Black Church Gays

LGBTQ activists of African descent have pondered what would be the catalyst to rally those African-American Christian ministers to support same-sex marriage and engage the black community in a nationwide discussion. The answer arrived in President Obama.

Black people have a large gay community, many of whom are less and less willing to hide and deny who they are. Their confidence is challenging the black community to embrace and acknowledge what has largely been swept under the rug.

Thoughts and remarks circulate that reinforce the stereotype that the black community is more anti-gay than any other racial or ethnic group, but a local group of black faith and community leaders recently challenged that assumption.

The civil rights issue of our time is gay marriage, and the key players in our country's most significant civil rights movement are on the wrong side of it. The black church has taken on a new role: oppressor.