« Go back a post || Return to G-A-Y homepage || Haul tail to next post »
10/29/2007
Donnie McClurkin: The Morning After
Alvin McKuen of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters fame attended a vigil that was staged yesterday outside of Columbia, South Carolina's Township Auditorium in protest of "former homosexual" and current gay rights foe Donnie McClurkin's controversial appearance at an Obama campaign event. For a first-hand account of the happenings, head over to Alvin's online home:
Thoughts from Sunday's vigil - that little story we never notice [HB&HM]
Or for a mainstream media account, here's the AP's take:
Obama singer wins cheers despite protest [AP via The State.com]
For those who don't want to read either, basically the gist is this: McClurkin made his scheduled appearance, Obama burned some bridges with the gay community and its allies, and the message that the interests of faith-based communities trumps those of LGBT people was delivered to thousands. Despite Obama's denunciation of McClurkin's rhetoric, Donnie was still given a pass that ANYONE who had demonized ANY OTHER community in the same fashion never would've been given. American political games as we've come to know them were played by a candidate who we hoped would change the rules.
And that's hopefully the last thing we'll have to say on this poorly handled, rift-making situation.
**UPDATE: Nope, we have more to say: McClurkin's: Over one billion revisions served [G-A-Y]
Your thoughts
Either the AP writer left early or is a stealth Obama fanatic who decided to soft-sell what really happened, according to the NY Times:
"At Barack Obama’s gospel concert here last night, more than 2,000 black evangelicals were singing, waving their hands and cramming the aisles — most enthusiastically when Donnie McClurkin, the superstar black gospel singer, decried the criticism he has generated because of his views that homosexuality is a choice.
He said his past statements about homosexuality had been twisted and he had been unfairly maligned. He segued into a hymn about standing up for one’s self and thrust a defiant fist toward the ceiling. This led to a short pitch for Mr. Obama, who, he said, stands for change. "But the greatest change a person can have is not in politics," he said. "There is only one king."
Mr. McClurkin is the preacher who had said he was gay but was "cured" through prayer and tonight he was the star act in a parade of star acts, which included the Mighty Clouds.
... The whole controversy might have been forgotten in the swell of gospel sound except Mr. McClurkin turned the final half hour of the three-hour concert into a revival meeting about the lightning rod he has become for the Obama campaign.
He approached the subject gingerly at first. Then, just when the concert had seemed to reach its pitch and about to end, Mr. McClurkin returned to it with a full-blown plea: "Don’t call me a bigot or anti-gay when I have suffered the same feelings," he cried.
"God delivered me from homosexuality," he added. He then told the audience to believe the Bible over the blogs: "God is the only way." The crowd sang and clapped along in full support."
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/obamas-gospel-concert-tour/
Leave it to The Professional Homohater Obama Arrogantly, Stubbornly Would Not Discard to rub the candidate's nose—all our noses—in it as "the crowd sang and clapped along in full support."
Posted by: Leland Frances | Oct 29, 2007 4:55:03 PM
I think many of Pastor McClurkin's statements about homosexuals have been taken out of context. I have heard him speak in person about the subject of homosexuality and I was very moved by hearing him say that he regretted that some of his statements have been misunderstood. One of the statements that I have been impressed with is " if you are a practicing homosexual and you are at peace with your lifestyle then I am not talking to you."
I know personally that there are many homosexuals who are in turmoil and don't want to have romantic and sexual feelings toward the same sex. My daughter is one of them. She has shared with me that she prays daily not to be gay. This is something she has come to on her own,no one in my immediate or extended family has ever maligned her. She is loved and cherished like everyone else in the family. When she came out to me I told her that I believe that God isn't pleased with this lifestyle however in the passage where God says that this is an abomination, he never says that he dosen't love the man that would lay with another man. I would fight to the death against the discrimmination, and gay bashing that goes on in this country. I don't agree with it and on my own website I have written that if anyone visiting my site would discriminate against anyone, including gay people, I would like for them to move on, in other words don't stay on my site, if you discriminate against anyone, then get off my site. When I go to God in prayer, his message to me is to love all and that I don't have the right to judge. It is against all that God teaches, the ridicule, and the judgement that comes from some of the people in the church. When we perpetuate discrimination, hate and intolerance, we are serving the devil and not God.
With that said, the bible says that men laying with men is an abomination so I believe that God isn't happy with this lifestyle. However God isn't happy with the lifestyle of many of us who fornicate and committ adultry and on. We all fall short and I believe so none of us have room to judge.
Everyone who is commenting negatively on Pastor McClurkin's so called stance on homosexuality should refrain until you hear him in person!
I would love to hear him do a press conference and clarify his past statements. Minister Brenda Brown
Posted by: Minister Brenda Brown | Jul 19, 2008 12:40:41 PM
comments powered by Disqus
