"MLK Would Favor" Gay Rights

There are two great, new interviews with Julian Bond where the civil rights icon makes his most forceful arguments for gay rights. First, in the October 10th issue of The Advocate: The longtime NAACP chairman is photographed by Duane Cramer and interviewed by Christopher Lisotta for a conversation on homophobia and the HIV pandemic.

The Advocate interview is a continuation of Bond's passionate plea that recently began on the op-ed pages of the Washington Post: "Homophobia is one of the major obstacles to black Americans coming to grips with this disease in the ways that we should. It is aawfully disturbing. It's a refutation of what the movement for civil rights stood for. It's disgraceful."

Point and click to Black Voices for another in-depth interview with Bond, this one more focused on gay rights. "I think Martin King would stand as his widow stood—in favor of them. And I think he would be astounded at the behavior of his daughter [Bernice King]."

Julian Bond also confirms the much-whispered reason why he did not attend the funeral of Coretta Scott King that was held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and officiated by the anti-gay Bishop Eddie L. Long: "I knew her attitude toward gay and lesbian rights. And I just couldn't imagine that she'd want to be in that church with a minister who was a raving homophobe. And I couldn't see myself in my church either."

If you haven't already seen Keith's column on the Julian Bond interviews, he makes a very salient point—noting that the civil rights icon is "even more courageous than many of us who are actually gay or lesbian." If more of us stand up and speak out, we can change that.

Thanks Duane and Katina.

Person to Know: Julian Bond (Advocate)

BV Q&A With Julian Bond (AOL/BV)

Black America Must Confront AIDS (Wash Post)

Duane Cramer Portfolio

Previously:

Live Blog: Coretta Scott King Funeral (Rod 2.0) Platinum Bond (Keith Boykin) Is Bishop Eddie Long Gay? (Jasmyne Cannick) Duane Cramer in "The Advocate" (Rod 2.0) Duane Cramer: Picture This (Rod 2.0 Duane Cramer WORKS (Rod 2.0)

Comments

[Tommy]

Thanks for bringing these to my attention.

[TK]

Thanks Rod.

[Paul T.]

I didnt even know that Julain Bond had bene so active on gay rights. That's a shame, he is so old school and progrerssive and these new "black leaders" are so conservative and anti-gay.

[seanndc]

I co-sign the other comments. Thanks for sharing this with YOUR readers Rod.

[sm]

sorry, but thats a sorry excuse for not going to the funeral. once again Bond places himself above others and above the situation.
first. her family chose that location. they know her better than he does.
second. it is one of the FEW places in atlanta that can hold that many people. and still have a "church" environment.

if my best friend, or a so called friend didnt attend a funeral for that reason, i would not think much of them. sometimes personal relationships, and the situation is bigger than the politics- and sometimes its even bigger than Julian Bond!

[Derrick from Philly]

"they know her better..."

Families are notorious for not obeying the wishes of a family member who dies. Black gays have seen this more than anybody over the last 25 years: our friends die and the family pretends they don't know what killed him, then refuse to have the kind of memorial service their gay son, nephew, uncle asked for. Don't get me started.

[C. Baptiste-Williams]

doesnt matter u are dead u wont know who is there or not

[Derrick from Philly]

Well, you know how sissies talk. I tell 'em all about the service when I meet them again at that great gay bar in the sky...or the other heated location.

[Lee owens]

Amazing.

Julian Bond comes out for black gays, gay rights, marriage, HIV education and against black homophobia. And some of you dizzy queens wanna disagree with him not going to the funeral. It doesn't matter, look at how much he has done.

"SM", as Keith and Rod said, what have you done to make yourself proud today? Julian Bond isn't even gay and he speaks up more than most.