The Rainbow Children

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) coming out for same-sex marriage is perhaps the latest example of an overnight conversion. It seems that, before his son came out to him, Portman was perfectly comfortable institutionalizing a denial of basic civil rights to a subject class. LGBT persons were not persons at all to the senator. His son coming out put a human face on a complex issue, one which conservatives behave like absolute morons about. It is shocking and deeply troubling that many of us within the black church, in our ignorance and fear, continue to cling to a dehumanizing and un-Christlike standard of don’t-ask-don’t-tell, of placing conditions on the love of Jesus Christ. Even sadder: Senator Portman had to actually get to know a gay person in order to have any real perspective on these issues. We in the black church know perfectly well who the gay, lesbian and transgender people are among us. We eat with them, hang out with them, work alongside them. Just as long as they don’t confirm what we already know.   CONTINUED

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