Brody's Scribbles... Bernice King To Head SCLC & LGBT People Of Colour Are Not Happy

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Nov 2 | One of my best friends, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia called me yesterday fuming. He was upset and to use his words, "Man, I'm bitter about Rev. King's homophobic daughter getting elected." [See related here] We have often discussed between us how certain news events have affected LGBT people, but for him this held special significance, as he is as he puts it; "Black,Queer & All Man!"

As we talked, he sent me a link Pam Spaulding's website, Pam's House Blend. Ms. Spaulding is a leading Lesbian citizen journalist reporting from Durham, NC. She is the editor and publisher of the 'Blend,' and is also a major contributor to The Bilerico Project and a much sought after speaker.

As I read the column and related articles, it slowly began to dawn on me that Rev. King is not a fan of LGBT Equality by any standard. For example, in 2004, Bernice King helped lead a march against same-sex marriage in Atlanta with prominent Atlanta based homophobic minister Bishop Eddie Long, of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Her participation in the march was in sharp contrast to the longtime advocacy of her mother, Coretta Scott King and her older sister Yolanda Denise King, both long-time outspoken supporters of gay rights.

At the time of the march, Ms. King told the Associated Press that she knew deep within that her father did not march and did not take a bullet for same-sex marriage: “I don’t believe that people should be penalized for their affections, but we need to be clear on the purpose of sexuality and marriage, that purpose being procreation.”

Bernice King inherits an SCLC and issues much changed from the days of her father’s leadership. And she will have to work to rebuild the organization, which has stumbled in recent years.

“She can hearken back to her father’s legacy, but she’s going to have to redefine it,” said Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie. “She now, as his child, is going to have to figure out a way to push that legacy forward so we don’t perpetuate a stagnant, chauvinistic civil rights agenda.”

According to Ms. Spaulding and other noted LGBT persons of colour, that may be the largest problem given Ms. King's apparent disdain for LGBT Equality.

Rev. Bernice King        Photo By Getty Images

For more coverage and an outstanding column by Alvin McEwen please visit Pam's House Blend. [Linked Here]