Comments on: Leaving the Table, Leaving Home

By: viv

viv — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 13:35:51 +0000

I am not gay. I wish certain folks in the born-again community would stop being so hypocritical however.

Being gay has no affect on anybody(‘s) (else’s) marriage.

*Adultery*, however, appears to. But they won’t touch that one with a ten foot pole, even though it’s in their beloved Ten Commandments. They want them placed everywhere but don’t even read them.

By: Sarah in Chicago

Sarah in Chicago — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:20:29 +0000

This is my first post here, came over from feministe (great blog btw!)

Of course, I know the gay (ie white) community isn’t welcoming of gay people of colour (Chicago is insanely like that) so I guess not only can you not go home, but you aren’t really allowed to be fully a member of your community of choice either.

Of course, I’m white (though not american) so my experience of such is anecdotal and through observation.

By: c.

c. — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:22:10 +0000

homophobia reers it’s ugly head again. perhaps the rev. is watching to much straight porn?! what a dick!

By: John Whiteside

John Whiteside — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 21:22:04 +0000

Metropolitan Baptist operates some social service programs in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

Don’t get me started on the parking. Being Christian means never having to obey the law, I guess. When I was a neighbor to them, my general feeling was that they couldn’t move out to Largo fast enough.

By: JW Richard

JW Richard — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:51:57 +0000

There are people in this community who don't subscribe to the rhetoric, just like they're people in Dallas who don't. What I'm finding here is that same PJT that has been in black churches as long as I can remember. Well, working with friends in Dallas, we plan to inject something more into the dialouge. Let's see what happens.

By: maurice

maurice — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 02:51:59 +0000

you got it right… there ain’t no homecoming here….

we need to do more than just walk away…. we must find and support organizations that affirm our lives…

By: Terrance

Terrance — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 23:14:58 +0000

For what it's worth I didn't fare much better as a black gay male in Logan Circle. I'm not sure I saw what Metropolitan Baptist was doing in the community. All I knew is that parking on a Sunday morning was impossible. Basically, we planned our Sunday activities around when we figured church was over and they'd go home. Because, my impression was, most of their members didn't live in the neighborhood, and some not even in D.C. Either way, if people are spouting stuff like this then I don't care what they do in the community. They don't get any more respect from me than the Klan would if they moved into the neighborhood and opened soup kitchen.

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 22:44:53 +0000

When I lived in Logan Circle in DC, this was one of those simmering neighborhood things that really got to me. On the one hand, I recognized that I could easily be seen as the evil white gentifying homo. On the other hand, I didn’t want my neighbors to be tossed out – I liked the neighborhood just as it was, and only wanted to see it be a better place for everybody.

It felt (and this is of course my highly personal take) like I was expected to be highly sensitive to everybody, even when some of those folks were spreading nasty homophobia in an increasingly gay neighborhood.

I’m not proud of it, but sometimes I would walk past Metropolitan Baptist Church, and think “I can’t wait till they move to PG County – I’d rather it were a Starbucks.” But at the same time I recognized that they were doing some very good work in the community, even as the minister stirred up all kinds of hateful racist and homophobic sentiments when it suited him.

No answers from me. Unfortunately I think there’s probably an extra burden on gay people of color, with a foot in both communities, here. Not fair but there it is.

I enjoy hearing your thoughts on the topic and hope you’ll post more.

(Oh, and given Willie Wilson’s history in DC, I doubt the words were just taken out of context.)

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 22:26:06 +0000

For what’s it is worth. Mr. (or Ms., Mrs. or Miss) is a perfectly respectable title for members of the clergy. Even if said clergymember says shameful things.