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Pride Fest interfaith service stresses speaking out, spreading love

Pride Fest interfaith service stresses speaking out, spreading love

Chicago Tribune2 days ago

Allison Andersen walked up to the stage, decorated in rainbow streamers, a rainbow balloon arch with the word pride spelled out in tall, white letters, and bowed her head in prayer.
Andersen, of Valparaiso, took a handful of beads and placed them into the clear vase nearby as she prayed that God 'worked a miracle in this place today,' she said.
'We're here to love everybody,' Andersen said when she returned to her lawn chair. 'I'm here to celebrate the light and love of Jesus with a group of people that have been marginalized.'
Northwest Indiana Pride Festival began its second day Sunday with an interfaith service, which began with people taking beads and pouring them into a vase while saying a prayer or giving an intention.
About 50 people, sitting either on lawn chairs, benches or blankets, spread out across the lawn in front of the stage at Riverview Park in Lake Station to participate in the service, which included faith leaders speaking to the crowd and hymns between each speaker.
Rev. Timothy Leitzke, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, shared with the crowd the impact of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith's recent social media post, where he called Pride Month a 'rainbow beast' and threatened that it's coming for children.
Leitzke said that government officials are 'the beast' for the laws and regulations they pass that marginalize the LGBTQ+ community.
'That's what the bad guy does. Thank you for the exercise in irony, Lt. Governor,' Leitzke said.
Rev. Leah Peksenak, with Marquette Park United Methodist Church and Hobart First United Methodist Church, told the crowd that she doesn't believe in reconciliation without reparations, and that the church shouldn't be forgiven for its treatment of LGBTQ+ people until it repents.
Peksenak then listed all the things she's sorry for: the qualifiers and conditions placed on LGBTQ+ persons' worth, that so many churches won't celebrate or bless same-sex weddings and the teaching of children to be fearful of the LGBTQ+ community.
Further, Peksenak apologized for the church perpetuating the lie that LGBTQ+ people are predators 'when we are the ones with the most skeletons in our closet on that front by far.' Peksenak said she's sorry that some people of faith have taken 'five questionably translated verses out of context and rammed them down your throats.'
Peksenak apologized for the church calling LGBTQ+ love a sin, for every conversion therapy session, for every pray the gay away camp. Peksenak said she was sorry for every parent who disowned a child for being LGBTQ+ because of the church's teachings.
Peksenak said she was sorry for 'every single soul that is no longer with us,' where her voice cracked and she paused before continuing 'because we made them feel like being dead was the less painful option.'
'I'm sorry that we ever made you think that there was something wrong with you. I'm sorry that we did all of this in the name of God who made you exactly who you are,' Peksenak said. 'I'm sorry if anyone ever made you feel like God doesn't love you.'
The LGBTQ+ community has access to God with or without the church, Peksenak said.
'Inside the church, outside the church, in a faith community or otherwise, do not ever let your voice be silenced by somebody else's hate,' Peksenak said. 'You are too precious. Your perspectives are too irreplaceable. Your faith in yourselves and in the power of goodness and joy is too strong for that.'
Rabbi Diane Tracht of Temple Israel in Miller Beach shared a blessing that addresses how people are created in God's image.
People don't understand the joys of the LGBTQ+ community, which turns them to hate the community, she said. But, that hate causes fear in the LGBTQ+ community, she said.
Peksenak, who is also the president of Norwest Indiana Pride Fest Inc., said ahead of the service that this year's pride festival was the organization's second annual festival. In its second year, the festival has grown in number of attendees, vendors, performers and park space.
This year's two-day festival raised more money on its first day than it raised in both days last year, Peksenak said. This year's festival funds would be donated to Indiana Youth Group, she said.
The current political threat to the LGBTQ+ community has left many with a deep sense of fear and anxiety, Peksenak said. But, it has also 'lit a fire under us' to push back, she said.
'We're going to be doing as much as we can, as loudly as we can for as long as we can, and if they say we can't, we'll do it anyway,' Peksenak said.
Maggie Mooers, from Gary, said she came to the festival because she wanted to show her allyship to the LGBTQ+ community, especially at an event in Indiana given its conservative political stance.
'I think it's cool that they're doing this, especially with the service, because it's inclusive,' Mooers said.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia charged with migrant smuggling after return from El Salvador
Kilmar Abrego Garcia charged with migrant smuggling after return from El Salvador

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Kilmar Abrego Garcia charged with migrant smuggling after return from El Salvador

Kilmar Abrego Garcia charged with migrant smuggling after return from El Salvador On Saturday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to the U.S. He now faces human trafficking charges. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy discusses some of the concerns from LGBTQ+ advocates this Pride Month over Trump administration actions. The Supreme Court blocks the disclosure of DOGE operations. Plus, the court lets DOGE access Social Security data. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers talks about new Trump executive orders centered on flying cars and high speed air travel. Nonalcoholic beer is on track to become the world's second-largest beer category. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Saturday, June 7th, 2025. This is The Excerpt. Today the latest on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return to the country and the charges he faces. Plus, how advocates call out the Trump administration over some of its moves ahead of Pride Month, and new executive orders have to do with the future of flying cars. ♦ Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to the US. The man mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador by the Trump administration will now face criminal charges of transporting illegal immigrants within the US. Pam Bondi: The grand jury found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring. Taylor Wilson: That's Attorney General Pam Bondi. 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I spoke with USA TODAY White House correspondent Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy for more. Swapna, always a pleasure having you stop by. How are you today? Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy: Very good. Thank you, Taylor, for having me. Taylor Wilson: This is Pride Month, but the Education Department has billed it Title IX Month. Why are advocates upset about this? Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy: So on his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to recognize only two genders: male and female. So earlier this month, the education department announced that it was recognizing June as a Title IX month to mark the 53rd anniversary of it becoming a law. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational setting that receives federal funding. 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Two-thirds support policies prioritizing birth sex over gender identity: Gallup
Two-thirds support policies prioritizing birth sex over gender identity: Gallup

The Hill

time3 hours ago

  • The Hill

Two-thirds support policies prioritizing birth sex over gender identity: Gallup

Roughly two-thirds of Americans support policies preventing transgender people from participating on sports teams that match their gender identity or changing their sex designation on government documents such as passports and driver's licenses, according to a poll released Tuesday by Gallup. Support for each such prevention policy varied by political affiliation but was led overwhelmingly by Republicans, according to the poll, based on responses to Gallup's May 1-18 Values and Beliefs survey. It was the third year respondents were asked about transgender people in sports and the first year they were asked about identity documents. Forty-one percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents said they believe trans athletes should only be permitted to play sports consistent with their sex at birth, according to the poll, and 38 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents said transgender people shouldn't be allowed to change their sex on official documents. Fourteen percent of Democrats said they were unsure where they stood on either issue. Roughly 90 percent of Republicans surveyed said they support both policies. The survey, released during Pride Month, reflects shifting public opinion on two of President Trump's policy priorities relating to transgender Americans. On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order declaring that the federal government recognizes only two sexes, male and female, and that those sexes 'are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.' The order directs the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Office of Personnel Management to require government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas and Global Entry cards, to reflect an individual's sex over their gender identity. The State Department previously allowed U.S. passport holders to self-select sex designations, including an 'unspecified' gender marker denoted by the letter X. In April, a federal judge blocked the administration from enforcing the new policy against six trans and nonbinary Americans while they challenged it in court. In another executive order signed in February, Trump proclaimed the U.S. opposes 'male competitive participation in women's sports' as a matter 'of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.' The order, titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' states that it is government policy to rescind federal funds from schools 'that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' The administration has aggressively pursued the issue, which is one of Trump's top campaign promises. The Education Department since January has opened more than two dozen investigations into states, school districts and athletic associations that it says are violating federal sex discrimination laws by allowing trans athletes to participate in girls' and women's athletic events. The Department of Justice announced a civil lawsuit against Maine's Department of Education in April after the state repeatedly defied the Trump administration's orders to bar transgender student-athletes from girls' sports. On Monday, California officials sued the Trump administration 'in anticipation of imminent legal retaliation' against the state's school systems after a transgender 16-year-old was allowed to compete in California's girls' high school track-and-field finals against Trump's demands. Support for transgender athletes has fallen in recent years. When Gallup first asked participants whether trans people should be allowed to compete in line with their gender identity for the first time in 2021, support was 10 percentage points higher than it was in Tuesday's survey. Much of that change has been driven by Democrats and independents, according to Gallup. Support among Democrats sank from 55 percent in 2021 to 45 percent in 2025 and from 33 percent to 23 percent among independents. Americans' views on whether it is 'morally acceptable' for a person to change their gender has also declined since 2021, when Gallup first posed the question, slipping 6 percentage points to 40 percent, according to Tuesday's survey. Split by political affiliation, Republicans' opinion on the topic has changed the most, falling 13 points over four years to 9 percent. At 64 percent, Americans are more likely to view 'gay or lesbian relations' as morally acceptable, according to Gallup. In a May 29 survey released by the group, support for same-sex marriage among Republicans fell to a near-30-year low. Participants in Tuesday's survey were asked for the first time about the causes of being transgender. Gallup has asked about the causes of being gay or lesbian since 1977. Roughly 50 percent of Americans said external factors like environment and upbringing had a greater influence on gender identity than biological factors, which 30 percent said were behind a person's being transgender. Seven percent said both could be plausible factors, 4 percent said neither had a significant influence, and 9 percent had no opinion. Forty-five percent of respondents said gay or lesbian people are born, and 38 percent said external influences determine sexual orientation. Most Democrats, at 57 percent, think a person is born transgender, while 76 percent of Republicans think being transgender is the result of a person's upbringing or environment. Seventy-four percent of Democrats said they believe people are also born gay or lesbian, while 62 percent of Republicans said external factors are more likely to influence a person's sexual orientation.

Hegseth Orders Navy To Remove Harvey Milk's Name From Ship
Hegseth Orders Navy To Remove Harvey Milk's Name From Ship

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Hegseth Orders Navy To Remove Harvey Milk's Name From Ship

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of gay rights activist Harvey Milk's name from a U.S. Navy oiler ship. A defense official told that the timing of the order from Hegseth, announced during what many in the LGBTQ community consider Pride Month (June), was intentional. According to a memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the ship will be renamed to better align with 'President and SECDEF objectives and SECNV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture,' evidently referring to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan. The rules for naming U.S. Navy vessels vary according to the type of ship, but there are occasional exceptions to the rules. The final decision on naming a U.S. Navy ship rests with the Secretary of the Navy, Business Insider reported. However, the order to rename the ship came from Hegseth, according to John Lewis-class oilers, including the USNS Harvey Milk, are intended to be named after civil rights leaders. The first oiler ship of this class was named after civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis. It was christened on July 17, 2021, one year to the day after the congressman's death. The second in this class of replenishment oilers, the USNS Harvey Milk, was christened nearly four months later, on November 6, 2021. Harvey Milk served in the Navy for four years during the Korean War before being forced to resign in 1955, in an era in which gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members were banned. He chose to accept an 'other than honorable discharge' as an alternative to being court-martialed because of his homosexuality, The Washington Post reported in 2019. Milk later became the first openly gay candidate elected to public office in California, establishing himself in the 1970s as a prominent local figure in the early fight for gay civil rights. He was assassinated at City Hall while serving as a member of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in November of 1978, after serving only 11 months on the Board. By the time the Navy christened the USNS Harvey Milk in 2021, military officials under the Biden administration had taken a decidedly different stance on gays serving in the armed forces. The then-Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, said that it was important for him to attend the christening, 'not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well too, and to tell them that we're committed to them in the future.' 'For far too long, sailors like Lt. Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced out of our beloved Navy,' Del Toro said. 'That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.' Del Toro also noted, 'Ship names are important because they express what we value as a Navy and as a nation and communicate those values around the globe in every port of call.' The recent order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk appears to be an expression of the values of the Trump administration. The decision was made to reflect the President's 'priorities, our nation's history and the warrior ethos,' according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. His comment echoes that of Hegseth, who remarked in April that the administration's objectives from day one has focused on 'restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence. … We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind. And refocusing on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness.' Names are important in the Trump administration, as the President has set about renaming other long-standing institutions to his liking: Denali has once again become Mt. McKinley, Fort Liberty is now Fort Bragg again, and the Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America, according to a Presidential proclamation. U.S. Naval ships honoring other prominent leaders are also under consideration for renaming, according to CBS News. Ships on the Navy's recommended renaming list include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Delores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez, and USNS Medgar Evers. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told CBS News that the reported decision to rename these ships is 'a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.' 'Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the 'warrior' ethos. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country,' she added. The Navy has not yet announced a new name for the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk.

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