African-American Leaders Step Up Against Homophobia In Maryland

More encouraging news from Baltimore, via the Baltimore Sun:



Elbridge James wasn't surprised when many of his fraternity brothers ridiculed him for supporting same-sex marriage.



But what James didn't expect was for a handful of his old college buddies to rise to his defense. They, too, believed that gays' and lesbians' battle for marriage is a matter of civil rights.



"We're talking about a black fraternity that has had issues with homophobia," he said. "But I think when you get the message out, and people start to listen, they realize the question is about respecting others' rights."



The experience gave James, former political action chairman for the Maryland National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, hope that more blacks are willing to support gay rights than conventional wisdom might indicate.



In an effort to raise the issue of gay unions within black communities around the state, James and other activists have formed the Maryland Black Family Alliance, a group of predominantly heterosexual African-American leaders pledging their support for same-sex marriage.



"There's a scarcity of information on this issue in the black community," said James, the group's director. "The black press doesn't cover it; talk radio doesn't cover it. ... We have this sort of 'don't ask, don't tell policy' in our community."



When I first saw the headline about a group focused on black support for gay marriage, I had mixed feelings. I was concerned that this might be an effort to splinter off the African-American GLBT community and for them to do their own thing, but I was relieved to see that this is apparently not their goal. Subdividing GLBT activists, already a small number, into racial groupings would only further dilute the strength of their message. On the other hand, a concerted effort to draw more African-Americans into the conversation could be a very positive thing, and I applaud these leaders for stepping out and initiating this group.



Here is a press release from the ACLU regarding the launch.



This blog post from BET points out that the leaders are mostly heterosexual. The comments below it point out the uphill struggle they have ahead of them.