Controversial Rev. Rick Warren to Speak at King Memorial Service in Atlanta

[IndianaGreen]

I really want to focus on what this article says about Bayard Rustin, and the King family.

Controversial Rev. Rick Warren to Speak at King Memorial Service in Atlanta

By Matthew Cardinale

It is ironic that in fact, the first King memorial march, which took place in Memphis, Tennessee, the day after King was assassinated, was co-organized by his friend and advisor, Bayard Rustin, who was openly homosexual.

As previously reported by APN, Rev. James Orange, who passed away earlier this year, had been the annual organizer of the King March taking place on his birthday each January.

Rev. Orange ensured that march-which was one part of an annual series of events preceding King's birthday-continued to have an activist focus.

"He (Orange) was doing it under the MLK Center for Nonviolent Social Change. About 10 years ago, the King Center decided they no longer wanted to sponsor the march," State Rep. Tyrone Brooks told APN in an interview for Rev. Orange's obituary.

<snip>

The conflict over equality for homosexuals has been a recurring theme in the history of the King family.

As mentioned earlier, Rustin worked behind the scenes to advise King on nonviolent organizing strategy and helped him build the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) in the 1960s and 1970s.

Yet, he did not receive much credit for his work because opponents of the CRM used Rustin's sexuality as a wedge issue to distance Rustin's colleagues from him.

For example, former US Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., once told the media there were "immoral forces" within the CRM, presumably referring to Rustin. King at one point distanced himself from Rustin in order to work with Powell on legislation.

Rustin co-organized the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Three weeks before the march, former US Sen. Strom Thurmond charged Rustin of being a homosexual socialist with an arrest record, all of which were true.

Shortly thereafter, King defended Rustin, and the two began working together again.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/7900/

[wtbymark]

1. This is why he's doing the Inauguration

i figured this was the case, the evangelical community is paying their homage and blessing to the african american's civil rights movement. They are coming together after 200+ years of racism and standing with our new black president. I didn't like the passage of prop 8 (and I'm straight) it IS a civil rights issue, and I'm sure that it will be addressed in the Obama administration, but right now is the time to celebrate the african american civil rights movement. Just because the LGBT civil rights movement is not getting the attention right now that you want, doesn't mean it won't be addressed, it doesn't mean you should throw Barrack under the bus before he takes office. It means, you should take comfort in the fact that a large sect of the populous is shedding their bigoted skin and joining the rest of us in equality for african americans. THAT's inclusion. The time for your civil rights fight is on the horizon, you won't have to endure centuries of hatred like the african americans did. Your endurance will be much shorter (like a few decades, Total). So please see the forest through the trees, understand why he did it, celebrate with him, your time is coming.

[MNBrewer]

2. Thanks for opening my eyes to the fact

that homosexuals "won't have to endure centuries of hatred". WOW.

:crazy:.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MNBrewer]

6. Take your insults elsewhere, please.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Ahhh, I see you are referring to the Pope and his forest analogy

soon to be followed by the pruning the forest analogy.

[Toasterlad]

4. Yippee! We Won't Have To Endure Centuries of Hatred!

I was afraid that since gays were only invented in 1969, that we'd have to go through at least 200 years of oppression like the black guys did. What a relief to know that as soon as Obama's done celebrating African Americanism with a misogynistic, anti-semitic homophobic asshole, he'll get to work on getting us gays rights (but not marriage, cause his bible don't believe in it!), and we'll only have to wait a couple decades, tops, before we're fully second-class citizens!

You = EPIC Fail.

[LostinVA]

12. 1964 -- that's the year I was born

Crazy homosexual.

[mitchtv]

14. Honey I was trading joints for drinks at the

Stonewall a week or two before the riot; glad I missed it. I'm also glad I made the White Night Riot and the ensuing Battle for Elephant Walk. Looking foward to another real soon. PS I'm getting too old for this shit

[kenny blankenship]

13. Think of it instead as a centuries-long Friar's Roast

There were friars, there was roasting.

And you got to be the guest of honor every time!

[IndianaGreen]

7. Homosexuals have had to endure millennia of hate

and this is the 21st century!

[MNBrewer]

9. That's what I thought, too, IndianaGreen

But, after reading post #1, I see I was mistaken.

:eyes:

[MNBrewer]

10. In other words

STFU, queers.

[LostinVA]

11. Jaw dropping

[Jamastiene]

15. What book did you get that out of?

What makes you think gay people have not had to endure hatred for centuries? Do you think gay people just started existing a few decades ago?

Wow, you are SO misinformed.

[Mike Nelson]

5. Someone who shared Rustin & King's life experiences

should have been picked