Flawed Premise – There is No Unity of Interest between Blacks and Gays

A cluster of Black Baptist pastors are advancing the claim that the struggle for democracy and justice for black Americans is not identical with the similar quest for gays. He notes that gays could always vote, use public water fountains-accommodations and gays escaped lynching’s and mob violence.

This pronouncement occurred about the same time that a mysterious gay baiting letter from an unknown black minister started appearing in the mailbox with black voters regarding the sinister nature of the Mayor's Human rights amendment. Black Baptist ministers have historically constituted an endorsing class during elections and often money changes hands. Congregants know that there is frequently a marriage between market driven religion and racist- homophobic ideologues. Veteran operatives note that often the same persons that oppose affirmative action also promote the anti-gay agenda.

During my high school years in Southwest Bible Belt Louisiana, I served as junior superintendent of a local Baptist church. There was a great toleration for closet gays, especially among the musician’ class. No one had a dry eye when our musician sang “Lord, you have brought me a mighty long way and If you don’t do anything else for me, you have done enough”. This politeness and civility exists throughout the national black religious community as evidenced by the lack of rancor about closet gays in the pulpit, choir and pew.

The courage to love truth is one of the preconditions of thinking critically and practicing values of dignity and respect for all human beings.

In January of 1979, Tennessee Williams was a victim of assault as a result of a spate of anti-gay violence inspired by an anti-gay newspaper advertisement run by a local Baptist ministers. Yes, Ideas have consequences. In March of 1970, Howard Efland was beaten to death by the Los Angeles Police Department. This is the same police department that tried to beat Rodney King to death.

Much of the black existence in the United States has been about “existential absurdity.” In the land of your birth, constantly confronting an unsafe, unprotected environment- subject to random violence and being hated because of who you are.’ The deadly random violence perpetrated against Emmet Till in 1955 does not show a moral difference with the violence perpetrated against James Byrd in Texas and Matthew Shepherd in Wyoming. Congress was courageous in passing the James Byrd- Matthew Shepherd Hate Crime Act in 1975.Perhaps these members of the clergy did not know that Matthew Shepherd (1998) was a white student that was tortured and murdered because of his sexual orientation. Perhaps there is a significant moral difference in the torture murder death of heterosexual James Byrd, a black man at the hands of white supremacist (1998).

During the 1998 Dr. MLK Stop the Violence Rally and Workshop, the keynote speaker was Ms. Renee Mullins, one of the daughters of James Byrd. She supported the Byrd-Shepherd Hate Crimes Act that was signed into law in 2009 by President Barack Obama.

Recently (2014), it appears that two black girls in Galveston were allegedly murdered by the father of one of the girls for being gay. A few years ago, a 32 year old black man, Mark Carson was called vile names and murdered as he walked down a New York street, because he was gay. Often these gross violations are the result of religious biases preached and taught by heterosexual pastors.

I don’t expect black fundamentalist pastors to be politically savvy but I do expect them to consider the human cost of their pronouncements and to be morally magnanimous. My friend, Cornel says that Any God worthy of worship condemns injustice anywhere.

*Written by Omowale Luthuli-Allen*