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More and more, the
Christian faith, like the Republican Party, seems to revolve
around exclusion rather than inclusion. It has become an
instrument of rejection instead of acceptance and has
prioritized the practice of accusation and condemnation over
love and understanding.
Yet, a close biblical
reading reveals that a large part of Jesus’ ministry
involved his rejection of the accepted morality system of
his day, an oppressive structure used by the traditional
religious and political establishment to create insiders and
outsiders. These “purity codes,” as they were called,
granted access to healthcare, education, housing and food to
some, while others went without. It was a system that
enabled a “few” to prosper at the cost of suffering by the
“many.”
It was the venerable
Martin Luther King, Jr. that said: “We
are all tied together in a single garment of destiny... an
inescapable network of mutuality.... I can never be what I
ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be.”
If the contemporary black church is to be what it ought to
be rather than merely a place to go for entertainment on
Sunday morning, it must move, as Jesus did, beyond its
narrow ideological boundaries and broaden its scope. Instead
of indoctrination, the black church must learn to become a
good conversation partner, one that is able to convene broad
conversations that transcend the silos that it tends to
erect.
This week I present the relevant insights of Sheena Kadi,
who played a key leadership role in achieving the historic
victory for gay rights that allows same-sex couples to marry
throughout the nation.
Commentary: Our March Toward Justice
Written by: Sheena Anne Kadi, LGBT activist
Along with millions of
Americans, I celebrated Friday’s landmark victory
for marriage equality with tremendous joy. I remember being
an18 year-old out lesbian, thinking I would never see the
day I could marry; that this was a part of reality that I
must begrudgingly accept. Now that we’ve finally seen
history change before our eyes, all I can think about is
what we’ve accomplished. How this momentous occasion would
not have been possible without standing on the shoulders of
giants - the generations of activists, allies, and advocates
who fought to make this our reality. It would not have been
imaginable without the elected officials, faith leaders,
business owners, and other leaders in our communities, for
they added their voices to ours to amplify our message. It
would not have been conceivable without the tens of
thousands of Ohioans who had conversations with friends,
family, and co-workers about why marriage mattered to them.
Our courage, conviction, and determination have changed
hearts, minds and finally, laws.
While we celebrate this
momentous triumph, our work is not yet done. While a great
milestone has been reached, there is still much to do. For
too many of us who are subjected to discriminatory laws,
true equality is still just out of reach.
Our work won’t be finished
as long as the 450,000 LGBT Ohioans can be fired by
employers, denied housing, or refused public accommodations
for even being perceived to be gay or transgender.
Our work won’t be finished
until the 40 percent of homeless youth that are LGBT are off
the streets.
Our work won’t be finished
until the thousands of hate crimes that occur each year
against our community stops.
Our work won’t be finished
until the empowerment of the transgender community becomes a
central part of our movement.
These fights for the gay
and transgendered do not rest just within our community.
They are woven through every thread of our society – racial
injustice, women’s rights, immigration reform, voting
rights, prison reform, income inequality, workers’ rights.
We are interconnected by social injustice and oppression.
Both as individuals seeking to make a socially-just life for
ourselves and loved ones, and as collectivities seeking to
change history through political action and social
movements, we struggle with the unstable connections between
race, gender, and class.
Our work won’t be finished
until we can proudly proclaim that the systematic fair
treatment of all people has resulted in equal opportunities
and outcomes for all.
How do marginalized
communities have a fighting chance? Alone, it is nearly
impossible to change the course of this ship of
inevitability. Collectively, however, we have the strength
and power to steer the rudder of the ship of our destiny.
As we have seen from Selma
to Stonewall to the Supreme Court, the road to change can be
long and weary, but we shall overcome. The tasks ahead can
seem daunting, but we must work together toward a future
where all people can live safely, authentically, and free
from violence and discrimination - Period. We are resilient
enough to know that our work isn’t done, and spirited enough
to organize in our communities to foster that change.
Our work won’t be finished
until every American can not only marry, but live, work,
pray, learn and raise a family free from discrimination and
prejudice. We cannot settle for anything less. I’m looking
forward to us celebrating that day together. Until then, we
steadily continue our march towards justice.
Sheena Anne Kadi
LGBT Activist
Former Field Director for
Why Marriage Matters Ohio
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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