Black clergy on same-sex marriage

I have 2 issues with Ms. Cannick's article. Firstly, the Court's decision is the first ever in the country to establish that laws against homosexuals must be justified under the principles of strict scrutiny. That is a major step advancing the equal rights of all gays and lesbinas regardless of their opinions on marriage. Secondly, I've ready Rev. Wright's two speaches regarding the UCC's decision to allow same-sex marriages in the church. They are hateful, homophobic diatribes. He is not an example of a supportive African-American minister.

Keith @ 5:20 PM PDT, May 22, 2008

Jasmyne Cannick ....wheer have I heard that name before? Isn't she one of Earl Ofari Hutchinson's flunkies who fervently tried to save multiple murderer Tookie Williams from the death penalty? Yes, I think she is. Antone who would support a racist and multiple murderer has zero credibility in my book...enough said.

Mike @ 8:40 AM PDT, May 22, 2008

I get the spirit of the essay. And I agree with much of it. I'll ask everyone to remember, at least here in Florida, that the wackos brought this fight to us. We where here begging for scraps and now we are fighting a marriage amendment. Evidently marriage is the brass ring.

banshiii @ 5:39 AM PDT, May 22, 2008

Thanks Ms. Cannick for your Blowback essay.These are basic civil rights that should be extended to all Americans whether from the LGBT community or heterosexual. For the truth about gay marriage check out our trailer. Produced to educate & defuse the controversy it has a way of opening closed minds & provides some sanity on the issue: http://FindBilover.com

Lizardz @ 8:59 PM PDT, May 21, 2008

Jasmyne's comments are divisive rather than productive. BGLT affiriming church groups seek to form coalition around marriage on a broad basis. I have been told as a non-black I "just didn't understand how homophobic black churches are". However, that doesn’t stop coalition-building. That's not infiltration, it's inclusive. Affiriming churches continue to work on a broad range of social justice issues. I am glad that the Center and other organizations support my right to marry. Others think that they should be addressing rent control, or cleaning waterways. I appreciate my community advocating for the most important relationship in my life.

Dan Poirier @ 4:10 PM PDT, May 21, 2008

I agree 100% with Ms. Cannick. A marriage-only platform agitates those that have no interest in recognizing or respecting our equal protection rights as they always perceive and frame the issue as an attack on religion and then use it to rally the conservative religious base to vote against their own socio/economic interests. Major gay organizations working with other community groups for more affordable housing or cleaning up the environment will garner much more respect and understanding with the heterosexual community than fighting for equal recognition via marriage equality alone.

Lauren @ 1:52 PM PDT, May 21, 2008

Jasmyne, if you don't want emails from particular organizations, then don't subscribe to their mailing lists. If you want to be involved in the fights for rent control and health care, get involved with the organizations leading on those issues. It's simple really. We all get to choose how to spend our energy, money, and time. Advocacy groups, unlike activists, are necessarily focused on particular issues. Individuals of good will, including gay and lesbian individuals of all races--as you well know--are concerned with a broad range of things, and participate to the extent possible in all kinds of movements and coalitions.

Sportin' Life @ 1:27 PM PDT, May 21, 2008

Thanks Ms. Cannick for your Blowback essay. If anything it underscores just how ridiculous, irrelevant, lazy, biased and irresponsible the mainstream media has become in its coverage of the cultural and political landscape here in Los Angeles and across the nation.

Derrick M. @ 11:25 AM PDT, May 21, 2008

Irrational Exuberance California’s Supreme Court has lifted their ban on same-sex marriage noting this does not grant more legal rights than domestic partnerships. Last week Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled their anti-same-sex marriage amendment strips public employees of domestic partnership benefits. An anti-same-sex marriage constitutional amendment is on California’s November ballot. The marriage-only strategy has consistently set us back creating an entire body of new anti-gay laws. At what point does our community start learning from history rather than repeating it?

Leland Traiman @ 9:29 AM PDT, May 21, 2008