Gay rights advocates respond to claim Dr. King's legacy misrepresented by gays
Mon. January 17, 2011 2:54 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
King's legacy and civil rights cause misrepresented by gays, says Illinois Family Institute
Chicago, IL -
On the day set to honor slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the anti-gay Illinois Family Institute, which is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, gathered 40 black ministers and political leaders to denounce any connection between civil rights and gay rights. (Read the full story)
"The recent passage of the 'civil unions' bill has been trumpeted by some lawmakers as an achievement to civil rights. It is not," Illinois Family Institute said in a press release announcing Monday's meeting.
In a statement released Monday to ChicagoPride.com, The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) president Jacob Meister responds. TCRA was instrumental in lobbying the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (SB 1716) on Dec. 1, 2010.
Statement from Jacob Meister:
More than 40 years after his death, the struggle for civil rights continues -- that we all may be equals, free from the tyranny of bigotry and ignorance.
In today's America we still endure a system of laws that allow for the legal discrimination of gay Americans. Whether it is the right to marry, be afforded earned benefits or serve openly in the military, civil rights continue to be withheld from gay Americans.
As we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, we remember his patience, his wisdom and the values for which he lived, fought and died. But we must not forget that like our nation, his dream is incomplete, and as we celebrate his memory and his victory we remain vigilant in the struggle to maintain his legacy.
Before her death, Coretta Scott King also recognized that LGBT rights are civil rights when she said, "Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental civil right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination…. I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."
Until 2006 it was illegal to be gay in many states in this country. Our youth feel so helpless that they commit suicide in record numbers. And members of our community are singled out and physically assaulted simply because they are gay. We need only remember Matthew Sheppard who was hog tied, pulled behind a pickup truck and left to die, simply because he was gay. In Chicago, we should remember the case of Daniel Hauff, who this past year was beaten on a Red Line train simply because he was gay.
Civil Rights belong to every American and are broadly defined as, "the right of personal liberty guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution." This includes the right to associate, and to peacefully live your life with a partner of your choice, without government interference. The suggestion that African American's have a monopoly on civil rights or that civil rights is purely a racial matter is absurd.
The arguments made by the collection of Chicago clergy at today's press conference at Freedom Baptist Church are not only ignorant and bigoted but seek to perpetuate an insidious type of institutionalized discrimination. Gay Americans should not be forced to ride at the back of the bus simply because of how they were born. It is both ironic and tragic that the clergy at today's press conference are making identical arguments to those which black oppressors used in the 1960's to claim that interracial marriage was "unnatural," "contrary to Christian values," "morally corrupting" and "against God's law." In 1967 the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia made clear that such arguments have no place in civil society. Sadly, today we witness members of the black clergy joining hands with their former oppressors and using the same arguments to justify oppression of a minority.
During the debate on the floor of the Illinois House and Senate, almost every speaker in support of the civil unions bill recognized that gay rights are the civil rights struggle of our day. Many legislators, including several prominent African American's understand the parallels between the struggle of the gay community today and those of blacks, women, and various ethnic and religious minorities in the past. These legislators understand that government has no place legislating morality. And these legislators understand the true meaning of civil rights.
I applaud those in the Illinois General Assembly who stood up against bigotry and hatred and voted to pass the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act and I urge every American to stand up to the forces of evil who advocate discrimination against any group of Americans.
Statement from Anthony Martinez, an organizer with LGBT Change and the new executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda:
I believe Martin Luther King, Jr. said that "all men are created equal". It is offensive that IFI is still using antiquated research studies to assert that being gay is a chosen behavior. I am also stunned that on this day where we celebrate a man that life's work was to end injustice everywhere, that IFI would host "Men of God" to argue against the rights of another minority group. LGBT rights are Civil Rights. The government should not tell you who to love. To invoke the name of Martin Luther Kind Jr. to spread hate and try to block rights from any group is a new low for IFI. It screams of desperation.
To the "men of God" who will stand today and invoke hate and malice towards our community, remember Christ's words "Love thy neighbor as yourself." I would also invoke the words of Coretta Scott King when she said, "For too long, our nation has tolerated the insidious form of discrimination against this group [LGBT] of Americans, who have worked as hard as any other group, paid their taxes like everyone else, and yet have been denied equal protection under the law...I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. My husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"The recent passage of the 'civil unions' bill has been trumpeted by some lawmakers as an achievement to civil rights. It is not," Illinois Family Institute said in a press release announcing Monday's meeting.
In a statement released Monday to ChicagoPride.com, The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) president Jacob Meister responds. TCRA was instrumental in lobbying the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (SB 1716) on Dec. 1, 2010.
Statement from Jacob Meister:
More than 40 years after his death, the struggle for civil rights continues -- that we all may be equals, free from the tyranny of bigotry and ignorance.
In today's America we still endure a system of laws that allow for the legal discrimination of gay Americans. Whether it is the right to marry, be afforded earned benefits or serve openly in the military, civil rights continue to be withheld from gay Americans.
As we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, we remember his patience, his wisdom and the values for which he lived, fought and died. But we must not forget that like our nation, his dream is incomplete, and as we celebrate his memory and his victory we remain vigilant in the struggle to maintain his legacy.
Before her death, Coretta Scott King also recognized that LGBT rights are civil rights when she said, "Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental civil right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination…. I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."
Until 2006 it was illegal to be gay in many states in this country. Our youth feel so helpless that they commit suicide in record numbers. And members of our community are singled out and physically assaulted simply because they are gay. We need only remember Matthew Sheppard who was hog tied, pulled behind a pickup truck and left to die, simply because he was gay. In Chicago, we should remember the case of Daniel Hauff, who this past year was beaten on a Red Line train simply because he was gay.
Civil Rights belong to every American and are broadly defined as, "the right of personal liberty guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution." This includes the right to associate, and to peacefully live your life with a partner of your choice, without government interference. The suggestion that African American's have a monopoly on civil rights or that civil rights is purely a racial matter is absurd.
The arguments made by the collection of Chicago clergy at today's press conference at Freedom Baptist Church are not only ignorant and bigoted but seek to perpetuate an insidious type of institutionalized discrimination. Gay Americans should not be forced to ride at the back of the bus simply because of how they were born. It is both ironic and tragic that the clergy at today's press conference are making identical arguments to those which black oppressors used in the 1960's to claim that interracial marriage was "unnatural," "contrary to Christian values," "morally corrupting" and "against God's law." In 1967 the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia made clear that such arguments have no place in civil society. Sadly, today we witness members of the black clergy joining hands with their former oppressors and using the same arguments to justify oppression of a minority.
During the debate on the floor of the Illinois House and Senate, almost every speaker in support of the civil unions bill recognized that gay rights are the civil rights struggle of our day. Many legislators, including several prominent African American's understand the parallels between the struggle of the gay community today and those of blacks, women, and various ethnic and religious minorities in the past. These legislators understand that government has no place legislating morality. And these legislators understand the true meaning of civil rights.
I applaud those in the Illinois General Assembly who stood up against bigotry and hatred and voted to pass the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act and I urge every American to stand up to the forces of evil who advocate discrimination against any group of Americans.
Statement from Anthony Martinez, an organizer with LGBT Change and the new executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda:
I believe Martin Luther King, Jr. said that "all men are created equal". It is offensive that IFI is still using antiquated research studies to assert that being gay is a chosen behavior. I am also stunned that on this day where we celebrate a man that life's work was to end injustice everywhere, that IFI would host "Men of God" to argue against the rights of another minority group. LGBT rights are Civil Rights. The government should not tell you who to love. To invoke the name of Martin Luther Kind Jr. to spread hate and try to block rights from any group is a new low for IFI. It screams of desperation.
To the "men of God" who will stand today and invoke hate and malice towards our community, remember Christ's words "Love thy neighbor as yourself." I would also invoke the words of Coretta Scott King when she said, "For too long, our nation has tolerated the insidious form of discrimination against this group [LGBT] of Americans, who have worked as hard as any other group, paid their taxes like everyone else, and yet have been denied equal protection under the law...I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. My husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."