A recent article written in Aljazeera America highlights the complexity of black and gay culture in Harlem in the eyes of a West African immigrant. Although Harlem has always had notable gay African Americans in the community, some of the local churches have been less accepting to the LGBT population which has grown even larger in the past few years. As the article mentions, gay couples can be seen mingling openly at almost any restaurant, social gathering or event in Harlem but this has attracted negative attention by some of uptown's religious leaders:
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As a cradle and active Episcopalian I would make the strong point that this “Church” and its rector by its very beliefs and practices does not qualify as a Christian church any more than does Westboro Baptist.
ReplyDeleteDr. Manning is racist and homophobic... PERIOD!!!
ReplyDeleteManning is an attention seeker, by any means necessary.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's not forget that that while Paul's letters make no room for homosexuals in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Gospels say nothing at all about homosexuality, which was no doubt a very bold move, considering that it is a death penalty offense in the Old Testament. In other words, homophobia is something that Christianity develops, not something that's present from the start and essential to the religion.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, The Netherlands, where I now live, recently saw the opening of its first gay mosque, in Amsterdam. I wonder how long it is before Harlem gets one of its own.
To the poster above, this church is Christian and the people who attend it are Christians, whether you want to accept that or not. They may be more likely than other churches to preach extreme views and to seek attention. But the homophobia they espouse is not unique. There is an undercurrent of homophobia at churches throughout Harlem (and throughout the United States for that matter). Most churches are just less open and cartoonishly frank about it.
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