Media frenzy and a flood of criticism over past comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently retired from leading Chicago's 8,000-member Trinity United Church of Christ ( UCC ) , have caused some unease among Americans, including members of the LGBT community. Some activists have second-guessed Obama out of fear that the man he labeled as his “spiritual mentor” might be anti-gay after seeing the short clips. Since media outlets started showing video clips of racially charged past sermons, Wright has received a high amount of criticism. Even Obama has tried to distance himself from Wright.
However, there are many who vocally support Wright, saying he has been nothing but supportive of the LGBT community over the years. His supporters say three-minute clips taken out of context and shown by the media mar a lifetime of sermons filled with inclusive messages. Others say the uproar over the clips also show a misunderstanding of Black theology and the Black church.
“I have only the highest regard for Trinity and Rev. Wright,” Equality Illinois Political Director Rick Garcia e-mailed to Windy City Times. “It is so sad that a man of faith, a man of justice, a man of fairness is being vilified and that his church is being portrayed as controversial, racist, separatist and marginal. Nothing is farther from the truth.”
Over the years, Wright has included LGBT-inclusive sermons, and has also been very welcoming to HIV-positive individuals. Trinity had one of Chicago's first church-run HIV/AIDS ministries. Toward the end of 2007, Wright voiced his opposition and disgust of anti-gay violence in a sermon following news of the murder of Trinity's openly gay choir director Donald Young, according to congregation members.
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Former congregation member and current minister Sherri Jackson said that although she has “outgrown” Trinity, she had several positive experiences while there.
“I'm grateful for that part of the journey, and to have been under Wright's leadership, and his spiritual guidance, his scholarly teaching of liberation theology and Black theology—that's what I was in search for,” Jackson, an out lesbian, said.
She appreciated the church's work in HIV/AIDS ministry, same-gender-loving ministry and on domestic violence issues, noting that many churches avoid addressing those issues from the pulpit.
more here:
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=17869
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