Anti-Gay Black Pastors Threaten to Unseat D.C. Council Member

The fallout continues from this morning's vote by the Washington D.C. City council, which approved legislation 12-1 that would recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other jurisdictions. After creating "mayhem" in the Council chambers and being forcibly ejected by security, anti-gay black pastors determined to fight marriage equality in the District "threatened" to unseat Yvette Alexander, one of the Council's black members who supported the bill, reports The Advocate.

Council member Yvette Alexander, who described herself as a Christian, noted that the Stonewall Democrats' D.C. chapter, the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, had endorsed her based on the totality of her record in spite of the fact that she does not support same-sex marriage. "So when I did not agree on that one issue, they did not negate all the good works that I had done. The ministers on the other hand," Alexander said, "the ministers have really upset me to the point that they have questioned my Christianity, they have questioned my morality." Alexander said some ministers had threatened to run a Christian against her in the next election. 

Even though Alexander voted to recognize gay marriages performed outside the district, she added, "I can honestly say I'm still at odds with the issue of gay marriage in the District of Columbia. I still want to learn more about that issue. But I do know one thing, I do know that everybody is equal under God."

The same ministers who "questioned the morality" of Yvetter Alexander have proclaimed Council member and former Mayor Marion Barry one of the city's "moral leaders". Barry—the four-times married, ex-convict, tax-evading crack addict caught in an FBI sting with a prostitute—was the lone vote against the bill.

Perhaps the ministers should spend more time worried about D.C.'s astronomical crime and HIV rates, which are killing more in their community than same-sex marriage?

Out of State Same Sex Marriage in DC [Advocate]

Comments

[Anderson]

now ain't this a blip! yvette alexander says stonewall democrats supported her besides the fact she didn't support marriage. but the ministers, the so called black leaders are telling her she HAS to vote their way or the highway?

oh hell naw. i hope she continues to tell them off.

[Mahlo]

>>>Perhaps the ministers should spend more time worried about D.C.'s astronomical crime and HIV rates, which are killing more in their community than same-sex marriage?

That would be too much like being really concerned with the community, as opposed to being really concerned with power.

[thegaytekeeper]

when is the rest of the world going to understand that this issue isn't about them @ all?

[Aaron Parker]

Bravo sista! Stand up for what you believe in and you are right, WWJD? All people are created equal!

Those ministers can go to hell.

[Dominick]

And who appointed "the ministers" the leaders? Miss Alexander is an elected representative. She is representing the community and the city!

[G]

Christians in word only.For their hearts are far from Christ.

[Giselle]

You got the HIV rate going up in the AA Community. you got blacks out of work, out of school. you got dead beat dads out here. you got blacks killing blacks. people on welfare and so on.

why is this so subject so dangerous to them? it's really not that big of a deal. the sky ain't gonna come down.

all these 'preachers' teaching gods work will be judge in the end by the greatest court.

[Giselle]

you would think they would have more touching matters to work on then this.

HAHA and Barry this man is a joke for real.

[Carlos]

Preach on, Giselle!

I don't understand why black ministers always want to focus on this subject (gays) instead of focusing on the REAL problems in the 'hood. And DC's HIV rate and murder rate ain't no joke, it is sky high and very deadly. Why don't they march against AIDS or crack dealers?

[Kevin Perez]

In urban communities, we're considered to be problematic as the issues you listed Carlos. Many people include "homosexuality" as a problem in urban areas, as if it is a recent phenomenon. It's sad but we're also blamed for those issues and the destruction of "family values".

[Kevin Perez]

Also, it's great to see AA continug to shatter the tired notion of being THE most homophobic. I wonder what Latinos are doing....

[Chitown Kev]

@Kevin Perez

Two words. Ruben Diaz. It ain't that shattered.

[ATLboi]

Christians only think about them damn selves!!!

They think they got a one way ticket into heaven just because their str8.

The Pastors think they are GOd just ecause their repeating whats on paper.

Press on Alexander

[isis]

Nobody does Hypocrisy better than these so called Religious and Moral Leaders! They truly need to get over themselves and really think about what the Lords message really is!

Anyway Rod, your commentary is simply SUPERB! The following quotation was absolutely FLAWLESS and SPOT ON!!

"The same ministers who "questioned the morality" of Yvetter Alexander have proclaimed Council member and former Mayor Marion Barry one of the city's "moral leaders". Barry—the four-times married, ex-convict, tax-evading crack addict caught in an FBI sting with a prostitute—was the lone vote against the bill".

True BRILLANCE!!

[Jim]

Rod said: "Perhaps the ministers should spend more time worried about D.C.'s astronomical crime and HIV rates, which are killing more in their community than same-sex marriage."

Mahlo replied: "That would be too much like being really concerned with the community, as opposed to being really concerned with power."

Could anything more accurate be said about these people? Besides, of course, that they are really concerned with money, too?

Now, if this incident would only cause Ms. Alexander to reflect on the preachers who have been telling her what is right and what is wrong all these years of her life, and what their true moral authority is.

If you are "at odds with the issue of gay marriage," but the preachers are at odds with you because you are insufficiently hateful, then maybe something you have learned along the way about gay people came from others who are not exactly so pure of heart.

[washingtonian]

Black ministers should use this energy to fight DC dropout rate, high unemployment rate; poor school system, high homicide rate, and promote training for all those uneducated and nonskilled residents of Marion Barry's district 8. Those Negros are in bad shape.

They say "green" the ghetto first and give Pookey a job. Well... Pookey ain't got no skills and councilmen Barry ain't trying to get Pookey trained.

Maybe Pookey can marry a rich gay man, Now!

[Derrick from Philly]

If the idiot DC ministers really want to go to war with progressive black elected officials, then maybe this will force Barack and Michelle to speak on the issue. That would be interesting. I hope my beloved First Couple wouldn't let me down.

[S. Flemming]

Not to mention the amount of black teens killed in this city every year ... I will never understand the lack of priorities that church leaders have.

[alicia banks]

wwjd????

they never get so fired up about gangs/absent fathers/abandoned kids/pregnant children/incest/rape/crime/drugs/
het divorce stats/crackhead like marion barry...

what does it say about these holy hypocrites that homosexuals are their PRIMARY issue????

they hate us more than ALL of the real CANCERS in their communities...

these gaybashing church fools reek in the nostrils of god!

shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alicia banks]

we should all thank her!

http://yvettealexander.org/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3

peace
ab

[Anthony in Nashville]

In my opinion, straight black people are too comfortable, frightened, and unwilling to address the real issues that impact us on a regular basis. So gay people become the focus of "community outrage."

Incidents like this are one reason why I don't feel as obligated to "the community" as I used to.

On the other hand, I keep hearing that DC has a large black gay population. Is anyone up there putting these preachers in check?

[Chitown Kev]

@Anthony in Nashville

As always, you said that better than I usually do. And you are correct, I too don't feel an obligation to help "the black community" and, to be truthful, I don't feel as if I am considered to be a part of "the black community' (a phrase which I despise)

[Anthony in Nashville]

Kev,

Just as we're having this discussion about ambivalance towards "the black community," the black radio station here is discussing gay rights on a talk show.

Five minutes of listening was all it took to reinforce my belief that not all black people are my "community." It was nothing new: most callers were not trying to hear anything about gay rights because "nobody had it as bad as we did." One man claimed "if they hadn't taken the sodomy laws off the books, there wouldn't be a gay movement today." People who raised the idea of everyone being endowed with rights that should be respected or that alliances with other groups were part of the black civil rights struggle were cut off or hung up on by the host.

Although that was a small sample (7 callers), the existence of black gay people was not acknowledged.

I guess I should not expect true dialogue in Nashville, but like Marion Barry, the host of this program (Rev TJ Graham) calls himself a "moral leader" who called for all gays to be sent to Iran a couple of weeks ago.

[Luther]

Interesting points ChiKev, but, its as if we as black gays have no place to call home, many in the black community hate us, and, its no better with the white gay community, which to keep it real, is as bad if not worse than the black church folks when it comes to black gays, so, what's a black gay person in this country to do? In my case write off both groups and do it my way since I have no time for either.

[Chitown Kev]

@Luther

I think Anthony in Nashville said this too in another thread and it's pretty much what I've applied for a number of years.

Make your own "community" as opposed to relying on "groups." My community, for example, includes people of all ethnicities and orientations and whatnot.

I don't rely on trying to "fit in" to a particular group. I make my own to the best of my ability.