District of Columbia
Gay Episcopal minister to be reinstated 40 years after being defrocked
The Rev. Harry Stock, who is currently affiliated with D.C.’s LGBTQ-supportive Westminster Presbyterian Church, has invited friends, colleagues, and members of the community to “witness a miracle” on Oct. 26 by attending a ceremony at an Episcopal church in Alexandria, Va., where he will be officially reinstated as an Episcopal priest.
In a Sept. 12 invitation to the ceremony that Stock sent by email, he states that the ceremony will take place 43 years after he was ordained as an Episcopal priest by a bishop in Charleston, W.Va., and 40 years after the same bishop defrocked him from the priesthood because he “declared his love for another man at the altar” in a holy union ceremony.
“As a result of our Holy Union I received a letter from Bishop [Robert] Atkinson informing me that as a result of me declaring my love for another man at the altar he was revoking my Holy Orders and stripping me from the sacred order of priest and that I would no longer be permitted to function as a priest in the Episcopal Church,” Stock says in his message. “My world fell apart,” he wrote.
Stock notes that the Holy Union that led to his being defrocked was with his life partner Mark Kristofik. He said the two have been a couple for 45 years since 1979 and are now married.
Biographical information that Stock provided shows that he received a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University in 1969 and completed a study program at the West Virginia Episcopal Diocese School of Religion before receiving a Master in Divinity Degree in 1978 from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., in 1978.
In the years since being defrocked Stock became known as an esteemed theologian. Beginning a short time after being defrocked, he became pastor in D.C. of a newly formed branch of the LGBTQ-supportive Metropolitan Community Church called the MCC Church of the Disciples, where he served for 21 years. Biographical information he sent to the Washington Blade says in 1991 the nationwide Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches ordained him as a minister.
The biographical write up says Stock later became the founder and president of Scrolls Revealed Ministries for which he traveled over a period of 20 years across the country to churches, colleges, retreats, and conferences facilitating a seminar he created called “Biblical Translation for Gay Liberation: How the Bible Does Not Condemn Homosexuality, An in-Depth Study.”
Stock said Scrolls Revealed Ministries is still active and he currently travels to churches as a guest preacher delivering a teaching sermon called “Homophobia and the Bible: A Deadly Combination.”
With that as a backdrop, Stock tells of the recent developments that brought about his upcoming reinstatement as an Episcopal priest in his email message inviting friends and colleagues to the Oct. 26 ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 228 South Pitt St. in Alexandria.
“Upon learning of my story, The Rt. Reverend Matthew Cowden, VIII, current Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, requested a meeting with me via Zoom and on July 25 of last year we met,” according to Stock’s email message. He said that was followed by an in-person meeting in October of 2023.
“During our meeting Bishop Cowden said something that in my wildest dreams I never expected to hear, by saying, ‘On Behalf of the Episcopal Church, I apologize to you for what the church did to you back in 1984.’”
Stock adds in his message, “I found myself unable to speak and felt liberated, for the first time, from a pain that had plagued me for years. But, Bishiop Cowden didn’t stop there, he went on to say, ‘I also want to make right the mistake that was made those many years ago.’”
According to Stock’s message, “After a year of endeavoring through the Canons of the Episcopal Church and completing Canonical requirements and the joyous consent of the Bishops, and other committees and bodies responsible” – his reinstatement was approved, and the reinstatement ceremony was scheduled for Oct. 26.
“Miracles happen through moments of great beauty, prayer, faith, hope and especially through acts of great love,” Stock’s message continues. “They happen through us and to us, and for me, one is about to manifest itself and turn what I thought was the greatest disappointment in my life into a blessing,” he says in his message.
“I am delighted to share this incredible blessing with you,” his message continues. “And if you are nearby, I would be honored to have you join me for this momentous occasion.” His message says a Champagne reception will take place after the ceremony.
In recent years, Stock has preached and presided over communion services at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
In Southwest D.C. in the role of Parish Partner, a title given to ministers who are not officially ordained as Presbyterian ministers. Stock said that upon his reinstatement as an Episcopal priest on Oct. 26, he will continue his role as Parish Partner at Westminster since he still will not be an ordained Presbyterian minister.
He nevertheless said his service at Westminster is important to him and he plans to remain there. He told the Blade that at the age of 83, he considers the West Virginia bishop’s decision to reinstate him as an Episcopal priest to be an act of correcting an injustice.
“What the bishop is doing on Oct. 26 is doing what he calls making right the mistake that was made 40 years ago and validating my ministry,” Stock said.
District of Columbia
Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges
Matthew Mahl once served as head of LGBT Liaison Unit
D.C. police announced on April 14 that they have placed one of their lieutenants, Matthew Mahl, on administrative leave and revoked his police powers after receiving information that he was arrested in Maryland one day earlier.
Although the initial D.C. police announcement doesn’t disclose the reason for the arrest it refers to a statement by the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Office that discloses Mahl has been charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child porn solicitation.
“On Tuesday, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s Internal Affairs Division shortly after arresting Lieutenant Matthew Mahl,” the D.C. police statement says.
“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the statement continues. “MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” it says.
“MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until yesterday,” the statement adds.
Mahl served as acting supervisor of the MPD’s then Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit in 2013 when he held the rank of sergeant. D.C. police officials placed him on administrative leave and suspended his police powers that same year while investigating an undisclosed allegation.
A source familiar with the investigation said Mahl was cleared of any wrongdoing a short time later and resumed his police duties. Around the time he was promoted to lieutenant several years later Mahl took on the role as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, becoming the first known openly gay officer to hold that position.
NBC 4 reports that Mahl, 47, has served on the police force for 23 years and most recently was assigned to the department’s Special Operations Division.
Records related to Mahl’s arrest filed in Harford County District Court, show Sheriff’s Department investigators state in charging documents that he allegedly committed the offenses of Sexual Solicitation of a Minor and Child Porn Solicitation on Monday, April 13, one day before he was arrested on April 14.
The court records show he was held without bond during his first appearance in court on April 14. A decision on whether he would be released while awaiting trial or continue to be held without bond was scheduled to be determined during an April 15 bond hearing. The outcome of that hearing could not be immediately determined.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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