Filmmaker Katina
Parker has created a series of six videos for the Many Voices organization, featuring the personal stories of African
American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people who came
of age in Black churches. The web campaign features not only lay people, but high-profile clergy as well.
Many Voices is a non-profit whose mission is to foster a
Black Church movement for gay and transgender justice, and its new media campaign
was created to engage church leaders and LGBTQ people about
fostering a movement for gay and transgender justice in Black churches. It also as well offers training, resources, and relationship-building opportunities for
interested church leaders and Black LGBTQ people.
As United
Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, who is involved with Many Voices says: “The time is now for the Black Church
to fully embrace our tradition of calling for freedom, liberation and justice
for all of God’s children — especially for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender family and friends.”
And Rev. Cedric Harmon,
who is co-director of Many Voices, added that “The truths of the personal testimonies
represented in the Many Voices Video Campaign are hard to deny. I pray we hear
the message and eagerly engage in efforts to eliminate the inequalities and
injustices affecting the lives and aspirations of so many.”
A new video will be released once a week until Transgender
Day of Remembrance on November 20, with the first video featuring Bishop Tonyia Rawls, who is the Founding Pastor, Unity Fellowship Church in Charlotte
NC.
The other interviewees in the video series, all who whom
are based in North Carolina, are Jermaine Lee, Program Manager of Behavioral Intervention, PowerHouse
Project (Charlotte), Ai Elo , writer and youth advocate (Charlotte), Julia Wallace, the Co-Founder of the Mobile Homecoming Project (Durham), A’Omaré Kyyam, activist and poet (Chapel Hill), and Reverend Brendan Boone who
is the transgender Pastor of Metropolitan Community
Church (Raleigh).
The videos can be seen on Many Voices’ YouTube channel
HERE, on Vimeo HERE and their Facebook page HERE. You can also go to Many Voices’
own website HERE.
Here’s the first video with Bishop Rawls:
