News
LGBT Catholics welcome Francis’ comments on marriage
Pontiff says church has grown ‘obsessed’ with gay nuptials, abortion
LGBT Catholics have welcomed Pope Francisā comments that the church has grown āobsessedā with same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception.
āWe find much to be hopeful about, particularly in the Popeās firm desire that the church be a āhome for all people,ā and his belief that God looks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people with love rather than condemnation,ā Dignity USA Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke said in a statement on Thursday after America, a Jesuit magazine, published the pontiff’s extensive interview with with Rev. Antonio Spadaro, editor-in-chief of La CiviltĆ Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit magazine, that took place during three separate meetings last month in Rome.
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry in Mount Rainier, Md., said Francisā comments amount to a ānew dawnā for the Catholic Church.
āPope Francisā words and example have opened up new opportunities for the Catholic Church to welcome and dialogue with LGBT people,ā DeBernardo said. āHis words will give courage and hope to thousands of pastoral ministers and Catholic faithful who have been doing this work for many decades, but who have often received penalties and discouragements from church leaders who did not share this popeās broad vision.ā
Francisā comments come less than two months after he told reporters who asked him about the reported homosexuality of the man whom he appointed to oversee the Vatican bank on his flight back to Rome after a week-long trip to Brazil for World Youth Day that gay men and lesbians should not be judged or marginalized. The Argentine-born pontiff reiterated this statement during his interview with Spadaro.
āIn life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation,ā Francis said. āIt is necessary to accompany them with mercy. When that happens, the Holy Spirit inspires the priest to say the right thing.ā
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Washington told the Washington Blade that Cardinal Donald Wuerl was traveling on Thursday and did not have any comment on Francisā statements.
āHe is a man who profoundly believes in the mercy of a loving God, and who wants to bring that message of mercy to the entire world, including those who feel that they have been wounded by the church,ā New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a statement. āAs a priest and a bishop, I particularly welcome his reminder that the clergy are primarily to serve as shepherds, to be with our people, to talk with them, to be pastors, not bureaucrats.ā
Dolan, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, further discussed the pontiffās comments on āCBS This Morningā on Friday.
āIf we keep [a] kind of a negative, finger-wagging tone, itās counterproductive,ā Dolan said.
LGBT Catholics greeted Francisā election in March to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who vehemently opposed same-sex marriage and condom use to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and enforced the Vaticanās moral doctrine before ascending the papacy, with cautious optimism.
Francis, who is the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, in 2001 visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 people with AIDS. He told Spadero he used to receive letters from gay people who said they were āsocially woundedā because they felt ālike the church has always condemned them.ā
āThe church does not want to do this,ā Francis told Spadero.
The pontiff was among those who led the opposition to Argentinaās same-sex marriage law that President Cristina FernĆ”ndez de Kirchner signed in 2010. Francis described the measure as a āmachination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of Godā before Argentine lawmakers approved it.
FernĆ”ndez herself criticized then-Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Bergoglioās comments against the measure that included references to it as a ādemonic plan.ā Francis also called for a āholy warā against the gay marriage bill.
āHe says not to interfere with the lives of gays, but in the countries where lawmakers are debating laws of equality, the Catholic hierarchy lobbies ferociously to ensure that these laws donāt advance (the same pope played a part of this in Argentina,)ā Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Federation of Argentina President Esteban PaulĆ³n told the Blade on Friday. āThis leads us to ask ourselves who is the Pope? Is he the same Bergoglio of the holy war and demonic plan (about marriage equality) or the ācompassionateā Francis toward gays.ā
Even though it appears Francisā comments will have no impact on Catholic teachings on same-sex marriage and other social issues, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin on Thursday wrote to Dolan as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson. He urged them to end their public opposition to pro-LGBT measures.
āDoing anything less will put you in direct conflict with Pope Francisā message of welcome and mercy ā and create an even greater gulf between you and the broad majority of the American Catholic laity, who support their LGBT neighborsā freedom to marry the person they love in a civil ceremony,ā Griffin wrote.
District of Columbia
200 turn out for āLove Festā Drag Story Hour at Freddieās
Performer reads stories to kids and parents as three protest outside
Between 200 and 250 people, including parents and their children, turned out on Saturday, May 4, for a āLove Festā Drag Story Hour brunch hosted by the Arlington, Va., LGBTQ establishment Freddieās Beach Bar and Restaurant.
Local drag performer Tara Hoot, who read childrenās stories and handed out coloring books to the kids attending the event, was joined by members of the Gay Menās Chorus of Washington, which sang several songs before Hoot began reading from childrenās books in keeping with the tradition of drag queens conducting Drag Story Hour events across the country.
The May 4 event at Freddieās in the Crystal City section of Arlington took place four weeks after the start of a similar event hosted by Freddieās was delayed by a bomb threat, forcing those who had arrived to exit through a rear door and wait in a parking lot as Arlington police conducted a search of the premises with a bomb sniffing dog. No trace of a bomb was found.
All the customers, including parents and their kids, were invited back inside and the show took place as planned.
No similar threat occurred at the May 4 event. But three male protesters assembled on the sidewalk next to the parking lot behind the Freddieās building, with one of them shouting from a bullhorn passages from his Bible that he said indicated the Drag Story Hour event was an āabomination.ā
The three protesters were outnumbered by nearly a dozen counter protesters who were members of the Rainbow Defense Coalition, an LGBTQ organization. They carried bright, rainbow-colored umbrellas while chanting messages of support for the Drag Story Hour event.
Freddie Lutz, Freddieās Beach Bar owner, called the event a āsmashing successā that brought an āoutpouring of love from the community.ā Lutz released a flier on social media promoting the Love Fest event shortly after the earlier event interrupted by the bomb threat as a showing of love “to stop the hate.”
“Join us for the next story time brunch dressed in your favorite rainbow/hippie outfit” and “carry your favorite homemade signs of support,” Lutz said in his promotional flier. He came to the event dressed in what he called his hippie protest outfit.
Lutz said while the protesters did not interrupt the event, he was concerned that their shouting was scaring some of the kids as they and their parents walked by the protesters to enter Freddieās.
āI went out back and tried to talk to one of them and it was kind of like talking to a brick wall,ā Lutz told the Washington Blade. āHe was screaming at the parents that were crossing their kids on the crosswalk,ā Lutz said. āAnd I said, youāre screaming at those kids, youāre scaring them.ā
Lutz said the man told him he was yelling at the parents, not the kids. āAnd I said, no youāre not. The kids are hearing you. Youāre scaring them.ā
Added Lutz, āAnd to have such a fun-loving, happy show and then walk out on the sidewalk to that is very disheartening. Itās really sad. I told him my God is a forgiving and loving God.ā
One of the protesters, who declined to disclose his name, said he and his two fellow protesters came to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
āWe want them to know this is an abomination to the Lord,ā he told the Blade. āWe want them to know those children donāt have a voice and theyāre being brainwashed in there. Weāre here to call out their sin.ā
Stephanie Krenrich, who brought her two-year-old daughter to the event, said she strongly disputes the claims of the protesters.
āI brought my daughter here because I think that it was a beautiful and wonderful show, and it was great for her,ā she said. āAnd I think itās pretty offensive when people come to Arlington and tell parents what to do, especially for something so beautiful and so fun and so wholesome,ā she told the Blade.
āSo thatās why I brought her,ā Krenrich said. āI think that itās really important that we stand up for our values and people just being themselves, being happy and being them.ā
Among those who attended the event were four elected officials from Arlington ā Virginia State Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia State Del. Adele McClure, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffee, and Arlington and Falls Church Stateās Attorney Parisa Dehgani-Tafti.
Also attending was Nick Benton, editor and publisher of the LGBTQ supportive Falls Church, Va., News Press; and Kellen McBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington.
āIt was fantastic to see so many people come out to support Freddieās, to support the LGBTQ+ community,ā McBeth said. āIt was a great event and weāre happy to be a part of it.ā
District of Columbia
Another successful Taste of Point fundraiser
Scholars praise financial, networking support
The Point Foundation hosted its annual Taste of Point DC fundraising event on Thursday with nine participating restaurants, a drag performance, and a silent auction.
The event was hosted on the rooftop of the Room & Board on 14th Street, with an afterparty at Shakers. Point donors, scholars, and alumni circled the rooftop eating chips and guacamole from Mi Vida and drinking Pinot Grigio from Barkada.
After about an hour of mingling the events began with event committee member, Kelly Horton and Kevin Kim Wright, chief of staff welcoming the crowd and speaking about the importance of their presence during this pivotal time in queer youth history. Then, Wright welcomed BIPOC Scholar Katherine Guerrero Rivera, saying she was a model of a Point scholar.
āWeāre always impressed with all of our scholars and Katherine is another example of a student who is deeply engaged in their campus life and a myriad of projects, everything from creating her own podcast to being a part of a number of student organizations.ā Wright said.
Rivera said that the Point Foundation scholarship helps her resist the pressure to drop out. She pointed out that just over 50 percent of Latina students who attend college graduate.
āThe Point BIPOC Scholarship is not just financial support, Point has connected me with hundreds of people like me studying on campuses across the country.ā she said.
Rivera is a criminology major and poetics minor at University of Maryland and said she hopes to use her degree to bring knowledge to her community through art and advocacy. She said it is important for her to take academic jargon and make it accessible to her community.
āToo often, the history of LGBTQ and people are ignored and silenced during our education,ā she said. āI want to use my access to higher education and the chance to develop my creative skills to bring light to societal issues.ā
She finished her speech with applause for the audience, then Horton came back with drag queen Tara Hoot to discuss ways donors could continue to support the Point Foundation.
After the lineup of events Wright said he felt great about the event, because it was a celebration of Pointās scholars.
āSome are interning for United States senators, some are volunteering for leading national non-profits, so to be able to celebrate all thatās being done here is truly amazing,ā
Wright continued, thanking the D.C. restaurant community for consistently showing up in force to support Point.
āThis really helps to paint the picture that this movement is growing,ā he said. āPeople believe in this mission to provide LGBTQ young people with the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals, to improve their leadership abilities and then go on to make a significant impact on society.ā
CLICK HERE to see more photos from Taste of Point.
World
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Silvester Belt is first LGBTQ person to represent Lithuania in Eurovision
RUSSIA
Russiaās largest publishing houses working in concert with the countryās libraries and book sellers formed an advisory union body earlier this month to address the increasingly repressive nature of laws centered around the subject matters of LGBTQ people and the war in Ukraine.
Making the task difficult is removal of materials from classic Russian literature in addition to contemporary works. Russian media outlet Vedomosti business daily reported that the Russian Book Unionās self-labeled expert center will issue recommendations on individual books, but leave the final decision to pull the books from sale up to the publishers.
According to Vedomosti, AST, one of Russiaās largest publishers, announced earlier this week that it would suspend sales of three books by U.S. authors James Baldwin and Michael Cunningham, as well as the Russian postmodern writer Vladimir Sorokin, for allegedly containing āLGBTQ propaganda,ā which is now outlawed in the country.
Roberto Carnero, an Italian literature professor at the University of Bolognaās biographical who wrote a book on the openly gay Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini had been heavily edited with some 70 out of its 400 pages containing sections that were redacted by its Russian publisher, Reuters reported last week.
According to Carnero, speaking with the wire service, that publisher also AST, would only agree to publish his critical essay on Pasolini only with severe cuts.
āI am very concerned about this,ā he said in a phone interview from Milan. āThis is something that happens in dictatorships.ā
The striking images of Carneroās book have thrown a spotlight on issues of government censorship in Russia at a time when the Kremlin says it is fighting an existential war with the West to defend its ātraditional values,ā Reuters noted.
English language media outlet the Moscow Times reported that Russian law allows citations for scientific, educational, and critical purposes. If brought to court, Russian publishers would be forced to prove that they retold an unlicensed book for purposes that do not include entertainment.
Russian law firms say publishers risk being hit by lawsuits and fined double the value of books sold if their summaries hew too close to the original text.
LITHUANIA
A singer-songwriter who has been entertaining audiences since he was 12-years-old is now the first openly queer person to represent Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
Silvester Belthe in 2010 had been a finalist in Lithuaniaās preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that year and now he returns 14 years later at age 26 taking the contest by storm.
A veteran of the musical variety contest show circuit, he competed on the Lithuanian version of the “X Factor,” and the Baltic TV3 Groupās music show “AÅ” ā superhitas,” which he won in 2017.
PinkNewsUK reported Eurovision 2024 marks Beltheās biggest career move to-date, and so far, itās going well. His song, hypnotic eurobanger āLuktelk,ā has hit over five million Spotify streams worldwide. In Lithuania, it hit number on the charts and stayed there for several weeks.
In an interview with PinkNewsUK when asked about LGBTQ representation in his homelandās music scene. he responded: āZero. Itās nada. Itās non-existent,ā says Belt. āEveryone is pretending to be what theyāre not, and it pisses me off so much.ā
Eurovision has been supportive of LGBTQ musical artists for decades, but Lithuania has never sent an out artist to the contest. According to Belthe there is a culture of fear among Lithuanian artists about being seen as queer, as they feel there is āso much at stakeā and that they could ālose [their] careerā if they were to ever come out he noted.
The main reason he is frustrated by the lack of LGBTQ representation in his country he tells PinkNewsUK is that he thinks it would change the populationās mindset. Six in 10 Lithuanians still believe that same-sex relationships are āwrong.ā
āIf every single LGBTQ artist in Lithuania, not even artists, if everyone [would] come out, I feel like Lithuania would change in a day,ā he says. āItās just crazy that we have this massive elephant in the room and weāre just pretending itās not there.ā
UNITED KINGDOM
At the end of last month Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced sanctions on high profile Ugandan politicians charged with corruption, and the speaker of the Parliament of Uganda.
It is the first time the UK government has used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals involved in corruption in Uganda.
The three individuals, two of whom were previously ministers responsible for Ugandaās poorest region, Karamoja, and have been charged with corruption at Ugandaās Anti-Corruption Court, will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes.
The two former ministers sanctioned ā Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu ā stole thousands of iron sheets used for roofing and infrastructure from a Ugandan government-funded project aimed at housing some of the most vulnerable communities in the region, providing them to prominent politicians and their families instead.
Parliament Speaker Anita Annet Among benefited from the proceeds.
Over 60 percent of people in Karamoja live in poverty and many suffer from the devastating impacts of drought and insecurity.
Ā Mitchell said in a media statement:Ā Ā
āThe actions of these individuals, in taking aid from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds, is corruption at its worst and has no place in society. The Ugandan courts are rightly taking action to crack down on those politicians who seek to line their own pockets at their constituentsā expense.
Today the UK is sending a clear message to those who think benefiting at the expense of others is acceptable. Corruption has consequences and you will be held responsible,ā Mitchell added.
The three individuals sanctioned were:
- Anita Annet Among, who has been the speaker of the Parliament of Uganda since 2022.
- Mary Goretti Kitutu, who was the Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.
- Agnes Nandutu, who was the State Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.
These measures follow previous UK sanctions under the Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime, which has targeted individuals involved in serious corruption cases across the world, including Bulgaria, Lebanon, Moldova, Russia, South Africa, South Sudan, and Venezuela.
Since its introduction in April 2021, the UK has introduced sanctions on 42 individuals and entities under this regime globally to combat corruption across the world.
A fully inclusive rugby club, with the majority of their members being part of Berkshire’s LGBTQ community, competes against other inclusive teams from across the world.
Recently the club won the International Gay Rugby UK league for the first time in their seven year history. John Hamp, the tighthead prop, one of the three players who form the front row of the scrum,Ā told the BBCĀ that being part of an LGBTQ inclusive club meant āyou donāt have to hide any part of yourself.ā
āWith any inclusive rugby team, the need is that there are people who really enjoy rugby and really enjoy the sport, but havenāt necessarily found their home in a traditional club setup,ā Hamp said.
āWe provide a home and a welcoming environment where anyone and everyone can come and learn the sport,ā he added.
Hamp, who is also the teamsā communications manager, told the BBC an inclusive club meant āregardless of any of your defining features or characteristics, especially for us that includes a sexual orientation, you can join our club and find a safe and welcoming environment ā somewhere that you can be yourself.ā
āI have a rugby family, and I tried as a child, and it just didnāt feel right for me ā I knew that I was a bit different, I think other people knew that I felt different, and it didnāt feel comfortable for me,ā he said.
āSadly my my father passed away and I needed to do something; I needed something different ā there was a need to be with community that understood me and a connection that I wanted to get back involved in rugby.ā
āSo I found the unicorns, and it was the perfect marriage of those two things.ā
The club was founded in 2016, and has grown in size to over 50 playing and social members. This season, the team went unbeaten, scoring over 400 points across their 11 games in the process.
NORTHERN IRELAND
For the first time in the 132 history of the largely ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of Belfast, an openly gay man has been chosen. Micky Murray, an Alliance Party city councilman representing the Balmoral area, was selected to succeed the outgoing Sinn FĆ©inās Ryan Murphy in June.
On his X account Murray stated: āItās truly an honor to have been selected by my party to be the next Lord Mayor of Belfast in June. This is a significant moment for the LGBTQ+ community, as I step into a role which has never represented us before. I look forward to getting stuck in!ā
The 32-year-old politico in an interview with LGBTQ media outlet GCN Ireland said:
āIn my role as Lord Mayor I want to meet people in all areas of Belfast and recognise those who are making a difference in every quarter, finding ways to work alongside them for the better.
He added: āSupporting the most vulnerable is a priority of mine, and I want to use my experience working in the homeless sector to ensure our city does more to help people.”
āI want to help transform Belfast into a more inclusive city where everyone can enjoy, regardless of who you are or where youāre from. Weāre 26 years on from the Good Friday Agreement and we were promised peace, which has largely been delivered, but now is the time to further break down barriers and create a thriving city.
Our city should be recognized for its inclusivity, rather than its division. As the first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want to use this platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community and be a positive role model for them.ā
In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph Murray said: āAs a schoolboy who was badly bullied because of my sexuality, I never thought Iād have the privilege of serving in a role like this.ā
The councilman continued: āThe position of Lord Mayor has existed for over 130 years, and Iāll be the first openly LGBTQ person to hold it. Itās a huge honor for me personally to be given this opportunity by my party colleagues.
While some people may question why my sexuality is relevant, it does matter for members of my community. We are finally represented in a role weāve never been before. Itās imbued with symbolism.ā
IRELAND
Pride is back again this year for Drogheda, an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 26 miles north of Dublin. The four-day festival which kicks off on July 18, will include live musical performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.
This yearās event promises to be a fantastic experience, with preparation well underway and organizer Peter James Nugent told GCN Ireland. Nugent is working on the four-day festival, which will include live music performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.
This yearās parade will take place on July 20. Following the parade, talented local musical artist Kobrah Kage will headline the main event with a highly-anticipated performance.
GCN also reported that Festival organizers are also calling upon anyone with a talent, be it a drag queen, a singer, a dancer, or any other talent, to apply to be a part of the 2024 fantastic event. This is a great opportunity for the local community to showcase their support and join in the celebrations. A complete listing of events is available on Drogheda Prideās socials and their website.
Additional reporting from the BBC, PinkNewsUK, The Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse the Belfast Telegraph, and GCN Ireland.