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Black Clergy Rally to Dispel Comparisons Between Civil Rights, Gay Marriage
By Mark Niesse Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 22, 2004
ATLANTA (AP) - From the cradle of the civil rights movement, several dozen black pastors are voicing their opposition to the gay marriage movement and rhetoric that equates it with the struggle for racial equality.
The pastors rallied late Monday at an Atlanta-area church where they signed a declaration outlining their beliefs on marriage and religion. They are pressing for a state constitutional ban on gay marriages, which will be considered again by the Georgia House as soon as this week.
Many black clergy say they are offended by the gay rights movement's claim that their struggle is the same as the effort for equal racial rights.
The declaration, which was signed by 30 pastors, was to be presented to legislative leaders later in the week. It said same-sex marriage is not a civil right, and marriage between a man and a woman is necessary for the upbringing of children.
"This is neither a hate nor a fear issue," the statement said. "People are free in our nation to pursue relationships as they choose. To redefine marriage, however, to suit the preference of those choosing alternative lifestyles is wrong."
Bishop William Shields of Hopewell Baptist Church told the crowd of about 250 that gay marriage is "a threat to who we are and what we stand for."
"I'm not here tonight to discriminate against anyone. I'm here to stand on the word of God," Shields said.
Bishop Donn Thomas of Messiah's World Outreach Ministries said the civil rights movement "was a positive freedom for African-Americans to experience our capabilities as men and women created in the image of God."
"The homosexual lobby is seeking a negative freedom rooted in the sexual revolution, and it's a negative freedom from the restraint of morality," Thomas said.
The rally is important because the black pastors are taking a stand on such a difficult issue, said Randy Hicks, president of the Georgia Family Council, which helped organize the event.
"They're making an appropriate statement about what marriage is and what it is not," Hicks said. "These men and women can certainly be characterized as compassionate and caring, and they are concerned about things like discrimination."
More than 600 people rallied last month outside the Georgia Capitol, saying a constitutional amendment would violate their civil rights. They held signs reading "Marriage is a civil right not a religious rite" and "We say no to marriage segregation."
"How do they figure that it's not a civil rights issue?" said the Rev. Paul Turner, a gay pastor from Atlanta who helped organize last month's rally.
"This is just a way for those conservative leadership in the black community to say, 'Look, this isn't a matter of civil rights because we're black and we didn't have a choice in being black.' And they think gays do, and that's not true," Turner said.
Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Georgia, but supporters of the ban say the constitution needs to be changed to make sure a judge does not direct Georgia to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.
Elsewhere Monday, Benton County, Ore., postponed issuing all marriage licenses - not just to same-sex couples - until a court decision is made on whether gay marriages in Oregon are legal. The county was set to become the second in the state to allow gay marriage before the decision.
In New York, two Unitarian Universalist ministers facing criminal counts for officiating at same-sex weddings pleaded innocent. Kay Greenleaf and Dawn Sangrey were charged after marrying 13 gay couples during a public ceremony in New Paltz, about 80 miles outside New York City.
Each misdemeanor count of solemnizing a marriage without a license carryies a fine of $25 to $500 or up to a year in jail, although the district attorney has said he does not expect to seek jail time.
Meanwhile, in St. Paul, Minn., supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage gathered by the thousands in one of the largest Capitol rallies in memory.
The crowd, waving hundreds of signs, filled the Capitol steps, the parking lot, the steps below that and spilled onto the lawn. The House is expected to pass the bill Wednesday, with a Senate committee planning to take up the measure later in the week.
He will tell you that it is not a genetic thing, rather a spiritual thing.
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