Note to readers: Don’t be afraid to comment on this story. I know that for at least some of you, you want to appear as “neutral” — believing that it will keep you above criticism and being labeled. So go ahead and comment, even if you do not agree with me.
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From Charlene E. Cothran:
“Over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues. I’ve organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate.As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.
But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.
I don’t expect that this message will be widely received, quite the contrary. But, I do know that there is someone, possibly reading this very article, who is tired and unhappy living this way. Someone, in your heart of hearts, is searching for a way out, but you just can’t seem to break free on your own. I am speaking to my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who want real peace; the kind you’ve heard about, sung about, read about. It is simpler than you think to acquire it and there is no condemnation once you’ve entered it.” (more…)
As expected, some of the same members of the group that pleads to the world to accept them at face value is having a hard time accepting Cothran’s claim here. As I have mentioned on this site in the past, I have met and known of quite a few individuals who have abandoned their claim that they were “born that way”, yet about 90% of the time in forums where I have mentioned this their testimonies are marked as false without giving it a fair hearing. Here you have a woman who has not only been a homosexual for 29 years, but also…
“…organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate. (more)
So far, the comments that I have been reading online has ranged from the claim that she was never really gay to the possibility that she has “converted” for the money. Here is what Cothran had to say on that:
“As for support from black churches, we have been and continue to be avoided by them financially. Any support given usually comes in the form of an ad, here and there, but these ads are few and far between. We have sought support from professional black clergy associations in New Jersey, but have not gotten a single official or unofficial, public or private endorsement to date.†(source)
If you continue to read the article directly above, you will see that dispite mentioning this piece of information, the author STILL maintains that she is doing it for the money without providing any evidence to back her claims.
If this is your first time hearing of this story, don’t be surprised. This is a huge contrast to the shock waves that were sent throughout mainstream media when Rev. Willie Wilson voiced his criticisms about the homosexual lifestyle.
If you want to know MY POV on this issue, check out the following postings I have written over the last couple of years.
Would you do business with homosexuals?
Asking for what you don’t want
Homosexuality and the black church
