconography depicting Jesus as a member/ally of the LGBTQ+ community, represented by multiple LGBTQ+ models,” the statement says.

David and McDermott told the Washington Blade in a Nov. 21 interview that production of the film was completed at the end of August of this year, and it has since been shown at film festivals across the U.S. and overseas. It was honored as the Best Feature Film at the LGBTQ Toronto Film Festival.

“One of the things we discuss in our film and the way this makes it contemporary, and even pertaining to this horrible shooting [at the LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado] and the various other attacks on the LGBTQ community, is the fact that the vast majority of anti-LGBTQ and homophobic beliefs, including laws and legislation, are on the basis of religion,” David said.

“Ninety something percent of homophobia and anti-LGBTQ beliefs are on the basis of religion,” David said he and McDermott saw in research findings.

David and McDermott said one of their objectives for the film, which includes interviews with leading LGBTQ Catholic activists and supportive Catholic priests, was to show how images of the church and Jesus through art and iconography going back several centuries has impacted the religious views of Catholics, including LGBTQ Catholics.

Among the LGBTQ supportive people interviewed in the film include Sister Jeannine Gramick, a Catholic nun who co-founded New Ways Ministry, the LGBTQ Catholic advocacy organization; Marianne Duddy-Burke, president of Dignity USA, the national LGBTQ Catholic group; and Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, author, and outspoken advocate for LGBTQ supportive policies in the Catholic Church.

The film also discusses the fact that the top leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has issued statements in support of LGBTQ Catholics while at the same time some if not many Catholic cardinals and bishops have continued to promote traditional church doctrine condemning homosexuality.

David and McDermott point to their film’s groundbreaking use of a form of iconography that they and their creative team, including photographers, created as part of an art project to make the church’s imagery more welcoming to LGBTQ people.

“The idea behind this is in Christianity and Catholicism, Jesus has always been portrayed one way for the last 1,700 years,” McDermott told the Blade. “That he has been portrayed as a white man of Northern European descent with blond hair and blue eyes. And as we set up the film, we wanted to challenge that history of art, change it,” he said, to show that “the divine is in all of us,” including LGBTQ people.

McDermott and David told how they conducted a casting call for actors and models to portray Jesus as LGBTQ people who were highly diverse by way of ethnicity, gender, and gender expression. To their amazement, about 500 people responded to the casting call.

“And out of that enormous group we selected nine models,” David said. “And the people we cast are truly a diverse array of LGBTQIA+ people representing different ethnicities, different races, different genders, different body types,” he said. “We wanted to cast people who not only were models but actors and people who truly identify with this topic,” David said.

Several of the actor-models are interviewed in the film, with some describing their own experiences as a person of faith in a church that is sometimes not accepting of them.

David said several thousand still photos were taken of the nine model-actors selected to portray Jesus. He said about 160 of the photo images were selected to be shown in the film in which the actor-models portray Jesus in various stages of his life as described in the scriptures, including scenes of the crucifixion.

The still photos are shown in a dramatic presentation at the conclusion of the film, with each of the model-actors exhibiting highly emotional facial expressions, especially as they are shown tied to a cross with a crown of thorns.

McDermott said he and David came up with the film’s “Wonderfully Made” title from a biblical passage known as the Book of Psalms in which the biblical figure David says while praying to God, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Biblical scholars have said the word “fearfully” as used in that biblical passage by David was intended to mean with great reverence, heart-felt interest and with respect.

Mark McDermott and Yuval David told the Blade that while their film shows the hardship faced by LGBTQ Catholics and people of faith, many people of faith, including the religious experts they interview in the film, believe Catholicism and religion in general can be interpreted to be supportive of all people, including LGBTQ people.

But the two say a positive perspective on how religion has and continues to impact LGBTQ people, such as the story told in their film, is needed.

“Forty percent of our homeless kids are LGBTQ – 40 percent,” McDermott said. “And we know why they ended up homeless. They got thrown out of their houses by their own family,” he said. “And it’s almost always because of their family’s religious views.”

Added McDermott, “One in three LGBTQ kids in the last year contemplate or seriously think about suicide.”

According to he and David, stress or conflict with their family’s religious beliefs is very often the root cause of stress and depression among LGBTQ people. They are hopeful, they said, that their film will be seen by many facing these problems and who may be helped by the film’s strong message that it’s ok to be a person of faith and LGBTQ.

“We created this for those who must see this, so they don’t feel that way,” said David.
Tickets for the Dec. 12, 7 p.m. screening of “Wonderfully Made LGBTQ+R(eligion),” which is open to the public, can be purchased online or at the E Street Cinema at the time of the showing if tickets are still available.

A trailer preview of the film can be viewed here: wonderfullymadefilm.com; you can follow news of the film on social media, instagram.com/WonderfullyMadeMovie. Tickets can be purchased from the Reel Affirmations website and more information can be found on the Facebook event page here.

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District of Columbia

LGBTQ budget advocates fight for D.C. resources in a tough fiscal year

‘Trying to preserve life-saving services’ amid $1 billion cut

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Heidi Ellis, coordinator of the DC LGBT Budget Coalition. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Ellis)

The months and days leading up to June are especially busy for LGBTQ Washingtonians. For one group, the DC LGBT Budget Coalition, which works year-round to ensure LGBTQ residents are represented and financially supported by the D.C. government, this time of year is their Super Bowl. Beginning in April, the D.C. Council and Mayor’s Office hold budget hearings for the next fiscal year.

With D.C.’s budget now under review, the Washington Blade spoke with Heidi Ellis, coordinator of the DC LGBT Budget Coalition, about the group’s top priorities and their push to ensure continued support for queer communities.

“The LGBTQ Budget Coalition was founded in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, as a way for the community to work together to advocate for key funding and policy changes,” Ellis said. “We recognized we were stronger together. A lot of groups are often pitted against each other for resources and dollars. This coalition was founded out of a need for unity. Since then, we’ve successfully advocated for more than $20 million in dedicated LGBTQ investments.”

In addition to coordinating the coalition, Ellis is the founder and CEO of HME Consulting & Advocacy, a firm that helps build coalitions and advance policy initiatives that address intersectional issues in the LGBTQ community. One of its most powerful tools, she explained, is direct outreach through community surveys.

“We actually do community surveys to see what people need and what’s top of mind,” Ellis said. “Of course, we also pay attention to the broader political landscape — like the current threats to HIV funding. That helps us prioritize.”

Because the coalition is comprised of more than 20 organizations across various sectors —healthcare, housing, community organizing — Ellis said its diversity enables it to connect grassroots needs to potential policy solutions.

“Our coalition includes service providers, community groups, health and housing advocates-folks who are deeply plugged into what’s happening on the ground,” she said. “They help determine our direction. We know we don’t represent every queer person in D.C., but our coalition reflects a wide range of identities and experiences.”

The insights gathered through those surveys ultimately inform the coalition’s annual budget proposal, which is submitted to the Council and mayor.

“That’s how we got to our FY26 priorities,” she said. “This year, more than ever, we’re fighting to protect what we’ve already secured — funding and policies we’ve had to fight for in the past. We know there’s concern around this budget.”

One of the challenges this year is that the D.C. government’s operating budget and some of its legislation must be approved by Congress. With a projected decline in tax revenue and a Republican-controlled Congress that has historically opposed LGBTQ funding, the Coalition has had to think strategically.

“Even before the situation on the Hill, the CFO projected lower revenue,” Ellis said. “That meant cuts to social programs were already coming. And now, with the $1 billion slashed from D.C.’s budget due to the continuing resolution, we’re not only fighting for D.C.’s budget and autonomy, but also trying to preserve life-saving services. Our message is simple: Don’t forget about queer people.”

This year’s proposal doesn’t include specific dollar figures. Instead, the Coalition outlines five funding priority areas: Healthcare, Employment & Economic Equity, Housing, Safety & Community Support, and Civil Rights.

Why no exact amounts? Ellis said it’s because not all solutions are financial.

“Some of our asks don’t require new funding. Others build on existing programs-we’re asking whether the current use of funds is the most effective. We’re also proposing policy changes that wouldn’t cost extra but could make a real difference. It’s about using what we have better,” she said.

When drafting the proposal, the Coalition tries to prioritize those with the most pressing and intersecting needs.

“Our perspective is: If we advocate for the most vulnerable, others benefit too,” Ellis said. “Take LGBTQ seniors. Some may have done well in life but now face housing insecurity or struggle to access affordable healthcare. Many in our coalition are elders who fought on the frontlines during the AIDS epidemic. They bring critical historical context and remind us that Black and brown communities bore the brunt of that crisis.”

“I love our coalition because it keeps us accountable to the moment,” she added. “If we center those most marginalized, we can make an impact that lifts everyone.”

In addition to healthcare and housing, safety remains a top concern. The Coalition has fought to maintain funding for the Violence Prevention and Response Team (VPART), a city-supported group that includes MPD, community-based organizations, and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. VPART responds to crimes affecting the LGBTQ community and connects victims to legal, healthcare, and housing services.

“We’ve pushed to make VPART more proactive, not just reactive,” Ellis said. “The funding we’ve secured has helped survivors get the support they need. Cutting that funding now would undo progress we’re just beginning to see.”

At the end of the day, Ellis emphasized that this process is about far more than spreadsheets.

“A budget is a moral document,” she said. “If we’re not represented, you’re telling us our lives don’t matter at a time when we need protection the most. When people can’t get food, medicine, housing — that has a devastating impact. These are vital services.”

The DC LGBT Budget Coalition is urging residents to support a letter-writing campaign to D.C. Council members and the mayor. You can send a letter here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/fully-fund-dcs-lgbtq-communities

Read the full FY26 budget proposal here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTrENnc4ZazJTO6LPrQ3lZkF02QNIIf1/view

Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns bigger than ever with two-day WorldPride celebration

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2025

Staff reports

The Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier will be extended to a two-day celebration in honor of WorldPride coming to D.C. this year. Taking place on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at The Wharf, this year’s event promises more entertainment, more community, and more pride than ever before — all set against the stunning waterfront backdrop of our nation’s capital.

With the addition of Friday, the party kicks off at 3 p.m., with the inaugural WorldPride Boat Parade at 7 p.m. As an Official WorldPride Partner event, the boat parade will feature 30 decorated boats parading along the Washington Channel. For information on signing up for the boat parade contact Stephen Rutgers at [email protected].

Saturday’s signature Pier Party kicks off at 12 p.m., featuring a drag show, DJ’s, streaming of the WorldPride Parade, and the iconic Fireworks Show Presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation — one of D.C. Pride’s most anticipated spectacles.

“We’re expanding Washington Blade Pride on the Pier to reflect the excitement and momentum building for WorldPride in D.C.,” said Blade publisher Lynne Brown. “It’s a celebration of our community’s progress and a powerful reminder of the joy and visibility Pride brings to the heart of our city.”

Now in its seventh year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access, hosted bars, and private viewing areas for the boat parade and the fireworks show. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.

Friday VIP: 5-9 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, cash bar and complimentary drink.

Saturday VIP Session #1: 2-5 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered food, and an open bar.

Saturday VIP Session #2: 6-9 p.m., enjoy the air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered snacks and dinner, and open bar with a front-row view of the fireworks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq., S.W., Washington, D.C.)
📅 Dates: Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025
🛥️Boat Parade: 7 p.m. (June 6). 🎆 Fireworks Show: 9 p.m. (June 7)
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

Event sponsors include Absolut, Capital Pride, DC Fray, Infinate Legacy, Heineken, Leonard-Litz Foundation, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Relish Catering, Washingtonian, and The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePierDC.com

Maryland

Md. schools plan to comply with federal DEI demands

Superintendents opt for cooperation over confrontation

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2025

Baltimore Banner

(Bigstock photo)

By LIZ BOWIE | Deciding not to pick a fight with the Trump administration, Maryland school leaders plan to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Education that says their school districts are complying with all civil rights laws.

The two-paragraph letter could deflect a confrontation over whether the state’s public schools run diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that the Trump administration has called illegal. The Baltimore Banner reviewed the letter, which was shared by a school administrator who declined to be identified because the letter has not yet been sent.

Maryland school leaders are taking a more conciliatory approach than those in some other states. Education leaders in Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin said they will not comply with the federal education department’s order, the demands of which, they say, are based on a warped interpretation of civil rights law.