I've made it to the initial round for favorite progressive blogger in the Air America Cruise Contest. I have to stay in the Top 5 before the second voting round begins, so your vote is appreciated! First voting round:
The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is the largest African American and largest Pentecostal church in the United States.
And as the largest denominational black church in the country it is also the loudest in rebuking homosexuality.
With many of the gospel music industry mega-stars from COGIC, the church's charismatic worship style shouts to a black gay male queer gospel aesthetic every Sunday. And the church is conflicted with itself.
Unfortuantely, these black gay male mega-stars are always forced to go back into the closet denouncing publicly their sexual orientation at the church's annual convocation.
Case in point: Speaking at the COGIC's 102nd Holy Convocation International Youth Department Worship Service on November 7 held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, the poster boy for African American ex-gay ministries, was one of them.
"God did not call you to such perversions. Your only hope is Jesus Christ. Were it not for this Jesus I would be a homosexual today. This God is a deliverer," McClurkin told his audience.
McClurkin attributed his homosexuality to being raped twice as a child, first at age eight at his brother's funeral by his uncle, and then at age thirteen by his cousin, his uncle's son.
Confusing same-gender sexual violence as homosexuality, McClurkin misinterpreted the molestation as the reason for his gay sexual orientation. McClurkin "testi-lies" that his cure was done by a deliverance from God and a restoration of his manhood by becoming the biological father of a child.
I've received a few emails about the latest chapter in the "gays and Obama" saga, as it was learned that Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, a local leader in Houston's black community, Bush supporter, and senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church, will be campaigning in support of Barack Obama.
Caldwell said Saturday that he's endorsing Obama's presidential campaign because of the senator's "character, confidence and courage." He emphasized that his support is personal and not tied to his job as pastor of the large United Methodist church.
Metanoia Ministry We are pleased to announce the creation of “ The Way, The Truth and The Life”, a program created to provide Christ Centered instruction for those seeking freedom from homosexuality, lesbianism, prostitution, sex addiction and other habitual sins
...Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, men and women throughout the ages have attempted to fulfill these deep emotional needs outside a relationship with God. In doing this, sinful patterns of living were developed, preventing the fulfillment of these needs as God intended. If you desire to learn to live life as God designed it, you are invited to join “The Way, The Truth and The Life” program.
The goal of the program is to provide:
1. Christian Coaching.
2. Support groups for ex-gays and those in the process of coming out of homosexuality.
3. Educational workshops.
4. Information for parents, family and friends.
The objective of the program is to assist participants in understanding that change is possible. In doing this, a safe, nurturing and accepting environment will be created whereby participants will be able to deal with issues without fear of judgment or rejection. Participants will be encouraged to exercise their faith in the saving, healing and delivering power of God through Jesus Christ, and to see themselves as God sees them.
OK. What does this look like to you -- A. Another example of the Obama campaign hypocrisy toward the gay community; B. Triangulation with LGBTs to keep and gain socially conservative black votes; C. A necessary evil to reach a large segment of a community that has been allowed to foment homophobia in its ranks; D. Progress -- proof that Obama's public challenge the black community about its homophobia is wrong has not prevented pray-away-the-gay folks like Caldwell from endorsing and campaigning for him. E. All of the above.
Today Barack Obama zeroed in on equal opportunity bigotry -- and why everyone should strive to not only elevate the political discourse, but to be honest about the base instincts, words and deeds that divide, not unite.
He delivered this message at the house of worship where Dr. Martin Luther King preached, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. It was a pointed statement to black parishioners in the pews -- people well-aware of racial politics being played in this political cycle -- but who are also are part of a faith community that has long had a blind spot toward other oppressed groups. He did not hold back:
For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays - on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.
Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media. And last week, it even crept into the campaign for President, with charges and counter-charges that served to obscure the issues instead of illuminating the critical choices we face as a nation.
These words are so necessary, but you can best believe he is the only candidate delivering speeches in honor of Dr. King who is willing to say it directly to members of the black community. This topic has always been a perceived as a third rail topic for the other leading Dem candidates, Clinton or Edwards -- they are, like many whites, particularly if they see themselves as allies, dread being seen as pointing out the evils and hypocrisy of such bigotry in the black faith community, even as wrong and tragic as it is on its face.
I am of two minds of this -- I am grateful that Barack Obama, whose campaign has needed to atone for the triangulation strategy of courting blacks by tossing gays under the bus with the appearance of homophobic "ex-gay" advocate Donnie McClurkin at a gospel concert. He has made public statements distancing himself from this flap and reiterated support for LGBT equality (sans full marriage equality, of course, something none of the top tier have supported).
However, I am disheartened by the burden Obama has been saddled with, as a person of color, to be the sole party delivering today's message. Addressing bigotry in any community that has suffered oppression at the hands of the majority can, and must be done, particularly in a year where we have both a woman and a black man with a credible chance of winning the nomination and making it to the White House.
That we cannot discuss the matter of homophobia or anti-Semitism in the black community bluntly is everyone's problem. This burden and legacy of fomenting bigotry out of fear and ignorance is borne by all of us. If no one takes responsibility, we all fail. And we're failing -- look at how easily gender bias and racial overtones have surfaced over and over in the campaign so far. It's almost reflexive to "go there," the toxicity and effectiveness of stirring those sentiments has been part of the political process by both parties for so long that they are addicted to it.
In fact, I'm sure that the GOP is concerned about the prospect of how far it can go in attacking Obama if he is the nominee, in terms of hitting the third rail too overtly. Similarly, I have no doubt, for instance, if Clinton is the nominee, that while they may wonder how far they can go in dropping the misogyny card. However, the fact that she is a reviled Clinton only adds to her problems in the general election. If anyone can unite the GOP's tattered and frustrated voters, she can.
I have no doubt the baiting will continue, but it doesn't mean that we cannot keep pointing bias out when it raises its ugly head in any community. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Obama:
So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others - all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face - war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.
Because if Dr. King could love his jailor; if he could call on the faithful who once sat where you do to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time, and bind up our wounds, and erase the empathy deficit that exists in our hearts.
***
Clinton, btw, picked up the endorsement of another pastor in the political black-go-to crowd today, Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church.
In endorsing Clinton, Butts read a long statement emphasizing his strong relationship with Clinton and his high regard for her experience. ("I, too, join countless Americans in a collective desire for change, and I do so with a vital recognition that change and experience are not mutually exclusive," Butts said.)
...Earlier, in a speech from the altar, Butts seemed to echo a key Clinton criticism of her opponent, that Obama's talent for inspirational speech was not enough to qualify him for president. ("You don't just say, 'save the hospital,'" Butts said. "You've got to work with senators and assembly persons, Chairs of Ways and Means. You've got to put this thing together in such a way because we live in the United States of America. One brother said that if you don't understand that, then maybe you need to live somewhere else.").
Lane points us to a piece by LGBT ally Rev. Bennie Colclough, pastor of Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church in Kingstree. The South Carolina Pride site lists the many accomplishments of the pastor, a graduate of the Yale University Divinity School who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years in Vietnam, and is a member on the General Board of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Married for 35 years, he and his wife are deeply involved in the social justice movement, and believes that an injustice to one is an injustice to all.
Below is a snippet of his challenge to Barack Obama, who has sought to court black voters in SC, enticing them away from Hillary Clinton by, among other things, inviting "former homosexual" and gospel singer Donnie McClurkin to headline an infamous concert last fall that took many in the community aback (see my posts here). Reverend Colclough is a contributing writer for Faith in America.
The African-American faith community must defend the human dignity of all people as distinguished leaders in our community are calling us to this task.
Consider Coretta Scott King's remarks in a 1998 address in which she said that "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood."
...The African-American faith community must recognize the perpetrators and injustice, and bring about an end to the hurt that has been caused to so many.
Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian. Let me repeat this: Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian.
Sen. Barack Obama has said that he strongly disagrees with the views of people like gospel singer Donnie McKlurkin and others who use religion to attack members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Those of us who are missionaries for justice and equality are hopeful that Senator Barack Obama will be true to his platform for change, and speak out against religious bigotry coming from a select group of African-American evangelical leaders.
His appearance Monday night at a presidential debate in Myrtle Beach would be a good opportunity for him to do just that.
While Senator Obama's candidacy for president of the United States offers hope, let us not forget a facet of society that has had little hope for change the last 20 years. The purpose of our government, first and foremost, is equality under the law, respect for human rights, and protection of all our citizens, whether they are white, black, male, female, disabled, Christian, or gay. We must be about the business of building a beloved community with a foundation of compassion and justice for all.
To some in the gay community, Barack Obama is a savior. Why? Strictly because he's a democrat. The same thing applies to Hillary Clinton.
I personally believe the GLBT community should cease all support of Barack Obama. It has nothing to do with his race, as I'd be perfectly fine with a black president of the USA. In fact, having the first African-American USA president would be an exciting time for this country (which I would love to live to see). But that's not the issue here.
When not long ago, Donnie McClurkin performed at a fundraiser/concert for him, Obama had the full power to stop McClurkin's performance and "ex-gay" sermon onstage. Fuck what his faggoty staffers say - Obama is the presidential candidate - not them, and not McClurkin. He could have easily taken McClurkin out of the program, even at the last minute - but he didn't. He let McClurkin stand onstage and inform people that gays can change to heterosexual, with lots of money, and their sanity.
To me, Barack Obama's message to GLBT persons is "CHANGE IS POSSIBLE!" and "the opposite of YOU is Godliness, as Alan Chambers is Godliness". He is no different than Donnie McClurkin, Alan Chambers, Stephen Bennett, Randy Thomas, Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbera, Michael Johnston, DL Foster, Stacy "Miss Piggy" Harp, the CWFA, the AFA, and all of the other "ex gays" and their supporters.
If you are a gay person sending in money to Barack Obama, or even so much as vocally supporting him, you are supporting the "ex-gays" and their message. A gay dollar for Barack Obama is your paid admission to be alongside Richard Cohen, beating pillows with a tennis racket and cuddling with dorky-looking men in hopes of becoming something you're not. A gay vote for Obama is a vote that you'd prefer to be incinerated because of your own personal business. When you press the "vote" button for Barack Obama, you are unleashing the nazi gas chamber onto every gay person in this country.
Obama could have stopped the Donnie McClurkin performance (and his nazi "ex-gay" message) if he wanted to, but he didn't. He's the presidential candidate in this fiasco, nobody else.
Obama supports the message of Donnie McClurkin, who supports the message of Paul Cameron, who supports the message of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Goebbels.
I know gays are getting desperate to have equal rights in 2008, but you shouldn't have to settle for somebody whose interest is in your own demise under the "democrat" name, as opposed to the "republican" name - who is equally interested in your own demise.
Barack Obama may be black in his appearance, but underneath his so-called "gay-friendly" facade, he's prussian blue. If Obama didn't have your gay dollars to help support his campaign, he'd be yapping those tired Matt Barber lines too.
(Will Obama be forgiven for his big McClurkin bungle? Hmm. - promoted by pam)
Sen. Obama posted this defense of his inclusion of "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin at a campaign stop on The Bilerico Project. I can't cross-post the whole thing, but you can read the rest here. My thoughts are after the jump.
The question of GLBT equality was placed on center stage by the appearance of Donnie McClurkin at one of my campaign events. McClurkin is a talented performer and a beloved figure among many African Americans and Christians around the country. At the same time, he espouses beliefs about homosexuality that I completely reject. The events of the last several weeks are not the occasion that I would have chosen to discuss America’s divisions on gay rights and my own deep commitment to GLBT equality. Now that the issue is before us, however, I do not intend to run away from it. These events have provided an important opportunity for us to confront a difficult fact: There are good, decent, moral people in this country who do not yet embrace their gay brothers and sisters as full members of our shared community.
Deb Price, columnist for The Detroit News, has a piece up today, Obama's mistake raises questions on gay commitment, that does a post-mortem of the unsettling events from the perspective of openly LGBT blacks who watched the mess unfold.
Sad, disappointed and more than a little hurt. That's how many Americans who are both black and gay sound when they talk about Barack Obama.
What's upsetting them is that the Democratic U.S. senator from Illinois, despite stellar gay-rights positions, sat back and allowed a gospel concert for his presidential campaign to essentially spiral into an anti-gay revival.
How? As part of wooing black evangelicals in high-stakes South Carolina, his campaign gave star-billing at an event to Grammy-winning gospel singer and preacher Donnie McClurkin, a self-identified "ex-gay" claiming to have been saved from "perversion."
Afterward, Obama continued trying to distance himself from McClurkin's views. But the reality is that he gave McClurkin a stage, a microphone, an audience and national media attention. And Obama inadvertently ended up reinforcing two myths unfortunately believed by many religious African-Americans -- that gays are white and being gay is sinful.
Rod McCullom, a popular black gay writer and longtime Obama fan, said the fiasco makes him wonder how hard Obama would push for gay equality as president. "He folded like a deck of cards. If he is going to fold on the campaign trail, why would we not think he'd fold in the Oval Office?"
What I told Deb when she interviewed me for this piece is that the events highlighted the schism between the socially conservative religious black community and black LGBTs. It was a raw, craven political choice for Obama, who is otherwise good LGBT issues generally. It's all about the numbers game.
The Obama team feels "it's no biggie for them to toss us under the bus," Spaulding says. "That is what is painful," she adds, noting the incident will drive black gays "deeper into the closet."
And, as a result, allow the spread of HIV in the black community to continue unabated as denial is affirmed. Read the rest.
See video of Obama at the MTV forum, which held just a couple of days after the concert, after the jump.
My friend, Don Charles sent me the following article entitled, "EXCLUSIVE: An Interview with Donnie McClurkin's Ex-Lover."
This is a revealing interview, not merely because of the obvious, but because I truly believe that McClurkin, on the basis of this interviw, thinks that being Gay by "his definition" is a choice. He seems to solely identify one's choosing to be Gay as one's choosing to have sex!
According to this article, McClurkin said, as reported in "...The New York Times in 2002: 'Love is pulling you one way and lust is pulling you another and your relationship with Jesus is tearing you, tearing you,' said Mr. McClurkin, who now counsels adolescent boys that homosexuality is a choice they can overcome."
To him, and to so many other homophobic people, both Straight and Gay, whether or not to have sex is a choice, and so, since they seem to equate being Gay solely with having sex, McClurkin and those who think like him can with a straight (pardon the pun) face say that being Gay is a choice.
And why was a statement like this not passed out at the McClurkin gay-bashing concert on Sunday -- and was absent from Obama's video welcome at the event?
The concert was to be the highlight of this outreach and while the crowd left excited, it was clear the campaign still regarded the controversy as complicated. Aides gave reporters a three-page memo detailing McClurkin's and Obama's views on gay rights that noted in capital letters "MCCLURKIN DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE GAYS AND LESBIANS WHO ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVES AND HAS CRITICIZED CHURCH LEADERS WHO DEMONIZE HOMOSEXUALS," with quotes detailing those statements from the singer.
The next paragraph then stated "OBAMA DOES NOT AGREE WITH MCCLURKIN'S VIEWS ON GAYS."
Why? Because his campaign feels that any support of the LGBT community must remain on the DL with religious black gays in the South. It's all about the numbers game.
With 90 percent in most elections voting for Democrats, African-Americans are one of the most loyal parts of the Democratic base. At the same time, they differ from the rest of the party in terms of church attendance (more) and support for gay rights (less). Exit polling from the 2004 South Carolina Democratic primary, which John Edwards won, showed 72 percent of blacks who voted attend church weekly, compared to 55 percent of all South Carolina Democrats and 37 percent of Democrats nationally who voted in the general election. According to Washington Post-ABC News national surveys this year, 43 percent of white Democrats support gay marriage, compared to 22 percent of blacks. Around half of blacks, 52 percent, don't support civil unions or gay marriage for gay couples, compared to only 26 percent of whites.
And a sad note about demographics of the vigil, which was no surprise to me.
A vigil that was planned to protest outside of the concert included only about 20 people, almost all white, who held signs like "We are Here, We are Queer, we are voting next year," while across the street long lines of African-Americans, who seemed still dressed for church, waited to go into the event that started at 6 p.m.
The fact that black gays and lesbians were not well-represented in the vigil crowd is telling on two points: 1) not enough of them are out of the closet and political enough to confront their community, and 2) the vigil's composition, along with the presence of openly gay pastor Rev. Sidden, reinforced the idea that gay=white.
[UPDATE: check out this coverage of the event. Rev. Sidden, the white gay pastor recruited to go before the crowd, didn't address the issue at hand: "Sidden's appearance was notably brief and anti-climactic: He said a short prayer to the auditorium at the very beginning of the program, when the arena was only about half full, and then he left." McClurkin also dodged comment on the anti-gay statements he's made in the past, or allegations that he's not exactly "ex-gay" any more. Even worse, in a NYT article, Obama gave a video welcome at the concert, where he declared McClurkin one of his favorite singers and said nothing about homophobia in the religious black community. Way to go.]
There were a couple of dozen gay and lesbians carrying rainbow flags in protest of the appearance of recloseted/decloseted, Grammy-winning anti-gay singer Donnie McClurkin on Sunday at a Barack Obama campaign-sponsored gospel concert in Columbia, South Carolina. The show went on and he was welcomed by the crowd with cheers. (AP):
"We're here," Donnie McClurkin told a cheering crowd. "We're here and we're glad we're here."
McClurkin, who has angered gay rights groups by saying homosexuality is a choice, told the crowd the musical acts were there "in the name of unity" and "in the name of change."
...Obama did not attend the event, but in a video played for more than 2,000 at the Township Auditorium he called the evening's acts "inspirational talent" that were among his favorites.
The people in the crowd agreed with their feet, standing and waving and clapping hands to the blaring music, regularly joining in to sing.
A couple of hours ago, I took part in the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement's vigil that was held outside Columbia's Township Auditorium.
...I am pleased with what happened. We had a small but determined group who used dignity and order to get our message out. It is interesting as to the spin that may be put out by the anti-gay industry, as well as the media, about the controversy.
No matter how many times it was emphasized that none of us care about McClurkin's personal decisions regarding his orientation, folks have continued to claim that we are angry at McClurkin's belief that he is "ex-gay" rather than his statements against the lgbt community.
Despite all of the controversy over the last week about this, the problem at its core is that Alvin watched closeted black gay men file into this concert as a black woman hurled anti-gay comments at those participating in the vigil. More after the jump.
Kerry Eleveld of The Advocate has an exclusive interview with Barack Obama on the McClurkin flap -- and gives him a chance to explain how his campaign went off the tracks on this issue. A snippet:
The Advocate: How did this happen? Was Mr. McClurkin vetted?
Senator Obama: Obviously, not vetted to the extent that people were aware of his attitudes with respect to gay and lesbians, LGBT issues -- at least not vetted as well as I would have liked to see.
Having said that, we viewed this simply as an opportunity to have a gospel concert as part of our overall outreach, and since he was singing at a concert along with a number of other artists, as opposed to being a spokesperson for us, probably it didn’t undergo the same kind of vet that someone who was serving as a surrogate for me might have.
... I know you’re in a difficult position here trying to balance these two constituencies -- but by keeping McClurkin on the tour, didn't you essentially choose your Christian constituency over your gay constituency?
No, I profoundly disagree with that. This is not a situation where I have backed off my positions one iota. You’re talking to somebody who talked about gay Americans in his convention speech in 2004, who talked about them in his announcement speech for the president of the United States, who talks about gay Americans almost constantly in his stump speeches. If there’s somebody out there who’s been more consistent in including LGBT Americans in his or her vision of what America should be, then I would be interested in knowing who that person is.
One of the things that always comes up in presidential campaigns is, if you’ve got multiple supporters all over the place, should the candidate then be held responsible for the every single view of every one of his supporters? And obviously that’s not possible. And if I start playing that game, then it will be very difficult for me to do what I think I can do best, which is bring the country together.
Obama goes on to compare this situation to his visit to Rick Warren's Saddleback megachurch where he challenged the evangelicals on abortion, birth control and LGBT issues, noting that he received a standing ovation.
My views on gay issues and on choice issues are well-known. I did not trim my sails in the conversation I had with them. And I think as a consequence of appearances like that, I am helping to encourage understanding that will ultimately strengthen the cause of LGBT rights.
[UPDATE: I just spoke with the pastor directly -- he identified himself -- and stated plainly that he's white; since the question was still open in some minds -- and he didn't state affirmatively in Mike's interview, I decided to put that to rest.]
Rev. Andy Sidden, pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, SC, was the openly gay minister selected by the Barack Obama campaign to deliver a message of tolerance to the likely overwhelmingly black audiences who will attend concerts this weekend featuring recloseted/now-decloseted anti-gay Grammy winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin.
The fact that Sidden is white (I even called the church to see if someone could confirm this; I just got an answering machine) started up a chatter on the blogs, and Mike Signorile wanted to ask him about it on his show yesterday. Here's the segment (use the player below or this link):
"We decided to go with someone local," says our source in the Obama campaign, who expressed concerns around finding a "local" gay pastor in Obama's own United Church of Christ. Bishop Flunder is affiliated with the UCC, but, there was no such concern around Hezekiah Walker and Donnie McClurkin who are in the Pentecostal Church.
Meanwhile, check out this video of Donnie McClurkin singing at the 2004 GOP convention, hailing Bush. It's after the jump.
[UPDATE (10/26, 1:45 PM): I just spoke with the pastor directly -- he identified himself -- and stated plainly that he's white; since the question was still open in some minds -- and he didn't state affirmatively in Mike's interview, I decided to put that to rest.]
It's funny, I couldn't tell from the picture whether Rev. Andy Sidden, pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, SC was white. After all, I have a family full of relatives who aren't any darker than Sidden.
It boggles the mind that the Obama campaign would select a white pastor to deal with a situation that is awash in black homophobia. Politics 101.
Rev. Sidden is supposed to counter the presence of the recloseted/now-decloseted anti-gay Grammy winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin at the "Embrace the Change" concerts in South Carolina, sponsored by the Obama campaign. Sadly, Sidden is now an unfortunate victim in this debate. I'm sure that whatever message he would deliver would be sensitive and entirely appropriate in many ways, but part of the message has to be that you can be black and gay, and black and gay-affirming. Barack Obama is clearly showing he doesn't understand the need of the religious black community to see one of their own deliver that message.
Sidden was on The Mike Signorile Show today. I just spoke to Mike (will have audio later), and he said that Sidden didn't consider himself very politically active, and that he accepted the mission not because he was an Obama supporter, but because he couldn't turn down anyone asking him to pray. One of the reasons for his selection, he said, was because he was a UCC minister -- and because he was openly gay. When Mike asked if Sidden was chosen because of his race, he said no, and did not deny Jasmyne Cannick's description of him as white in her post on the matter.
The last thing a crowd of black folks who have a problem with homosexuality needs is: 1) to be "told" by the Obama campaign that a message about tolerance must be delivered from a white voice of faith, and 2) to have their beliefs confirmed that being gay is "a white man's perversion." Coming from a white pastor under these circumstances, can only be seen as paternalistic and patronizing; the shields of defensiveness will go up, the message will be ignored.
The most stinging message that the Obama campaign has sent is that they apparently didn't see the relevance or necessity of removing the ability of religious blacks to stay in denial, that somehow there is not an intersection of being black and gay. This move renders us invisible yet again, as politically expendable, because it telegraphs that it's too politically volatile to address the division in the community by having them confront one of their own -- black gay and gay-affirming ministers -- when it comes to looking at bigotry.
We have been given the hook, pushed to the side, had the trapdoor to the alligator pit released under our feet.
LGBTs of color haven't been just pushed to the back of the bus in this controversy. We have been kicked off of the bus and told to find our own way home.
Perhaps Obama's people couldn't find an openly gay black pastor in time for the event? I don't know. I guess I will give them a little slack.
No, I can't cut these folks any slack. Did they ask the National Black Justice Coalition for a recommendation for a pastor? I certainly saw a whole lot of them when I attended the organization's National Black Church Summit this year.
Again -- could the Obama campaign not type Google.com in their browsers?
Forget surfing the web -- Obama and his staff were obviously present at the CNN's YouTube Presidential debate. Did they have iPods on when Rev. Reggie Longcrier, pastor of Exodus Missionary Outreach Church in Hickory, N.C. asked this question of John Edwards?
Sen. Edwards has said his opposition to gay marriage has been influenced by his Southern Baptist background. We know religion was once used to justify slavery, segregation and women not being allowed to vote, all of which today are recognized as unconstitutional and socially and morally wrong. So why is it still acceptable to use religion to justify denying gay and lesbian American their full and equal rights.
Certainly I would have had Longcrier on speed dial after that.
Then again, perhaps no gay or gay-affirming black pastors were willing to extract Obama from this mess of his own making. Who knows at this point.
OMG. Looks like a bit of a PR problem... Journalist Clay Cane has an exclusive interview with an alleged former lover of recloseted homosexual anti-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin. Well, perhaps he isn't so "ex-gay", as the man alleges he had a sexual encounter with McClurkin long after he claimed to have prayed away the gay. Clay Cane:
In this revealing interview "Rob" details his relationship, or as he described, "roller coaster ride" with the “We Fall Down” hit maker from 2001 to 2004, which is ironically during the height of McClurkin's anti-gay rants and calls for conversion. How they met, his status in the gospel industry, their sex life, why he stayed and why they ended it. Plus, their last encounter in March 2007.
The full interview can not be made public, some things I had to leave out such as other artists in gospel who are gay, but have not made anti-gay rants and a relationship with an R&B legend who as, “Rob” said, married a “bisexual”, famous pastor. I only wanted to focus on the relationship with McClurkin and no one else. I am presenting a story for people to make up their own minds.
...How long were you guys being sexual? Off and on for three years, 2001 to 2004.
During this time to 2001 to 2004 is really the height of his anti-gay rants. The book came out, he made comments, he told the New York Times in 2002 he’s counseling adolescent boys to convert them from homosexuality. Would you hear about these rants? Every time I’d read an article in Ebony or Jet, or whatever, I’d just hear it—I’d get upset and we’d always have an argument about it. He said, “I told you.” I said, “It’s crazy. What you’re doing is crazy. You’re writing this stuff, but yet you’re still doing it.” I said, “I have a problem with that. What’s wrong with you?” He said, “I have a problem.”
What do you think he meant by “I have a problem”? It’s something he just can’t control. He feels that he has to say that to please people. He said, “I don’t want people to believe that I’m still doing it.”
...Do you think being violently homophobic was the key to his success? There are so many gay people in the gospel music industry. Why did he have to be so— So like he was?
Yeah—so like he is! Even right now… It seems like every time he was attacked in the media, or word was getting around, it just seemed like it made him even madder. He had attacked gays, the lifestyle, when something was written about him—one lady wrote an article, “The Sins of Donnie McClurkin”, I mean, it was scathing. It’s since gone now, I tried to find it today and Keith Boykin, he’s written some things. Every time somebody would do that he would counterattack. The articles, the hearsay would make him just go crazy and he was not fun to be around. One time we met and it was him sitting in a bed Indian style and me sitting in the hotel chair looking at TV. No sex, no nothing…
There is so much more over at Clay's pad, including details about Donnie's "johnson," role playing, and who liked being the bottom. Uh oh.
Last night I posted that Barack Obama's team has selectedRev. Andy Sidden of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, SC to speak at the “Embrace the Change” concerts that feature recloseted anti-gay Grammy winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin this weekend. The openly gay pastor will be interviewed by Mike Signorile on his show today, broadcast on SIRIUS OutQ 109.
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I think discussion of the National Black Justice Coalition's role in this is critical, because some Obama supporters (or, generally, critics of my post over at Salon) have tried to couch any criticism of the candidate as white gays attacking Obama ostensibly to hide their opposition to him based on race, or somehow saying gay discrimination somehow trumps racial discrimination. It's not a zero sum game.
The fact that the NBJC was right on the McClurkin issue -- and in contact with the campaign regarding the addition of Sidden -- highlights the marginalization and invisibility of black LGBTs and how the McClurkin matter affects this subgroup in this story.
I look forward to hearing about how Sidden feels about being openly gay pastor in the South; for instance, what are the challenges he faces, and how open does he feel he can be in Columbia, SC with his partner?
It would also be good to know whether he interacts with other pastors from less progressive churches to effect change regarding homophobia in the religious black community.
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Queerty has Mike Gravel's reaction to the mess ("Gravel On Obama's Gay Gospel Gaffe"), and as usual, Fighting Mike doesn't hold back. A snippet:
Barack Obama's refusal to dump the anti-gay singer from his South Carolina event shouldn't surprise anyone, especially gays. The fundraising phase of the campaign is over; now the candidates are focusing on courting voters. Gay fundraisers lined the pockets of Clinton, Obama and Edwards despite their refusal to support your marriage rights. Now they'll further distance themselves from your cause to get votes in places like SC. When the general election starts, forget it.
This is what happens when the LGBT community doesn't stand up and insist that their candidates express a total commitment to equality. One piece of advice: Be suspicious anytime you hear politicians talk about their 'moral values.' No one collects $100 million without compromising his or her moral values constantly.
[UPDATE: Obama's team has released the name of the gay pastor who will speak at the concerts. It's after the jump, with a bio.]
Talk about an understatement and laugh of the day, via The Politico:
Obama aide Steve Hildebrand, and a prominent gay adviser, Tobias Wolff, conceded that the campaign had failed to "vet" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin for his view that homosexuality is a "curse", one person on the call said. [Hmmm...no one on staff knows how to Google "Donnie McClurkin"?] But they said he would still perform at Obama's concerts, which are aimed at tightening his bond to that state's African-American community.
"They recognized that there was a mistake here," the source said.
The Obama camp had offered up the salve of adding an openly gay minister to be part of the concert series opening, but after presenting that to HRC's Joe Solmonese on a phone call, the Illinois senator came up short -- the press release went out.
“I spoke with Sen. Barack Obama today and expressed to him our community’s disappointment for his decision to continue to remain associated with Rev. McClurkin, an anti-gay preacher who states the need to ‘break the curse of homosexuality.’ There is no gospel in Donnie McClurkin’s message for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. That’s a message that certainly doesn’t belong on any Presidential candidate’s stage.”
“I did thank him for announcing he would be adding an openly gay minister as part of the tour and for his willingness to call on religious leaders to open a dialogue about homophobia. We hope that Sen. Obama will move forward and facilitate face to face meetings with religious leaders, like Rev. McClurkin, and the GLBT community to confront the issue of homophobia.”
“We also call on all of the Presidential campaigns to look within their ranks of supporters and make the same commitment to engage in a dialogue among differing views around issues of equality and fairness for our community.”
Rev. McClurkin, an “ex-gay” gospel singer and minister who has called homosexuality a “curse”, has repeatedly stated his opposition to homosexuality as being against “the intention of God.”
On August 9, Sen. Obama joined the leading Democratic presidential candidates in addressing issues important to the GLBT community at the Logo/HRC Foundation presidential forum in Los Angeles. During his interview with panelists Joe Solmonese, singer/activist Melissa Etheridge, and journalists Margaret Carlson and Jonathan Capehart, Sen. Obama addressed and the issue of homophobia in the black church.
I'd love to know what out black gay pastors they've approached to go in front of the folks attending the “Embrace the Change” concerts this weekend. The Obama camp has not provided any information on that little bit of info.
No surprise, no progress -- black LGBTs don't exist in publications geared to the black community. Even with a controversy of this magnitude that shines a bright light on an issue that desperately needs discussion -- homophobia in the black church -- there's a "blackout." Rod McCullom spells it out:
It should also be no surprise to discover a news blackout (pun intended) across major black news media and strong Obama supporters such as the Chicago Defender, WVON and EUR. Leading black gospel and Christian sites also ignore the story. EURweb's gospel site reported and promoted the concert series but reports nothing on the current controversy. Gospel City, one of the most popular black gospel music portals, reported the concert series and also advertises upcoming concerts by McClurkin and Walker, but, is silent on the current controversy.
The black non-response is to be expected, given the hisoric black church's uneasy relationship with the many black gays who pack the church choirs on Sunday mornings. "I long for the day when blacks gays and lesbians stop supporting their music," Darian Aaron writes in his post on the McClurkin backlash. Aaron is a young black gay activist, blogger, and contributor to Clik, and also grew up in the Pentecosal Church. "And find the courage to walk out of the churches that turn a house of prayer into a house of pain." It's a good that chuches such as Kendal Brown's Church of the Open Door and Kevin E. Taylor's Unity Fellowship Church have welcomed black gay men and lesbians.
It will be interesting to see whether the Obama campaign decides to meet with the National Black Justice Coalition to discuss this debacle, since the organization sent the presidential candidate a letter on Monday asking for a dialogue to be opened. Had Obama's campaign bothered to pick up the phone and dial NBJC, or heaven forbid, any black gay activists or bloggers, they would have known not to set themselves up for this PR nightmare.
Oh wait, that would have required common sense. My mistake.
UPDATE: If you want to listen to my appearance on the Michelangelo Signorile show on Sirius Out Q yesterday, where we discussed the whole dustup, click here or the player below (thank you David Guggenheim!).
Gospel music superstar Donnie McClurkin says he was surprised to wake up Tuesday morning to a media firestorm.
... McClurkin told The Associated Press on Monday that "sexuality, everything is a matter of choice." But on Tuesday he told the Tribune that his ideals, and most importantly his ministry, were severely misconstrued.
"I don't believe that even from a religious point of view that Jesus ever discriminated toward anyone, nor do I," McClurkin said in an exclusive interview with the Tribune. "Most of the things that were said were totally out of context and then other things weren't true."
OK. Did these statements not come out of your Grammy-winning mouth, Donnie?
McClurkin has devoted his life to saving children from the cult-like snares of the homosexual recruiters. "The gloves are off," he told the 700 Club. "And if there's going to be a war, there's going to be a war."
McClurkin explains, "There are certain things like, you know, anybody who has a lying problem; they get to the point where they hate being so, having such a lack of character that they make a change."
The Human Rights Campaign has expressed its strong reservations to Obama over his campaign-sponsored tour that features gospel singer Donnie McClurkin.
...By threatening to weigh in strongly, Human Rights Campaign has elevated what began as a controversy in the blogosphere into a full-fledged dilemma for Obama’s campaign.
Senior Obama aides had planned to hash the issue out Tuesday evening and discuss it in a conference call with gay supporters advising the campaign at noon Wednesday, said sources in contact with the campaign.
Oh so, now they are going to bring out the homos to advise them -- they clearly weren't on the speed dial when the bone-headed decision was made to sidle up to the recloseted anti-gay McClurkin.
The gospel group Mary Mary (Erica and Tina Atkins), also on the bill of the "Embrace the Change! Gospel Series" with Obama's new BFF the recloseted McClurkin, isn't exactly down with the gays, either -- even though they have gay fans. Take a look at this excerpt from an interview with Clay Cane. They have no clue about how their perspective is anti-gay -- we're compared to murderers and prostitutes, for god's sake:
Clay: I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but you have an extremely large gay following -- how do you feel about homosexuality and having a massive gay following?
Erica: We are aware. Ummm... how do I feel about homosexuality? I feel how God feels about it, but I still love them. I don’t agree with the lifestyle, but I love them. They can come to the concert; I’m going to hug them just like I hug everybody else. They have issues and need someone to encourage them like everybody else -- just like the murderer, just like the one full of pride, just like the prostitute -- everybody needs God. What your struggle is may not be what my struggle is, but we all need Him. So, that's what our music is about giving and God, not to condone the lifestyle or to say, Oh it's okay, but not to bash -- but just to give them God. I mean, I’m appreciative of all of our supporters and fans. Hopefully what their hearing in our music is my love for God.
Tina: You know, I think the fact that our music is very upbeat and works well in clubs -- you know, I think that's something that makes more people gravitate to it. Like Erica said, we don’t necessarily agree with the lifestyle, but we don’t pride ourselves on bashing. Everyone has things in their life that they need to correct, everybody has struggles, everybody has things that, maybe I should’ve done it this way, maybe I should’ve made this choice, you know, or whatever. Even though that's the way we feel, we don’t bash, we don’t do that kind of thing and we embrace everybody who enjoys our music. Hopefully our music is impacting them in a way that if they see there's some things in their life that's not quite right and doesn’t align themselves with what the Bible says -- hopefully our music impacts them in a way that makes them want to change it.
There's a lot of "we don't bash" -- sounds like it's to convince themselves that they are not bashing gays. Clay Cane comments:
Firstly, I applaud them for giving an honest answer – regardless of how hateful, hypocritical, foolish and an unwise business decision it might seem – at least they are honest. Secondly, what they probably don’t realize is in a sense they are “bashing” by saying, "Hopefully our music inspires people to change." What many of the straights don’t realize (as I’ve said several times) homophobia in the black church is a massive reason why HIV/AIDS rates have skyrocketed in the black community as the “peanut congregation” sits idly. They feel the way God feels? Murderers? Prostitutes? They are basically minstering conversion -- I can only imagine the young LGBT people who are grappling with sexuality that Mary Mary will damage as they give them a "hate the sin love the sinner" hug.
What I said on the show with Mike was that there isn't much Obama's camp can do to salvage the PR nightmare. The lame equivocating press release that said Obama doesn't agree with McClurkin's views, but that the show must go on, as it were, is political calculation. There will be more black folks at that concert that are fans of McClurkin than would be LGBT votes to be had if Obama gives him (or Mary Mary) the boot. The blowback in the black community -- ostensibly the demo he was trying to shore up with these concerts in South Carolina -- would be harsh, and very public.
The political cost of crapping on the LGBT community, they must have weighed, is small, and less likely to rise to a significant level of controversy in the MSM. And they have been right so far -- it's been fairly contained to the blogosphere and the Obama camp wants it to stay that way.
The National Black Justice Coalition has called for a meeting with Barack Obama. Read the letter from Alexander Robinson after the jump.
One gay activist involved with the Obama campaign said the situation puts the candidate in a bind, since he risks offending evangelicals in South Carolina if he cancels McClurkin's appearance but could alienate gay supporters if the performance proceeds as planned.
"This story is quickly turning into a disaster for Barack," said the supporter who is active on gay and lesbian issues. "He's screwed if he goes through with the trip with Donnie McClurkin….But he's also screwed in South Carolina if he dumps McClurkin. I hope that the staffer who set this up has already been fired."
There wasn't any response one way or another until now, and the Illinois senator and White House hopeful has made it clear what it comes down to when it means placating the homophobic religious black vote versus gay and lesbian voters (including gay people of color, who are the ones on the front line of discrimination in their religious communities).
About 6:40 pm today, the Obama campaign issued a written statement from the candidate saying that he "strongly disagree(s)" with McClurkin's views. Still, a spokesman said McClurkin would remain part of the concert line-up.
"I have clearly stated my belief that gays and lesbians are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country," Obama said in the written statement.
"I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as President of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division," the statement added.
This is a sorry response, a feeble attempt to have it both ways. Overcoming homophobia does not include sharing the stage with a man who compares gays and lesbians to liars.
McClurkin explains, "There are certain things like, you know, anybody who has a lying problem; they get to the point where they hate being so, having such a lack of character that they make a change."
That said, this is a much larger problem than Barack Obama and the decision of his campaign to kowtow to the religious black vote versus his LGBT allies.
Pastor Donnie McClurkin's Gay Church
Case in point: Speaking at the COGIC's 102nd Holy Convocation International Youth Department Worship Service on November 7 held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, the poster boy for African American ex-gay ministries, was one of them.
The African-American faith community must defend the human dignity of all people as distinguished leaders in our community are calling us to this task.
"We're here," Donnie McClurkin told a cheering crowd. "We're here and we're glad we're here."
[UPDATE (10/26, 1:45 PM): I just spoke with the pastor directly -- he identified himself -- and stated plainly that he's white; since the question was still open in some minds -- and he didn't state affirmatively in Mike's interview, I decided to put that to rest.]
