Academy Award nominee Mo'Nique is on a roll after winning Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her knockout performance of troubled mother Mary Jones in Precious.
The comedienne turned actress and late night talk show host recently made headlines when singer Miki Howard appeared on The Monique Show and the topic of gays in the black church arose.
"To all of our gay brothas watching, we love you this is the no judgment zone. You are always welcome and you are always loved. If you're in the church and you're gay, God is not judging you. Be who you wanna be", said Monique.
Journalist Clay Cane has a remarkable interview with Mon'Nique on Advocate.com and she expounds on her views of the gay community and the black church's pervasive homophobia.
From The Advocate:
Advocate: Recently on your talk show you had R&B singer Miki Howard as a guest. Both of you said you grew up with gay people in church and there wasn’t anything wrong with it. That was so refreshing to hear. Could you elaborate on your experiences with gays in the church?
Mo'Nique: I actually was not a person that grew up in church — that’s what Miki was saying and I was agreeing. Now, I know a lot of folks that go to church and are gay. I tell them, “God don’t make no mistakes, baby, and we keep using it when it’s convenient.” If we are all made in his image, there are no mistakes. I think it’s absolute foolishness, just in my humble opinion, when people make statements like, “It’s blasphemy and you’re going to hell!” Really? And I’m a child of God — do you think God set me up? I’ve never bought in to it. With gays and church, I think there are so many of our brothers and sisters that’s in pain because they go to a place to receive nurturing, the love of God, and you start hearing that you’re going to hell because of who you were made to be. I just don’t buy that!
Advocate: I interviewed Lee Daniels in September and he said he feels very much alone in the black community being openly gay. We know not all black folks are homophobic, but what do you think it will take for some sectors of the black community to have a shift in consciousness when it comes to the gay community?
Mo'Nique: Love. That’s it; there is no special formula. People that have a platform, if they start speaking about love — we are creatures that latch on, may it be negative or positive. So imagine that if in all of the black churches they started saying, “Let’s love each other unconditionally. Let’s not judge.” That’s it! You can have members be openly gay! Not “Well, we think Troy is gay, but you know! Yes, he switches, but we’re not gonna say nothing!”
Advocate: He’s the choir director!
Mo'Nique: Baby, he’s the choir director! You’re telling people to love life, but you’re telling them to live a lie. If we’re given these platforms and we are truly vessels of God or the universe — the God that you think you’re representing — that gay person is his child as well. You’re telling his child, “You’re going to hell.” I don’t think God is appreciating how we continue to separate his children. I just don’t think he’s appreciating that or she’s appreciating that or they’re appreciating that — whatever that beautiful thing is, I think they’re saying, “You know what? We gonna slap the shit out of somebody because we love all of them!” [Laughs]
And a final message to her fans:
Mo'Nique: To all of my gay babies, free yourself. Be free to be who you are, and watch how life works out for you. With no apologies!
Damn I love this woman!
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