Black Church Denounced For Staging Anti-Gay March

[Quetzal]

Black Church Denounced For Staging Anti-Gay March

(Atlanta, Georgia) The nation's only national black LGBT civil rights group is condemning plans by a black minister to lead an anti-gay march this weekend in Atlanta.

The National Black Justice Coalition issued a statement today against the pastor the New Birth Church -- the Reverend Eddie Long -- to hold the march on Saturday.

The march is being planned to oppose the right of gays and lesbians to marry.

New Birth is one of the biggest black churches in America.

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Black Church Denounced For Staging Anti-Gay March

[samwisefoxburr]

1. You know, I work with a lot of African-Americans...

...and a lot, if not all, of them seem to be homophobic. Does anyone know why this is? When I hear some of the people I work with make fun of homosexuals or accuse someone of being homosexual, I just want to scream! It is sad and ironic that gays and lesbians are fighting the same fight that blacks were (and still are), yet blacks don't support this fight. I guess it's because many of them are Christians.

[xultar]

5. I think part of it has to do with religion...but there are a lot in the

closet.

Honestly, I must say the line between religious blacks who vote Democrat and the anti-gay fundie Rethugs is pretty effin thin. So I am as much in the dark as you.

Then there's another question, I don't get the whole Log Cabin Rethug thing. To me that is like black folk voting rethug. Whass up with that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. I've no clue, except when I compare it to machismo in latinos.

Men in my latin American country wouldn't wear short pants no matter how hot it got. Only little boys and American males were caught with short pants. The latinos wouldn't do it because they were identified by their, well,maleness and that included their hetereo-sexuality. I don't think I ever met a latin gay man until I came to the states. But, then this was more than 20 years ago. Today they're probably more open.

Perhaps it's the same with the black culture?

[bliss_eternal]

23. Backlash--that's so interesting

I have heard of a problem within the black community here in the US of black men hiding their homosexuality from everyone and pretending to be straight. This goes beyond just being closeted, from what I've read in some articles on the issue.

This apparently has gone to the extent of men marrying women, yet practicing their 'gay behaviours' on the side. From what I've heard of this phenomena many of these men were raised in families where it was not acceptable to be gay--so they put up all the trappings of being straight. They deny their sexuality to the extent of not even using protection during sex--if they used protection that would mean they are admitting they are having gay sex and they can't do that. A man wrote a back about this apparently called "The Down Low."

Sadly this is one of the reasons that AIDS, HIV and some std's were on the rise among African American women.

So I would guess that if so many black men go to such lengths to deny who and what they really are, there must be more homophobia and bias against gays within the black community than I was aware of.

[bliss_eternal]

12. I don't think anyone is in a position

to speak for ALL blacks or African Americans. I don't think that these attitudes are representative of an entire race of people.

As a woman and a person of color I am always surprised when I hear ANYONE of color express homophobic views, because I think anyone that is different in this country needs to be sensitive to the struggles of each other.

I am just saying that I would hope there aren't any sweeping or broad statements made here about blacks or African Americans. This one church is merely that, one church in one community in one state. They don't reflect the views of an entire race of people.

I have however read that Jesse Jackson expressed some less than supportive views regarding this issue. His statements seemed to be based on religion and the Bible. I was disappointed he took this stance to say the least. :(

[samwisefoxburr]

18. I didn't mean in general...

...I meant it seems that many (but not all) African-Americans at my place of work are homophobic. Some are more vocal than others (on both sides of the issue). My friend supports gay rights, yet she was born in Africa, liberal (not just democrat) and is not a Christian. It's just the perception I get from the people I work with, and I certainly never believed all African-Americans were anti-gay.:)

[bliss_eternal]

22. I understand, samwisefoxbur--

I appreciate your explanation. I'm curious, what kind of environment you work in? If you are comfortable sharing here--

What you've said has just made me wonder why so many that you work with have such feelings about the gay community. Doubt I can figure it out, though...

[foreigncorrespondent]

19. Honey...

As a woman and a person of color I am always surprised when I hear ANYONE of color express homophobic views, because I think anyone that is different in this country needs to be sensitive to the struggles of each other.

...I really wish there were more people like you. :)

I am a huge supporter of equality for everyone, right across the board, in all countries, not just my own, and not just your country. I was so thrown back a few weeks ago at work though, when I was accused of racial profiling.

I work in security for a major electronics chain here in Australia, in the loss prevention section. In this one particular store I was working in on this particular day, I usually have a partner rostered on with me. That way, one of us can always be at the door and screen customers, for when the alarms go off, while the other can walk through the store and keep our eye on people we suspect might be stealing. I know when I see a person of colour, whether they are from South Africa, the U.S, the U.K, etc, I tend to try to be a little more considerate, because I realize the discrimination the black community has faced in relation to crime.

What happened on this particular day though was, I was rostered on to be the guard on duty at store open. My partner was rostered on to on duty at 12:00pm. He showed up, and so I went on my first 15 minute break that I was able to have all morning. As always, I would pull people aside who were carrying back packs and ask to look through those bags. I do not discriminate against anyone, like I mean I will check all back packs regardless of who is carrying them. If it is an 80 year old, they will get checked, if it is a teenager they will get checked, if it is an Asian they will get checked, if it is a white person, they will get checked, if it is a black person, then they will also get checked.

Anyway, this one guy was leaving the store and he had a back pack, so I asked if I could look through it, well with that he accused me of racial profiling. I was shocked! I explained to him that I do not do such things. That I do check all back packs which is a policy of the company I am doing security for. And then I went on to explain to him that I know what discrimination feels likes, because I face it every day of my life. And that when I vote in any election I always vote with all minorities in mind. With that he looked at me, and said that queers are not discriminated against, that we have no idea what discrimination feels like. Then he went on and again accused me of racial profiling, so I asked him straight out why he thought that. His reply was, because he witnessed a white woman walk out of the store a short while ago carrying a back pack and she wasn't asked to open her pack. The I realized that I was actually on my break when that happened, and that my parter must have let someone out without checking the pack. The partner was a trainee guard which I was training up at the time.

I tried to explain it to him, but the guy just wouldn't listen to me.

I have been threatened several times while on duty. I have been abused at least once a day while on duty. I am currently sporting a lip injury from a guy who elbowed me in the mouth just a few days ago, but none of that adds up to the hurt this one guy caused me. That was the worst day, I have ever had on the job.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get the point across that many in your community really do believe that us queers really aren't discriminated against. I make the connection to it is very similar to how a freeper thinks. They believe we are not discriminated against because we do have the right to marry etc. What they don't realize is, if we were to marry under the rights they say we have, then it wouldn't be a marriage formed from love.

I truly wish our communities could work together though. I do realize that there are a lot of people in my community who discriminate against people of colour as well, and it truly sickens me. Like you, I just don't understand how someone who faces discrimination can so easily discriminate against another person. But I guess we all need someone on the bottom of the shit heap to beat up on. It would be nice though if we could just realize we are all in the same area on that shit heap. And that is the bottom, where the repukes have placed us, after many years of hate, bigotry, and racism.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. What happened to

judge not that ye shall not be judged? Or dealing with your own shortcomings before criticizing anothers? It would be nice if these people read the words of Jesus!

[xultar]

7. Religious people love to Judge, they are the most judgemental

MoFos on the planet.

They need to understand that they shouldn't vote to pass judgement.

[girl gone mad]

3. Proof that everyone is capable of bigotry..

and intolerance. Religious people seem especially susceptible, or maybe they are just more vocal.

[henslee]

4. Haters. Why aren't they dealing with real issues like black voter

disencranchisement? Or the exploding black prison population? Or the black murder rate. They are shameless.

[BattyDem]

6. This blows my mind because ...

There once was a time when interracial marriage was considered to be contrary to God's will and unnatural. Sound familiar? (Actually, the arguments currently used against gay marriage are virtually identical to the arguments that were used against interracial marriage.)

A Black church should be a bit more compassionate and open-minded about the subject, considering black people were once the victims of the exact same discrimination. What are they saying by holding this march? "We deserve the same rights as everyone else but gay people don't!" :eyes:

When victims of discrimination become the perpetrators, then you know we're truly f*cked!

[bliss_eternal]

15. I agree--I support the gay community

particularly as one that is interracially married. It breaks my heart to hear that other people of color can't find it in their hearts to get behind this.

I was speaking to a woman a few weeks back about this issue. I was surprised to hear her say she was 'pro gay rights as long as their rights don't infringe upon other's rights.' She was African American and I was frankly surprised to hear her say this. I don't get anyone thinking that giving a group of HUMAN beings ANY right is somehow going to take something away from them.

I couldn't really gauge where she was getting this idea from--whether it was church based or based on some information she had heard or something. Frankly I was just so surprised to hear a woman, and a woman of color say something like this, I was kind of taken aback and stunned for a few moments. I always kind of assumed women understood the whole issue of equality and rights, and particularly a woman of color--but I was wrong, apparently.

[Flammable Materials]

8. The white man's religion is fucking with their heads. WAKE UP, DAMMIT.

Remember the Civil Rights Movement?

People used to say that blacks and whites couldn't marry.

Christ, I give up.

[xultar]

9. THIS CHURCH GOT BLACKS TO VOTE FOR BUSH....I GET IT NOW!!!

That's it.

This is the muther fucker that got thousands of black folk to vote against their own self interest for Bush.

There were 3 churches with congregations totalling well into the 60,000....yes 60 THOUSAND They preached to their congregations to vote for Bush especially on the Gay issue.

[bliss_eternal]

17. Horrible

Thanks for sharing this. I had heard about such churches and hoped that it was an unfounded rumour. So sad to hear that it was not.

But you know what? This very congregation's acts WILL bite them in the butt as soon as they see the course of this administration in the next few years. I bet they will be sorry they did this at some point. Unless of course they are completely incapable of seeing reality as it is--then they just may never get it.

It really pisses me off that a minority church would take such a stance, encourage it's congregation to vote for * AND not LOOK critically at * and what it intends to do for the people of that community.

Blatant brainwashing of sheep. :(

[renaissanceguy]

11. Black people also forget that

there are BLACK people who are gay, too. Either they forget, or they just refuse to acknowledge it. If they did embrace black gay people, they would consider it part of their civil rights movement.
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[bliss_eternal]

16. Just the people of this particular church

don't seem to know this. We can't say 'black people' anymore than we can say all Christian people, etc. Not ALL blacks feel this way. Just the losers of this church.

I know of black, Christians that support gays having the right to civil ceremonies or marriage. I know gay minorities that are also Christians. Let's not assume this one church is representative of all blacks or all black Christians. They are not.

:) Bliss

[readmoreoften]

21. There are as many black GLBT folks percentage wise...

as white. I'm white and I've spent a good portion of my life around black butches, black drag queens, and fabulous black femmes.

I mean, do these religious folks get out much in their own communities?

Hey Hollywood, you listening? Let's represent all the queers... not just the white ones that look like brad pitt and jennifer aniston.

[Zenlitened]

13. Hey, maybe they could march in Selma, Alabama next - n/t

[Chipper Chat]

14. A message to the New Birth Church -

Listen up: Go ahead and advocate gays being stripped of all rights and being pushed underground. REJOICE! Then the christian right will push all women out of the workplace and back in the homes where they are allowed to do nothing but cook, sew, and lay under their husbands. REJOICE! Then the Red-Staters will erect walls around all Indian reservations in the US - confining native Americans in squalor forever. REJOICE!
Now - you smug judgemental New Birth Churchers - guess who the white-republican-neocon-religious-righters will come after next? That's right - AFRICAN-AMERICANS!
Back to slavery you go.
And you think it cant happen?

[davidinalameda]

20. just goes to support my belief

that everyone needs someone else to hate

human nature

[renaissanceguy]

24. I wonder who will be next

??