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News Release
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Brian Watson
admin@dccoalition.com
DC Coalition Denounces Bishop Owens’
Homophobic Sermon and Calls for His Removal from the Mayor’s Interfaith Council
In the Palm Sunday sermon, entitled “Fan or Follower,”
Bishop Owens denigrates gay men by questioning their manhood. The Bishop stated, “It takes a real man to
confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. I’m
not talking about no faggot or no sissy.
Wait a minute! Let all the real
men come on down here and take a bow…All the real men – I’m talking about the
straight men. You ain’t
funny and you ain’t cranky, but you’re straight. Come on down here and walk around and praise
God that you are straight. Thank him
that you’re straight. All
the straight men that proud to be a Christian. That are proud to be
a man of God.”
Bishop Owens’ offensive April 9th sermon reeks of
bigotry, ignorance, and hatred. It
served to alienate and insult gay men on the basis of their sexuality, while
advancing heterosexuality as the only acceptable orientation. The sermon’s essential message was if you are
openly gay, then you are worthless; if you are gay and in the closet, then do
not come out.” The Coalition denounces
the sermon because its hateful rhetoric has a negative impact not only on the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community (LGBT), but also on our
entire city. When gay men are repeatedly
exposed to attacks of this nature, it has a negative impact on their
self-esteem and leads to isolation from family and friends. The result is that more young men and women
suffer from depression and leads some to commit suicide or inflict harm on
others. Moreover, the depression and
isolation causes many LGBT men and women to abuse illegal drugs, alcohol, and
tobacco. The sermon is particularly
reproachable because it was delivered in a place of worship, a place that many
people go to cope from the discrimination that society inflicts on them. The sermon attempted to erode and minimize
the faith that gay men have in God. As
one gay attendee at the service stated in the Washington City Paper, the sermon
suggested “it is impossible to be gay and serve God.” (Jones,
Mayor Anthony Williams’ Interfaith Council was formed to
foster understanding and inclusion among people of different faiths and
identities. By contrast, Bishop Owens’
April 9th sermon evinced his own hatred of and ignorance about
people who are different, which go against the very tenets of the Interfaith Council. While the D.C. Coalition understands freedom
of speech, such bigotry continues to undermine an already-fragmented Black
community. Therefore, the D.C. Coalition
calls for the removal of Bishop Owens from the Mayor’s Interfaith Council. Keeping Owens on the Interfaith Council
suggests that the Mayor and the remaining council members condone the Bishop’s
statements and expressions of bigotry in places of worship in general. We strongly urge that Mayor Williams rescind
Bishop Owens’ membership (whether it be honorary or full-fledged) on the
Interfaith Council immediately.
The D.C.
Coalition is an all volunteer community-based organization whose mission is
to abolish discrimination, nurture positive attitudes, and build a strong
political base for the community while stressing the beauty of black
culture. We seek to achieve this through
community political forums, educational workshops, symposiums, and social
activities. We can be reached at admin@dccoalition.com .