July 6, 9:46 PM
A new law in Washington, D.C. formally recognizing legal same-sex marriages performed in other states takes effect tomorrow, and it has unleashed a firestorm of hate speech from local religious leaders, according to On Top Magazine.
Bishop Harry Jackson, who organized the anti-gay group Stand 4 Marriage DC, said,
"It's a declaration of war. We are sending a clear message that this is going to be fought every step of the way.”At an open community forum in June, opponents didn't mince words, and unleashed a fury of anti-gay sentiment.
Wearing a t-shirt for the anti-gay website thirdgender666.com that read “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Morals are Worse than Animals,” Minister Leroy Swailes, who most likely owns the anonymously registered website, railed against being gay.
Full story at the San Francisco Examiner.
Bishop Harry Jackson (AP Photo)
Minister Leroy Swailes -- “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Morals are Worse than Animals.”
Watch Minister Leroy Swailes if you'd like to understand more about the conservative moralist argument against LGBT Civil Rights:
http://www.youtube.com/user/hrcmedia#play/uploads/10/FFFYYjWjVuEBishop Harry Jackson spoke against marriage equality at a rally in Washington D.C. on April 28, 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vklrOSVKV3YThe only difference between these men and the fanaticism of Fred Phelps is that Jackson and Swailes have more finesse (well, maybe not Swailes). From my perspective, Phelps is almost universally condemned -- no one wants to be associated with him or his "religion". Bishop Jackson appears to maintain popularity and credibility.
How then do LGBT activists confront fanatical religious leadership while building bridges? My strategy is to focus attention on the words and actions of the religious leaders but I don't think it's possible to build bridges with anyone who has such a
fundamentalist understanding (or experience) of religion. It seems impossible to do both simultaneously. Can people be persuaded to defy their religious leaders in order to support LGBT civil rights? Do you advocate a specific approach to accomplish that goal?