From: Orlando Cordero Subject: Sheldon destroying communities Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 14:37:59 -0800 (PST) Hi all Today's San Francisco Chronicle (12 January 1994) contained an article entitled "Christian Right Tries to Capitalize on Anti-Gay Views." Due to my fear and paranoia about copyright violations, here are the highlights of the article: "Christian Right Tries to Capitalize on Anti-Gay Views." by Evelyn C. White Chronicle Staff Writer Emboldened by the anti-gay message that is routinely delivered fromthe pulpit of the conservative black chrch, a Christian fundamentalist gropu has produced a video designed to get blacks to join their movement. (Gee, can you guess what's in the video?) The video, "Gay Rights, Special Rights," was made by the Anaheiem-based traditional values coalition [I removed the caps because they don't deserve them! ;)] by minister Lou Sheldon...the 45 minute video contrasts the 1993 gay march on Washington with the 1963 civil rights gathering during which Martin Luther King Jr. gave his legendary "I Have a Dream Speech." *** According to Sheldon, nearly 45,000 copies of the video have been sold at $19.95 apiece. According to Sheldon, after a recent screening of the dieo to black ministers in Cincinati, the preachers rallied to help defeat a proposed gay rights ordinance for the city...more than 56 percent of voters in the city's black precincts voted against the measure which would have prohibited on the basis of sexual orientation. *** "We couldn't be happer about the response to the video," said Sheldon,..."the blacks who cannot change their skin color, are offended that the gays are seeking protection for behavior they can change." *** San Francisco community organizer Al Cunningham said he is outraged that the religious right is making overtures to the black church..."The fact that black ministers can be bamboozled by someone like Lou Sheldon shows what a sorry state the black communit y is in," said Cunningham, a member of lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action. Cunningham continues, "Sheldon's brand of demagoguery works so well because blacks as a people have not been able to come to grips with our issues around sexuality. Sheldon has capitalized on that." another advocate urged blacks to remember that the cons ervative groups today striving to pit them against gays are composed of the same people who opped civil rights effots 30 years ago." [Additional quotes deleted.] For those of you who don't get it, the Sheldon-heads are using one of the worst features of Gay culture in America against Lesbigays *everywhere*: racism There is a need more than ever for the Lesbigay movement to start dealing seriously with the issue of racism, and a need for lesbigay people of color everywhere to start dealing with lesbigay and racism issues as well, in their own communities and at the global level. We as lesbian and gay men need to look further ahead to issues that we may not right away see as relevent. Comments anyone? Orlando - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Orlando Cordero, Faculty, Studies in American Language ocordero@sparta.sjsu.edu Office: Studies in American Language, IS 227 ocordero@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu San Jose State University cordevea@netcom.com San Jose, CA 95192-0135 SAL main office phone: (408) 924-2660 Desk Phone (voice mail) (408) 924-2665 Home Phone: (415) 756-1620 (Daly City, CA) Jesus saves! (with double coupons at Safeway!) Boycott table grapes! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~