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Dustin Lance Black Hopes Religion Will Come To Embrace LGBT People
'Where I grew up, in the South, the church was the heart of the community.'
In his latest blog post, Academy award-winning activist Dustin Lance Black takes on religious discrimination against LGBT people. However, unlike many vocal proponents of equality who lament the power religion has over society--and its subsequent ability to entrench anti-gay attitudes--Black approaches the issue from a place of compassion and respect. More than simply being disappointed by those who manipulate religion to politically disenfranchise LGBT people, he is as greatly troubled by the fact that our community is, in many cases, denied its manifold benefits.
Here is some of what he has to say in the post, 'Barred from God: Legal, but Immoral':
"Where I grew up, in the south, the church was the heart of the community. It was where neighbors caught up, where kids were educated, where people came together to celebrate birth, love, and comfort each other in loss. To deny any group the benefits of religion--of a sense of belonging, of support, of its healing and inspirational qualities--is a sad corruption of community and religious values. It hurts individuals. It harms families."
"To focus on biblical instances of intolerance and persecution is to miss the purpose. The Bible is filled with genocide, polygamy, and slavery, but religion today focuses on the positive and enduring messages, not those contrary to the values we've come to know through greater human understanding--and there are few groups we have come to understand better in the past half century than the LGBT community. That knowledge should lend itself to love and understanding, not vicious attacks from those claiming to represent God."
"Legitimate religious organizations in our country will never be forced to change their stance on LGBT people, nor should they. But for all of our sake, I hope that these institutions will begin to listen, love, and open their doors to my brothers and sisters who seek their comfort and community."
To read the full piece, 'Barred From God: Legal, But Immoral,' visit his blog.
