LEONARD PITTS JR.: A civil war between gays and blacks

[Bill of Rights]

Columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., who is African-American, says he's disturbed by what he sees happening among African-American people on the issue of gay rights: "How can we stand with the very people -- social conservatives -- who not so long ago didn't want us in their churches, their schools, their parks or their restaurants? Yet more and more, we act and sound just like them. We use our Bibles to justify our bigotry, just as they did. We describe equality as unnatural, just as they did. We invoke the sanctity of tradition, just as they did. And we are wrong, just as they were."

http://www.freep.com/voices/columnists/pitts12_20040312.htm

[fujiyama]

1. Pitts is a good guy...

I haven't looked at either the Free Press or News (yuck RW piece of trash) in a while, but he's one of the better columnists.

[KC21304]

2. Hooray for Leonard Pitts.

What a courageous man. I think I read he has been nominated for a Pulitzer.

[justjones]

3. I'm glad someone is talking about this....

It baffles me how homophobic and bigoted many in the African-American community are, even in my own family. I just don't get it. It seems like a historically oppressed group would be the first to side with another group of folks who are being denied their rights, but in this case, it is just the opposite. I've heard some of the strongest criticism of gay marriage and demonizing of homosexuality come from African-Americans.

Even before the current debate about gay marriage, this remains high on my list of many reasons I will never join a black church or proclaim myself a Christian.

So I'm glad a fellow African-American is calling them out for this, although I don't know what good it will do.