During CNN's Reclaiming The Dream Judge Penny Brown Reynolds is asked how to get blacks, specifically the black church involved in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the black community and she doesn't hold back. Judge Reynolds gives the studio audience and hopefully millions of black people who were watching an uncomfortable dose of truth. Notice how only a few applaud her statement while the others I'm sure were offended for being called on their homophobia.
Brown: "We need to remove the shame. And the self-worth issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. Because to say in the Black church, the foundation of our community, that somehow homosexuality, when all of our people who are musicians are homosexuals and even some of the pastors are homosexuals, that this is not an issue, that, we're just burying our head in the sand. The Black church should be at the forefront of this, just like we are with civil rights issues."
In another segment socially conservative CNN contributor Roland Martin asks what can be done from a public policy standpoint to generate the money to fight HIV/AIDS among black women and chidren when most funds have been poured into white gay male organizations in the past. Meanwhile, Martin and the panel conveniently leave out the fact that black gay men 18-29 are becoming infected with HIV at alarming rates. Once again we're rendered invisible despite the ravaging effect this disease is having on our lives. Appalling. Infuriating. Inexcusable.
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