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Anti-Question 6 group defends pastor’s controversial comments

Derek McCoy dismissed claims Pastor Robert Anderson called for anti-gay violence during Oct. 19 town hall

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Maryland Marriage Alliance, same sex marriage, gay marriage, gay news Washington Blade
Maryland Marriage Alliance, same sex marriage, gay marriage, gay news Washington Blade

The chair of the Maryland Marriage Alliance on Wednesday defended a pastor’s controversial comments against Question 6. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

The head of the group opposed to Maryland’s same-sex marriage law on Wednesday defended a pastor’s controversial comments against Question 6 during a Baltimore panel on the issue last week.

ā€œAny attempt to imply that Dr. Anderson’s reading of scripture was a call to harm gays and lesbians is false and serves as a distraction from the real issues of this campaign,ā€ said Derek McCoy, chair of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, in a statement. ā€œThe Maryland Marriage Alliance No on Question 6 campaign has been and remains focused on explaining to voters the good that marriage does for society, and the consequences that have occurred when marriage has been redefined elsewhere. From the beginning, we have been deeply committed to civility and honor the value of everyone’s human rights. Scripture tells us that all God’s children are made in his image and likeness, and we are called to speak truth through love. We continue to deplore violence or bullying against any person and or group of people on either side of this issue.ā€

Reverend Robert Anderson of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md., cited the last verse of Romans 1 during an Oct. 19 town hall meeting on Question 6 at Manna Bible Baptist Church in Baltimore that suggests those who practice homosexuality and those who approve it are ā€œdeserving of death.ā€ McCoy, who was also on the four person panel, did not challenge Anderson as he continued to speak against the state’s same-sex marriage law.

ā€œIf we don’t vote against it, than we are approving these things that are worthy of death,ā€ said Anderson.

The town hall took place two days before McCoy, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., and others attended a rally against marriage rights for same-sex couples at New Harvest Ministries in Baltimore. Phillip Goudeaux of the Calvary Christian Center in Sacramento, Calif., described gay men as ā€œpredatorsā€ who seek to indoctrinate ā€œour childrenā€ during the two hour gathering that drew roughly 100 people.

“Supporters [of] Question 6 are working towards a Maryland where all citizens are treated equally under the law,” said Sultan Shakir of Marylanders for Marriage Equality in response to Anderson’s comments. “The kind of intolerance displayed by opponents paints a clear contrast of what’s at stake in this campaign. Such rancid comments have absolutely no place in this debate. We demand the host of the event, Derek McCoy, disavow and apologize for his panel’s viciously anti-gay words.”

McCoy further defended Anderson.

ā€œThroughout this campaign, we have been clear that all people are worthy of dignity and respect and that tolerance and acceptance of gay and lesbian friends and family does not mean that marriage should be redefined,ā€ he said. ā€œThere are people of good will on both sides of this issue. We believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, and is the foundation of a stable society. Supporting traditional marriage does not make anyone anti-gay.ā€

Manna Bible Baptist Church has posted a video of the town hall that includes Anderson’s comments on its website.

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District of Columbia

Bowser: No credible threats to D.C. Pride events

Mayor spoke with the Blade after flag-raising ceremony at the Wilson Building

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the flag-raising of the Progress Pride flag at the Wilson Building in D.C. on June 1, 2023. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday said authorities have not received any credible threats to upcoming Pride events.

“We don’t have any to report,” she told the Washington Blade.

“MPD is constantly working with all of our agencies to make sure we have safe special events and we’re going to keep going with our planning, like we do every year,” added Bowser. “There’s always a scan for any threats to the District.”

Bowser spoke with the Blade after she joined D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, Council members Anita Bonds, Charles Allen, Kenyon McDuffie and Zachary Parker, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, D.C. Mayor’s LGBTQ Affairs Office Director Japer Bowles and other officials and activists in raising the Progress Pride flag in front of the Wilson Building.

The Blade last month reported D.C. police are investigating a bomb threat a Twitter user made against the annual District Pride concert that will take place at the Lincoln Theater on June 29. Bowles in a May 19 statement said his office reported the tweet, but further stressed that “no credible threat at this time has been made.”

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Maryland

Moore issues Pride month proclamation

Governor on May 3 signed Trans Health Equity Act

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (Public domain photo/Twitter)

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday proclaimed June as Pride month in recognition of  ā€œthe contributions, resilience, courage and joy of LGBTQIA+ Marylanders,ā€ according to a press release.

ā€œIn Maryland, we lead with love and inclusion. I want everyone in our LGBTQIA+ community to know that they deserve to be seen for who they are, and our administration will stand with them in the fight for equality and equity,ā€ Moore said. ā€œWe need to elevate the stories, embrace the courage, and celebrate the humanity of our LGBTQIA+ community — and as long as I am governor, we will take the steps forward to protect and celebrate all Marylanders.ā€

Moore on March 31 became the first governor in Maryland history to recognize the Transgender Day of Visibility and last month he signed into law the Trans Health Equity Act into law, which requires Maryland Medicaid to provide coverage for gender-affirming care beginning next year.

ā€œThis month is a celebration of the beauty and uniqueness of the queer community, but it’s also a time to reaffirm our commitment to uplifting LGBTQIA+ Marylanders and continuing to fight against hatred, discrimination, and bigotry,ā€ Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said in the same press release that Moore’s office released. ā€œLGBTQIA+ Marylanders deserve to be who they are, to live their pride — without fear or having to hide. This administration will always stand alongside and protect the rights of all Marylanders.ā€

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District of Columbia

Point Foundation offers growing range of scholarships, support

ā€˜Resources to succeed and thrive rather than just make it through’

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Celina Gerbic, a member of the Point Foundation’s board of directors, speaks at last year’s event. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Many in D.C. know the Point Foundation for its longstanding scholarship program and its popular Taste of Point fundraiser each spring. But the nonprofit is offering a growing range of services to its young scholars, including mental health resources and social media support.

This year’s Taste of Point brought mixologists, restaurateurs, and donors together on May 3 at Room and Board for the annual celebration. With a number of local businesses and organizations donating to the silent auction, the event both raised money for Point Foundation’s scholarships while recognizing scholarship recipients and program alumni.

Among the lineup of featured speakers was one of the foundation’s flagship scholarship recipients, Rio Dennis, a dual master’s and law candidate at Georgetown University.

ā€œI applied for the Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship because I believed in its mission of helping LGBTQ+ students achieve their academic goals while also providing training and resources so we can become better leaders within the LGBTQ community during school and long term,ā€ Dennis said in her speech. 

The Taste of Point celebration began in 2013, born from another event called the Cornerstone Reception. Originally planned as a normal fundraiser with hor d’oeuvres, the foundation transformed it into the current Taste of Point celebration that facilitates partnerships with new, local restaurants.

Some restaurants, like Compass Rose and Hank’s Oyster Bar, partnered with Point Foundation for their first celebration. They have been catering at the fundraiser ever since.

ā€œIt really gives you the sense of the amount of love and the amount of community that we have around the Point Foundation and mission,ā€ said Celina Gerbic, a member on the foundation’s board of directors. ā€œThey really see, with hearing from the scholars, what the effects can be if we’re raising money for those scholarships and mentoring opportunities.ā€

The event also allows the foundation to showcase new offerings, such as the Community College Scholarship that was rolled out just before the pandemic in collaboration with Wells Fargo. The community college program gives scholars a financial scholarship each year of their community college experience as well as coaching and admissions counseling for students planning to transfer to a university. 

Meanwhile, the foundation is also expanding its new BIPOC scholarship, which announced its next round of recipients on May 22. The scholarship is currently supporting between 500 and 555 scholars across the country.

Omari Foote, one of the current BIPOC scholarship recipients, appreciates how the scholarship recognizes her as a Black queer student. She is even encouraging other queer students and friends to apply to receive similar assistance.

However, Point is even more than that, Dennis notes. 

Before the school year started, the Point Foundation sent Dennis and all of the new flagship scholars to Los Angeles for a leadership development conference. Scholars discussed how to become active leaders on campus, how to ask for certain resources, what is offered by their campuses, and what tutoring programs are available.

This year, Point also did a joint partnership with an online therapy program to offer discounted prices for all scholars. 

ā€œI have anxiety and depression and I struggled a lot in undergrad with trying to balance that with my having to support myself financially,ā€ Dennis said. ā€œSo I was definitely grateful that Georgetown did have a program that is specifically for people of color to get free therapy and Point definitely helped with… asking those questions because it is one of those programs that isn’t as well publicized.ā€

Point even provided Dennis with a mentor who was also a Point Scholar in law school. Meeting monthly on Zoom and texting all throughout the month, Dennis’s mentor provides academic support that helps her use the right resources and make decisions about her career.

Foote finds the scholarship unique in other ways as well. As a recipient of a handful of other scholarships outside of Point, Foote’s interactions with her scholarship programs mostly stop after they send instructions for writing donor thank you notes. But Point keeps reaching out to maintain a relationship with scholars long after that.

ā€œThey’ve reached out to me to spotlight me on Instagram,ā€ Foote said. ā€œThey reached out to me even for this dinner, paying for my transportation to and from the dinner … It’s like they’re not just there to give you the money. They’re there to really help you navigate the college world and to be that caring supportive system that a lot of us just don’t have anymore now that we are living by ourselves.ā€

Last November, the foundation also held an Out in Higher Ed Week, wherein they teach scholars how to be LGBTQ+ advocates on campus. These resources help students navigate the ins and outs of discussing LGBTQ+ issues in university settings.

After graduation, Dennis has even thought about returning to the Point Foundation as a mentor to help future Black queer students, especially first generation law students, balance their mental health and financial situations.

ā€œPoint has connected me with fellow scholars who have become my friends. Point has provided me with resources and support to succeed and thrive rather than just make it through,ā€ Dennis said. ā€œI definitely plan on continuing to be involved with Point.ā€

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