Ministers rally against D.C. same-sex marriage bill

[ccharles000]

Scores of people cheered and waved signs as ministers and religious activists delivered speeches Sunday during a Freedom Plaza rally against same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia.

Chanting “let the people vote,” Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of a church in Beltsville, Md., and Rev. Walter Fauntroy, Washington’s former congressional delegate, were among a series of speakers to call on the D.C. City Council to allow a voter initiative that seeks to ban same-sex marriage in the city.

Jackson, who is leading the fight against a same-sex marriage bill introduced by gay Council member David Catania, announced at the rally that he would begin Monday a 21-day fast to help build support for a ballot initiative on marriage.

“It’s about the next generation. It’s about marriage and the family,” he said. “This is definitely not a civil rights issue.”

There was no official attendance estimate for the rally, but the Washington Post reported that about 150 people attended.

The rally took place one day before more than 100 witnesses were expected to testify for and against Catania’s marriage bill during a City Council hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Monday. About 270 people have signed up to testify on the bill, and Council member Phil Mendelson, who chairs the committee that will hold the hearing, has set a second session for the hearing Nov. 2.

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27779

[FLAprogressive]

1. I'm sure the people who defend homophobia within the black church and the african american community

in general will be here in due time .

[MadMaddie]

2. No defense here! It's a pathetic display of ignorance!

[epiphany]

6. I know it exists but I really don't understand it. How can people who were so horribly

discriminated against for so long (and still are, in places) pass along that kind of hatefulness to others who are no threat to them?

[FLAprogressive]

10. Religion.

[FreeState]

12. I think there is more too it than that

I think a lot of the bigotry, and this is true outside of the black community as well, stems from an over emphasis on strict social norms of masculinity and power. This is something that is a problem in every community - no matter what color their skin is.

[kwassa]

13. The black mayor of DC and most of the black members of the city council support marriage equality

(I think that Marion Barry is the only exception)

and those who attack blacks as homophobic have already participated in this thread.

[FLAprogressive]

14. A lot of African American religious leaders are VERY homophobic and also VERY influential. And, yes

that's a big problem. And some people want to ignore it.

[struggle4progress]

17. How many of them actually sat in the seats of Congress to vote for DOMA?

[kwassa]

18. Proof? What is a lot? Do you have percentages?

Black churches are not monoliths. There is not one black church point of view. Yes, there is certainly homophobia in the black community, and there is a lot in the white community as well.

I would point out that while I and most here support same-sex marriage, the majority of Americans of all backgrounds do not, though support has been increasing. Read the stats here:

http://people-press.org/report/553/same-sex-marriage

If ratification of same-sex marriage had to depend on the popular vote alone, it probably, right now, would not pass any election.

[FreeState]

19. Here's some proof that your correct :)

http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr_1_06_09


"In other words, people of all races and ethnicities who worship at least once a week overwhelmingly supported Proposition 8, with support among white, Asian and Latino frequent churchgoers actually being greater than among African Americans.

[struggle4progress]

16. Racial analyses won't be productive, because "race" is a superstition, that was

deliberately promoted for a while in this country in order to create an economic underclass that could be identified visually and then exploited

Most large communities contain people with all sorts of views

[Zenlitened]

3. A 21-day fast? Bishop Harry and all his flock should REALLY take a stand.

Make it a 42-day fast. Better yet, 84 days! That'll show them Gays!!!

:crazy:

Seriously, the world would be a better place if Bishop Harry just went home tonight and killed himself.

I mean that.

[Zenlitened]

4. Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP:

......During a rally at the Capitol, keynote speaker Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, firmly linked the gay rights struggle to the Civil Rights movement, saying gays and lesbians should be free from discrimination.

''Black people of all people should not oppose equality, and that is what marriage is all about,'' he said. ''We have a lot of real and serious problems in this country, and same-sex marriage is not one of them. Good things don't come to those who wait, but they come to those who agitate.''

Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/11/us/AP-US-Gay-Rights-March.html?_r=1&hp

[Nikki Stone1]

7. +1

:thumbsup:

[Zenlitened]

5. Religion. It's the problem.

[Jkid]

8. As an African-American

DC has bigger problems to worry about than gay marriage. Legalize it so they can deal with much bigger problems: like their own dysfunctional school system.

[FreeState]

9. Scores of people = about 150

Who knew....

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scores

7. scores Large numbers: Scores of people attended the rally.

[kwassa]

11. Don't worry, be happy, these people have no real power.

While very vocal, they can't muster the public support.

The support on the City Council is strong, and Mayor Fenty supports it, so it will happen.

[Unvanguard]

15. They will fail miserably. There won't be a referendum, and if there were, we would win.

I love DC.