News
At Log Cabin dinner, calls for party to return to ‘big tent’
Ridge says ‘narrow thinking’ on social issues is leading to failure in nat’l elections
Former Gov. Tom Ridge delivers the keynote address at the Log Cabin annual dinner. (Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman)
Amid discontent with the GOP over the federal government shutdown, one prominent Republican took to the stage at a gay rights event Wednesday night to urge the party to return to its days of “the big tent.”
Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and secretary of Homeland Security under the Bush administration, issued the call for inclusion during his keynote address at the 2013 Spirit of Lincoln dinner, an annual event held in D.C. by the Log Cabin Republicans.
“If we want to win, we need to be a party worthy of the 21st century,” Ridge said. “A nonjudgmental party where all who support us are welcome. A party where diversity of view, race, ethnicity, gender and religion are relished and promoted and nourished.”
During the 30-minute speech, Ridge talked about his own evolution on the issue of marriage equality, saying he didn’t support marriage rights for gay couples when he was elected governor of Pennsylvania, but later changed his mind.
“My support of marriage equality wasn’t a decision made at one point in time,” Ridge said. “There was no epiphany; it evolved. It simply came to make sense – that all of us are equal in the eyes of the God we worship and the same should be true of the government to which we ‘render unto Caesar.'”
Ridge was among 131 Republicans who signed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down California’s Proposition 8.
As members of the Republican party are beginning to take differing views on gay rights and marriage equality, Ridge said the regressive views taking prominence in the Republican Party are what’s keeping the party from making gains at the national political level.
“Our own narrow thinking on social issues is one of the principal reasons we have lost the last two national elections,” Ridge said.
Ridge also made reference to actions that Republican lawmakers took in recent weeks that led to the shutdown of the federal government.
“And if you supplement our offensive and exclusionary view on social issues with the debacle of the past few weeks, we should be concerned about our brand, our message and our future,” Ridge said. “The majority of Americans don’t like Obamacare, but they like the flawed and failed tactics to default even less.”
Ridge didn’t completely abandon the party line during his speech. A portion was dedicated to the memory of President Reagan and his ability to attract “the center, conservative Democrats and independents” to the Republican Party. Additionally, Ridge was critical of Obamacare, which he called “a flawed law worthy of repeal,” generating enthusiastic applause from the audience.
“You know I am pro-choice, but in mandating that these institutions perform abortions or provide other services contrary to its values, the government is forcing its views on the practices of these religious institutions,” Ridge continued. “It is a scary, slippery slope.”
Despite his urge for inclusion, Ridge was careful to include in his speech a call for acceptance of individuals who have not embraced ideas like marriage equality.
“If we want a government that acknowledges our God-given right to freely choose how we live — in regard to marriage and other issues – we must demand a government that respects the rights of others to choose and follow their conscience just the same,” Ridge said.
Ridge’s speech was well-recevied by the estimated 165 people who attended the dinner. Bob Kabel, a gay D.C. Republican activist and member of the Republican National Committee, said Ridge’s speech was “very well written and well delivered” and praised its call for inclusion.
“It was a lot about Reagan, it was a lot about his aspirations for people, his views of politics, which is to be a party of inclusion, not exclusion, and we’ve really gotten away from that,” Kabel said.
Speaking with the Washington Blade prior to his speech, Ridge said it’s important for the public and the younger generation to hear a message of inclusion because an emphasis on social issues is scaring them off.
“Sometimes we appear very self-righteous, very judgmental and among many constituencies that doesn’t appeal to in addition to general America, young people, whom I think we need to attract to our party, don’t like self-righteous judgmental people leading the mindset,” Ridge said. “Unfortunately, some of those folks make the most noise.”
Ridge said he believes some Republicans “will never accept necessarily the gay and lesbian community,” but nonetheless urged members of the party to be tolerant.
“I’m not trying to change their mind, just changing their heart, so they’re more tolerant and accepting of other peoples’ life and lifestyles, because within the Log Cabin community there’s a value system that’s consistent with the traditional Republican message on fiscal policy, defense and the like,” Ridge said.
Prior to Ridge’s speech, Gregory Angelo, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, delivered his own remarks invoking the memory of Reagan and calling for a “big tent” within the Republican Party. Angelo said he invited Nancy Reagan to attend the dinner, but she declined because she’s not making social appearances.
However, Angelo read a letter that he said came from her assistant saying she appreciates the memory of her husband’s opposition to the Briggs Initiative in California during the 1970s and further appreciates that Log Cabin holds him in such high esteem.
Rep. Issa makes appearance
Ridge wasn’t the only high-profile Republican to make an appearance at the Log Cabin dinner. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chair of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Regulation, was among the invited guests. Issa didn’t speak publicly, but spoke with attendees briefly before the dinner began.
Issa was invited even though he scored “0” on the Human Rights Campaign’s most recent congressional scorecard. An opponent of same-sex marriage, Issa has voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment and against a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
Asked by the Washington Blade during the dinner why he was interested in appearing at a gay rights event, Issa said, “I’ve done it past years all the way to my freshman year in Congress.”
“The way I look at Log Cabin Republicans in my view is the Carl DeMaio race in San Diego and a huge amount of races for Republicans across the country are the No. 1 challenge for these individuals here tonight is moving an agenda that they find supportive,” Issa told reporters.
In response to another Blade question on whether his position on same-sex marriage has changed, Issa talked about “issues,” but said following the Supreme Court decisions in June “gay marriage has become the law of the land more or less.” Issa also expressed interest in domestic partner benefits for federal employees, an issue over which his committee has jurisdiction.
A bill introduced by gay Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) called the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act would extend those benefits to federal employees if they’re in same-sex relationships, but live in non-marriage equality states and don’t have access to travel to marry.
Issa also commented on ENDA, saying he hasn’t taken a position it, nor has he had a chance to review the current bill.
“My assumption is that the bill we could pass in the House, the bill we could pass in the Senate would be different, but that’s not unusual because when it comes to employment non-discrimination in any area, it’s important that you get in a way that isn’t simply a litigation,” Issa said. “You know, I don’t want to empower the trial lawyers in any legislation I do.”
It’s not the first time that lawmakers with unfavorable records have made appearances at Log Cabin events. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) made an appearance at a private Log Cabin event in 2010 and was honored with the organization’s Barry Goldwater award.
Other lawmakers who were scheduled to make an appearance at the dinner were Reps. Pete King (R-N.Y.) and Ted Poe (R-Texas), who have similarly abysmal records on gay rights in Congress. Neither actually made an appearance at the dinner. It wasn’t immediately clear why King and Poe didn’t appear after they were scheduled to attend.
Log Cabin’s Angelo said he invited Issa and the other lawmakers to the dinner because the organization wants to reach out to all lawmakers within the party.
“I’m not going to refuse to interact or engage with or welcome to our event anyone who’s interested to engage with Log Cabin Republicans,” Angelo said. “I can tell you that I’ve had meetings with senior staff or the actual members themselves of all those individuals, and there are meetings that lead me to believe that we continue to grow in our relationship with those congressmen. I think them coming tonight is certainly a sign that shows they’re willing to engage with gay Republicans and we’re headed in the right direction as a party.”
Virginia
DOJ seeks to join lawsuit against Loudoun County over trans student in locker room
Three male high school students suspended after complaining about classmate
The Justice Department has asked to join a federal lawsuit against Loudoun County Public Schools over the way it handled the case of three male high school students who complained about a transgender student in a boys’ locker room.
The Washington Blade earlier this year reported Loudoun County public schools suspended the three boys and launched a Title IX investigation into whether they sexually harassed the student after they said they felt uncomfortable with their classmate in the locker room at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn.
The parents of two of the boys filed a lawsuit against Loudoun County public schools in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. The Richmond-based Founding Freedoms Law Center and America First Legal, which White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller co-founded, represent them.
The Justice Department in a Dec. 8 press release announced that “it filed legal action against the Loudoun County (Va.) School Board (Loudoun County) for its denial of equal protection based on religion.”
“The suit alleges that Loudoun County applied Policy 8040, which requires students and faculty to accept and promote gender ideology, to two Christian, male students in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” reads the press release.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in the press release said “students do not shed their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate.”
“Loudoun County’s decision to advance and promote gender ideology tramples on the rights of religious students who cannot embrace ideas that deny biological reality,” said Dhillon.
Outgoing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and outgoing Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in May announced an investigation into the case.
The Virginia Department of Education in 2023 announced the new guidelines for trans and nonbinary students for which Youngkin asked. Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups claim they, among other things, forcibly out trans and nonbinary students.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in February launched an investigation into whether Loudoun County and four other Northern Virginia school districts’ policies in support of trans and nonbinary students violate Title IX and President Donald Trump’s executive order that prohibits federally funded educational institutions from promoting “gender ideology.”
The White House
As house Democrats release Epstein photos, Garcia continues to demand DOJ transparency
Blade this week sat down with gay House Oversight Committee ranking member
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s email and computer records, including images highlighting the relationship between President Donald Trump and the convicted sex offender.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, was found guilty of procuring a child for prostitution and sex trafficking, serving a 13-month prison sentence in 2008. At the time of his death in prison under mysterious circumstances, he was facing charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors.
Among those pictured in Epstein’s digital files are Trump, former President Bill Clinton, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, actor and director Woody Allen, economist Larry Summers, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Bill Gates, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
One photo shows Trump alongside Epstein and a woman at a Victoria’s Secret party in New York in 1997. American media outlets have published the image, while Getty Images identified the woman as model Ingrid Seynhaeve.
Oversight Committee Democrats are reviewing the full set of photos and plan to release additional images to the public in the coming days and weeks, emphasizing their commitment to protecting survivors’ identities.
With just a week left for the Justice Department to publish all files related to Epstein following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the Justice Department to release most records connected to Epstein investigations, the Washington Blade sat down with U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the Oversight Committee to discuss the current push the release of more documents.
Garcia highlighted the committee’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
“We’ve said anything that we get we’re going to put out. We don’t care who is in the files … if you’ve harmed women and girls, then we’ve got to hold you accountable.”
He noted ongoing questions surrounding Trump’s relationship with Epstein, given their long history and the apparent break in friendship once Trump assumed public office.
“There’s been a lot of questions about … Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. They were best friends for 10 years … met women there and girls.”
Prior to Trump’s presidency, it was widely reported that the two were friends who visited each other’s properties regularly. Additional reporting shows they socialized frequently throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, attending parties at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and Epstein’s residences. Flight logs from an associate’s trial indicate Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet multiple times, and Epstein claimed Trump first had sex with his future wife, Melania Knauss, aboard the jet.
“We’ve provided evidence … [that leads to] questions about what the relationship was like between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.”
Garcia stressed the need for answers regarding the White House’s role in withholding information, questioning the sudden change in attitude toward releasing the files given Trump’s campaign promises.
“Why is the White House trying to cover this up? So if he’s not covering for himself … he’s covering up for his rich friends,” Garcia said. “Why the cover up? Who are you hiding for? I think that’s the question.”
He confirmed that Trump is definitively in the Epstein files, though the extent remains unknown, but will be uncovered soon.
“We know that Trump’s in them. Yeah, he’s been told. We know that Trump’s in them in some way. As far as the extent of it … we don’t know.”
Garcia emphasized accountability for all powerful figures implicated, regardless of financial status, political party, or personal connections.
“All these powerful men that are walking around right now … after abusing, in some cases, 14‑ and 15‑year‑old girls, they have to be held accountable,” he said. “There has to be justice for those survivors and the American public deserves the truth about who was involved in that.”
He added that while he is the ranking member, he will ensure the oversight committee will use all available political tools, including subpoenas — potentially even for the president.
“We want to subpoena anyone that we can … everyone’s kind of on the table.”
He also emphasized accountability for all powerful figures implicated, regardless of financial status, political party, or relationship with the president.
“For me, they’re about justice and doing the right thing,” Garcia said. “This is about women who … were girls and children when they were being abused, trafficked, in some cases, raped. And these women deserve justice.”
“The survivors are strong.”
Deputy White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson issued a statement regarding the release the photos, echoing previous comments from Republicans on the timing and framing of the photos by the Oversight Committee.
“Once again, House Democrats are selectively releasing cherry-picked photos with random redactions to try and create a false narrative,” Jackson said.
“The Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked and the Trump administration has done more for Epstein’s victims than Democrats ever have by repeatedly calling for transparency, releasing thousands of pages of documents, and calling for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends,”
In a press release on Friday, Garcia called for immediate DOJ action:
“It is time to end this White House cover-up and bring justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends. These disturbing photos raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world. We will not rest until the American people get the truth. The Department of Justice must release all the files, NOW.”
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. House Oversight Committee)
District of Columbia
Capital Pride announces change in date for 2026 D.C. Pride parade and festival
Events related to U.S. 250th anniversary and Trump birthday cited as reasons for change
The Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C. based group that organizes the city’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, has announced it is changing the dates for the 2026 Capital Pride Parade and Festival from the second weekend in June to the third weekend.
“For over a decade, Capital Pride has taken place during the second weekend in June, but in 2026, we are shifting our dates in response to the city’s capacity due to major events and preparations for the 250th anniversary of the United States,” according to a Dec. 9 statement released by Capital Pride Alliance.
The statement says the parade will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, with the festival and related concert taking place on June 21.
“This change ensures our community can gather safely and without unnecessary barriers,” the statement says. “By moving the celebration, we are protecting our space and preserving Pride as a powerful act of visibility, solidarity, and resistance,” it says.
Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and President, told the Washington Blade the change in dates came after the group conferred with D.C. government officials regarding plans for a number of events in the city on the second weekend in June. Among them, he noted, is a planned White House celebration of President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and other events related to the U.S. 250th anniversary, which are expected to take place from early June through Independence Day on July 4.
The White House has announced plans for a large June 14, 2026 celebration on the White House south lawn of Trump’s 80th birthday that will include a large-scale Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event involving boxing and wrestling competition.
Bos said the Capital Pride Parade will take place along the same route it has in the past number of years, starting at 14th and T Streets, N.W. and traveling along 14th Street to Pennsylvania Ave., where it will end. He said the festival set for the following day will also take place at its usual location on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., between 2nd Street near the U.S. Capitol, to around 7th Street, N.W.
“Our Pride events thrive because of the passion and support of the community,” Capital Pride Board Chair Anna Jinkerson said in the statement. “In 2026, your involvement is more important than ever,” she said.
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