I want to address these myths many LGBT
people continue to hear in the black church.
Here’s a list of the top ten lies the black
church tells about being gay, lesbian, or
transgender .
1) Demon possession. There is no homosexual
demon or any demon of that nature. It’s a lie
and silly one at that.
2) Homosexuality is designed to break up the
black family. No, ignorance and bigotry causes
the problems in the family. A true loving
family looks beyond someone’s sexuality or
gender, and remains loving and supportive.
3) You can be delivered from homosexuality
through prayer. Nope, you can’t pray the gay
away, but you will waste a lot of time on your
knees.
4) Find someone of the opposite sex to chase
away “those feelings”. That doesn’t work. Why
would you force yourself to be with someone
you are not attracted to?
5) Lack of a father figure leads to
homosexuality. That’s a huge myth; many
LGBT people come from a two-parent
household.
6) Sexual abuse is the cause of homosexuality. …
Please.
7) The Bible says it’s a sin. Okay, if we’re going
to play that game the Bible also says being
drunk is a sin and debating is a sin. Hell,
they’re over 600 sins. If you are going to pick
just one, you have to pick them all.
8) You are a broken person if you are gay, trans
or lesbian. Donnie McClurkin preaches to his
church members that we are broken, and we
will never be whole until we give up our
homosexuality. This is also a lie. By being
honest and open, we are completely whole
and true to ourselves.
9) Homosexuality is a curse. Really? It’s not a
spell from a wicked queen. It’s who we are;
it’s who we’re meant to be.
10) You will burn in Hell. I can’t imagine
burning in Hell for being yourself or sharing
your life with someone you love. If this is so
wrong, how can we be capable of love?
As a new generation rises, I hope the
ignorance and bigotry within the black
church dies. Black Christians have to realize
these lies can do more harm than good. These
lies can weaken someone’s self-worth and
self-esteem, leading them down a destructive
path. The black church needs to know that
condemning black LGBT people is not the
way, but embracing and acknowledging the
black LGBT community is.
The message has to change.