an abomination to God's word, says black preacher

"an abomination to God's word"

African American minister W. James Favorite rejects equating the struggle for gay rights with the civil rights movement.


105 years ago today that Sigmund Freud told the world homosexuals were not sick and they should not be treated as sick. It would take the American Psychiatric Association 70 years to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Culturally it still remains a sickness in the hearts and minds of the majority of people in most countries. Successes have been many compared to where we were yet so much more is needed to allow homosexuals to live full and happy lives. Most of Europe and Canada have passed laws that protect against discrimination as have many US States and cities. It remains a political football nevertheless. The old adage, that ones rights are only as good as the next election rings as true today than at anytime in our past.

As the United States approaches a watershed election, poised to erase one gigantic barrier in the fight for equality by electing a black President, gays are again suffering a backlash. Republicans and many Democrats have spoken in favour of ballot measures amending state constitutions to ban gay marriage.

The ballot measure in California would reverse a court decision that said it was discriminatory to ban gay marriage. To beat the courts, Californians are being asked to change the constitution. If successful, the amendment would forbid gay marriage.

The ballot measure is a ruse to get likely republican voters out to support the republican ticket. The measures are designed to play to peoples fears. It worked for George W Bush and it may hold a couple of states for McCain. McCain can still win the election if they motivate enough people, scare them with the 'homosexual agenda' or the prospect of having a black President.

The Obama campaign is riding high. Obama is leading among, urban, women, youth and college educated voters. Yet none of these groups come close to his overwhelming support in the Black and gay communities of America. He is expected to rack up 80 percent or more of all black votes in this election. Democrats are use to receiving the support of black voters, yet they have never seen such lopsided support from any community before with the exception of gays.

Obama's success is exciting for all of us looking for equality and hope, yet there likely will be some unintended consequences for gays in Florida. Florida's ballot measure to prevent gay marriage is also supported by a very large number of blacks in that state. In the tight race for President, republicans are getting the evangelical vote out because of the ballot measure. Democrats are getting the vote out for Obama. The unintended consequence for the Democratic ticket in getting the black vote out, may be the success of a constitutional amendment that discriminates against gays and unmarried straight couples.

African-American Beulah Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa views gay marriage as "an abomination to God's word," minister W. James Favorite told USA Today. He rejects equating the struggle for gay rights with the civil rights movement.

The vote to bar gay marriage requires a 60 percent threshold to succeed. Right now polls say the measure has 55 to 59 % support. A record turnout among blacks and young voters backing Obama could cut both ways.

The St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9/Miami Herald statewide poll found 48 percent of Democrats support the amendment and a whopping 69 percent of black voters. "Its promise lies in the fact that you are going to see an increase in turnout among African-American voters," Kellyanne Conway, president of the Polling Company told the St. Petersburg Times.

It would be a tragedy to see so many that have suffered so long in their pursuit of equality rejoice in Obama's success, only to see the rights of others eliminated as they celebrate. Obama is everyone's hope.

Read here of one persons "Welcome to the family experience" and Andrew Sullivan's Big Fat Straight Wedding.

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Yesterday's man McCain

I watched the American debate last night and almost fell asleep. I will be upfront here and say that I would support Obama for President if I had a vote. I was all geared up to hear Obama say something exciting. He didn't.

McCain was okay in the debate. Some thoughts. McCain has been everywhere. He starts almost every response to a question with, I have been there. I couldn't help wonder if he has been everywhere, why the heck is America in such trouble?

What really started to grind away at me was Obama's repeated response to McCain, "Senator McCain is absolutely right...". Obama would then go onto say why and then what else was needed. It was like McCain was making a motion in Senate and Obama was seconding the motion.

Usually experience is an asset in politics. Everyone is granting McCain, a Senator for 26 years, experiance. The question that isn't being asked is, what value is that experiace to America today? What has he done on the economy? What has he done on foreign affairs? What has he done to make Health Care available to all Americans? What has he done to prevent jobs from being exported abroad? What has he done for Veterans?

I think Obama could do more with that.

How about this, every time McCain goes on about his 'I've been everywhere man.' Obama should say, "Thank you Mr. McCain, you have been everywhere, you say you saw the economic crisis coming, you saw the war, you saw the torture, you saw disaster after disaster and still you walked lock, stock and barrel with Presdent Bush. Its like saying I have made a lot of mistakes, trust me. I have learned from them and won't make the same ones again.

Except McCain has not learned has he? He will stay on in Iraq. He will continue to flounder in Afghanistan. He will give people without work a tax cut for health insurance. He will cut taxes for everyone but especially for those people without work. He will freeze government spending so low-income Americans won't be burdened with costly government handouts.

Let's Hope, Americans buy Obama's Hope message.

Obama vs McCain

Its the American Presidential Debates. McCain has relented and decided he will lose more by staying away than being there. Obama has to pretend he is using Twitter and keep his responses short and under 140 words!

McCain will have to keep his cool. He doesn't like to lose and he has a real smart ass attitude sometimes. I expect he will flip out as soon as Palin comes up in the conversation. There is a new nickname for Palin, Caribou Barbie... Mr. Obama shouldn't use that or use the words lipstick or pig in the same paragraph.

If you want to play a game, see how many times McCain's poor flying, whoops i mean his prisoner of war saga comes up.

Another thing to watch for, who will say the most good things about Hillary Clinton. Barack better win that one just to keep the Dems happy!

watch twitter on the USA Election