The Homophobes Are Out of the Closet!

Not only have Bush and the Democrats who support him with their silence and limp opposition reduced our country to its lowest common denominator, this administration has provided space and permission for the homophobes to come out of their closets with a vengeance.

Not only have Bush and the Democrats who support him with their silence and limp opposition committed crimes against humanity, this administration has created a climate where the people we viewed as odd and small-minded before are now perceived as mainstream America.

Not only have bush and the Democrats who support him with their silence and limp opposition violated our right to privacy by spying on those who speak out against him, this administration has economically empowered what was once the fringe of our society through its faith-based initiative.

This has got to stop.

Across the world lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (lgbt) people are under attack. In Nigeria, along with other African countries, people are beaten and killed because they are lgbt. Governments, for the most part, do little to stop this violence. In Iraq, people are beaten and killed for being gay. While the U.S. continues to occupy a country based on lies, and while children, men, and women continue to be killed and hurt, and while millions of dollars are spent daily on acts of aggression, people are sought out, beaten, and killed because they are perceived to be lgbt.

In the U.S., people live with threats of violence daily because they are lgbt. Many of us have been killed. Men and women, boys and girls who do not conform to the female vs male gender code are at risk for insults, threats, and physical attacks regardless of whether they are actually lgbt. Often, young people become sexually active with the opposite sex prematurely because they are afraid that their friends will think they are gay.

The result: children, men, and women live in constant feat that they will be labeled as queer.

Recently, some black preachers and white racists have overtly attacked lgbt people. Black preachers and white racists have joined forces to spread their climate of hostility toward lgbt people. Bush is the ringleader in this unholy alliance. His whip is the faith-based initiative. His chair is acceptance into the ‘good ole boy’ community. Money and recognition are awarded to churches that support this administration’s anti politics: anti-female, anti-gay, anti-peace, anti-human rights. Preachers then use the pulpit to promote the anti agenda; this is the development of a theocracy in action.

Black preachers who trade black spirituality for monetary gain and political clout verbally attack us from pulpits all while they claim that their fight is to bring us salvation. Their claim to bring salvation makes it easier for people to ignore that verbal attacks pave the way for physical aggression. They are not unlike Bush who ordered our troops to invade, occupy, and kill the people of Iraq all while he claimed that his fight was to bring them freedom. Bush’s claim to fight for freedom makes it easier for people to ignore that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, our schools are failing our children, people are unemployed and/or homeless, and more and more of us have lost faith in the government.

This has got to stop.

We at Sankofa Way Spiritual Services Inc. are against anyone misusing religion to justify what laws should exist, which people should be protected, and which people should not be protected. We are for religious freedom which means that people should be free to believe or not believe whatever they want as long as they do not violate the rights and integrity or threaten the safety of another.

Sankofa Way, by sponsoring the formation and growth of Black LGBT & Allies For Equality, is taking a public Stand against this religiously based and politically supported violence. We are inviting people of all races and geographical locations to Stand with us by doing two things:

1. Add your name to our statement
2. Add your organization/institution or group to our growing list of supporters

Visit www.sankofaway.org and follow the rainbow flag link to Black LGBT & Allies For Equality. Read and sign “Your Statement” and unite for the human right of lgbt people and all people to be able to live free of violence and aggression.