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| Harry Jackson |
He sidestepped actually talking about the controversy by claiming that it was a conspiracy between The New York Times and the Human Right Campaign.
Today, Jackson doubled down on that ludicrous conspiracy theory:
In the midst of this fight, LGBT activists have created a mythology to try to explain the fierce minority opposition to their agenda. Primary among these myths is the idea that the National Organization for Marriage, with whom I and many African Americans have been proud to stand, is responsible for dividing racial minorities against the gay community. Nothing could be further from the truth. NOM has instead provided a national platform for racial minorities to voice their heartfelt outrage at an agenda that is trying to hijack the moral authority of the Civil Rights struggle.
Yesterday, Jackson exploited his title as a minister to run defense for the National Organization for Marriage's racism. Now today, he is flat out lying.
Remember again the portion of the documents which Jackson continues to conveniently ignore:
The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks - two key democratic constituencies. We aim to find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; to develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; and to provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots.
LGBT activists did not "create any mythology" because lgbt activists did not write the documents in question (including the passage.) The National Organization for Marriage did. And when confronted with the documents, NOM leaders Brian Brown and Maggie Gallagher did not deny writing writing it. In fact, they embraced it, claiming that the wording was merely "inapt."
Let's cut through the bull slung by both Jackson and NOM. It is true that NOM did not create the division between the gay community and some members of the African-American community on the subject of matter equality. But that's not the point. The fact of the matter is that NOM is attempting to exploit this division to the detriment of both groups.
NOM's plan was a deliberate attempt to exploit both the gay and African-American communities, to play with them like they are lowly toys, and to pull their strings as if they were puppets. It was a deliberate attempt to get the two communities digging at each other's throats and possible put black leaders in harm's way by deliberately provoking the gay community to attack these leaders.
Jackson should be aware that this isn't something you do with communities you are supposed to partner with. This is something done by folks engaging in cock fighting or dog fighting.
It's a classic case of divide and conquer used by the powers-that-be designed to impede the progress of minority communities time and time again.
And what makes it worse is how NOM is able to get Harry Jackson, a black minister, to run defense for this monstrosity. Harry Jackson, one who is supposed to be a man of God and a protector of the black community, is defending the use of the African-American community as pawns or like toys in a game which in the long run will only benefit probably just one African-American - Harry Jackson.
It is a sad commentary on how some of our black leaders have sacrificed their integrity for the spotlight and the media attention. They seem to reconcile some ludicrous belief in their heads that supposedly since the Bible calls homosexuality a sin, they can engage in any underhanded, morally questionable tactic to undermine the gay community.
While Jackson is grabbing all of his undeserved adulation, in a church somewhere, an lgbt of color is feeling alone and marginalized.
Elderly lgbts of color are feeling like outcasts in their own community.
More importantly, issues in the black community such as education, poverty, and socioeconomic inequality are taking a backseat because this useless weapon of mass distraction that is NOM's plan to divide gays and blacks.
If NOM succeeds in its effort, will the organization be around to help the black community combat our real problems? Will Harry Jackson be around? Or will the lure of being the token black man in the predominant white religious right power structure continue to seduce him?
Jackson's actions remind me of the civil rights movement song "We Shall Overcome," but not in a good way.
As long as folks like Jackson abandon their integrity and exploit their status in the black community to create division and hate, some of us will never overcome, particularly lgbts of color.
I sincerely hope that Jackson is proud of himself.
Related post: Minister sells out Black community for race-baiting National Organization for Marriage
None of this is surprising. The churches are the center of homophobia for many communities. The ministers need scapegoats who they can demonize. It's sad. They should be ashamed. Some may be self-hating gays themselves - that situation also exists among African American ministers, as well as white ones.
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