Homophobia in the Black church was the theme of a talk by author and journalist Anthony Stanford June 29 at the Carter Woodson Regional Library.
Stanford is a Chicago-based freelance writer and journalist. His previous works include perspectives on politics, race and religion for the Chicago Tribune such as Race as a Burning Issue and On a Day of Rebirth, Grieving a Loss of Faith.
After an introduction from Carter Woodson librarian Robert Graziano, Stanford spoke to a crowd of about 30 people about his book, Homophobia in the Black Church: How Faith, Politics, and Fear Divide the Black Community.
Stanford explained that he was drawn to this topic because he wanted to understand why some in the African-American community, especially some churches, have been and continue to be resistant to and/or hostile towards the LGBT community. The book focuses on exposing megachurch preachers and the emergence of faith-based initiatives during President George Bush's two terms in office.
Bush's faith-based initiatives gave funding to churches and as African-American mega-churches accepted the funding - often for personal and political advancement - their anti-LGBT rhetoric ratcheted up, noted Stanford. As a result of African-American religious leaders homophobic comments, African-American Christian LGBT individuals have denied their sexuality resulting in the breakdown of African-American families and the rise in HIV/AIDS in the African-American community, said Stanford.
"Many of the most dedicated individuals who attend African-American churches are members of the LGBT community and they are often the most mistreated by the people who stand at the pulpit every Sunday," said Stanford.
Stanford also praised the Supreme Court decisions that struck down section three of DOMA and invalidated Prop 8; however, he explained that until the African-American community does away with its homophobic mindset, things won't change.
"In 1970, Huey P. Newton, the co-founder of the most powerful and the most feared African-American group in America, the Black Panthers said, 'We must relate to the homosexual movement because it is a real thing and I know through reading, life experience and observations that homosexuals are not given freedom and liberty by anyone in society. They might be the most oppressed people in our society. We should be careful about using terms that might turn off our [LGBT] friends. Homosexuals are not the enemies of the people,'" said Stanford.
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