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| Rev. Kenneth Samuel (center), pastor of Atlanta's gay-welcoming Victory Church, spoke during an April 23 forum on homophobia at Morehouse College. Harvard Divinity School's Rev. Irene Monroe (far left), Positive Impact's Craig Washington (left) and Safe Space's Malcolm Gossett also participated. (Photo by Jennifer J. Smith) |
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: JENNIFER J. SMITH
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A recent e-mail survey seeking attitudes on homosexuality from Morehouse College alumni, students, faculty and staff has been condemned by gay students, alumni and activists.
The all-male, historically black college, already reeling from an alleged anti-gay baseball bat attack against a student in November, has come under national scrutiny for how it addresses sexual orientation issues.
The e-mail, sent out by the college administration April 7 and due back by April 18, consisted of a letter from Morehouse President Dr. Walter E. Massey and 22 questions, some of which drew sharp criticism.
Among the questions: How far should Morehouse go to separate heterosexuals and homosexuals in the residence halls? To what degree do you think homosexuality is immoral? How much have you experienced negative encounters with people who are homosexual? How much should Morehouse allow students to be open about their homosexuality on campus?
Juan Smith, a gay Morehouse senior, called the language of the e-mail "horrible."
"It seemed like it was written to come up with a specific response," Smith said. "A lot of us talked about it when it came out, and I think most of us thought it was really about trying to figure out whether the alumni would stop giving money if the school really made any progress."
Morehouse officials declined to discuss the survey. Toni Mosely, public relations director, also declined to release a copy of the survey results.
"We're not going to release anything about it until the report comes out in June," she said.
A full copy of the e-mail was posted on New York-based gay activist Keith Boykin's Web site. Boykin called the e-mail "a mixed message."
"It's poorly worded and lends credibility to anti-gay feelings," he said. "It's also another public relations disaster for the college. This does not contribute to a healthy environment on campus."
The e-mail survey "suggests the administration at Morehouse just doesn't get it, but it also shows some progress in that at least they acknowledge homosexuality on campus," Boykin said.
Local gay activists with ASSEFA — an ad hoc group assembled to protest an alleged anti-gay assault at Morehouse in November — also condemned the survey, which was scripted by an internal Blue Ribbon Task Force, according to several students and Mosely.
At least one gay Atlanta University Center student sat on the committee but protested the language, according to Kevin Bynes, a spokesperson for ASSEFA.
"Most of us are concerned that some of the questions on the survey seemed pretty homophobic," Bynes said. "Some of the researchers associated with ASSEFA have reported that the results produced from the survey cannot be expected to be credible.
"Given the nature of the survey and the ability of folks to self select, rather than being randomly selected, the survey will capture only those attitudes that are most gay friendly and those that are most homophobic and not much in between, thus rendering the results pretty much useless," he said.
Several gay alumni condemned the e-mail in interviews with Southern Voice, but refused to comment publicly, saying they are actively working "inner channels" to seek change at the college.
One gay alumnus said he was meeting with Morehouse officials in the next month about the e-mail.
Criticism about the survey comes on the heels of the ongoing controversy surrounding former Morehouse student Aaron Price and complaints of physical and verbal harassment against gay Morehouse students.
Price, a former sophomore, was expelled from Morehouse on Nov. 5 under allegations that he beat fellow student Gregory Love with a baseball bat Nov. 3, according to police reports.
Love, who is nearsighted and wasn't wearing his glasses, told police he glanced at Price in the shower because he thought he was his roommate.
Price's case is currently on the June 2 trial calendar before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter, according to Erik Friedly, spokesperson for the Fulton County district attorney's office.
Price faces aggravated assault, battery and hate crime charges that could result in a 20 year sentence if convicted, according to Friedly.
Forum addresses homophobia, religion
On April 23, five days after the deadline for returning surveys, Morehouse hosted a forum on homophobia and the black church co-sponsored by ASSEFA and the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign, a national gay political group.
About 50 Atlanta University Center students, faculty and members of the public discussed the issue for more than three hours, sometimes with heated results.
"The discussion of homophobia in the black church is not a dialogue; it's a monologue that has been hijacked by conservatives," said Rev. Kenneth Samuel, pastor of the 6,000 member Victory Church in Atlanta and one of the ...
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