Posted on 01/17/2011 9:16:16 AM PST by scottjewell
The colorful attention-grabbing billboards of gay black men in a church and on the basketball court are creating a firestorm of controversy on an issue that continues to drive a wedge in segments of the African-American community.
City Councilman Joseph Allen said Friday that he came in for both scorn and support after publicly expressing his displeasure this week that the billboards send the wrong message to impressionable youngsters, particularly those being raised by single mothers who may not have positive male role models.
"This kind of billboard is putting the stamp of approval on a gay lifestyle," said Allen, who is black and insists he is not homophobic.
He said he has talked with the city lawyer about taking down the billboards in Schenectady but was told the advertisements are protected under First Amendment rights.
Tandra R. LaGrone, executive director of Albany-based In our Own Voices, said the group is sponsoring the awareness campaign because it is consistent with the mission of promoting the health and welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of color.
"I thought it would be useful and pertinent to have the campaign in the Capital Region because of the numbers for HIV and AIDS among gay black males have has risen significantly," she said. "You have to start from a place of respect in order to address the stigma and homophobia of being a black gay man."
There are a total of 18 billboards in Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer and Montgomery counties along with ads on buses and bus shelters, said Peter Constantakes, spokesman with the state Department of Health which gave $50,300 to the campaign.
"This is targeting a group that is reluctant to get tested or to use a condom or other protection," said Constantakes, adding that across the country, black males are one of the fastest-growing groups being infected with the virus that causes AIDS. "There is the stigma that they are keeping everything secretive and are afraid to get tested."
The campaign is modeled after similar ones in Long Island, Rochester and New York City, Constantakes and LeGrone said.
LeGrone called Allen's remarks especially "frightening" considering he is an elected official and black. "He is looking at his constituency as strictly being heterosexual individuals," she said, adding that the message is that gay black men make up every segment of society and are here to stay.
In one of the ads, three men kneel at a basketball with the message, "This is where I play," while another shows an older man with a clerical collar and Bible standing in pew behind a younger man that says, "This is where I pray."
Pastor Richard Parsons of Consecration Temple Church of God Christ in Schenectady said the message he gets when he sees the billboards is that homosexuality is OK. "It's directly against God's word and what God hates, I hate," he said.
Paul Webster, president of the Schenectady chapter of the NAACP, said he would rather see black activists, politicians and clergy tackle the problems of gangs, guns and violence that are addling the community.
The billboards' over-arching message is, he said, about "preserving families and protecting people," Webster said.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/I-am-gay-billboards-igniting-controversy-957981.php#ixzz1BJMzktAf
From the article:
“gay black men make up every segment of society and are here to stay”
WTF???? I have to disagree with this. I cannot believe that taxpayer dollars are being used to promote this idea that “gay black men” are just your normal people.
“They be keepin’ it on the DL bro . . . “
Just thinking about NY state spending over $50,000 for such a project.
How pathetic, how very New York.
>Lev. 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”<
.
Is there anyone who does not understand this?
Where is the cutesy little poem showing us where they drink beer?
I know who you’re suggesting, but my prediction is that Kanye West will be the one who eventually comes clean.
Lots of gays who attend “church” don’t understand it. Their response is that it was oldschool law and doesn’t apply today.
They cite that we no longer have animal sacrifices as an example.
They are clueless and highly selective about God’s word.
I’ve been called a “hatemonger” for mentioning it.
I tell them, blame God, I didn’t write it...
How do you promote "the health and welfare" of people who are knocking 30 years off their life expectancy?
Shouldn't they be telling them to quit having sex and start smoking cigarettes? It would add 10 years to their life expectancy.
“This is where I stay”. These people don’t “live” anywhere...they are more like wild animals and “stays” somewhere.
Nice work!
Easily solved.
The pastor should put up billboards with people I’m the same poses. The billboards will read I AM NOT GAY!
Surely the homosexual lobby & city council won’t object to an expression of free speech. They should also request identical funding.
LMAO good one.
How about........IF THERE WERE MORE HOMOPHOBIA THERE WOULD BE A LOT LESS AIDS!
Post of the day.
Be careful, that could be a CLM or Career Limiting move.
>Their response is that it was oldschool law and doesn’t apply today.<
.
Can they tell you when the law was changed and who made the change?
Sounds good to me!
It still would not sink into the heads of these deviants.
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