United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy

[Ping Tung]

17. I'm 80. When I was kid we lived in L.A. There was no lack of bigotry here in the 50's.

Then we moved to Jacksonville Beach, Florida in 1956. We drove through much of the south on the way. We were poor but I n California I had never seen such poverty as I did in the Deep South. And never such blatant bigotry. One incident in particular made me fully aware of how bad it was.. I had to take the bus to the segregated school. The bus stopped at a stop light. There was a very old and frail looking black man waiting for the light. Most of the kids pushed their way to the windows on the side of the bus so they could spit at the old man a laugh at the n*****r. Segregation was being attacked and the nice bespectacled gray haired teacher assured us that "They will NEVER be allowed in our school!" That was soon after we mumbled our mandatory Christian prayer at the beginning of the class.

Even at 12 years old I was shocked and appalled. About 9 years later I participated in my first Civil Rights demo back in L.A.