• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Fun With The Familia! Madonna Lets Loose In Italy To Celebrate Her & Son Rocco’s Birthdays
  • Viola Davis joins ‘Hunger Games’ prequel in ‘cruel,’ ‘fearsome’ role
  • NFL World Reacts To The Carl Nassib Signing News

Catholics Church Threatens D.C. Council Over Marriage Equality Bill

Andy Towle November 12, 2009

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington D.C. has told the D.C. Council that if they are forced to recognize same-sex married couples (as D.C.'s proposed marriage equality law would impel them to do) they will have no other choice but to discontinue all social service programs in D.C. related to adoption, homelessness, health care and other areas.

The WaPo reports: Gibbs "Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city. 'If the city requires this, we can't do it,' Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. 'The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem.'

Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.

The clash escalates the dispute over the same-sex marriage proposal between the council and the archdiocese, which has generally stayed out of city politics."

Catania The marriage bill's main sponsor, council member David Catania, has said he'd rather end the city's relationship with the Church than give in. Catania says that between 2006 and 2008 Catholic Charities received $8.2 million in city contracts.

More: "The archdiocese's statement follows a vote Tuesday by the council's
Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary to reject an amendment
that would have allowed individuals, based on their religious beliefs,
to decline to provide services for same-sex weddings…After the vote, the archdiocese sent out a statement accusing the
council of ignoring the right of religious freedom. Gibbs said
Wednesday that without Alexander's amendment and other proposed
changes, the measure has too narrow an exemption. She said religious
groups that receive city funds would be required to give same-sex
couples medical benefits, open adoptions to same-sex couples and rent a
church hall to a support group for lesbian couples. Peter Rosenstein of the Campaign for All D.C. Families accused the church of trying to 'blackmail the city.' … 'The issue here is they are using public funds, and to allow people
to discriminate with public money is unacceptable,' Rosenstein said."

Topics: News More Posts About: catholic church, gay marriage, News, Washington DC

Related Posts
  • Former Roommate Indicted For Murder Of Florida LGBTQ Activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston, One of the Public Faces In State Fight For Marriage Equality
  • Russia Blocks Facebook, Accusing it of Restricting Access to Russian Media;
  • Survivor Benefits Payments For Same-Sex Partners Are Being Paid Under Biden, But Many Don’t Even Know They Qualify
  • Viola Davis joins ‘Hunger Games’ prequel in ‘cruel,’ ‘fearsome’ role

    Viola Davis joins ‘Hunger Games’ prequel in ‘cruel,’ ‘fearsome’ role

    Published by New York Daily News We’re always hungering for more Viola Davis. The Oscar winner, 57, is joining the “Hunger Games” prequel as the villainous head game-maker Dr. Volumnia Gaul in “The Ballad of Songbirds …Read More »
  • NFL World Reacts To The Carl Nassib Signing News

    NFL World Reacts To The Carl Nassib Signing News

    Published by The Spun By Daniel Bates After spending the first two years of his career in Cleveland, Carl Nassib made his name as a member of the Bucs before signing on with the Las Vegas …Read More »
  • Haunted, self-possessed or just spirited: 2022’s Emmy-nominated songs

    Haunted, self-possessed or just spirited: 2022’s Emmy-nominated songs

    Published by DPA Rachel Brosnahan in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel". The show's season 4 song "Maybe Monica" is among this year's Emmy-nominated songs. -/Amazon Prime/dpa The songs nominated for the 2022 Emmy for original music and lyrics …Read More »
  • Kenya Barris to direct Wizard of Oz remake

    Kenya Barris to direct Wizard of Oz remake

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Kenya Barris is to direct a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake. The ‘Black-ish’ creator has been tapped to write and helm the Warner Bros. reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s book ‘The Wonderful …Read More »
Previous Post: « We Killed Them
Next Post: Britney Spears Declares Allegiance to Satan »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Biden signs $430 billion climate, healthcare and tax bill

    Biden signs $430 billion climate, healthcare and tax bill

  • Judge schedules Thursday hearing on motion to unseal Trump search warrant materials

    Judge schedules Thursday hearing on motion to unseal Trump search warrant materials

  • Dr. Oz Loses $5 Million Of GOP Campaign Funding In Pennsylvania As His Poll Numbers Continue To Plummet

    Dr. Oz Loses $5 Million Of GOP Campaign Funding In Pennsylvania As His Poll Numbers Continue To Plummet

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Ellen Has Not Contacted Ex-Lover Anne Heche Following Fiery Crash Into LA Home

    Ellen Has Not Contacted Ex-Lover Anne Heche Following Fiery Crash Into LA Home

  • Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

    Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

  • New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

    New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

RSS Partner Links

  • OMG, have you heard? J.Lo & Ben Affleck plan to have a 3-day wedding party this weekend
  • OMG, this FB group shares the internet’s most-disgusting vintage recipes
  • OMG, he’s naked: Actor Artur Abe goes full-frontal and rear in the Brazilian short ‘Trato de Levante’
  • Hot Sluts Of The Day!
  • Michelle Branch Filed For Divorce From Patrick Carney
  • Meme Spirited
  • Florence Pugh Confirms That She And Zach Braff Have Broken Up

Most Recent

  • Fun With The Familia! Madonna Lets Loose In Italy To Celebrate Her & Son Rocco’s Birthdays

    Fun With The Familia! Madonna Lets Loose In Italy To Celebrate Her & Son Rocco’s Birthdays

  • Viola Davis joins ‘Hunger Games’ prequel in ‘cruel,’ ‘fearsome’ role

    Viola Davis joins ‘Hunger Games’ prequel in ‘cruel,’ ‘fearsome’ role

  • NFL World Reacts To The Carl Nassib Signing News

    NFL World Reacts To The Carl Nassib Signing News

  • Haunted, self-possessed or just spirited: 2022’s Emmy-nominated songs

    Haunted, self-possessed or just spirited: 2022’s Emmy-nominated songs

  • Kenya Barris to direct Wizard of Oz remake

    Kenya Barris to direct Wizard of Oz remake

  • Analysis-Ben & Jerry’s Unilever fight shows risks of ceding control

    Analysis-Ben & Jerry’s Unilever fight shows risks of ceding control

  • Doja Cat says people who don’t like her buzzcut can ‘go f***” themselves’

    Doja Cat says people who don’t like her buzzcut can ‘go f***” themselves’

  • Anne Heche wanted Miley Cyrus to play her in movie about her life

    Anne Heche wanted Miley Cyrus to play her in movie about her life

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

×