Black Churches' Attitudes Toward Gay Parishioners Discussed at Conference

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Black Churches' Attitudes Toward Gay Parishioners Is Discussed at Conference
By NEELA BANERJEE
Published: January 21, 2006


ATLANTA, Jan. 20 - About 150 African-American ministers and gay activists from around the country gathered here Friday to begin a two-day conference to combat what they assert is widespread prejudice against gay men and lesbians within black churches.

Though most black Christians are liberal on pocketbook issues, they are social conservatives, speakers at the conference said. Yet getting black churches to accept gay men and lesbians has gained particular urgency over the last two years, participants noted.

The high rate of H.I.V. infection among blacks stems in part, they said, from the unwillingness of black ministers to discuss sexuality. They contended that the Republican Party and white evangelical Christians attracted a small but significant number of black votes in the 2004 presidential election by arguing for a nationwide ban on same-sex marriage and appealing to their conservative mores.

"In 2004, the religious right was concerned about re-electing George W. Bush," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at the conference held here at First Iconium Baptist Church. "They couldn't come to black churches to talk about the war, about health care, about poverty. So they did what they always do and reached for the bigotry against gay and lesbian people."

Ministers at the conference and some of their critics at other black churches agreed that getting black churches to embrace openly gay individuals would be a tough fight....


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/21/national/21church.html

[KingFlorez]

1. Good step

I hate for the Republicans to manipulate this issue to trick black church members into voting Republican, because they end up being stomped on economically, like everyone else who votes on social issues. This issue accounts for Shrub's increase in the black vote and that's proof just what tricksters Republicans are.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Lynch a Black man and it is a hate crime

Lynch a gay Black man and is not a hate crime and many of those Black churches won't give a damn!

[lynne]

3. I recently learned first-hand of this prejudice by black churches -

- towards gays when I attended a MLK day unity service held at my church. A minister from a local black church was the guest speaker. His sermon was about declining morals and he specifically spoke out against "homosexuals", which was the term he used.

I was stunned, especially since this was a "unity" service held on MLK day.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Black pastors were among opponents of gay rights ordinance in Indianapolis

Despite their opposition, and that of the usual fundie suspects, the Indianapolis City Council passed the ordinance that banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and identity.

[Laughing Mirror]

4. Thank you Brother Sharpton for staying true to your word, and to us

And thank you National Black Justice Coalition for organizing this and for confronting the black, particularly evangelical churches rife with homophobia.

But who is spreading the anti-homophobe message amongst the white evangelicals? Where are you Tammy Faye?

[VegasWolf]

6. A black gay man, the Republicans worst nightmare. nt

[xchrom]

7. a LIBERAL black gay man, the republican worst nightmare.

[mitchum]

8. Unless that gay black man is Armstrong Williams...

and then he is a very well paid tool

[NuttyFluffers]

10. tsk tsk, incorrect. a black MTF tranny socialist muslim lesbian PhD is.

it slices, it dices, it nukes whole chapters of young republicans with a flick of her hair, its.... The Anti-Republican Avatar! (and she should be our next president... and if not, maybe we can substitute with grace jones)
:loveya: :applause:

9. It is curious how some cultures are more accepting

of gay peoples and others are not. For instance, I have heard that the Filipino community is comfortable with homosexuality, but Chinese community is not. I read in Lame Deer's book on the Dakota Indians, that homosexuals were natural and accepted in their communities in earlier days. I think 99% of homophobia is just mimicking of what the larger community says is acceptable or not.