From Baltimore Out Loud
April 29, 2005

Black Homophobia Emerges at Town Hall
By Thomas Augustine

On April 18, 120 people packed an auditorium at Morgan State University to talk about homophobia in the black community. The program entitled, “The Tongue and Cheek of Black Homophobia: Gay Marriage, Religion and the Closet” was the first dialogue of its kind on the historically black university campus. Equality Maryland sponsored the town hall along with the National Black Justice Coalition, the Human Rights Campaign, and Rainbow Soul, the university’s lgbt student rights group.

From its outset, the dialogue was contentious. Lauren Stokeling, founder of Transwoman, Inc, lamented at the lack of a transgender person on the panel. “I see the G, the L and maybe the B, but where’s the T?” Stokeling remarked sarcastically. Instantly, she was invited to sit the panelists H. Alexander Robinson of the National Black Justice Coalition, Khadijah Tribble of Equality Maryland subcommittee “Marylanders of Color Collective”, Tomothius Mack-Jones of Baltimore’s Black LGBT Center “The Portal”, Meredith Moise, field organizer of Equality Maryland, Rainbow Soul member Katrina Scott and Minister Larry Thompson of Mt Pleasant Ministries who opposes gay marriage.

Anthony McCarthy, host of Morgan State radio’s “Daybreak” program, moderated the event which lots of energy and quick wit. When an angry audience member demanded more than the allotted minute to speak, McCarthy reigned him in. “There is only one man with the mike at this time and that’s me”, he retorted.

The spattering of Christian opposition to gay marriage and homosexuality was vocal. One obstinate participant asked panelist Khadijah Tribble, “If we let 2 people of the same sex get marry, what’s next? Will people be able to marry their dogs?” While the audience bristled at the crass comparison of bestiality with homosexuality, McCarthy asked the participant, “Are you comparing her [Khadijah’s] love for her partner to bestiality?” The young man did not respond. Another participant accused gays of being child molesters. “If we let gay people get married they will abuse children since they make up most of the sexual offenders any way?” she asked. The panel refuted her claim.

Stokeling charged, “I was molested by my straight Baptist pastor”. Other audience members wanted to know what life was like for gay students at Morgan. One student asked panelist Katrina Scott to describe what her life is like at Morgan. Katrina responded, “Life is can be hard. My friends are still adjusting to me coming out. And sometimes, people don’t know how to act around me.”

A lot of time was spent on religion. The panelists agreed that gay blacks play an important role in the black church. However, Minister Thompson alluded to the sin of homosexuality as it is mentioned in the Bible. “The Bible is clear on the subject”, he said. He quoted verse from Genesis, Leviticus and Romans to prove his theological point. Panelist Meredith Moise remarked on theological interpretations. “People have used scripture to justify a lot of prejudice but what gays and lesbians want is civil marriage”, responded. There was also a contingent of people who believed that blacks must choose whether to embrace their culture or their gayness. Tribble retorted, “My blackness does not negate my gayness and my gayness surely does not obliterate my blackness.” Another participant who opposed gay rights felt insulted by the comparisons of the civil rights movement to the gay rights battle. “I can stop being black”, he stated. “But you can stop practicing homosexuality,” he answered. Moise added, “We cannot play the ‘hierarchy of oppression’ game. Oppression is oppression regardless of who is being oppressed”.

Will these town hall meetings and discussions quell the tide of homophobia in the black community? H. Alexander Robinson noted, “African Americans are no more homophobic than their white counterparts”. “This forum was the beginning of a long dialogue”, Moise commented. “This conversation has rarely taken place in the open. Equality Maryland is committed to hosting this dialogue around the state in the black community”. A lesbian student sitting in the audience remarked, “The people coming to these forums are already open-minded.” “The people who believe being gay is wrong won’t come”, she believes. Heather Riley, president of The Portal’s board, believes that there is still some room to change minds during this dialogue. “These people [people in the audience] are willing to see a different perspective”, she noticed.

Equality Maryland did not give any information on upcoming town hall meetings. However, there are rumors that the next set of meetings will take place in Prince George’s County. One can only speculate about how these dialogues are changing the perception of the glbt rights movement in the black community. Organizers hope that sustained conversation will produce more tolerance and understanding for African American lgbt people in their own communities.