National
Massa denies sexually groping male staffers
A New York lawmaker who resigned from Congress has been under investigation for allegedly

Former U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, shown here in an undated campaign photo, resigned from Congress amid reports that heās under investigation for allegedly groping male staffers. (Photo courtesy of Massa for Congress)
A New York lawmaker who resigned from Congress has been under investigation for allegedly groping male staffers, according to a media report, raising questions about his sexual orientation.
Allegations that former Democratic Rep. Eric Massa, who resigned Tuesday, had sexually harassed a male staffer emerged last week, and the Washington Post reported this week that the House ethics committee has been investigating the first-term congressman for allegedly groping multiple men on his staff.
One source told the Post that the allegations surrounding the former lawmaker, whom DC Agenda couldnāt immediately reach for comment, have continued for at least one year and involve āa pattern of behavior and physical harassment.ā
Last week, the House ethics committee acknowledged it was pursuing an investigation of Massa, although the focus of their efforts werenāt made public. The committee didnāt respond to multiple requests from DC Agenda to comment on the investigation.
According to the Post, Massaās former deputy chief of staff, Ron Hikel, provided the information about the staffersā allegations to the House ethics committee three weeks ago. Hikel had earlier consulted House Majority Leader Steny Hoyerās office about the complaints, the Post reported, and was urged to report the allegations to the committee.
Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a gay conservative group, said the Postās reporting that the allegations go back at least one year raises questions about how long House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership knew about this behavior without taking any action.
āWe all know that there are very few secrets on Capitol Hill,ā he said. āIf this inappropriate behavior was going on for that long, then other members and the leadership surely knew about it.ā
But in a recent press conference, Pelosi said she was first notified by her staff about the allegations surrounding Massa on March 3, according to a transcript of her remarks.
āI asked my staff, I said, have there been any rumors about any of this before?ā she said. āThere had been a rumor, but just that, no formal notification to our office that anything ā a one, two, three person removed rumor that had been reported to Mr. Hoyerās office that had been reported to my staff, which they didnāt report to me, because, you know what? This is rumor city. Every single day there are rumors. I have a job to do and not to be the receiver of rumors.ā
LaSalvia compared the Massa situation to the outing of former Republican lawmaker Mark Foley in 2006. The revelation of Foleyās behavior in that election year symbolized the sense at the time that Republicans were out of control.
āCertainly there are allegations of inappropriate conduct with junior staffers and interns,ā LaSalvia said. āThatās similar to what happened in 2006.ā
But Lane Hudson, a gay D.C. activist known for his role in outing Foley, said the Massa situation doesnāt compare with the outing of the GOP lawmaker. He commended Democratic leadership for taking action.
āAnyone who compares Eric Massa to Mark Foley is trying to further their own personal or political agenda,ā Hudson said. āEven if all of the allegations thus far are true, it is still no comparison. Democratic leadership did the proper thing, which was to refer it to the Ethics Committee for investigation. Thatās a far cry from Republican leadership covering up Foleyās indiscretions for years.ā
What kind of impact this news will have on the November elections remains to be seen. LaSalvia said the potential impact of the allegations would become more apparent as more information is revealed.
āThe culture of corruption, I guess, is a clichĆ© term that we hear about in Washington, and this is certainly an abuse of power by a Democrat,ā he said. āThere will be implications at the ballot box. Whether that spreads beyond his district in New York is yet to be determined.ā
But Hudson discounted the impact this investigation would have on the November elections and said Democrats would find electoral victory if they enacted their campaign promises from 2008.
āIf the Democratic majority is worried about the November elections, then they are best served by focusing on passing the agenda they were elected on,ā he said.
In a Sunday interview on a New York radio station, Massa characterized his perception of the alleged sexual harassment and why he thinks the ethics committee is investigating him.
According to Roll Call, Massa said he believes the ethics inquiry is based on comments he made during a wedding for one of his staffers. The newspaperās account noted that Massa attended the event with about 250 people, and made remarks after he danced with a bridesmaid and sat down at a table with several of his staffers.
āOne of them looked at me and as they would do after ā I donāt know, 15 gin and tonics, and goodness only knows how many bottles of champagne ā a staff member made an intonation to me that maybe I should be chasing after the bridesmaid and his points were clear and his words were far more colorful than that,ā Massa was quoted as saying. āAnd I grabbed the staff member sitting next to me and said, āWell, what I really ought to be doing is fracking you.āā
Massa said he then ātossled the guyās hairā and left for his room because he thought āthe party was getting to a point where it wasnāt right for me to be there.ā
During the interview, Massa reportedly added the staff member to whom he made the comments never said he felt uncomfortable. The former lawmaker also suggested the real purpose of the inquiry was to remove him from the health care debate because of his vote against the House health care legislation last year.
But Democratic leadership has disputed that notion. In a press conference Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Massaās accusation āsilly and ridiculous.ā
āOn Wednesday, he announced he would not seek reelection because of a health problem that he said was a recurrence of cancer; on Thursday, he said he wasnāt running because ⦠of his use of salty language; on Friday, he seemed to take some responsibility for his actions at a different event,ā Gibbs said. āI donāt know why I would give any weight to what he said on the fourth day any more than I would on the previous three days.ā
In an appearance Tuesday on conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s Fox News program, Massa acknowledged he had touched a male staffer, but described it as “tickling” and said it wasn’t sexual behavior. The former lawmaker recalled tickling the staffer at a birthday party.
“Now they’re saying I groped a male staffer,” Massa said. “Yeah, I did. Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe and four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday and it was kill the old guy.”
But when asked whether he sexually groped anyone, Massa replied, “No, no, no.”
“It doesn’t make any difference what my intentions were, it’s how it’s perceived by the individual who receives that action,” Massa said. “I’m telling you I was wrong. I was wrong. … My behavior was wrong. I should have never allowed myself to be as familiar with my staff as I was.”
Massaās remarks and the information reported by the Washington Post raise the question of whether Massa, whoās married to a woman and has children, is gay or bisexual.
Mike Rogers, a D.C.-based blogger known for outing gay politicians, said he has no information on Massaās sexual orientation.
āHe was ā when I met him in Chicago at [Netroots Nation] ā very pro-gay,ā Rogers said. āRunning in a fairly conservative district, he supports axing [āDonāt Ask, Donāt Tell.ā]ā
Massa last year voted for the hate crimes bill. He was also a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Military Readiness Enhancement Act.
Texas
Texas attorney general impeached, suspended pending outcome of Senate trial
Ken Paxton over the last decade has targeted LGBTQ people

Editor’s note: For the vast majority of the past 10 years the Texas attorney general has waged a relentless campaign to limit the rights and equality of LGBTQ Texans, especially transgender Texans. Today’s vote is significant in terms of the possibility that a Senate conviction would offer a potential respite from Paxton’s attacks on the LGBTQ community.
By Zach Despart and James Barragan AUSTIN, Texas | In a history-making late-afternoon vote, a divided Texas House chose Saturday to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, temporarily removing him from office over allegations of misconduct that included bribery and abuse of office.
The vote to adopt the 20 articles of impeachment was 121-23.
Attention next shifts to the Texas Senate, which will conduct a trial with senators acting as jurors and designated House members presenting their case as impeachment managers.
Permanently removing Paxton from office and barring him from holding future elected office in Texas would require the support of two-thirds of senators.
The move to impeach came less than a week after the House General Investigating Committee revealed that it was investigating Paxton for what members described as a yearslong pattern of misconduct and questionable actions that include bribery, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice. They presented the case against him Saturday, acknowledging the weight of their actions.
āToday is a very grim and difficult day for this House and for the state of Texas,ā Rep. David Spiller (R-Jacksboro), a committee member, told House members.
āWe have a duty and an obligation to protect the citizens of Texas from elected officials who abuse their office and their powers for personal gain,ā Spiller said. āAs a body, we should not be complicit in allowing that behavior.ā
Paxton supporters criticized the impeachment proceedings as rushed, secretive and based on hearsay accounts of actions taken by Paxton, who was not given the opportunity to defend himself to the investigating committee.
āThis process is indefensible,ā said Rep. John Smithee (R-Amarillo), who complained that the vote was taking place on a holiday weekend before members had time to conduct a thorough review of the accusations. āIt concerns me a lot because today it could be General Paxton, tomorrow it could be you and the next day it could be me.ā
Saturdayās vote temporarily removes a controversial but influential Republican figure in Texas and nationally. He has led an office that initiated lawsuits that overturned or blocked major Biden and Obama administration policies, sought to reverse Trumpās electoral defeat in 2020, aggressively pursued voter fraud claims and targeted hospitals that provided gender care to minors.
The Legislature had impeached state officials just twice since 1876 ā and never an attorney general ā but the House committee members who proposed impeachment argued Saturday that Paxtonās misconduct in office was so egregious that it warranted his removal.
āThis gentleman is no longer fit for service or for office,ā said committee member Rep. Ann Johnson (D-Houston). āEither this is going to be the beginning of the end of his criminal reign, or God help us with the harms that will come to all Texans if he’s allowed to stay the top cop on the take, if millions of Texans canāt trust us to do the right thing, right here, right now.ā
Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth), a member of the investigative committee, used his presentation time to criticize Paxton for calling representatives as they worked on the House floor to āpersonally threaten them with political consequences in the next electionā if they supported impeachment.
Speaking against impeachment, Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington), called the process āwrong.ā
āDonāt end our session this way. Donāt tarnish this institution,ā Tinderholt said. āDonāt cheapen the act of impeachment. Donāt undermine the will of the voters. Donāt give Democrats another victory handed to them on a silver platter.ā
The vote came as hardline conservatives supportive of Paxtonās aggressive strategy of suing the Biden administration were lining up in support of him. Former President Donald Trump ā a close political ally to Paxton ā blasted the impeachment proceedings as an attempt to unseat āthe most hard working and effectiveā attorney general and thwart the ālarge number of American Patriotsā who voted for Paxton.
Trump vowed to target any Republican who voted to impeach Paxton.
As lawmakers listened to the committee members make their case, Paxton took to social media to boost conservatives who had come to his defense, including Trump, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and conservative radio host Grant Stinchfield, who tweeted, āKangaroo Court in Texas.ā
About 90 minutes into the debate, the official Twitter account of the Texas attorney generalās office began tweeting at members of the committee to challenge some of the claims being made.
āPlease tell the truth,ā the agencyās account said.
Because Paxton was impeached while the Legislature was in session, the Texas Constitution requires the Senate to remain in Austin after the regular session ends Monday or set a trial date for the future, with no deadline for a trial spelled out in the law.
Impeachment represents the greatest political threat to date for Paxton, who has been reelected twice despite a 2015 indictment for felony securities fraud and an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of official misconduct that began in 2020.
The impeachment vote, on the third-to-last day of the regular legislative session, capped a tumultuous week at the Capitol. From Tuesday to Thursday:
- Paxton abruptly accused House Speaker Dade Phelan of presiding over the chamber while drunk and demanded that he resign.
- The House General Investigating Committee revealed it had been investigating Paxton in secret since March.
- The committee heard a three-hour presentation from its investigators detailing allegations of corruption against the attorney general.
- The committeeās three Republicans and two Democrats voted to forward 20 articles of impeachment to the full House.
Paxton, who was comfortably elected to a third term last year, made a rare appearance before assembled reporters Friday to criticize the process, saying he was not given a chance to present favorable evidence. He called impeachment an effort by Democrats and āliberalā Republicans to remove him from office, violating the will of voters and sidelining an effective warrior against Biden administration policies.
āThe corrupt politicians in the Texas House are demonstrating that blind loyalty to Speaker Dade Phelan is more important than upholding their oath of office,ā Paxton said. He added, āThey are showcasing their absolute contempt for the electoral process.ā
Many of the articles of impeachment focused on allegations that Paxton had repeatedly abused his powers of office to help a political donor and friend, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.
In fall 2020, eight top deputies in the attorney generalās office approached federal and state investigators to report their concerns about Paxtonās relationship with Paul.
All eight quit or were fired in the following months, and most of the details of their allegations against Paxton were revealed in a lawsuit by four former executives who claim they were fired ā in violation of the Texas Whistleblower Act ā in retaliation for reporting Paxton to the authorities. Paxtonās bid to dismiss the lawsuit is awaiting action by the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals.
According to the lawsuit, the whistleblowers accused Paxton of engaging in a series of āintense and bizarreā actions to help Paul, including intervening in an open-records case to help Paul gain documents from federal and state investigations into the real estate investorās businesses. They also accused Paxton of directing his agency to intervene in a lawsuit between Paul and a charity, pushing through a rushed legal opinion to help Paul avoid a pending foreclosure sale on properties and ignoring agency rules to hire an outside lawyer to pursue an investigation helpful to Paulās businesses.
In return, the whistleblower lawsuit alleged, Paul paid for all or part of a major renovation of a home Paxton owns in Austin. Paul also helped Paxton keep an extramarital affair quiet by employing the woman Paxton had been seeing, the lawsuit said, adding that the attorney general may also have been motivated by a $25,000 contribution Paul made to Paxtonās campaign in 2018.
In their report to the House General Investigating Committee on Wednesday, the panelās investigators concluded that Paxton may have committed numerous crimes and violated his oath of office.
Investigators said possible felonies included abuse of official capacity by, among other actions, diverting staff time to help Paul at a labor cost of at least $72,000; misuse of official information by possibly helping Paul gain access to investigative documents; and retaliation and official oppression by firing employees who complained of Paxtonās actions to the FBI.
The articles of impeachment accused Paxton of accepting bribes, disregarding his official duties and misapplying public resources to help Paul.
The articles also referred to felony charges of securities fraud, and one felony count of failing to register with state securities officials, that have been pending against Paxton since 2015, months after he took office as attorney general. The fraud charges stem from Paxtonās work in 2011 to solicit investors in Servergy Inc. without disclosing that the McKinney company was paying him for the work.
The impeachment articles also accused Paxton of obstruction of justice by acting to delay the criminal cases with legal challenges and because a Paxton donor pursued legal action that limited the pay to prosecutors in the case, causing further delays āto Paxtonās advantage.ā
Taken in total, the accusations showed a pattern of dereliction of duty in violation of the Texas Constitution, Paxtonās oaths of office and state laws against public officials acting against the publicās interest, the impeachment resolution said.
āPaxton engaged in misconduct, private or public, of such character as to indicate his unfitness for office,ā the articles said.
An attorney general had never before been impeached by the Legislature, an extraordinary step that lawmakers have reserved for public officials who faced serious allegations of misconduct. Only two Texas officials have been removed from office by Senate conviction, Gov. James Ferguson in 1917 and District Judge O.P. Carrillo in 1975.
If Paxton is to survive, he will need to secure the support of 11 senators. With the 12 Democratic senators likely to support his removal, votes for acquittal would need to come from the 19 Republican members.
None has publicly defended Paxton. In a television interview Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said merely that he believed senators would be responsible jurors and ādo their duty.ā
A complicating factor is Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney), Paxtonās wife. State law requires all senators to attend an impeachment trial, though whether she will recuse herself from voting is unclear.
Paxtonās political base lies in the far-right faction of the Republican Party, where he has positioned himself as a champion of conservative causes and a thorn in the side of Democratic President Joe Biden. Paxton has criticized his opponents as RINOs (Republicans in name only) who āwant nothing more than to sabotage our legal challenges to Bidenās extremist agenda by taking me out.ā
He also retained the backing of the state Republican Party, led by former state Rep. Matt Rinaldi, who frequently attacks Republicans he considers to be insufficiently conservative. On Friday, Rinadi said the impeachment was Phelanās fault for allowing Democrats to have too much influence in the House.
āThe impeachment proceedings against the Attorney General are but the latest front in the Texas Houseās war against Republicans to stop the conservative direction of her state,ā Rinaldi said in a statement.
Paxton also has maintained a close relationship with Trump and filed an unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court challenge to the 2020 presidential election. Paxton also spoke at Trumpās rally on Jan. 6, 2021, shortly before the presidentās supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.
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National
Target stores across the country receive bomb threats over LGBTQ merchandise
Company removed Pride-themed items to back of stores in Southern states

Police departments in Utah, Ohio and Pennsylvania aided by assistance from agents from Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Offices in Ohio and Utah are investigating threats made by email to local media referencing the retail chain Targetās LGBTQ merchandise collections celebrating Pride Month.
KUTV CBS 2 Salt Lake City reported that Sgt. John Ottesen with Layton Utah Police said bomb threats were made to Target stores in Layton, Salt Lake City, Taylorsville and Provo. Ottesen confirmed that multiple law enforcement agencies commenced the investigation after the local new stations received the emailed threats.
A Target store in Layton, Utah, was evacuated after police said they were informed of a bomb threat to multiple Utah locations.
The threats specifically mentioned Targetās Pride merchandise, were three sentences long, and came from a ābogus email address,” according to Ottesen.
WOIO Cleveland 19 News received a bomb threat Friday afternoon against four Target stores in Ohio and a store in Monaca, Pa., purportedly from a person or persons angry over Target Corporation’s decision to remove some of the LGBTQ merchandise after a series of threats and physical threats against its retail clerks and staff in several southern states earlier this week.

It was not immediately known if the threats were legitimate, though precautions were quickly taken to ensure staff and customerās safety according to officials.
A Target spokesperson who spoke with multiple media outlets said: “The safety of our team members and guests is our top priority. Law enforcement investigated these claims and determined our stores are safe. Our stores are currently open and operating regular hours.”
Speaking for the Minneapolis-based retail giant two days ago, spokesperson Kayla CastaƱeda noted: āSince introducing this yearās collection, weāve experienced threats impacting our team membersā sense of safety and wellbeing while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.ā
CastaƱeda also released a statement from the company:
“For more than a decade, Target has offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month. Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.”
Removal of the merchandise from its online store in addition to the storefronts has prompted harsh criticism of the retailer. California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted.
CEO of Target Brian Cornell selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists is a real profile in courage.
ā Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 24, 2023
This isnāt just a couple stores in the South. There is a systematic attack on the gay community happening across the country.
Wake up America.
This doesnāt stop here.⦠https://t.co/1vRgukaT0g
Numerous LGBTQ activists and groups have condemned Target for bowing to what is seen as political pressure by a minority of far right extremists:
āExtremist groups and individuals work to divide us and ultimately donāt just want rainbow products to disappear, they want us to disappear,” Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “For the past decade, the LGBTQ+ community has celebrated Pride with Target ā itās time that Target stands with us and doubles-down on their commitment to us.”
On Friday, Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic and an LGBTQ activist tweeted her disgust over the decision by Target to effectively abandon company support for the queer product lines and the creators.
Target worked with indie trans and queer designers to make it’s pride collection. The moment they get threatened by domestic terrorists, they abandon them without a second thought. Absolutely despicable. pic.twitter.com/TcHzg06Jvt
ā Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) May 27, 2023
Another designer was dropped as well. pic.twitter.com/TXMEusOWj8
ā Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) May 27, 2023
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Virginia
Baptist group forces minister to resign from committees because he is married to man
BWA is based in Falls Church, Va.

A Virginia-based Baptist group forced an openly gay minister to resign from two of its commissions because he is married to a man.
The Rev. TJ Williams-Hauger is an associate minister for youth and young adults and community outreach at Lake Street Church in Evanston, Ill., a congregation that is affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA.Ā
He has worked with the Revs. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Jeremiah Wright, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who is the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, and has preached at the U.N., among other places.
Williams-Hauger has studied with Warnock and Moss and earned his Master of Divinity at the New York Theological Seminary. Williams-Hauger is also studying to become ordained within American Baptist Churches USA with the support of Judson Memorial Church in New York.
The Rev. Elijah Brown, who is the secretary general of the Baptist World Alliance, which is headquartered in Falls Church, in an April 21 email to Williams-Hauger confirmed his invitation to join the group’s Interfaith Relations and Racial Justice Commissions had been rescinded.
“Thank you for your prayerful attitude,” wrote Brown. “Following our phone conversation yesterday, this email confirms that the invitation from BWA for you to serve on Commissions is rescinded. Please know that I am praying for you.”
Williams-Hauger told the Washington Blade that it “has always been known that I’m married to” his husband.
“Brad and I have been together since 2005 and he has to accompany me to many events with the Sharpton family to events at Trinity United Church of Christ (in Chicago),” said Williams-Hauger. “In fact, when we got married to our wedding, was celebrated by the clergy at Trinity United Church of Christ with Rev. Dr. Otis Moss and Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright.”
Williams-Hauger told the Blade said Brown nevertheless “decided to get rid of me” when he found out he was married to a man.
Brown, according to Williams-Hauger, “lied to us” when he said the BWA’s Executive Committee “made the decision” to rescind the invitations to join the committee.
“He initiated the situation,” said Williams-Hauger.

BWA affirms ‘Christian marriage and family life’
The BWA’s belief statement states it affirms “Christian marriage and family life” and affirms “the dignity of all people, male and female, because they are created in Godās image and called to be holy.”
“For more than 100 years, the Baptist World Alliance has networked the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ with a commitment to strengthen worship, fellowship and unity; lead in mission and evangelism; respond to people in need through aid, relief and community development; defend religious freedom, human rights and justice; and advance theological reflection and leadership development,” states the BWA onĀ its website.
A BWA spokesperson in a May 21 statement to the Blade did not specifically comment on Williams-Hauger’s allegations. The comment also did not include a reference to the BWA’s position against marriage for same-sex couples.
“As a Christian world communion, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) represents Baptists in 128 countries and territories with a governing General Council comprised of global representatives,” reads the statement. “Drawing upon over 400 years of shared Baptist history and more than 100 years of organizational history, the BWA remains committed to our mission to network the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ. With more than 400 commission members from across the global BWA family, we acknowledge their commitment to serve as volunteers and are not able to comment further on the specifics of any current or previous commission member.”

Williams-Hauger on Friday in an emailed statement to the Blade noted the BWA “adopted a resolution stating that same-gendered marriage is incompatible with scripture” and “on April 20 I was asked by Rev. Dr. Elijah Brown to step down from my position on the BWAās Interfaith Relations and Racial Justice Commission; a role I have faithfully served for three years.
“When Elijah Brown rescinded my invitation to serve on the commission it was not just a personal attempt to silence, but rather it is an attempt to silence others like myself, particularly Black queer persons,” Williams-Hauger told the Blade. “Further it was an effort to silence our prophetic presence and witness, our God ordained call to serve and advocate for justice and equality all while calling the family of faith to be and do better.”
Williams-Hauger said he and other Black LGBTQ people “will not be silenced.”
“Standing on the shoulders of the ancestors of James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin and countless others who lived and died and whose spirits give volume to our voices. We call out the hateful theology being practiced by the BWA,” said Williams-Hauger. “This hateful theology does not represent the message of Jesus, nor does it even represent the entirety of the Baptist Community. This theology of hate is embodied in by the likes of Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Mike Pence and Mike Huckabee to name a few. If Dr. Brown and the BWA wish to go down that path and be another representation of that, hate; we pray for their souls.”
Williams-Hauger told the Blade that he and other Black LGBTQ clergy “will continue to serve a God of justice.”
“We will build upon the legacy of and work alongside the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton and his children, Rev. Jesse Jackson and his children, Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, the good people of Judson Memorial Church NYC, Riverside Church NYC, Lake Street Church, the body of faithful American Baptist Churches, the Alliance of Baptists, and our siblings in the United Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, and the body of the some friends among the Association of European Baptist Churches until justice rolls and we get a bit of heaven here on earth.”
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