PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD  |  WHERE TO FIND THE BLADE    |   WASHBLADE ON MYSPACE    |   RSS SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2008 
  Please login or create a new account  ?
HOME
CLASSIFIEDS
AUTO GUIDE

THE LATEST
BLADEWIRE
BLADEBLOG
BLOGWATCH
 ELECTION '08
NEWS
 LOCAL
 NATIONAL
 BUSINESS
 POLICELOG
 VIEWPOINT
 ENTERTAINMENT
 CALENDARS
 ECLIPSE
 OUT IN DC
 2008 PRIDE GUIDE
 FITNESS BY GENRE
 BITCH SESSION











EMAIL UPDATES
New to email
updates? Then click here to find out more.
email address

subscribe
unsubscribe
I have read and agree to our terms
and conditions
.


ADVERTISING
GENERAL INFO
E-EDITION
MARKETING

ABOUT US
ABOUT THE BLADE
MASTHEAD
EMPLOYMENT

 

 

 

MORE INFO

MORE INFO
National Black Justice Coalition
1725 I Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
202-349-3755
www.nbjcoalition.org




Printer-friendly Version

Letter to the Editor

Sound Off about this article


MORE NATIONAL

Congress holds first-ever transgender hearing
House members hear stories of discrimination, fear

PEPFAR vote expected next week after delays
GOP objections unrelated to HIV-positive immigrant clause in AIDS bill

‘Austin 12’ divided over McCain
Former gay Bush supporters unhappy with GOP, some turning to Obama

Land of the free?
Gay soldier discharged from Army months after coming out on ‘60 Minutes’

Lesbian couple weds after 24 years together
Calif. sees huge increase in marriage licenses issued in June

Carey takes helm of Task Force
Foreman’s successor pledges commitment to trans issues

National news in brief
Michelle Obama says husband will fight for gay rights

advertisement

advertisement

NATIONAL

HIV, religion top priorities at black gay summit
Panelist accuses Bush of ‘co-opting’ black churches


Friday, September 30, 2005

Religion and the HIV epidemic among African-Americans took center stage at the first National Black Justice Coalition conference held last week in Washington, D.C.

Grassroots activists, religious leaders, union organizers and elected officials, like Rep. Gwendolynne Moore (D-Wis.), attended the three-day summit that addressed problems facing black gays, transgendered people, bisexuals and lesbians. The National Black Justice Coalition, which organized the event, was founded in 2003 to advocate on behalf of black gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people.

“HIV is the No. 1 priority for this community,” said Phill Wilson a conference panelist and chief executive officer of the Black AIDS Institute. “If we fail here we fail everywhere.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 46 percent of black gay and bisexual men surveyed in five major cities were HIV positive. Sixty-five percent of transgendered women in D.C. tested HIV positive, trans rights activist Earline Budd told conference attendees.

Like many topics at the conference, HIV was intertwined with other social justice issues like homophobia, poverty and access to affordable health care. Budd noted that some HIV-positive trans teens she works with who are prostitutes and homeless are “comfortable” with their HIV status because it may mean they will receive benefits.

Prison is one of the most devastating sources of the HIV crisis in the black community, several speakers said.

Panels also addressed homophobia within the black church [see related story, Page 1]. While there was consensus that homophobia in the black church was a problem, panelists and attendees differed on strategies and tactics.

“I think we are too nice with dealing with the black church,” said one audience member. “I have left it. When you leave, tell them you are taking your money with you.”

Tonyia Rawles, a panelist and pastor at the Unity Fellowship Church in North Carolina, said it is not just homosexuality that the church needs to better address but sexuality in general.

“Sexuality as a whole is not dinner table conversation,” she told the Blade in a telephone interview. “The church should acknowledge we are sexual beings and that we don’t have to be apologetic for being sexual beings.”

Several speakers also pointed out that coming out is essential to combating homophobia in the faith community, the black community at large, as well as internalized homophobia.

“Black folks don’t feel safe,” said one audience member. “They only come out when they hit the club. How do we get folks to come out?”

But it was not only anti-gay actions inside the black church that were criticized, but also the U.S. government’s courtship of black pastors, specifically through the faith-based initiatives program. Many have criticized faith-based initiatives as eroding the line separating church and state and rolling back civil rights protections. Many fear that religious organizations that receive federal funding may be allowed to discriminate against gays in hiring.

“The government co-opted us,” said panelist Rod Oden, the gay mayor of Palm Springs, Calif. “By giving them money they bought their allegiance. Faith-based initiatives undermine political advancements. They’re short-sighted.”

 

email   password
The following comments were posted by our readers and were not edited by the Washington Blade.  We ask that you treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will be removed.


 

national | local | world | arts | classifieds | real estate | about us

© 2008 | A Window Media LLC Publication | Privacy Policy