Buried in the Boston Globe story today, "Gay-rights proposals gain in Congress" is a note on how African-American ministers from around the country spoke out against the federal "gay rights bills." We hope that Boston's Black Ministerial Alliance and others in Massachusetts will take a close look at our state version of a "transgender rights and hate crimes" bill, H1722.
Citizen Link also covered the Capitol Hill press conference:
Alan Chambers, a former homosexual and president of Exodus International, said the law would pave the way to criminalize thoughts and religious beliefs. "We stand today with many in the African-American community who also recognize that one's sexuality can be changed, but one's skin color cannot," he said.
"This legislation says that we, as former homosexuals, are of less value and worth less legal protection now than when we were living as homosexuals. We categorically reject this mindset and reaffirm every American's value and right to equal protection under the law."
Bishop Harry Jackson, founder and chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, Pastor Marvin Winans, Bishop Larry Brandon and Bishop Liston Paige joined Chambers to speak out against homosexuality being equated with civil rights.
"We call upon Congress to promote legislation that affirms authentic equality and protects our religious freedoms," Chambers said.
From the Globe report :
"Courts have an interesting way of interpreting laws, and once this can of worms is open, it will be very hard to close," said Pastor Marvin L. Winans of Perfecting Church in Detroit. "This step of recognizing homosexuality as a protected class would be a huge advancement in this nation toward adopting and condoning this behavior as natural."
