The Role of the Church in Gay Harlem

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Christian leaders have often written about homosexuality in a negative manner. Throughout the majority of Christian history most theologians and dominations have viewed homosexual behavior as sinful and immoral especially in African-American churches. Certain orthodox interpretations of Christian morality have led the overwhelming majority of African-Americans who attend church to consider homosexuality a sin and thus same-sex marriages as wrong. Black liberation theology, especially in the context of the black political church, has led a minority of African-Americans to be inclusive of homosexuals and to permit their churches to serve as a political resource for those receptive to lesbian and gay rights (Shaw). However, in the past century some African-American Christian religious groups and churches have espoused a wide variety of beliefs and practices towards homosexuals, including the establishment of some 'open and accepting' congregations that actively support queer members. The Abyssinian Baptist church is one of these institutions. By comparing the preaching’s of early 20th century pastor Adam Clayton Powell Jr, to present day pastor Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, there is strong evidence to show the evolution of churches position on homosexuality in the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
May 17, 2004 was a historical day for two reasons: Same-sex marriage became legal for the first time in the US state of Massachusetts after the Legislature failed to take any action in the 180 days period given by the state's Supreme Court and it was the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. The concurrence of these two events begs the question of whether the African American civil rights movement was in any way equivalent to the movement for civil rights for homosexuals. Some commentators were excited as the United States made strides towards equality. According to Andrew

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