Washington's Gay Friendly Churches

Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., is home to one of the most socially liberal congregations in America. Founded in 1814, the church has always favored a message of inclusion instead of eternal damnation. In the 1990s, Foundry became one of the first United Methodist churches to publicly welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, despite opposition from the broader denomination. 

It has been a strong advocate for marriage equality, hosting same-sex weddings even before they were legally recognized. Today, Foundry remains at the forefront of LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Methodist Church, actively working to push for full acceptance at the denominational level. Methodism is rooted in a Puritan worldview so it has many conservative strains. The Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington is something of an outlier.