Mess and stuff for Monday

Let's get the small stuff out of the way first.

My book has been available on amazon.com for a few weeks now and it is looking good. If you do not want to order Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters via xlibris then by all means go to amazon.com

Secondly, how do you all like the new look of my blog? I needed a change in something and since I don't have a man and can't get my hair done (black men generally have two choices with hair - to cut or not to cut), I figured why not give my blog a change.

Now onto the important stuff - and the fact that Dumbledore is gay does not rank up there as "important stuff:

We need to support ENDA

Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to be connected to your representative based on your zip code. Here is a suggested message:

Hello, my name is _____ and I live in your district. I am calling to ask the representative to support the Baldwin amendment to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The Baldwin amendment adds gender identity protections back into ENDA and it is critically important to me that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are protected by this legislation. This amendment is the only way to fix this bill, and I only support passage of H.R. 3685 if the amendment passes

Donnie McClurkin was wrong, but let’s think before acting

Apparently presidential candidate Barack Obama may be stepping into a big pile of manure due the selection of Donnie McClurkin as a performer at one of his campaign events.

The Grammy-award winner has in the past claimed to be "delivered from homosexuality." Following this tone, he has written a biography and made appearances on programs such as the "700 Club."

So naturally many of us aren't happy that Obama seems to be having dealings with him, so to speak.

But let's use some savvy about the situation before we read the riot act.

I think when McClurkin began speaking out against us, he was yet another Christian who let his ego overtake his humbleness.

I also think that Mr. McClurkin may have regretted some of his wannabe "righteous indignation." He realized that he did not know what the hell he was talking about.

This isnt' the first time this sort of thing has happened. I remember two gospel singers by the names of Angie and Debbie Winans writing a song, "It's Not Natural," in which they protested Ellen DeGeneres's coming out and homosexuality in general.

The controversy led to appearances on radio shows, talk shows, appearing in newspapers ads speaking out for the "ex-gay movement," and finally speaking in front of state Congressional committees against pro-gay ordinances.

The end of the controversy saw the Winans sisters declaring publicly that they were "used" by people they were trying to help.

In short, Angie and Debbie's religious beliefs coupled with their egos led them to make giant homophobic asses of themselves.

So this is nothing new regarding Donnie McClurkin. And maybe he was paying attention to the Winans controversy. He has tried to temper the outrage over his claims about the gay community:

"What I say in the book is simply this: If you're gay, and you're happy, if you don't think you need to change, stay just how you are. But there are some people who are in the gay and bisexual lifestyle that are broken . . ." - Donnie McClurkin puts the focus back on traditional gospel - in secular music, The Associated Press, 2005

But like I said before, let’s use some savvy before rushing to jump at Donnie McClurkin. I don't say this because I feel sorry for him or agree with his statements. When you talk about issues you don't understand and end up saying stupid shit, you deserve almost all of what you get.

However, picture the scenario of what this situation can lead to:

Donnie McClurkin appears on African-American oriented radio talk shows talking about the situation. And who is there to give our side of the issue?

Probably no one because the African-American community as a whole generally don't recognize the existence of lgbts of color.

Remember, the African-American community has no out lgbt leaders gracing the covers of Ebony, Jet, or Essence. The African-American media does not necessarily take it upon itself to present issues indigenious to the lgbt of color experience.

And for the most part, neither does the mainstream lgbt community.

So McClurkin can easily portray himself as a victim and the lgbt community as religious oppressors in these avenues.

And this could lead to another possible distraction to divide the mainstream lgbt and the heterosexual African-American community.

If the scenario sounds familiar, it should.

It was one (with deviations) that led to Bush being re-elected in 2004.

Granted, if this situation was to come to pass like I have just fortold, it won’t be on the same scale as marriage equality.

But divide and conquer tactics have a habit of being destructive on any scale.

The fact of the matter is that McClurkin has extreme popularity in the African-American community. And the lack of lgbts of color to give our side of the issue only makes the entire community look not only anti-religious but racist.

It also underscores how much the lgbt leadership (i.e. HRC, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, etc.) needs to make a serious effort to recruit and train potential lgbt of color spokespeople with enough autonomy to appeal to the heterosexual African-American community.

This is not to give McClurkin any leniency. He may have been speaking of his own experience, but there is no excuse for him to demonize the lgbt community as a whole.

I don’t care how many songs he sings, or how many Bible he reads, McClurkin should have taken it upon himself to learn more about the issues before running his mouth. He should have remembered the verse that says "my people perish for the lack of knowledge."