Black Illinois ministers remain split on gay marriage after Supreme Court ruling

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Attempting to allay church leaders’ concern that the legislation may redefine marriage, President Barack Obama stated that regarding Wednesday’s DOMA ruling, “on an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom is also vital. How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions.  Nothing about this decision – which applies only to civil marriages – changes that.”

Silence is not an endorsement

Several groups, including Illinois Unites for Marriage—which has many local African-American ministers involved—went against the grain earlier this year and pledged support for gay marriage coming to Illinois. Following many group’s support of gay marriage in Illinois, the African-American Clergy Coalition, a group of Chicago-area ministers, formed to push a multimedia campaign hoping to deter lawmakers from supporting the measure.

The group said it spoke out only because it didn’t want silence to be interpreted as an endorsement of gay marriage in Illinois.

Group co-chair Bishop Lance Davis told theGrio that even though the rulings advanced Wednesday, “in the state of Illinois, as well as those other states that have not accepted or passed the legislation, it is still in their corner. It’s their responsibility now to uphold what the Bible says, regardless of what anyone says.”

In a statement signed by Bishops Davis and Larry Trotter, and released shortly after the rulings, the coalition pledged to continue its fight against the pending legislation in Illinois.

“Today’s Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a part of the Defense of Marriage Act recognizes same-sex marriage only in states where it’s currently legal.  The People of the State of Illinois, along with 38 other States, still have the right to determine if gay marriage should become law in their respective states,” the bishops state.

“God created marriage to be between one man and one woman. Those of us who are believers will continue to fight for and defend God’s Holy Word,” they concluded.

A ‘true’ interpretation of the Bible

The latter argument is one that Anthony Stanford, author of Homophobia in the Black Church, says may be the only words that opponents can continue to utter in the debate.

“They can’t argue on DOMA anymore, it could be strictly biblical now,” Stanford said of opponents’ argument.

Stanford, who has spoken on the issue extensively said, “most of the clergy against now speak to me about the biblical aspect of it, it being against God’s divine order and when I hear that, those are people you’re not going to change their mind, no matter what happens. It’s really about the legality in that the highest court in the land just made a ruling in that no matter how they feel, it’s the law.”

Since the highest court in the land gave a major national push in an argument that has quickly ensued nationally and locally, Stanford said opponent efforts to thwart an Illinois House ruling in favor of gay marriage would be a waste of time and money.

“[Opponents] really should not spend anymore money trying to fight what is inevitable. They really should not waste the taxpayers’ money making this issue an argument, spending the time and the taxpayers’ dollars to do so,” Stanford told theGrio.

Asked whether the fight against gay marriage legalization in Illinois continues to be worth it, Davis said, “We’re going to step it up times three if we can. From the very beginning we said it is a fight for righteousness and the true interpretation of the Bible.”

Renita D. Young is a Chicago-based multimedia journalist. Follow her on Twitter @RenitaDYoung.