Category Archives: Transgender
Wave of restroom laws hearken back to Jim Crow
Remember when our people were highly restricted in the use of public restaurants, restrooms, and water fountains? We had to plan ahead. We carried our own food and beverages, arranged to stop at someone’s house to use the bathroom, …
Why I can’t forget my blackness
The discomfort of being THE black guy in the room is something that I have to negotiate over and over again. Often—especially in progressive and/or queer political spaces— I am one of very few people of color. In practice, the …
The Black church: Bold and bad enough to accept and affirm
The Black Church has been a strong pillar of the community. I pray that it will have the courage not only to accept, but affirm its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children. The recent VH1 segment, Out in Hip Hop: …
CeCe McDonald: Finding Myself, Finding My Spirituality
Crucial in my journey was this learning: Our communities’ internalized teachings and fear mongering tactics are inflicted upon black bodies to keep us oppressed. We too often uphold traditionalism and bible binaries without interrogating our own internalized hatred (racism, homophobia, …
Maybe Same Sex Marriage IS God’s Will
We are not the same America. We are not the same America that we were 20 or even 10 years ago. For decades, civil liberties framed the discourse about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) justice. Now marriage, a union …
A letter to the National Baptist Fellowship of Concerned Pastors
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Recently, I learned of your public protest against the leadership of Dr. Forrest Harris, President of American Baptist College of Nashville, and his decision to invite Bishop Yvette Flunder, …
Laying my burdens down: Embracing Black, Queer Christians in the church
In February, Black LGBT activists Wade Davis, Tiq Milan, and Darnell Moore hosted a #ThisIsLuv town hall forum in Washington, D.C. #ThisIsLuv brought the Black Queer community together and showcased the support and love that we receive from our friends …
Black Lives Matter to the Black Church
When I came home from college for winter break I noticed a flyer on my church’s Facebook page that said December 14th was designated as “Black Lives Matter” Sunday. It was a couple weeks after the Grand Jury decision to not …
Things I thought I would never say: An open letter to COGIC
My dear Church of God in Christ, I am about to take a risk and say some things that I more or less thought I would never say. I have concluded that it is time. I am approaching my 60th …
Reflecting on Black Sexualities, Black Religiosity, & Black Lives in Anti-Black Times
These reflections were first shared on October 20, 2014 at the Columbia University conference, “Are the Gods Afraid of Black Sexuality? Religion and the Burdens of Black Sexual Politics,” and published in TheFeministWire.com Seventy-three days ago, Mike Brown, Jr., an …