News
N.Y. archbishop uncomfortable with civil unions
Dolan dismisses notion Pope Francis approved them in widely publicized remarks
NBC’s “Meet the Press” interviews” New York archbishop Timothy Dolan (Screenshot via NBC News).
Despite recent comments from Pope Francis suggesting he may be open to the idea of civil unions if not same-sex marriage, one of the more influential U.S. bishops in his church doesn’t share the same view.
New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who’s known for his conservative views and opposition to same-sex marriage, said he’d be uncomfortable with even civil unions when asked about the issue on NBC’s “Meet the Press” by host David Gregory.
“If we water down that sacred meaning of marriage in any way, I worry that not only the church would suffer, I worry that culture and society would,” Dolan said.
Dolan also rejected the notion that Francis was expressing support for the legalization of such agreements in his comments to an Italian magazine that were widely reported last week.
“It wasn’t as if he came out and approved them,” Dolan said. “But he…in a sensitivity that has won the heart of the world, he said, “Rather than quickly condemn them, let’s…just ask the questions as to why that has appealed to certain people.”
According to CNN, Francis said during an interview with Corriere della Sera that he remains opposed to same-sex marriage, but added “we have to look at different cases” and civil unions could “provide financial security to cohabitating couples.” That’s along the lines of the support Francis expressed for civil unions when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina in 2010.
Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, chided Dolan for his remarks, saying they were contrary to the position of the pope.
“Since Day 1 of this papacy, Cardinal Dolan has sought to minimize the teachings of Francis and the new and welcome message of inclusion, but the Cardinal is out of step with the Pope, out of step with the great majority of American Catholics who support the freedom to marry, and out of step with the true values of love and the Golden Rule,” Wolfson said.
The remarks on civil unions from both Dolan and Francis come at a time when virtually no jurisdiction is debating them as states and countries are instead moving toward marriage equality for relationship recognition for gay couples.
Dolan’s main point during his “Meet the Press” was that Francis was shrewdly adapting the message of the church in a time when public sentiment is changing, but church doctrine remains the same.
“And so Francis is reminding us, look, if we come across as some crabby, nay saying shrill, we’re not gonna win anybody. If we come across as a loving, embracing holy mother church who says, “Come on in. We love you. We need you. We want you. And once you get to know us, then maybe we can invite you to the conversion of heart that is at the core of the gospel. And then maybe we can talk about changing behavior. That’s a very effective pedagogy.”
Dolan was also asked for his views on the coming out announcement of Michael Sam, the Missouri collegiate defense lineman who could be the first openly gay person to play in the NFL.
“Good for him,” Dolan said. “I would have no sense of judgment on him. God bless ya. I don’t think the same bible that…teaches us well about the virtues of chastity and the virtue of fidelity and marriage also tells us not to judge people. So I would say, ‘Bravo.'”
The exchange between Gregory and Dolan on civil unions follows:
DAVID GREGORY: Do you imagine the church might open the way to accepting civil unions?
CARDINAL DOLAN: He mentioned– I haven’t see– I’m– I’m as eager as you are to– read the– the full extent of that interview. And if I saw the reports accurately, they– he didn’t come right out and say he was for them. Once again, in an extraordinarily– sincere, open, nuanced way, he said, “I know that some people in some states have chosen this. We need to think about that and look into it and see the reasons that have driven them.”
It wasn’t as if he came out and approved them. But he– he just in– in a sensitivity that has won the heart of the world, he said, “Rather than quickly condemn them, let’s see if– let’s– let’s just ask the questions as to why that has appealed to certain people–“
DAVID GREGORY: Would that make you uncomfortable?
CARDINAL DOLAN: I– it would. It would, in a way, David. Because I don’t think– marriage, between– one man and one woman forever leading to life and love, that’s not something that’s just a religious, sacramental concern. You bet it is that, and– and we– that’s how god has elevated it, to making a sacrament.
But it’s also the building block of society and culture. So it belongs to culture. And if– and if we water down that sacred meaning of marriage in any way, I worry that not only the church would suffer, I worry that culture and society would.
Delaware
Delaware marriage equality bill advances out of committee
Measure will now go before full state Senate
The bill that would amend Delaware’s state constitution to codify same-sex marriage advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday and now goes to the Senate chamber for a vote. If passed, the vote would go on to the House.
Three members of the committee voted favorable and one voted on its merits, meaning the member recommends the chamber take action on the legislation but does not take a position on what action should be taken.
Senate Bill 100 was introduced in April by Democratic Sen. Russ Huxtable of the sixth district of Delaware and has 21 co-sponsors. It is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution. The act would “establish the right to marry as a fundamental right and that Delaware and its political subdivisions shall recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender.”
Senate Substitute One was adopted in lieu of the original bill on May 16. SB 100 originally focused exclusively on marriage equality relating to gender and the bill was tweaked to include protection for all classes that fall under Delaware’s Equal Rights Amendment, including race, color, national origin, and sex.
The Wednesday committee meeting heard testimony on SS 1 for SB 100 from individuals and organizations, including John Reynolds, Deputy Policy and Advocacy Director of Delaware’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“After hard fought recent victories, the rights of LGBTQ Americans are under attack in many places across our country,” Reynolds said during his testimony. “It is important that Delaware be proactive and serve as a firewall protecting individual civil liberties. SS 1 for SB 100 is an example of this important work cementing the protections for marriage equality in our state constitution.”
According to Sen. Huxtable, the ACLU helped provide feedback on some of the bill’s language. Reynolds said the ACLU thought it was important to testify because this is a moment when so much is changing.
“These attacks are not just on specific communities, they’re on this concept of equality and liberty,” Reynolds told the Washington Blade. “We need to build these firewalls to both prevent harm to folks on the frontline of these attacks but also ensure that we don’t set very problematic and damaging standards that can be used to roll back protections for large [swaths] of our population.”
SS 1 for SB 100 requires a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to pass. If passed, the next General Assembly after the next general election also has to pass it. Delaware is the only state in the country that can amend its state constitution without a vote of the people.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2022 and signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. It codifies the right to same-sex and interracial marriage, requiring all states to recognize validly performed marriages from other states, regardless of whether they allow same-sex marriage within their own borders.
In Virginia, a bill codifying marriage equality was signed into law in 2024. California, Colorado and Hawaii have also passed amendments to codify same-sex marriage into their constitutions.
“We at the ACLU of Delaware are very excited that SS 1 for SB 100 passed out of committee yesterday,” Reynolds said. “It represents both Sen. Huxtable and the Delaware Legislature’s clear commitment to proactively protecting people’s rights within the LGBT community and outside to ensure that in this moment of uncertainty, we don’t sit idly by and wait for the worst to happen but take control of the things that we can to build the communities that we want.”
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
US hate groups fuel anti-LGBTQ rights movement in Africa
Delaware marriage equality bill advances out of committee
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
WorldPride events round-up
Pope Leo XIV: Family based on ‘stable union between a man and a woman’
Wes Moore signs HIV decriminalization bill
