Church denies direct role, butleaked email details efforts
By CHRIS JOHNSONcjohnson@washblade.com
Members of the Mormon Church in Marylandare working to overturn the state’s recentlypassed marriage equality law, according to anemail obtained by the Washington Blade.In the message dated March 29 sent toD.C. and Southern Maryland-area churchmembers, the writer states that a coalition of inter-denominational Maryland churches has joined to place a referendum before voters inNovember on the marriage law before it goesinto effect.“We need to collect approximately 200,000signatures by the end of May,” the emailstates. “We are looking for people to gathersignatures within the LDS community.”LDS refers to the church’s formal name, theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Those involved with the effort have told theBlade the message isn’t an official messagefrom church leadership either at the local levelor from its headquarters in Salt Lake City, but israther part of a local ad hoc effort to challengeMaryland’s marriage law.The email says the “important effort” isbeing led by Martha Schaerr, an LDS memberwho’s organizing signature collection withinMontgomery County and within the church.Another named organizer in the emailis Teressa Wallace.An informed source said the email was sentto the entire congregation in D.C. and Southern
OUR COMMUNITY, OUR STORIES SINCE 1969
But challenger trails Orange in closerace, awaits absentee vote count
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.lchibbaro@washblade.com
Challenger Sekou Biddle beat incumbent D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange in 12 of 14 voter precincts considered
Orange by 523 votes in a hotly contested at-large Council raceconsidered too close to call on Wednesday.Orange was leading with 39.8 percent of the votecompared to Biddle’s 38.8 percent in a Democratic primaryelection in which only 15.5 percent of registered Democratsturned out to vote.
community called the two “spoilers” for taking away votesthat likely would have gone to Biddle and enabled him towin the race.Officials with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics saidthe final outcome of the race was not expected to be knownuntil more than 3,000 absentee and provisional ballots arecounted on April 13.
by calling for the city’s same-sex marriage law to go beforevoters in a referendum.
activists, with Orange and Shapiro also lining up support in
at-large race because club members were divided in theirsupport between Biddle, Orange and Shapiro and none of the candidates could obtain a required 60 percent of thevote from the club’s membership to secure an endorsement.Another four Council members running in the primary,including two who voted against the same-sex marriage lawin 2009, easily won their races, enabling them to advance to
MITT ROMNEY
marriage as between a man and woman, a position backed by the MormonChurch, of which he is a member.
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA.ORG
Mormons working to overturnMaryland marriage law
Leadingthe Way
Foundry advocates formarriage equality, plusEaster services and MCC newsin our Spirituality special section.
PAGES 27-30
Sykes isPsyched
Lesbian comedian WandaSykes to perform as
after $29 million renovation.
PAGE 33
Biddle wins ‘gay’ precincts
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April 19, 2012
Be the Care
co
chairs
s
ardiner
apham
r
esley
ombs cordially invite you to attend acocktail reception and awards presentation to bene
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hitman
alker
ealth
Thursday, April 19, 2012 |
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Business Attire
The Carnegie Institution for Science
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lease join emcee
Gwen Ifill,
managing editor of
ashington
eek
and senior correspondent for the
ews
our
as we honor
nited
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ecretary of
ealth and
uman
ervices
Kathleen Sebelius
for advancements in health care
Be the Care
and help
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For more information, please call 202.797.3510 or visit www.whitman-walker.org/bethecare
Presented by
Gwen Ifill
Managing editor of “Washington Week” and senior correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour”
Kathleen Sebelius
United States Secretary of Health and HumanServices
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