The NAACP held its first LGBT Town Hall meeting at its convention in Los Angeles last week. The discussion was moderated by CNN anchor Don Lemon. The panel featured Wanda Sykes, former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, current NAACP CEO Ben Jealous, writer Kenyon Farrow, Spelman College's Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, director Patrik-Ian Polk and actor Darryl Stephens.
One of the more contentious topics: The number of anti-gay churches and ministers in NAACP leadership positions, such as Rev. Keith Ratliff, Iowa's leading black pastor and the anti-gay chair of the Iowa/Nebraska chapter, reports More Down Low TV.
Mr. Jealous responded saying the gay community should take the NAACP seriously because the NAACP was there with the Human Rights Campaign helping to pass the Matthew Shepard / James Byrd Hate Crimes Bill. The NAACP were champions of fighting Prop 8 in California as well as fighting alongside the LGBT community in Maine, Massachusetts, in Washington D.C. and in Maryland, and in other places. Jealous also said the LGBT community needed to do more ground work in the black community and not come late in the game with an expectation. He also said the black community needed to be treated with the same respect as the other allies of the LGBT community.
The well-publicized case of disgraced anti-gay Pastor Eddie Long was also on the menu.
"There [are] many prominent ministers who are major homophobes who themselves are gay," said veteran civil rights leader and LGBT ally Julian Bond. "I don't want to say for sure but we have our suspicions. ... I wouldn't go as far to say that Eddie Long is gay. He's openly homophobic, we know that. But I don't know that he's gay. But he is predatory."
In February 2010, the NAACP elected 44-year-old Roslyn Brock as its new chairwoman to replace the legendary Julian Bond. Brock joined 37-year-old NAACP President Benjamin Jealous—who has tried to engage LGBT issues— and both have pledged to make the veteran civil rights organization more relevant. In March 2011, the first openly LGBT president of a local NAACP chapter was elected.
Watch the report AFTER THE JUMP ...
More videos and reports at NO MORE DOWN LOW TV.
Is Julian Bond gay? It's doesn;t matter if he is or not. Just curious.
Posted by: Mike Fourth | 02 August 2011 at 18:06
Bishop Eddie Long is a mess, hunny! And Wanda Sykes will give you a big and bold "Amen!" to that!
Posted by: Perry | 02 August 2011 at 18:16
Mike:
Really? Srsly? That's the best you can do after this writeup?
Triffling.
Posted by: King Drive | 02 August 2011 at 18:21
love, love julian bond. that's a real warrior!
Posted by: Deandre | 02 August 2011 at 18:27
Nice writeup, Rod. Thanks for some balance and adding some context. I've read this same report at other (predominately) white blogs and the focus is on "black homophobia" and never anything about the advances.
Posted by: Rico | 02 August 2011 at 19:12
This would've made good late-night TV. I bet the dialouge was hot and heated. Especially if Eddie Long was on the "menu."
Posted by: J Matt | 02 August 2011 at 19:23
go Julian!
Posted by: DFS | 02 August 2011 at 19:58
Sigh. We need more Julien Bonds.
Posted by: JBK! | 03 August 2011 at 03:51
Julian Bond has a beautiful wife and grown children. He's a handsome looking man. Great role model
Posted by: Larry | 03 August 2011 at 05:01
That was very good to watch and I wish I could see the discussion in it's entirety!!
Posted by: BLACK | 03 August 2011 at 12:44
The noteworthy thing about NAACP is not that there are homophobes in its ranks but that its leadership has been pro-gay for so long, going back to Kweisi Mfume's tenure. Ben Jealous has been excellent, and Julian Bond has been a champion. The CA branches opposed Prop 8. Of course all of that doesn't mean we're done. Of course we need to press ahead and also confront the 'phobes. But when someone is a proven ally, you treat him as one.
Posted by: Richard Rosendall | 03 August 2011 at 14:35
Julian Bond is a man to admire. He has always forth for cause. I know he make his family even more proud to see that he has stood by us without passing judgment but helping us go forward. Just a beautiful man we do need more like him.
Posted by: Justme56 | 03 August 2011 at 14:58
@Rico
Yeah,I was getting sick of these white queens that wanted to focus on Ratliff.
I mean, he heads the NAACP chapter representing Iowa and Nebraska, two states that have HUGE swaths of black folks, lolol /snark
Julian Bond didn't pull any punches vis-a-vis Eddie Long, did he?
@Richard Rosendall
Thank you.
Posted by: Chitown Kev | 03 August 2011 at 16:05