Category Archives: Frederick

Gay minister installed as pastor in Frederick, Md.

Rob Apgar-Taylor, Rob Apgar, Washington Blade, gay news, Grace United Church of Christ, Frederick, Maryland

Rev. Rob Apgar-Taylor and Rob Apgar (Photo by Corey Clarke)

In what is believed to be a first in Western Maryland, an openly gay minister who is married to his male partner was installed on Feb. 17 as pastor of Grace United Church of Christ in Frederick, Md.

Rev. Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor said he believes the LGBT supportive church took its commitment to equality to a “new level” last November when its leaders selected him as the new pastor, becoming the first church in the area to take that step.

“I first came to know the people of Grace Church three years ago after being asked to preach when their interim pastor was on vacation,” Apgar-Taylor said. “I was immediately struck by their graciousness” and “warmth and acceptance,” he said.

He said he was later invited to preside over a same-gender wedding renewal for a gay male couple who attended the church and who were legally married in D.C.

“Without even thinking about any negative implications in the community, the church said yes and I was honored to celebrate that ceremony,” he said.

Apgar-Taylor has been a minister for 24 years. He received his Masters of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C. and his Doctorate of Ministry in Spiritual Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

He and his husband, Rob Apgar, were married in Massachusetts in 2004.

Year in review: Chick-fil-A, Boy Scouts assailed for anti-gay policies

Chick-fil-A, anti-gay donations, gay news, Washington Blade

Chick-Fil-A Appreciation drew supporters and protesters. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Advocates in 2012 criticized a number of national business chains and organizations for their anti-LGBT policies.

Activists organized protests outside Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country after Dan Cathy, president of the Atlanta-based fast food chain, spoke out against same-sex marriage during an interview. A University of Maryland-College Park student launched a petition to remove Chick-fil-A from the campus food court, but some questioned the effectiveness of those efforts.

Vandals targeted Chick-fil-A restaurants in Frederick, Md., and in at least two other locations across the country in the weeks after Cathy’s controversial comments. Local and federal law officials said Floyd Lee Corkins, II, had 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches in his backpack when he allegedly shot Family Research Council security guard Leo Johnson at the anti-gay group’s downtown Washington headquarters in August.

The Boy Scouts of America’s long-standing policy against openly gay scouts and scout leaders came under increased scrutiny in April after the organization ousted Jennifer Tyrrell as leader of her son’s troop in Ohio. The Boy Scouts of America Executive Board in July reaffirmed the policy, but the organization has lost funding from a number of prominent organizations. These include the Merck and UPS Foundations.