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PHOTO: The Burgess-Allens

This is brilliant. EBONY has profiled Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III (R) and Rashad Burgess as part of its series "The Coolest Black Family in America."

Bishop Allen leads The Vision Church of Atlanta, the well-known progressive and inclusive Pentecostal congregation. Burgess—an R20 friend—is Chief of the Capacity Building Branch for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The couple has been together since 2002, were married in 2009 and recently welcomed a new addition: Caylee LaTanya Burgess-Allen.

"I don’t think there’s any greater thing that a human being can do than pour into another human being and raise a child," said Bishop Allen. It fulfills your life."

The article is beautiful and the slide set is gorgeous. More HERE.

COGIC Pastor Slams Harlem Pride as an "Abomination", Warns Community to Stay Inside

Several New York City pastors are predictably outraged over a proposed Harlem Pride picnic that is scheduled later this month in a local park, reports the New York Daily News. The loudest protests? From the rabidly anti-gay Church of God in Christ

"If children start to believe it is okay to be gay, they will think it's okay to be a pedophile or have sex with animals," said Dr. Ronald Ferguson, the senior pastor at Antioch Church of God on W. 124th St. "It's a slippery slope."

Ferguson, who has three adult children and four grandkids, said he expects parishioners to follow his lead and stay indoors when the second annual Harlem Pride event arrives June 24. "This gay pride nonsense is an abomination," Ferguson told the Daily News. "God does not want to see homosexuals in our parks."

Neither do Ferguson or some other local pastors fuming over the celebration of gay rights set for Marcus Garvey Park. "The park is a family area, and the homosexual agenda will do nothing but harm the community," said Pastor Charles Curtis of Mount Olivet Baptist Church.

Too bad Pastor Ferguson will stay indoors. It might be a beautiful day to tool around Harlem in his brand new Jaguar ...

Harlem Pride President Carmen Neely says she won't back down: "I want the gay and lesbian people of uptown to have a celebration of our own. This will be different than the events in the West Village because it will be filled with people of color. ... I realize the church plays a big role in the black community, but we're people, too, and deserve our day in the sun."

Ferguson might want to look closer to home. COGIC—the largest Pentecostal denomination in the U.S. and the second largest African-American denomination—rivals the Catholic Church for the many sexual predators within its leadership. Last fall, a Las Vegas COGIC pastor  was arrested on 11 sexual abuse charges. A former COGIC pastor was sentenced to 20 years on rape charges in January 2010.  In March 2010, an Alabama COGIC bishop was also accused of sexual misconduct. 

Despite COGIC's hardline on gays—or maybe because of it—the church has always attracted many Black gay men. In November 2010 at the COGICs Holy Convocation Youth Service in Memphis, the infamously "ex-gay"—or should we say merely "re-closeted"—Grammy Award winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin delivered an incendiary rant against gays and gay youth and compared them to vampires.

NYS Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr and NOM Hold Anti-Gay Rally in Bronx

PHOTOS: JoeMyGod

One of New York State legislature's staunchest opponents of marriage equality took to the streets of the Bronx to march against its legalization. The rally was sponsored by the National Organization and led by Ruben Diaz Sr, the rabidly anti-gay New York state senator and Pentecostal minister.

The hate rally attracted only about an estimated 1,000 people—a far cry from the 10,000 strong May 2009 anti-gay march that Diaz organized on the streets of Manhattan.

The counter-protesters included member's of Diaz's own family. Erica Diaz, the 22-year-old openly lesbian granddaughter of the minister, publicly opposed her grandfather and called for legalization of same-sex marriage.  Erica Diaz was discharged last year from the Navy under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Erica Diaz briefly joined her grandfather on stage.

"What's gonna happen on the Senate floor?" said Diaz later, speaking of the renewed push for a marriage equality bill in Albany. "I don't know. I know last year we were instrumental in stopping it. We're fighting it."

Eight Democratic New York state senators helped defeat marriage equality by a 38-24 vote in December 2009. Of the New York Senate's ten black members, Diaz Sr. was also one of ONLY 2 who voted against the bill. In addition to his granddaughter, Diaz Sr. also has two gay brothers.

PHOTO: Poster for NOM, NYS Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr's Anti-Gay Rally

The poster for the May 15 rally sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage and Ruben Diaz Sr, the rabidly anti-gay New York state senator and Pentecostal minister. The rally to preserve how marriage has been "since the creation of the world" is scheduled for the same day as the AIDS Walk in Central Park.

In May 2009, Diaz Sr. lead 10,000 people to condemn gays and marriage equality on the streets of Manhattan. Diaz boast this year's march will be larger.

LONDON: Anti-Gay Evangelical Jailed for Sexually Assaulting Teen

London has its very own Bishop Eddie Long.

A fiery anti-gay evangelical Anglo-Nigerian pastor has been sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault. Pastor Albert Odulele is the founder of Glory House International based in East London. Oudele admitted to assaulting a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old youth pastor.

The Independent:

The court heard how Odulele ... would frequently share hotel beds while travelling the world with a large entourage of security and pastors. In around 2003, he was watching television with a boy over whom he had "assumed paternal influence". When the boy fell asleep he put his hand in his underwear and fondled him. The boy said he did not know what to do and was too scared to move.

The boy was left "traumatised" and lost interest in academic work, before telling his mother about the abuse. When confronted by the boy's mother in spring last year, Odulele fell to his knees, crying and apologising, prosecutor Tom Nicholson told the court.

"[A] number of church members challenged Odulele about his behaviour and appealed to a bishop of the church without success," reports The Independent.

Oudele is a trained medical doctor. The married pastor's wife was pregnant with their daughter at the time he molested the teen, according to reports. The pastor is described as a "major figure in Christian evangelism" who often told of a dream where he was visited and "touched by an angel.

Oudele often travelled the world with a "large entourage" and "would frequently share hotel beds." The creepy pastor's modus operandi is eerily similar to the Eddie Long case. The Atlanta-based anti-gay mega-church pastor accused of luring at least four young men into sexual relationships and using church funds to give them cash, gifts and cars.

There were originally eight alleged victims of Dr Odulele, but most "did not want to give statements to the police," reports Channel 4. Watch Channel 4's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

ZAMBIA: Outrage After Opposition Leader Signals Pro-Gay Stance

 

Yet another round of anti-gay hysteria in Zambia. Clergy and politicians in the Southern African nation are threatening to campaign against the opposition Patriotic Front after its leader apparently indicated a softened position on gay rights. PF President Michael Sata reportedly told visiting Danish journalists that Zambia could recognize gay and lesbian rights under its existing constititution.

Evangelical leaders are warning citizens of the "dangers" in supporting pro-gay politicians, reports the Lusaka Times.

Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) overseer Bishop Peter Ndhlovu said in an interview that the church has embarked on programmes aimed at sensitising and educating people on the dangers of voting for leaders advocating for gay rights. Bishop Ndhlovu said Zambia needs leaders who are biblical and have values. He said it is inhuman and an abomination for the country to have advocates of gay rights. "The church is coming together to hold powerful prayers and public meetings to educate people on the dangers of voting for leaders advocating gay rights. It is cross-denominational," he said.

Bishop Ndhlovu said his church will go flat-out to campaign against the PF and any other political party promoting gay rights. He said Mr Sata has run out of ideas and if he and the Danish journalists want to promote gay rights, it will not work in Zambia.

Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Pukuta Mwanza said in a separate interview, "We will continue campaigning against leaders advocating gay rights because we do not want our country to have such bad laws that promote inhuman ways of life."  

You may recall in March 2009, Zambian Vice President George Kaduna told members of parliament and journalists to "report any homosexuals" to the police. In December 2010, the MMD and UPND parties rejected calls to decriminalize gay sex and called the suggestion an "abomination." Sata's PF took no position.

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal for both males and females in Zambia. The Zambian government does not permit advocacy of LGBT rights, reports the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (PDF). The Southern African nation boasts a 16 percent HIV rate and is one of the world's poorest. Priorities, priorities.

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Anti-Gay Mega-Church Pastor on Rahm Emanuel Transition Team

Chicago Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel names his transition team and there are no openly gay or lesbian appointments. That was not necessarily a "cause for alarm for the community" but the appointment of anti-gay mega-church pastor Rev. Byron Brazier (left) is "troubling", reports Windy City Times.

Bernard Cherkasov, chief executive director of Equality Illinois, indicated the lack of LGBT representation in Emanuel's transition team should not be a cause for alarm for the community. His organization's PAC joined a large coalition of LGBT community leaders in endorsing Emanuel's mayoral campaign last month.

"We look forward to working with the team of co-chairs to help identify the priorities for the city of Chicago, including the priorities of the LGBT community, and figure out a path to addressing them as soon as the mayor is in office," Cherkasov said.

Brazier's presence on the transition team is an eyebrow-raising choice, however. Brazier's father and the previous pastor of the Apostolic Church of God, the late Bishop Arthur, supported the Federal Marriage Amendment. Additionally, the church is affiliated with the Pentecostal movement, which generally condemns homosexuality as sinful. At press time, Brazier had not return Windy City Times' request for an interview.

Rev. Irene Monroe, coordinator of the African American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion, said Emanuel's selection of Brazier while not including any LGBT co-chairs was an intentional, and troubling, choice. "It is a great concern," Monroe said. "Why that particular church when there are so many progressive churches he can choose from?  Monroe added Emanuel's choice reminded her of President Obama's friendship with some anti-gay religious leaders.

The Apostolic Church of God is one of the city's largest and most prominent mega-churches. The church campus  includes a television studio.

The Apostolic Church is a fundamentalist, charismatic branch of the Pentecostal movement that views homosexuality as sinful. The churches are overwhelming hostile to gays and gay rights, but have a long history in the Black community of attracting and being home to many Black gay youth and gay men. Gay members have been encouraged to pray, speak in tongues or even more.

Chicago's LGBT community was generally very supportive of Emanuel. Much of its leadership endorsed the mayor-elect. Can't say this news shocking in the least, tho.

Anti-Gay, Facebook-Banning Pastor Admits to 3-Somes with Wife, Aide

The New Jersey-based, anti-gay pastor who ordered his congregation to avoid Facebook because it was a "portal to infidelity" had a three- and four-way relationship with his wife, a male church aide, and sometimes the church aide's wife too, reports the Asbury Park Press. The Rev. Cedric Miller didn't need Facebook for his own extra-marital hookups but is still warning his congregation against using the social networking app.

Miller, during his approximately 50-minute Sunday service at the Living Word Christian Fellowship Church, again exhorted church leaders to get off Facebook, the Internet-based social network, asserting that it could lead to re-connections with romantic relationships from their past that would erode and eventually destroy their present marriage. The approximately 300 member congregation showed strong support for Miller, coming to the foot of the pulpit several time to hold hands, recite prayers and in unison shouted "Amen'' and "Praise Jesus.''

Dressed in a dark blue suit with bright red tie and matching handkerchief, Miller downplayed a Asbury Park Press story published earlier in the week about a sexual affair with his wife and a church assistant, saying it was old news that church leaders and most congregants already knew about. Instead Miller apologized for what he said was a foolish transgression from his past that he had paid for had been forgiven. Miller also offered to gladly step down as senior minister if the church leaders deemed he was unfit to serve as their spiritual leader.

The revelations emerged in depositions and testimony in a 2003 criminal case against the same male church aide. The threeways and fourgies often took place "during Bible study" and "after church", according to reports.

WATCH: Pentecostal Minister Wants "Christians" to Say "Fag"

Slurs such as "fag" and "bulldagger" are "Biblically acceptable" and "Christians" should use these words to "call attention to homosexuals", says a conservative, New York City-based Pentecostal minister.

James Manning, the senior pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church on 123rd Street in Harlem, encouraged "all Christians" to "call out homosexuals"  in one of his latest incendiary video rants. "I've stated we ought to stand up, push back and use strong language, like 'fag', 'bulldagger', 'sodomite'. What they do is they get people's attention. You can't say 'homosexual' anymore because it's been so whitewashed and made acceptable by the New York Times. But you call them a 'fag' or a 'sodomite' and you get everybody's attention. That's what we want."

Manning, who regularly rants against gays and gay rights on his YouTube channel, also warned that marriage equality will lead to the "legalization of bestiality."

The far-right Black minister has also falsely accused President Obama of not being a native-born American citizen, and, bizarrely, called Obama’s mother "white trash" for becoming pregnant by an African man, reports LGBTQNation.

Manning revisited this issue on 8 December 2008 during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, when he said in reference to the President: "It is common knowledge that African men, coming from the continent of Africa — especially for the first time — do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it’s usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they’re going to have sex."

Wonder what the good reverend thinks of the "Biblically acceptable" practice of owning slaves? Watch  AFTER THE JUMP ...

Las Vegas COGIC Pastor Arrested on 11 Sexual Abuse Counts

This is becoming a sadly familiar story. Yet another pastor in the rabidly anti-gay Church of God in Christ—the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States and the second largest African-American denomination—is accused of sexual misconduct against teenage boys. A Las Vegas pastor was arrested on 11 sexual abuse charges ... five years after a similar case against him was dropped, reports the Las Vegas Sun.

Billy Eckstine McCurdy, 57, pastor of the Revival Temple Church of God in Christ, was taken into custody at 1 p.m. Friday at his home in North Las Vegas without incident, police said. The alleged victims say they were forced into a sexual relationship with McCurdy, police said. They allege he used his position in the church and biblical scriptures to control them and force them into sex acts, police said.

Police said McCurdy spent a great deal of time with young people, including on youth trips to Arizona and California. Police said he conducted events at his home with young men, including sleepovers, and allowed teenagers — two victims involved in the case, among them — to live with him for extended periods. According to the criminal complaint, the alleged crimes happened between April 2007 and October 2009.

The teen boys testified at a grand jury, which indicted McCurdy last Thursday on six counts of sexual assault and five counts of open or gross lewdness. McCurdy is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail, adds the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Detectives believe "other victims" have not come forward.

Similar charges were dropped in 2005, after North Las Vegas Police arrested McCurdy after a teenage boy told investigators the pastor fondled him while they slept in the same bed. Will McCurdy's congregation stand by their pastor ... again? Or will they blame the boys for coming forward?

This becomes only the latest charge of sexual misconduct within the Church of God in Christ, which is well known for attracting many closeted black gay men and rivals the Catholic Church for the many sexual predators within its leadership. COGIC is embroiled in numerous lawsuits and criminal investigations around clergy sexual abuse—there is a micro-site on the Church website—and has been accused of covering up sexual misconduct cases for decades. On January 30, a former COGIC pastor was sentenced to 20 years on charges he raped a teenage girl some 25 years ago. One church reportedly has four convicted pedophiles on its payroll. And in March 2010, an Alabama COGIC bishop was also accused of sexual misconduct.

In November 2010 at the Church of God in Christ's Holy Convocation Youth Service in Memphis, the infamously "ex-gay"—or should we say merely "re-closeted"—Grammy Award winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin delivered an incendiary rant against gays and gay youth and compared them to vampires.  Glass houses, stones, etc..