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representation of the
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ad m inistrative actions
The Nation o f Islam is calling for black men to march on
Washington and black gay men and lesbians will be there
,
▼
by Bob Roehr
that you can have an event of this magnitude as
lack gay men and lesbians will be
they are planning, and say it is for black men, and
marching in the Million Man March
not have on the stage someone who is openly gay
scheduled for Oct. 16 in Washington,
and someone who is going to address the issues in
D.C. The only question is: Will they
a positive fashion about how we empower black
be welcomed participants or will they
gay men.”
be marching in protest to their exclusion?
The Leadership Forum has moved to address
The purpose of the march is “to chart...[the]
some
of these concerns. It has been in discussion
future [of black men] as responsible heads of our
with march organizers “for several weeks,” said
fa m ilies, to reclaim and reb u ild our
Boykin, trying to secure an official presence in the
neighborhoods...and to save our children,” says
march and speakers on the platform. The Leader
the Rev. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of
ship Forum would like to resolve matters at least
Islam and inspiration for the march. His co-leader
a week prior to the event.
is the Rev. Benjamin Chaves, former executive
Another factor underlying response from the
director of the NAACP, who was forced out of
Washington, D.C., community is the Nation of
that position when it became known that he se
Islam’s local involvement providing AIDS ser
cretly misused organization funds to settle charges
vices. The Abundant Life Clinic, run by the group’s
brought against him of sexual harassment in the
national Minister of Health, is aggressively pur
workplace.
suing government AIDS contracts. Many observ
The positive messages of the march resonate
ers believe the Nation of Islam sees this as a pilot
strongly within the African American commu
program it can roll out into
nity. But for many they are
other
cities.
tempered by concerns with
/ cannot and will not
Abundant Life claims that
Farrakhan, the Nation of Is
accept that you can have the dominant local AIDS ser
lam and the exclusionary char
an event of this
vice o rg a n iz atio n , the
acter of the event. “Farrakhan
W
h itm an -W alk er C lin ic,
is a virtual Renaissance man
magnitude as they are which
grew out of the white
of hate— whites, Jews, homo
planning,
and
say
it
is
gay
community,
cannot ad
sexuals— and he is not so hot
equately serve black and non
on women either,” wrote syn for black men, and not
clients. The question of
dicated colum nist Richard
have on the stage some gay
how an organization that is
Cohen.
one who is openly gay extremely hostile to homo
Controversy has swirled
sex u ality and drug use
around the project from the
and someone who is
is more capable of providing
start. The initial proposal was
going to address the
services is left unanswered.
to allow only men to fully
“There are lots of ques
participate in the march, while
issues in a positive
as to whether folks are
women could serve in support
fashion about how we tions
getting appropriate medical
or auxiliary roles. The Nation
empower black
care [at Abundant Life],” says
of Islam traditionally excludes
Robinson. Much of the con
women from many of its ac
gay men. ”
tro v ersy cen ters around
tivities.
Kemron, a form of alpha-in
Some o f the more extreme
terferon,
which the Nation of
edges of the march have been
—Alexander Robinson
Islam maintains is effective in
softened, as more mainstream
fighting HIV. Traditional clinical trials have not
elements have joined in support and as the orga
backed up those claims. But Abundant Life con
nizers have tried to attract others.
tinues to prescribe the drug and fills the orders
The Congressional Black Caucus and the
from its own pharmacy, charging about $400 a
Southern Christian Leadership Conference en
month. That is a significant markup over the
dorse it. Individual members of the NAACP will
wholesale cost of the drug, which has led many to
participate, but the body itself will not formally do
believe that the clinic is ripping off sick people
so. The National Urban League is keeping an
and pocketing huge profits.
arms-length distance.
This combination of local and national factors
The Rev. Jesse Jackson threw his support
led the D.C. Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gay
behind the march at the end of September, and
Men and Bisexuals to first give a conditional
claimed that leaders of the nation’s two largest
endorsement of the march and then rescind it.
black religious denominations were doing like
The Leadership Forum held off endorsing the
wise. No we aren’t, thundered back the Rev.
march because of “its sexist and patriarchal tone
Henry J. Lyons a few days later. The president of
and the homophobic comments made by some
the 8.2-million-member National Baptist Con
march organizers.” But it “strongly encourage[s]”
vention called Jackson’s statement “an absolute
black gay men and lesbians to participate in the
lie.”
activities it has planned.
Gay men and lesbians are adding their con
“This march is bigger than the Nation of Islam,
cerns to the clamor. “We will be at the march,
it is a nation of black people, African Americans
regardless. Whether we are there as full, happy
participants, or whether we are going to be there
coming together. We are part of that community.
And we want to be there,” said Boykin. “If the
in protest,” said Keith Boykin, former press assis
march organizers believe in black unity, then we
tant in the Clinton White House and newly ap
will be welcomed at the march in all ways.”
pointed executive director of the Black Gay and
Lesbian Leadership Forum.
“The fact is that Farrakhan and the Nation of
The Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum
Islam consistently express disdain for gays and
can
be contacted through its Los Angeles office
lesbians of all colors,” said Alexander Robinson.
(213)
964-7820 or through its ad hoc march
He is a longtime lobbyist on gay and AIDS issues
coordinators in St. Louis, Dennis Holmes
for the American Civil Liberties Union and presi
(314) 454-1654, or Houston, Steve Walker
dent of the black-oriented National Task Force on
(713) 864-2242.
AIDS Prevention. “I cannot and will not accept
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