Archive for ‘News’ category

Rerun: Rev. Eric Lee Preaches Gospel On Homophobic Black Ministers And Other Jive Black Folk Stuff

Prize fighter for freedom: Reverend Eric Lee, head of the Los Angeles chapter, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Photo courtesy NY Times)

LA’s gay community and equality activist scene dropped the ball BIG TIME with Reverend Eric Lee. Head of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership (SCLC), Rev. Lee was the only black heterosexual community leader and man of the cloth gay or straight—to jump front row and center in the line of fire last year in speaking out for equality before AND after the defeat of No On 8.

As a result of his courageous actions, the man caught hell from the black church community which included retaliatory actions like ministers distancing themselves from him and no longer booking him to speak at their churches.  His own employer SCLC—the civil rights organization founded by Martin Luther King–threatened to fire him for his outspokenness (and we’re still not clear about his status as of yet).


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Openly Gay Mississippi Girl To Get LGBT Friendly Prom From Atheists

The American Humanists Association has announced that they will host and pay for an LGBT-friendly prom for Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Mississippi. The school made headlines earlier this week when they cancelled the senior prom rather then permit openly gay student Constance McMillen to bring a same-gender date. The ACLU has a lawsuit already underway against the school’s district.

In response to the prom’s cancellation AHA members Todd and Diana Stiefel made a $20,000 grant available to the AHA for the purpose of holding a prom in Itawamba County, according to an AHA press release. The AHA will be discussing logistics with the pertinent parties today.
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Finding God For Those Who Are Black Gay, In Dismay, And Livin’ With No Equality In LA

The Rev. Dennis Meredith, center, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, began a change in his preachings against homosexuality eight years ago when his son Micah told him he is gay. (photo courtesy of New York Times)

“The ascendancy to power of many of our African-American religious leaders has been predicated for so long on the devaluation of women and LGBT people. These ministers, who are supported by the Family Research Council and refuse to see the relationship between the black civil rights movement of the ’60s with the LGBT struggle to have the freedom to marry, merely become the overseers of a right-wing Republican plantation that will pad their pockets provided that they promulgate the master’s rhetoric.”

~ Rev. Irene Moore from her essay Unholy Matrimony: The Black Church & the Christian Right (2004)

It’s understandable why so many LGBTs are turned off to religion. No need for us to go down an exhausting laundry list outlining the obvious and well-trodden. And yet…as a community we are in the midst of a crisis movement. That’s really what the quest for equality is when it comes right down to it. It’s a social and cultural crisis.

Click on blue shaded area to hear short audio excerpt of anti-gay sermon by Bishop Alfred Owens of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, Washington DC: 0505owens

Bishop Alfred OWENS

One of the things that troubles us in regards to the LGBT equality movement these days is the absence of a strong God consciousness at the forefront of the journey. And we feel that without it, this battle for full civil rights and recognition as equals is going to be a multi-decades drawn-out and tiresome affair filled with sputters and spots—-a legislative victory here. Another one there—-but nothing  like  the ultimate vision. And that is full equality for LGBTs across the land.
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Jabs From The Right: Prop 8trs Launch Effort To Weed Out Liberal Judges

We have to admire California conservatives. Their tenacity and endless array of game plans and responses to the unthinkable possibility of fairness for one and all can be head spinning.  It isn’t enough that they voted out a minority group’s civil rights–they want to police and run the whole kit and kaboodle.

We’re guessing due to the fallout from the revelation of Prop 8 trial Judge Vaughn Walker’s sexuality, that this news sent Prop 8trs and friends screaming and quoting scriptures back to the blackboard for some serious restrategizing.

The latest assault to common decency? An effort to rehaul the state’s judicial system called Better Courts Now.  The Chula Vista-based grassroots political drive–which is also backed by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM)—is an attempt to flush San Diego County’s court system of liberal judges by placing emphasis on family values and pro life support. If successful in San Diego guaranteed they’ll waste no time taking the show on the road statewide.
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