ATLANTA — Bernice King took the stage today at Atlanta’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. rally and included gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people among the various groups she said need to come together to fulfill her father’s legacy.
In a passionate, sermon-like speech about building unity, King said she didn’t care if people were Hindu, Buddhist, Islamist, were from the North side or the South side, were black or white, were “heterosexual or homosexual, or gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender” — that all people were needed to create unity.
LGBT people who attended the rally said they were shocked that King – who has a long anti-gay past — actually acknowledged the community in a public speech, but said they were also glad because it shows people can evolve.
Rev. Maressa Pendermon, a minister with LGBT-inclusive Unity Fellowship Church, said she at first intended to tune out King because of her anti-gay past, but decided to pay attention one more time.
For her father’s vision to be realized we’ve got to come together across boundaries and then she got in preacher mode. Then she said ‘heterosexual or homosexual,’ and then backed up and said ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.’ We need all of us,” Pendermon said.
There’s always room for growth,” Pendermon said, describing her reaction to King’s words. “People grow and people change. Sometimes we don’t let them. I wasn’t expecting that. And I was already ready to shut down but I challenged myself to listen and I’m glad I listened.”
Pendermon and her church were part of a counter protest in 2004 at the same intersection where today’s rally took place. In 2004, King was an elder at Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and the two led a march of thousands through the streets of Atlanta to protest, among other issues, gay marriage. She has also said that her father “did not take a bullet for same-sex marriage.”
Craig Washington, a founder of the Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde breakfast where LGBT activists and allies gather before participating in the MLK march, said he was “surprised and actually excited” by King’s words.
It reminded me that people can and do shift attitudes. They do evolve,” he said. “What Bernice’s turnabout …spoke to is potential to change. We still have to remember they too are human.
I was like, ‘What?’ I clutched pearls. I sure did. I was not prepared to applaud Bernice King today and she gave me something to applaud,” Washington said.
Paulina Helm-Hernandez, the LGBT honorary grand marshal for today’s march and rally, said she also was surprised to hear King’s inclusive words.
“I thought it was great. First time I’ve ever heard her say lesbian, gay, bi and trans out loud,” she said. “She said homosexual at first and then corrected herself. It takes a lot of grace to do something like that when you’re on a roll.”
Whether King was sincere and genuine with her words remains to be seen, Helm-Hernandez said.
“I feel like in coming years that will be telling what she said was genuine. I hope so,” she said.
King was recently named CEO of the King Center after she left New Birth following Eddie Long’s sex scandal in which he was sued by young men who accused him of coercing them into sexual relationships.
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werk!
What a relief. There are some out there who believe Dr. King’s niece, Alveda, speaks for the family. This is wonderful to hear.
WOW, that certainly speaks volumes
awesome
Thank you. Thank you for realizing people are still treated as second class citizens
Change happens. Growth happens. Amen.
I’m not suprised… she has often said in interviews and speaking engagements that she felt her husband would have continued his work for equal rights for ALL of humankind, not limited to ONE theological interpretation… but in respect to all in this land that is supposed to honor freedom of religion. She has had my utmost respect for years. :^)
<3 this
WOW !!!! …. i AM STUNNED !!!
I’m still holding her at a distance. Based on her terrible gay-bashing history, I need to see more than a few words in a speech to know she’s turned over a new leaf.
I’m not getting overly carried away @ this her track record speaks far more than this one speech! we’ll see the follow-up/through!
I don’t know, but this looks promising:)
never doubt the human capacity for change.
Stunned is a good word for it!!!
When she starts working with LGBT organizations and actively seeking to show that she has changed, that’s when I’ll start to give. This speech, the context is such that she NEEDS something from the gay community and that’s why she’s included LGBTs in her sermon.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong and I am committed to showing through my future actions that gay rights are human rights.”
^^ That’s what would impress me.
thankful for the possibility of change……..
@Jenn, this is Bernice King, Dr. King’s daughter, not Coretta Scott King, his (now deceased) widow. I think you ate confusing Bernice with her mother.
Mrs. King was a gay rights supporter.
Hmm, not that I am a cynic or suspicious or anything but I have to ask: What’s in it for her … what has changed to force her to change because you know that she did not do it willingly?
Has she been haunted by the spirits of MLK-Day Past, Present, and Future?
is it bad that id like to know why she came over to our side all of a sudden?
I really hope she follows in the path of support like her mother, father, and older sister. Not her hypocrite cousin, though.
@Wide Receiver
I wouldn’t be surprised that she’ll be coming out soon. None of the King children married aside from MLK Jr., and that was “in secret”.
Plus, since she’s left New Birth after the Eddie Long scandal that really has me thinking she’ll be coming out soon.
i’d say
Thankful.
Very cool
i would hope she walks the talk.or maybe she has realized that people who are gay and lesbian are treated the same way that people of different color are and were treated.just a thought
or someone close to her came out and she realizes how victimizing she was in the past.
cool.
Glad she has opened her mind. So glad to hear.
Finally
bernice said and i just hope everyone votes this election
Education and civil rights (marriage included) for all!!!
That is amazing.
seems the dream went further than we thought!
This is his daughter, not his wife…
Thank you Bernice. Thank you Bayard Ruskin. Thank you Julian Bond.
i’m not sure why that should surprise anyone. Corretta Scott King spoke often in favor of LGBT rights.
That bitch did a lot of damage. She will have to prove herself before I give her chance.
Bravo!
Wow this actually made me tear up, happy tears of course.
@Andi — it is because she has a history of being a bitter gay-bashing homophobe. Her mother was pro gay rights but Bernice has always been against gays. The woman marched through the streets of Atlanta to stand against gay marriage!
I’m curious why are you not surprised that she seems to be shifting.
“She should renounce the anti-gay bigotry of her recent past. That bigotry was on shameful and insulting display in December 2004 when she and thousands of marchers stood at the gravesite of her father, Martin Luther King, Jr., and denounced gay marriage. The implication was that King might well have stood with her and them in their protest against gay rights.”
http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2009/11/bernice-king-should-publicly-r-002367.php
no, MLK’s wife, the late Coretta Scott King – said those things. She has said that gay rights are civil rights since 1968. Their daughter Bernice however, has been a vocal opponent to gay rights – until now it seems. To which I say Thank you God and Amen!
it surprises a LOT of us – because despite her mother’s stand – Bernice has been vocally against gay rights for a LONG time! Seems she is having a change of heart – praise the Lord!
things come full circle the worst effected by isms are glbt people of color alanta is the gay capital of the world-gaylanta
I wanted to see a video of this… :(
You mean her father?
I think he wanted to include all people so we should start doing it now.
Hopefully her thinking has evolved and she’s no longer a bigot.
Great: Bernice King took the stage today at Atlanta’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. rally and included gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people among the various groups she said need to come together to fulfill her father’s legacy. And thanks Bernice King! http://www.langdonart.com
I think it is very unfortunate that people have to shape their comments to make others happy. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was a gospel preacher and the Bible very clearly does not support same sex sexual relationships or marriage. Bernice is right that in that it takes everyone to bring unity… that is the point… not supporting a particular group. Be Blessed.
I am not surprised. Bernice attended Bishop Eddie Long’s school of Truth and Deceit. She is a graduate now. Congrats.
I agree with AyJay Powell I simply don’t trust this gal. She has far too many years speaking out against the GLBT community. Can’t help but wonder if she’s thinking of going into politics in the near future and maybe this is a smokescreen. Ya never know ..
She has evolved undoubtedly…Sitting under the deceitful Bishop Eddie Long for all those years no doubt helped her in the evolution process. She also referenced other religions besides Christianity and that in and of itself is definitely a BIG sign of change.
Wonderful! I saw her speak back in August and I was in awe of her and her voice gave me chills because she sounded so much like her father. I have other thoughts and observations that day as I watched her off stage. I agree with some of the other posts. I really think she is a lesbian.
I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because I think good people who have indulged in prejudiced behaviour, through ignorance, in the past can overcome their prejudices and often do change. If she goes back on this in her future statements or actions than some of our community’s hesitancy in believing her or trusting her will be correct, but somehow I don’t think that will be the case.
Wow! NuWine Press – the all inclusive and lgbt-affirming voice of independent Christian publishing is glad to hear that inclusivity is creeping into the African-American religious community. May this be the beginning of great things!