"Ex-Gay" Homophobe Donnie McClurkin Attacks Gay Youth

Donnie McClurkin Picks on Gay Youth

From the Advocate:
Donnie McClurkin, the "ex-gay" gospel star who sang for the Barack Obama presidential campaign last year, returns to controversial form with remarks he made about “broken and feminine” gay youths at the Church of God in Christ convention in Memphis on Saturday.

Watch the Video of this sick Man



This is what religious fundamentalism can do to you! I'm so glad the COGIC is moving their annual hate fest out of Memphis! Audios Bigots!

Obama Crossing Church/State Line: Kills Campaign

The controversy over Barack Obama's "Embrace the Change" Gospel concerts featuring "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin keeps growing, and it looks like Obama's embrace of the anti-gay black churches in the South may speed the end of his presidential campaign. Obama has been trying to repair his support among LGBT voters by adding a WHITE gay minister, who only spoke briefly, and by giving an extensive interview with The Advocate. However, the negative reactions from the gay community seems to have emboldened McClurkin and the concert attendees who cheered him as he lashed out at his critics. "They accuse me of being anti-gay and a bigot," McClurkin said. "We don't believe in discrimination. We don't believe in hatred, and if you do you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's the whole premise of God. That's the whole premise of Christ is love, love, love. But there is a side of Christ that deals in judgment, and all sin is against God." He reiterated his claim that "God delivered me from homosexuality," and claimed that he had been villified. He said he opposes discrimination against gays and he is not a bigot. He was cheered by the African-American concert attendees, 70 percent of whom believe that homosexuality is wrong and immoral.

If McClurkin had just made the claim that his faith in God helped him to change his sexual identity/preference I think gays should have accepted that and let it be. He has a right to his religious beliefs. BUT, McClurkin has gone further in his past statements and writings. He has refered to homosexality as a "curse." And here are some other quotes (from Truth Wins Out:

Homosexuality has really ravished our children. It started in my generation. I was touched by it and I struggled with it and all that for years and there was nobody to deal with it. I started dealing with it in my sermons and even when we do our concerts.” (An interview with www.FamilyChristian.com)

“Everybody is going to the same hell. The religious hypocrite will go to the same hell as the murderer and homosexual. My job is to say that sin is wrong and kill the sin, not the sinner.” (The Voice, 16 July 2001)

Commenting on New York City’s Harvey Milk School, which caters to gay students, he said, “The gloves are off. And if there’s going to be a war, there’s going to be a war. But it will be a war with a purpose.” (CBN, 700 Club Sept. 23, 2003)

And now, it looks like he may be another repressed homo after all. At least one person has come forward with a convincing story of havng a sexual relationship with McClurkin from 2001-2004!

My problem with McClurkin is NOT that he believes God "cured" him of his homosexual desires, but that he has attacked gay people. I respect the right of religious fanatics who think homosexuality is an abomination to make their own choices about their sexuality and their sexual identity. He should not be attacked for his religious beliefs, as irrational as they are. He and other "ex-gay" evangelicals cross the line when they attack gays and lesbians.

Despite Obama's good record on LGBT issues and his public statements of support for LGBT equality, he has exposed a major fault line between LGBT people and homophobic anti-gay black churches. By embracing McClurkin and the anti-gay black churches in South Carolina and across the South, Barack Obama has embraced homophobia for political gain. He has lost a lot of LGBT support just at the time he needs more support to defeat Hillary Clinton. The Obama campaign has killed their chances by pandering to anti-gay bigots.

When Obama, and other Democrats, violate the separation of church and state and embrace religious fundamentalism they should pay the political price of losing the support of liberals and progressives. Obama has attacked progressive secularists for ignoring "people of faith." But the Donnie McClurkin disaster demonstrates why politics and religion should not mix and why the framers of the U.S. Constitution insisted upon a "wall of separation" between church and state. Democrats, especially progressive Democrats, should be defending secularism not attacking it.

See Obama Campaign Post-Mortem

Obama Under Fire for Ties to "Ex-Gay" Gospel Singer

"Barack Obama Connected to Homophobic Singer".

Barack Obama is under fire from gay rights groups for taking part in a concert in South Carolina featuring "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, even though Obama has repeated his support of gay rights and opposition to discrimination, and McClurkin has also said he opposes discrimination against gays and lesbians. His "sin" is that he believes he has been "cured" of his homosexuality and that sexuality is a choice. Wayne Besen's Truth Wins Out organization has asked Obama to cut ties with Donnie McClurkin for claiming that homosexuality is a matter of choice.

I don't agree with McClurkin's religious beliefs about homosexuality, but I also oppose the "politically correct" gay thought police calling anyone who questions their belief that "sexual orientation" is biologically innate and fixed from birth "homophobic." Scientific evidence is mixed on the causes of sexual orientation (gay or straight) and some of us are Queer By Choice and believe that we should be free to choose our sexual preference or identity. If people are not happy being gay (or straight), or it is against their religious beliefs, they should also be free to choose their sexual identity.

I am more concerned about Barack Obama pandering to conservative anti-gay black churches. I'm not sure if it is fair to accuse Obama of Playing to Anti-Gay Sentiment. And it seems like a questionable political strategy for gay groups to pressure Obama to drop McClurkin from the concert and alienate black voters. Obama could help unite gays and African-Americans to oppose hate and discrimination against both groups. The GOP has been making significant gains in the black community, until Katrina and Bush's disastrous second term, by appealing to homophobia and anti-gay prejudice as well as other conservative religious beliefs on social issues like school prayer and abortion. Those gains may be minimal now, but they could provide just enough support to help the GOP in tight elections. Like it or not, the Democratic Party cannot allow the GOP to keep taking away African-American and evangelical votes. The challenge is for the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates to appeal to religious and African-American voters without undermining their commitment to the equality and civil rights of LGBT people. Perhaps a progressive Christian like Obama could remind African-Americans that MLK was right when he said that "Injustice against any of us is a threat to justice for all of us."