JUNE 20, 1997 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

EVENINGS OUT

Film shows black church's struggle with its gay members

by Larry Webb

and Derek Barnett

Cleveland "Love the sinner, hate the

sin."

"It's an abomination,”

"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."

These are among the sentiments often expressed during services in some African American churches. Because this rhetoric frequently fosters a sense of alienation within

Pop icon pops in

for dinner

Columbus-On June 7, pop icon Grace Jones stopped for dinner at Out On Main. Jones had just completed a two-night run as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz at the Palace Theater.

Jones and her assistant were escorted to their table by restaurant co-owner Michael Caven and manager Jack Fraley.

Jones requested a quiet table. A jet setter who has traveled the world many times over, Jones' response to the Out On Main theme was overwhelmingly positive.

"You will be in many cities," she predicted. “I think,

many African American gay men and lesbians, it often motivates them to leave the church completely.

For African Americans, the choice to leave the church is tantamount to cutting oneself off from his or her family, community, culture and heritage. Many African American gays and lesbians are not willing to make such a sacrifice, while others are able to successfully reconcile their spirituality and sexuality. For those who choose to remain in such churches, tarrying for divine

OUT ON MAIN

Grace Jones with Out On Main manager Jack Fraley.

yes, I am sure, you can go international, darling."

During dinner, Jones recalled numerous anecdotes of her career, although all present admitted that the memory of these events is blurry.

Jones calls Paris home. “It is the only place I can be truly comfortable. There is no judgment in Paris."

These days most of her time is spent on the road or in New York City.

Later Jones retreated to the Clubhouse Cafe, a coffeehouse and bar located under the restaurant. An avid billiard player, Jones played numerous games with friends and fans until 4:30 am. When Caven was leaving, he thanked the recording diva for her graciousness. Jones responded with a hug and a kiss saying, "I love people."

Songs in the key of 44-GG

Continued from page 19

sinister, male-dominated thing, and I don't think that sex is meant to be that way.

"So I'd like to see some of these anti-porn feminists or anti-porn people use their energy to fix the pornography business instead of to bash it. Because the more women that take control of it and speak up and say, 'This is what's wrong. Let's start our own strip club and make it a healing place.' Or, ‘Let's bring a spiritual element to the sex business.' Or, 'Let's make movies that are funny or have a story line.' That will help things. Just throwing rocks helps no one."

When she's not working on a new album, or touring with the Swingin' Armadillos, Kane makes her home in San Diego with her husband Thomas Yearsley (of the band the Paladins) and her two sons, Evan and Tommy. Kane describes her man of eleven years as "a feminist lesbian trapped in a man's body," and says that they work together "to provide as stable a life as possible for our children."

"We're both really committed to a night at home where we all have dinner together and sit down and try to be a normal family—well, as normal as we can be!"

Kane hopes to see the queer community represented at her show on July 3. This will be her fourth visit to the North Coast.

"The first time I played Wilbert's, it was a blues crowd all the way," Kane said. "And then the next time I played there, it was blues fans and jocks. This last time I played there was a couple of queens there. And I thought, 'Okay,

things are really starting to work in Cleveland.' That's what I like to see-people come together and enjoy the music and get over their differences. I think music is the one medium that can do that."

Kane said she plans to play the piano with her trademark jugs during her visit to Cleveland.

"It started out as a joke, but I think in some ways it relaxes people," Kane said. “They're always scared of my boobs because they're so gigantic."

Kane's present comfort with her body is one of the reasons she feels the sex industry was good for her.

"It made me see my body in a positive light. If you would have told me, fifteen years ago, that I would tell you that I love my body and would never change it, I would not have believed you at all. I'm really happy to be where I am and that's why I feel so compelled to give that back-if only for a few minutes from the bandstand. I hope some people hear my mes--sage and say, 'Wow, she's big and she's had problems, but she's sexy and living her dreams, and if she can do it so can I!'

Even though she will have just missed Pride festivities in both Cleveland and Columbus by just a few days, Kane sent a Pride message to

her fans all over Ohio.

"Definitely, work what you got, whether it's a little or a lot!" ✔

Wilbert's is located at 1360 W. 9 St. in Cleveland. Call 216-771-2583 for ticket information.

"deliverance" from homosexuality is usu-

ally emotionally debilitating.

The question of reconciling one's faith with one's sexual orientation in the African American gay and lesbian community was the framework for a recent discussion at the home of Black Out Productions event coordinator Larry Webb. The range of experiences and resolutions offered by the 13 participants were as diverse as the African American community itself.

Some of the feelings expressed by those present:

"There exists a 'complicity of evilness' among certain members of the black church that prohibits their ability to accept gay men and lesbians as their brothers and sisters." "There is enough scholarship on the subject to effectively reconcile faith and sexuality. The problem is that a lot of people aren't able to, or are being led by someone who is unwilling to do the theological work it requires to make such a reconciliation."

"The Catholic Church doesn't want to deal with sexuality, let alone homosexuality, and so the problems are often swept under the rug."

"I was well into my adulthood the first time I was in a church and heard the preacher say that it was not okay to bash gays and lesbians."

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"It is hard to deny what I feel inside, but I have faith that one day God will deliver me from this lifestyle."

"Spirituality is important to me, but not at the expense of self."

All God's Children is a documentary about the black church's efforts and struggles to fully embrace its lesbian and gay members. It is also a celebration of the black church and gay-lesbian people of African American descent as dedicated members of the spiritual family.

In the film, participants share their compelling life stories and vision of what the African American struggle for civil rights means, within the context of fighting discrimination against lesbians and gay men of all races. All God's Children contains strong statements of support from prominent African American religious, intellectual and political leaders like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cornel West, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, and Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray of the First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles. Also represented in the film is the Rev.

Rev. Dr. Wayland E. Melton

Dr. Wayland E. Melton, who was a priest at Grace Episcopal Church in Cincinnati. Sadly, Rev. Melton died of heart failure on May 19 of this year.

All God's Children was designed in part as a response to the divisiveness and distortions of the Traditional Values Coalition's production of Gay Rights, Special Rights: Inside the Homosexual Agenda.

All God's Children is a joint project of Woman Vision, an educational media production company; the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum.

Because this film raises questions not often addressed in our community, it is an excellent tool to ignite conversation about the topic it explores. BlackOut Productions plans to show the film and others like it during it first African American gay and lesbian cultural and educational conference. The conference will take place in Cleveland August 2 during BlackOut '97.

To obtain a copy of the video, call Woman Vision at 415-273-1145, e-mail to womanvsn@aol.com.

For more information about Black Out '97, a cultural and educational conference to be held in Cleveland this August, or any other events sponsored by BlackOut Productions, call 216-462-0225 or 800-650-4285.

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