Convention Tension

In Massachusetts, the friction between some African-Americans and same-sex-marriage advocates continues. In a think piece in in newsweekly, Rev. Irene Monroe predicts another crisis around the constitutional convention. (Her credentials include being head teaching fellow for Rev. Peter Gomes at the Harvard Divinity School.)

For anyone not paying attention, some black political activists, ministers and community members were offended when some same-sex-marriage activists called their efforts a civil-rights struggle and compared gender-restricted marriage laws to mixed-race marriage bans of the last few centuries. Even some African-American homosexuals say they suffer from “marriage fatigue” by adding this struggle, according to Monroe.

She wrote:

With very little time before the Massachusetts Legislature takes up the marriage issue again, and with anti-gay activists gearing up for the next round in this debate, what a crying shame it would be if we lose this battle because of all the infighting.
The issues raised by the African-American LGBTQ community must be taken seriously and corrected in order to successfully move forward.

She’s not too specific about what the two sets of activists can do other than work together.