A 1998 Gertrude Stein Democratic Club questionnaire also shows that Williams supported a Domestic Partnership law that would “grant adoptions to lesbians and gays.”
Mayor Williams is known for being the first mayor to host a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Summit, which was held at the Greenleaf Recreation Center on April 30, 2005.
According to the homosexual newspaper Metro Weekly, Mayor Williams told summit attendees that he would “combat any effort by Congress to impose any ‘defense of marriage act’ on the city.” "I will fight that to the very end," he said.
In an interview with CNA, Dr. Joseph Metz, the Knights of Malta’s third highest ranking officer in the U.S., reacted to the news that Williams' admission to the Order was being promoted by underscoring the requirements for being accepted.
Dr. Metz explained that candidates must be nominated by other members of the Order that are “practicing members of the Roman Catholic Church.” Candidates must also “follow the Magisterium and the teachings of the Church,” “be willing and able to devote themselves to the works and ministries of the order” and to “witnessing [to] the Faith.”
Dr. Metz said the Order “relies upon members” to nominate others, and they “have very little problem finding the people we can recommend to keep these promises.”
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When asked about Williams, Dr. Metz said he didn’t know any of the details, but offered to read from the guidelines on the Admission of Candidates to the Order of Malta: “A candidate must support the Catholic Church’s position on the matter of faith and morals, including being pro-life, opposing abortion, opposing euthanasia, and opposing embryonic stem cell research.”
Additionally, Dr. Metz said, the candidate should clearly know what the Order stands for, and when interviewed, the candidate should clearly explain where they stand.
“So I think that’s a response to our position. I think that it speaks for itself to be a member of this religious order,” he said.