<h3><span style=line-height:1.6em>Mardi Gras Celebration at the Dignity/Washington Center Draws an Intrepid and Festive Crowd</span></h3> <p><span style=line-height:1.6em>A snow storm on the night of March 3-4 forced many metro DC groups to cancel their Mardi Gras festivities but not Dignity/Washington&rsquo;s Young Adult Group. . They hosted an evening escape from the winter cold with traditional fare of pancakes drinks and other treats to the delight of all twenty-five attendees. The whole community appreciated the party spirit before the start of Lent.</span></p> <h3><span style=line-height:1.6em>Another Evening Reflection Held On The Centrality of The Eucharist and A Key Decision To Be Made</span></h3> <p><span style=line-height:1.6em>Mary Hunt noted theologian and founder of Women&rsquo;s Alliance for Theology Ethics and Ritual (WATER) was the featured speaker in the most recent Dignity/Washington community conversation held on March 16 to study and reflect upon the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the chapter. Another objective of the event was to discern whether D/Washington will allow Roman Catholic ordained women to preside at its liturgies. Dr. Hunt presented various responses from women of faith to the Washington D.C. pivotal address of Sr. Theresa Kane then president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious before Pope John Paul II in 1979. These responses continue to spark renewal and creative engagement today. The Q &amp; A period sharpened the focus on several key considerations including whether we need a presider to have a Eucharist. and how we foster the emergence of a more horizontal form of leadership in the Church where there is a discipleship of equals that fully includes women. More community nights like this one are planned into the fall of 2014 leading to a final decision by the Dignity/Washington Board. All are asked to include the community in their prayers during this discernment process.</span></p> <h3><span style=line-height:1.6em>After The Celluloid Closet Film Presentation on March 22</span></h3> <p><span style=line-height:1.6em>As part of Dignity/Washington&rsquo;s ongoing speaker series on March 22. longtime member Tom Yates produced and narrated a special film presentation titled After The Celluloid Closet: </span>LGBT<span style=line-height:1.6em> Film Since 1995. Using the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet as a point of departure Tom covered the major highlights in gay film history from 1995 to the present. Held at the Dignity Center it was free open to the public and followed by light refreshments.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>