Well that was a let down. After taking the reigns of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Bernice King — whose father Martin founded the organization — had the chance to turn a new leaf on the organization’s, and her own, homophobia. In the most clear signal yet, she’s not going to.
Since being named head of SCLC — the latest in a scandal-plagued series of power grabs — King has made no indication that she’s going to suddenly come out for the gays. But we hoped and prayed. She didn’t answer.
What she did do, however, was oversee SCLC’s public denouncement of Florida’s Tallahassee City Commission granting benefits to the same-sex partners of city employees. In an open letter to the mayor, the group wrote:
We the members of the SCLC are very displeased of the recent actions of the commission to revise a policy to allow same-sex and domestic partners to receive benefits as married couples are receiveng. Mr. Mayor, what may be politically correct, may not be morally or eeithically feasible for the stability and growth of the Tallahasee community.
Mr. Mayor and Commissioners, your actions do not reflect the moral or cultural attitude of the majority of citizens you represent. Why should we as taxpayers be forced to compromise our integrity to pay benefits to a society of who the state have not determined or recognized as legal?? Your leadership on this police has sent a dark cloud over this city that expresses a moment of shame and degradation.
Yes, the letter came from a local SCLC chapter — and has already been met with a rebuke from the organization’s Los Angeles chapter — but it’s up to Bernice King to steer the national organization’s local practices as well. With a single swift denouncement of discrimination endorsement, King could direct all local chapters to support equality for LGBT Americans. Instead, she’s sitting idly by, letting SCLC continue its anti-gay policies — something her father would have never wanted to see.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Landon Bryce
Call SCLC at 404-522-1420 to let them know how you feel about this.
Be nice.
Forrest
Bigotry and bad spelling stupid is as stupid types
Mike in Brooklyn
Sometimes apples fall from the tree and rot.
Bernice King, and indeed the SCLC today, turn deaf ears to the words of Martin Luther King.
As an undergrad, reading the simple plain meaning of Dr. King’s eloquent words from his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” I drew the strength to come out to myself, my friends and family. I, nor the GLBT community need Bernice King nor the SCLC to tell us what Dr. King would think about marriage equality. Dr. King’s words speak, loudly, for themselves; his courageous actions show the way.
Thirty plus years later, when I get down about the anti-gay bashings from wingnuts and so-called civil rights leaders, I return to that Letter — magically, hope returns.
For this white boy born into upper middle-class privilege, neither Mickey Mantle nor Neil Armstrong were my heros, but Dr. King was one. And to this day, he is one of my favorite heros. Shame on Berince King and shame on SCLC.
dvlaries
Their father took the risks that brought the family its name recognition; the kids know they don’t have to. Bravery never was hereditary.
Attmay
The same arguments used to keep her father a second class citizen are now used to keep us third class citizens.
Dave
We should write a letter that requests we bring back lynching for blacks for wanting to marry anyone outside their race…don’t they know it’s immoral and unethical to allow them to love outside their colored kinds?
glennmcgahee
Her momma would have a few words for her. Coretta Scott King fully supports the rights of Gay and Lesbian people. Guess you have to have not grown up spoiled and given your position through no achievement of your own other than your parentage to take everything for granted. Shame on her and shame on whoever released that horribly incoherent statement.
greenluv1322
Trust me every woman named Bernice is a bitch! And I don’t mean that in a sexist way.
jimmy
Was that statement copy/pasted? If so, it is a poorly written piece of garbage. Typical.
Tackle
@5 Dave
Isn’t it immoral and unethical for you to generalize by using the term, “blacks”? Like every single black person in the U.S.had a hand in this when the artical stated the Los Angeles chapter rebuked what Bernice wrote . And this is not the way her father believed. Nothing wrong with interracial love, but i do not think that every black person wants to marry outside their so-called race. What you wrote is just another pathetic excues to express your racism.
Wade MacMorrighan
This is a serious affront to her mother, Corretta Scott King, who was a great defender of Gay rights, and to Bayard Rustin, who was an openly Gay man and the read brains behind the Civil Rights movement.
me
What would her mother say?
Sug Night
Hey Green, don’t be hating on my girl Bernice from DESIGNING WOMEN. Sure she had an arterial flow problem from time to time, but Bernices need love too.
Also, THIS Bernice is deep in the closet, which would explain her diversionary tactics (stupid as they may be). There’s been talk for years about her. I hope someone will publish the truth about her (does anyone have the photos?). I know from personal experience she is a liar and that she will use the family name to blackmail you into getting whatever she wants.
Truth is, many of the King children have grown up to be piss poor adults.
mark
Not half the woman Coretta was.
terrwill
Vile wretched hateful disgusting cunt………..