National
Gays referenced in benediction, inaugural poem
Gay poet sounds theme of unity; pro-LGBT minister mentions gays in benediction
![Richard Blanco, poetry, inauguration 2013, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2013/01/Richard_Blanco_thumb_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Toward the close of President Obamaās inaugural ceremony, nationally acclaimed poet Richard Blanco, who is gay, read a poem that sounded the themes of American unity and equality. Although his poem didnāt mention LGBT people directly, he made repeated references to inclusiveness and oneness, saying at one point that Americans are āarrayed like rainbows.ā
Minutes later, Rev. Dr. Luis Leon, pastor of D.C.ās St. Johnās Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square, mentioned gays in his benediction or closing prayer at the inaugural ceremony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C4ySjY3uNsU#!
āWith your blessing, we will see that we are created in your image,ā he said, referring to God, āwhether brown, black or white, male or female, first generation immigrant American or daughter of the American revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor.ā
Leon served on an interfaith group of local clergy that campaigned for D.C.ās same-sex marriage law in 2009. He was selected by the presidential inaugural committee to deliver the benediction after another minister withdrew from that role. Georgia pastor Louie Giglio, who was initially selected to give the benediction, dropped out after news surfaced that he expressed anti-gay views in the 1990s.
Both Blanco and Leon are Cuban Americans whose families fled Fidel Castroās Cuba to start new lives in the U.S.
Full text of the poem below:
One Today
One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.My face, your face, millions of faces in morningās mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paperā
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save livesā
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the āI have a dreamā we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that wonāt explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches
as mothers watch children slide into the day.One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my fatherās cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one windāour breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the dayās gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across cafƩ tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos dĆas
in the language my mother taught meāin every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldnāt give what you wanted.We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but alwaysāhome,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one countryāall of usā
facing the stars
hopeāa new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name itātogether
For more on the festivities and ceremonies, visit our inauguration hub.
National
House Republicans propose steep cuts in federal AIDS budget
Advocacy groups say move would eliminate āEnding HIV Epidemicā initiative
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/07/20160221_Donald_Trump_insert_by_actionsports_via_Bigstock.jpg)
The Republican-controlled U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies approved a spending bill on June 26 that calls for cutting at least $419 million from federal AIDS programs that AIDS activists say would have a devastating impact on efforts to greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections by 2030.
The subcommitteeās proposed bill, which includes billions of dollars in cuts in a wide range of other federal health, education, and human services related programs, is scheduled to be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee on July 10. Officials with AIDS advocacy groups say they are hopeful that the full committee, like last year, will refuse to approve the proposed cuts in the AIDS budget.
The proposed GOP cuts would eliminate $214 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionās HIV prevention programs, $190 million from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and $15 million from the Department of Health and Human Services Secretaryās Minority HIV/AIDS Program.
Activists say the impact of those cuts would kill the federal governmentās Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, which among other things, calls for reducing the number of new HIV infections in the U.S. by 75 percent by 2025 and by 90 percent by 2030. The activists point out that ironically the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative was launched during the administration of President Donald Trump.
āInstead of providing new investments in ending HIV by increasing funding for testing, prevention programs, such as PrEP, and life-saving care and treatment, House Republicans are again choosing to go through a worthless exercise of cutting programs that the American people depend on and will never pass,ā said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute.
āWhile we vigorously fight these cuts, we look forward to working with the entire Congress in a bipartisan fashion on spending bills that can actually become law,ā Schmid said in a statement.
Schmid noted that the bill also includes provisions known as āpolicy ridersā that would take away rights and protections from women, such as access to birth control and abortion, and for minorities, including LGBTQ people.
According to a statement released by the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who is the ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the policy riders would āblock the Biden administrationās policies to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.ā The statement says another policy rider would āprevent policies or programs intended to promote diversity, equality, or inclusion.ā
Most political observers believe the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate would also kill the GOP proposed policy riders and cuts in the AIDS budget if the full Republican-controlled House were to approve the budget bill passed by the appropriations subcommittee.
Rep, Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who serves as chair of the full House Appropriations Committee, released a statement on June 27 defending the subcommitteeās bill and its proposed spending cuts. āThe bill provides appropriate and fiscally responsible funding to ensure these departments can continue to perform their core missions while also acknowledging the fiscal realities facing our nation,ā he said.
āImportantly, the bill pushes back on the Biden administrationās out-of-touch progressive policy agenda, preventing this White House from finalizing or implementing controversial rules or executive orders,ā Cole said in his statement. āIt also preserves long standing bipartisan policy provisions protecting the right to life.ā
U.S. Supreme Court
Concern over marriage equality in US grows two decades after first Mass. same-sex weddings
Gay and lesbian couples began to marry in Bay State in 2004
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2022/10/rainbow_flag_wedding_rings_insert_by_Bigstock.jpg)
Two decades after Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, a new study reveals both significant progress and ongoing challenges for married LGBTQ couples in the U.S., with a growing sense of insecurity about the future of their rights.
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law surveyed 484 married same-sex couples from all 50 states and D.C. The study, released Monday, marks the 20th anniversary of legal same-sex marriage in the U.S.
Researchers found that 93 percent of respondents cited love as a primary reason for marrying, with 75 percent also mentioning legal protections. Over 83 percent reported positive changes in their sense of security, and 74.6 percent noted improved life satisfaction since marrying.
However, the study also highlighted persistent discrimination and growing concerns about the future. About 11 percent of couples who had a wedding reported facing prejudice during the planning process.
Alarmingly, nearly 80 percent of respondents expressed concern about the potential overturning of the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This anxiety has been exacerbated by initiatives like Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that some fear could roll back LGBTQ rights if implemented.
The possibility of a former President Donald Trump victory in the upcoming election has further intensified these concerns. Many respondents cited Trump’s previous U.S. Supreme Court appointments and his statements on LGBTQ issues as reasons for their apprehension. One participant stated, “The thought of another Trump presidency keeps me up at night. We’ve come so far, but it feels like our rights could be stripped away at any moment.”
The current political climate has 29 percent of respondents considering moving to another state, with 52.9 percent citing socio-political concerns as a primary reason. This reflects a growing sense of insecurity among LGBTQ couples about their rights and freedoms.
Brad Sears, founding executive director of the Williams Institute, noted, “The data clearly show that marriage equality has had a profound positive impact on same-sex couples and their families. However, it also reveals ongoing challenges and serious concerns about the future of these rights in light of current political trends and the upcoming election.”
Christy Mallory, legal director at the Williams Institute and lead author of the study, added, “This research provides crucial insights into the lived experiences of same-sex couples two decades after marriage equality began in the U.S. The high level of concern about potential loss of rights underscores the continued importance of legal protections and public support for LGBTQ+ equality.”
The study found that 30 percent of surveyed couples have children, with 58.1 percent of those parents reporting that marriage provided more stability for their families. However, many of these families now worry about the security of their legal status in the face of potential policy changes and shifting political landscapes.
As the nation reflects on two decades of marriage equality, the study underscores both the transformative power of legal recognition and the ongoing need for vigilance in protecting LGBTQ+ rights. The findings highlight the complex reality faced by same-sex couples in America today: Celebrating hard-won progress while grappling with uncertainty about the future, particularly in light of upcoming political events and potential shifts in leadership.
State Department
State Department hosts meeting on LGBTQ rights and foreign policy
Event took place before Pride Month reception
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240627_Antony_Blinken_at_State_Department_Pride_screen_capture_insert_via_Forbes_Breaking_News_YouTube.jpg)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday hosted a group of LGBTQ activists and politicians from around the world at the State Department.
The event ā described as a “Convening on U.S. Foreign Policy: National Security, Inclusive Development, and the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons” ā took place before the State Department’s annual Pride Month reception. Participants included:
ā¢ Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights
ā¢ U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield
ā¢ U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai
ā¢ U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti
ā¢ Suzanne Goldberg, senior advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Civil Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
ā¢ Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya
ā¢ U.S. Agency for International Development Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam
ā¢ USAID Counselor Clinton D. White
ā¢ National Security Council Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights Kelly Razzouk
ā¢ Assistant U.S. Secretary of Health Adm. Rachel Levine
ā¢ National Security Council Human Rights Director Jess Huber
ā¢ U.N. Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ilze Brandt Kehris
ā¢ Icelandic Ambassador to the U.S. BergdĆs EllertsdĆ³ttir
ā¢ Council for Global Equality Co-Executive Director Mark Bromley
ā¢ Outright International Senior Advisor for Global Intersex Rights Kimberly Zieselman
ā¢ Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Institute for Equality and Non Discrimination in Kenya
ā¢ Pau GonzĆ”lez, co-chair of Hombres Trans PanamĆ” and PFLAG-PanamĆ”
“Forty-five years ago, thousands gathered in D.C. in what became the first national march for LGBTQI+, demanding their voices be heard,” said Thomas-Greenfield in a post to her X account that showed her speaking at the event. “We must continue to carry forward the spirit of these pioneers and fight for equal rights and dignity for all.”
Forty-five years ago, thousands gathered in DC in what became the first national march for LGBTQI+, demanding their voices be heard.
We must continue to carry forward the spirit of these pioneers and fight for equal rights and dignity for all. š³ļøāšš³ļøāā§ļø pic.twitter.com/oph2Ahmfhq
— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) June 28, 2024
President Joe Biden in 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of his administrationās overall foreign policy.
“LGBTQI+ rights are human rights,” said Blinken. “Our government has a responsibility to defend them, to promote them ā here and everywhere.”
Blinken noted consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in 64 countries, with the death penalty in 11 of them.
He specifically highlighted Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor OrbĆ”n’s government’s “smearing scapegoating, stigmatizing LGBTQI+ persons ā vilifying them with degrading labels, denying them equal rights, normalizing violence against them.” (Gay U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman this month marched in the annual Budapest Pride parade.)
Blinken noted Iraqi MPs earlier this year “passed legislation that punishes same-sex relations with up to 15 years in prison.” He also pointed out that Indonesian lawmakers approved a new criminal code banning extramarital sex.
“In a nation where same-sex couples cannot marry, these laws effectively make all same-sex conduct illegal and they undermine privacy for all Indonesians,” said Blinken.
“Weāre defending and promoting LGBTQI+ rights around the world,” he said.
Blinken noted seven countries ā Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Namibia, Singapore, the Cook Islands ā have decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations over the last two years. He also highlighted Greece, Liechtenstein, and Thailand this year extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, and other countries are banning so-called “conversion therapy.”
“These achievements are possible because of incredibly courageous human rights defenders and government partners on the ground, but I believe Americaās support is indispensable,” said Blinken. “When we engage ā sometimes publicly, sometimes privately, sometimes both ā when we share our own knowledge and experience, we can and we do achieve change.”
Blinken also announced the U.S. now considers sexual orientation and gender identity are part of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that took effect in 1976.
“This is one of the key treaties committing nations to upholding universal rights,” he said.
“In our regular reporting to the council on human rights, we will continue to include incidents of discrimination or abuse committed against LGBTQI+ persons, now with the clear framework of this well-supported interpretation,” added Blinken.Ā “That will further empower our efforts.”
Blinken reiterated this point and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad when he spoke at the State Department’s Pride Month event.
“Defending, promoting LGBTQI+ rights globally is the right thing to do, but beyond that, itās the smart and necessary thing to do for our country, for our national security, for our well-being,” he said.
-
Canada2 days ago
Toronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
-
Theater5 days ago
Stephen Mark Lukas makes sublime turn in āFunny Girlā
-
Baltimore4 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