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Black church summit on gay rights
In 2004 in Ohio, Bush received 16 percent of the African-American vote, compared to 11 percent nationally -- a result many observers attributed to the high profile of that state's anti-gay marriage campaign. Black pastors are inevitably featured prominently at anti-gay rallies and events. Their presence often represents an attempt to blunt any charges of bigotry and to nullify gay activists' attempts to link their struggle to the broader civil rights movement. (One popular video from the 1990s, "Gay Rights, Special Rights," features Trent Lott -- that noted civil rights crusader -- decrying gay rights as a threatening cooptation of Martin Luther King's noble crusade). Many anti-gay marriage rallies are also billed as racial reconciliation events, with black and white pastors joining hands, united by common bonds of prejudice. Thankfully, some liberal African-American religious figures are starting to fight back. "Rev. Sharpton recently announced an initiative to vigorously challenge homophobia in the Black Church," says the National Black Justice Coalition website. "This will be his first participation in a meeting that will deal directly with that initiative...The Summit is a direct response to anti-marriage proponents pandering to the black church for their own agenda. It is imperative that religious leaders realize and recognize the contributions of the LGBT community and the impact marriage discrimination will have on African American children and families."
Black church summit on gay rights | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
Black church summit on gay rights | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
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