Local

Cardinal Wuerl conciliatory on marriage ruling?

‘We follow what the law says’

Published

11 years ago

July 7, 2015

Donald Wuerl, gay news, Washington Blade

‘We certainly follow what the law says,’ Cardinal Donald Wuerl said regarding the Supreme Court marriage ruling. ‘That doesn’t mean we change the word of God.’ (Photo by Tomasz Wachowski; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, surprised at least some LGBT Catholic activists last week when he appeared to set a conciliatory tone in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

“The law of the land is the law of the land,” Wuerl said at a news conference called to announce Pope Francis’s schedule of activities during his visit to Washington in September.

“We certainly follow what the law says,” he told reporters. “That doesn’t mean we change the word of God. That doesn’t mean we change the Scriptures, or the Church’s millennia-long tradition of what marriage is.”

But he added, “Nobody is turned away because of their sexual identity, because of their race, because of their ethnic background. And are we not all struggling to live the gospel?”

As reported by WTOP News, Wurel told the news conference, which was held at St. Matthew’s Cathedral on Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., that while church teaching won’t change, Pope Francis has been more inclusive.

“He keeps saying, ‘Go out. Go out and meet people where they are. And in that encounter, walk with them, accompany them,’” Wuerl said. “I think that’s what the church is saying. We all need to walk together as we try to make our way closer to God.”

WTOP cited a recent Pew Research Center poll showing that 56 percent of U.S. Catholics support same-sex marriage compared to 55 percent of Protestants, who say they do not support same-sex marriage. According to the poll, 85 percent of “religiously unaffiliated people” support the right of gays to marry.

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Virginia

VIDEO: LGBTQ groups march in Va. inaugural parade

Abigail Spanberger took office on Saturday

Published

2 hours ago

January 17, 2026

Michael Key

Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond march in the 2026 Inauguration Parade on the grounds of the state capitol in Richmond, Va. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The inaugural ceremonies for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger were held in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. Among the groups marching in the parade were Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond.

View on Threads

*The LGBTQ contingent in the inaugural parade in Richmond, Va. pass by the review stand on Jan. 17, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)*

Virginia

Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3

Published

10 hours ago

January 17, 2026

Staff reports

(Bigstock photo)

The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 26-13 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday approved it by a 10-4 vote margin.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.

A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.

Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.

“It’s time for Virginia’s Constitution to reflect the law of the land and the values of today,” said Ebbin after Friday’s vote. “This amendment, if approved by voters, would affirm the dignity of all committed couples and protects marriage equality for future generations.”

Maryland

Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated

Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs

Published

1 day ago

January 16, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Merrick Moses, a violence prevention coordinator, works at the Pride Center of Maryland in Baltimore. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz for the Baltimore Banner)

By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.

The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.

By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.