Newspapers / Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / Feb. 15, 2003, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
P ra To os! "Somos hellos no importan lo que ellos digan." El ultimo video de la chica "Lady Marmalade" Christina Aguilera VOLUME IT . ISSUE 20 SINCE 4.9BA sacred African-American Journey * March 4. Celebrale the life cfAlan Ih^snberg brands m families MCC^Bev, Troy Ferry wti Wilmin^ Feb ONUNE Q.IPOLL >«tfww.q>not0$.com f Do main LGBT groups reflet the diversity of oiir population? .Yes?No - .DoingBetter * . Need to try harder ^ ^ Q.POLL RESULTS^^ f;a4. Bringing "invisible" Black history into the light Candace Gingrich interviews JCSU student activist, Jonathan Perry in celebration of Black History Month Last April, Ci^Notes published an .article about the first-ever LGBT student forum held on the historically black college campus of lohnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. The event was supported by activists at every level: national, regional and local — among them, LGBT rights leader Mandy Carter, Brandon Baud of the Human Rights Campaign and Reverend Tonya Rawls pastor of the Unity Fellowship Church. Jonathan Perry, founder of the LGBT stu dent group A-3, (African-American Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Education) set up to change the school’s 135-year history — to end dis crimination and harassment by having JCSU acknowledge and protect its LGBT students, start a faculty-student dialogue, and sensitize students by steeping them in diversity educa tion. He has fought hard and out loud against threats. Intimidation, ignorance. He has shown, said and written that he will not be ignored and he will not go away. Jonathan Perry is riding on Rustin’s shoulders as he makes new history — his own. And we are not the only ones who noticed. Candace Gingrich, HRC National Coming Out Project Manager, chose the twenty-six year old JCSU junior, to inter view for Black History Month. Jonathan Perry talked about being an African- American gay male coming out in church and on campus. Here is the interview, fea tured on HRC’s website. Candace Gingrich : First, would you share your coming out story? lonathan; I came out in my first year of college. I was majoring in sacred music at an Assembly of God college in Florida and was in the praise and worship choir rehearsal. Out of the blue, the choir direc tor began discussing how one could not worship God with sin in their lives, and specifically mentioned homosexuality, which hit me really hard. After rehearsal, I disclosed to him that i was gay and explained that i would give up anything to worship God. He offered to get me help, but that help would come in the form of a letter of suspension for what he called my immoral ways. The only way he said i could return to college was to be counseled by an accredited Assembly of God psychol ogist. Needless to say, I did not return. CG: Where did you go from there? JP : I went home to North Carolina and came out to my grandmother. She reacted Jonathan Perry during 2002 JCSU diversity forum and today FEBRUARY 15 . 2003 Centered under the rainbow... Charlotte Community Center has grand public opening by Lainey MUlen with unconditional love. I also returned to my old church where the pastor had grad uated from the same college. He must have received word from the administra tion of my sexual orientation because one Sunday he called. me a faggot from the pulpit. The following Wednesday, I was not allowed to attend church services. My grandmother and 1 met with the pastor and two elders of the church and we were told I was no longer, welcomed there. TVaumatic as it was, i came out of it a very content gay black man blessed by God. The best part of my coming out was the unconditional love and support from my grandmother and my God. CG: How did you end up at Johnson C. Smith University? JP: I was in the military for a year, then worked some odd jobs for a year, then enrolled at another school in the Historically* Black College and University system. While there 1 attended an away basketball game against Johnson C. Smith University and just fell in love with the campus. I wrote a letter to the dean of stu dents for entrance and was accepted. During my first semester in August 2000,1 began my calling, advocating for human rights for all. CG: It talres dedication to cany a full course load and change the world! What form did your advocacy take? JP: One of my first actions was to put together a forum on diversity and sexual minorities, a first for Johnson C. Smith. The forum was based on what 1 had wit nessed and heard about the needs on the campus. There were so many people on the down low [someone who is not open about being gay, lesbian or bisexualj. 1 had heard stories of attempted suicide because of difficulty coming out. Under the circum stances, I would have been happy had a dozen people shown up. What I got was nearly a hundred! see JONATHAN on 3 i moved to Charlotte in June 1979. The extent of the social scene was Oleens, The Odyssey, The Brass Rail, Scorpio and “Dignity” a group thatj met at Park Road Baptist Church. A few weeks after moving here, 1: set off for a Dignity meeting. I spent j two and a half hours trying to find] the church, amidst the nightmare] maze of Park Drive, Park Avenue,1 Park Road, Queens Road and^ Queens Road West. Finally, I arrived at a meeting’ mostly of men and one woman, Billie’ Stickle, who made me feel very welcome. The Dignity family chose to break from its’ Catholic Church affiliation and changed its name to Acceptance. From the hearts and minds of this Acceptance group was born the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Charlotte. After working to help build and jumpstart the Switchboard for two years, I left my volunteer position there to explore other venues. Still, there was no home for the LGBT populace to congregate. No place to hold meetings, socialize, get sup port, have fun. No place to house a vast array of organiza tions. No place to call home! see CENTER on 8 Reyes found, guilty Former LGBT, Democratic, Latino leader pleads to 19 bank fraud counts; and turns state's evidence for tax evasion scheme CHARLOTTE, NC In Federal Court, Andrew Reyes pled guilty to stealing millions from his former employ er, the late Doug King of New Hampshire. King’s estate is suing Reyes, two former partners and Reyes’ numerous com panies created with the ill-gotten money. The suit asks for more than $10 million, and names Wachovia and First Union as defendants for aiding in diverting funds to Reyes’ personal accounts. The lawsuit was filed in Mecklenburg Superior Court in Charlotte, where Reyes is currently being held. According to an Associated Press report, '“These actions are part see REYESoff 3
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 15, 2003, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75