WASHINGTON, D.C. – The relationship with the LGBT community and the black church has never been easy. In fact, it’s become a little violent at times and isolating for many. But now some are trying to make amends.
Recently a meeting took place in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fort Washington, Md. where several ministers of black churches met with members of the LGBT community, and formally apologized for what the organizers described as the church’s judgmental attitude toward individuals who experience same-sex attraction and their loved ones.
The Root reported that the meeting was billed as an opportunity for people to express their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment. Anthony E. Moore, pastor of Carolina, moderated the dialogue and stated up front that the forum was not intended to be one in which the church took a theological position .
The two-hour forum featured a variety of speakers who shared their stories about their experiences and how the church had affected their lives. All had one common theme: The church, the one place that should represent the epitome of love, was often the most uncaring and unsafe place for these individuals when they were at their most vulnerable.
Bishop Kwabena Rainey Cheeks declared that, “the most dangerous place for a gay and lesbian person is the black church.”
