Local
D.C. Baptist church to vote on marriage in February
Contentious issue to be addressed at forum
First Baptist Church of Washington (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Members of the congregation of D.C.’s First Baptist Church on 16th Street, N.W., near Dupont Circle, are scheduled to vote on Feb. 7 on whether the church should perform same-sex marriages, according to a recent announcement in the church’s bulletin.
The vote on what some say could be a contentious question will take place about one month after a forum on the issue of same-sex marriage is expected to be held at the church.
“During a Church Forum on a January Sunday after church, to be scheduled, two leading national Christian voices on both sides of the question will present and explain the positions, with emphasis on their scriptural foundations,” the church bulletin says.
“As part of this January forum, members are encouraged to ask questions of the authorities and among themselves as well as to share their views with one another,” it says.
Rev. Deborah Cochran, the church’s acting pastor, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. D.C. LGBT rights advocate and blogger John Boushka, who has been a longtime member of First Baptist Church, said the church has a long history of having both liberal and conservative members play an active role in church affairs.
He said the liberal-conservative split has sometimes resulted in strong disagreements over church policy, with the congregation usually tilting toward progressive positions on civil rights issues in general.
“In early 2015 on several dates, members of the congregation gathered in voluntary, facilitated circle groups in light of Interim Preaching Minister Stan Hastey’s call in his August 20145 sermon to discuss the question of ‘full inclusion’ of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons in the church,” the church bulletin says.
“In recent years, First Baptist has officially described itself as ‘welcoming’ but not as ‘affirming,’” on LGBT people, the bulletin says.
The bulletin says a decision to hold a vote on whether the church should perform same-sex marriages was prompted by the June 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing civil same-sex marriage throughout the country.
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Congratulations to Yadiel Meléndez, on their new role as Community Associate, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Meléndez is piloting a new role as a Community Associate at the Wanda Alston Foundation, where they support queer and trans young people in finding their footing, building independence, and experiencing a housing community where they are seen, valued, and affirmed. They are coming into this role with more than a decade of experience as a community organizer and operations specialist, supporting diverse communities through service, advocacy, and program coordination.
Previously they worked for Right Proper Brewing Shaw as a server and bartender and at Sephora, Washington, DC, and at FreshFarm, DC, in bilingual food access. They also worked freelance to build foundational structures for local queer BIPOC performance art coalitions, producing variety shows to curate space for marginalized performance artists in the community. They were a production manager for Haus of Hart Productions, a BIPOC centric performance art production. They also worked as field staff with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Stafford, Va.
Meléndez is bilingual, Spanish and English. Their work is guided by a commitment to dignity, safety, and trauma-informed engagement, particularly within LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
Congratulations also to Ben Rosen LICSW, on his new role as program director, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Rosen previously worked with Fountain House’s OnRamps program, helping to build a new, innovative outreach program for individuals considered chronically homeless, and living with serious mental illness, in the Times Square area of New York. Rosen is a Psychotherapist, having worked with SG Psychotherapy, and as the psychotherapist with the Nest Community Health Center (URAM).
Rosen has a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Musical Theatre, Minor in Psychology (Cum Laude) from Malloy University Conservatory; and his M.S.W. in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, from The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, N.Y. He is independently licensed in New York and Washington, D.C.
Rehoboth Beach
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Attendees encouraged to wear appropriate gear
Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach hosts a monthly leather happy hour. April’s edition is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate gear. The event is billed as an official event of BLUF, the free community group for men interested in leather. After happy hour, the attendees are encouraged to reconvene at Local Bootlegging Company for dinner, which allows cigar smoking. There’s no cover charge for either event.
District of Columbia
Celebrations of life planned for Sean Bartel
Two memorial events scheduled in D.C.
Two celebrations of life are planned for Sean Christopher Bartel, 48, who was found deceased on a hiking trail in Argentina on or around March 15. Bartel began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024.
A memorial gathering is planned for Friday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the IBEW International Office (900 7th St., N.W.), according to a statement by the DC Gay Flag Football League, where Bartel was a longtime member. A celebration of life is planned that same evening, 6-8 p.m. at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.).
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