1996 Atlanta Pride Festival Speech by Coretta Scott King

[FrozenFuego]

Why are we fighting here, guys? Come on

[macrent2]

Too bad her niece Alveda King is setting back Civil Rights for GLBTQ individuals to the pre 1960's era. Alveda King compared Gay Marriage to genocide!

[KingAlanI]

Yes, I've heard many times that MLK wasn't solely about blacks, and this goes with that.

I can see where the connection comes from even if I don't see it as absolute.

[sleekcartim]

Thanks for posting this. Her historic speech clearly links gay civil rights with African American civill rights as it should be. WE are struggling together.

[rockdiva888]

@sleekcartim WE ARE NOT STRUGGLING TOGETHER...Being black or African American is NOT PERVERSION...

[sleekcartim]

@rockdiva888 In haters eyes you are, we both are, thats the point. of course i take offense to your comment, so would your elders, like the great corretta scott king AND MLK WOULD strongly disagree! know your history, learn from it, or be doomed to repeat it.

[sleekcartim]

@rockdiva888 P.S. MLK did NOT think his right hand man (Bayard Rustin, a GAY man) was perverted, neither should you. RESPECT.

[greggesimmons]

Mrs. King was a staunch supporter of LGBT equality. I had the joy of speaking with her when I was a volunteer at the King Center. She and her son Dexter were always kind and encouraging to all persons.  I wish the world could have known her better, I wish she would have stepped out of Dr King's shadow more and spoke her mind. She was one of the most evolved human beings I have ever met.

[abx9]

Mrs. King was a lady in EVERY sense of the word.  She was an angel on this Earth as I am sure she is in Heaven. God Bless you Coretta Scott King.

[howlinjo]

Thank you for posting this. I'll use this opportunity to introduce Bayard Rustin to those who aren't aware of him. He was an openly gay adviser of Dr. Martin Luther King, who was the brainchild behind the March on Washington in 1963, which served as the venue for Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech, the Journey of Reconciliation in 1947--the first Freedom Rides, and was key in the forming of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

[howlinjo]

Thank you for posting this. I'll use this opportunity to introduce Bayard Rustin to those who aren't aware of him. He was an openly gay adviser of Dr. Martin Luther King, who was the brainchild behind the March on Washington in 1963, which served as the venue for Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech, the Journey of Reconciliation in 1947--the first Freedom Rides, and was key in the forming of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

[odessyrcr589]

Prop 8 overturned today! She is celebrating with us in spirit.

[saturnday]

@odessyrcr589 indeed! But too bad her neice Alveda King tarnished the King legacy by marching with anti-gay marriage group in Atlanta on 8/7/2010

[odessyrcr589]

@saturnday Alveda is just as bad as their daughter Bernice. Though Dr. King may have not agreed with the gay lifestyle he would agree equality is indeed in the question.

[rockdiva888]

@saturnday Alved King didn't tarnish anything..she BELIEVES what God has said in the Bible and so did MLK..Further, being GAY is not a race..PERIOD. It is a sexually deviant behavior. It has to do with HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE OF THE SAME SEX. Sex was instituted in marriage for a man and a woman.God calls homosexuality sin and an abomination to HIMSELF. He does not hate the person who is gay. He HATES the sin. READ YOUR BIBLE. I feel sad that Coretta Scott King decided to go against the Bible.

[MrFerrariDaytona]

@rockdiva888 The bible has been used to cause wars and as a justification of slavery...why should I believe that people would not distort the message only to suit modern beliefs. It's funny how people only adhere to parts that suit them. You quote the bible yet you miss one of the key statements, you're not supposed to judge people.

[sawleo]

Coretta Scott King was far more progressive than most of the males and females in the movement, and she did not shy away from expressing her views on many issues beyond racial justice.

[rockdiva888]

@sawleo You obviously did not live in the times when MLK was alive. He loved and served God with his heart. He WOULD HAVE NEVER SANCTIONED GAY ANYTHING. In those times blacks were not even alowwed to drink off the same water fountain or go to the same public places. GAYS being given rights is a SLAP in the face of the people who died for civil rights. I am INSULTED that GAYs are trying to ride on the backs of my ancestors to have rights. GAY IS NOT A RACE..IT IS A SEXUALLY DEVIANT BEHAVIOR.

[sawleo]

@rockdiva888 I lived in the times of Dr. King; been an activist since that time. You are entitled to your opinion; but, you are ABSOLUTELY WRONG. The person who orchestrated the "March on Washington" was gay- Bayard Rustin. Dr. King knew, and still, understood that the priority and decent thing was the protection of human rights. A prominent speaker that day was gay- James Baldwin, one of the most brilliant thinkers of his time. It is not necessary to choose one oppression; they all stink!

[MrFerrariDaytona]

@rockdiva888 If you know anything about Civil Rights you would know that King was fighting for rights for all people not just black people. His wife was out spoken for gay rights and she said he would have been for them. He was for rights for all people not just black people. That's what the civil rights movement was about, stop trying to co-opt it to suit your own prejudices. I'm black and I'm tired of black people saying stuff like this...it's ridiculous.

[rockdiva888]

@MrFerrariDaytona ..NO you MUST BE black and trying to JUSTIFY BEING GAY...period. Like I said...The BIBLE speaks for it self..IT IS GOD BREATHED AND GOD INSPIRED. Whether you chose to believe it or not..GOD SPEAKS clearly about the homosexual lifestyle. Additionally...I am not judging you. I DON'T HAVE A HEAVEN OR HELL TO PUT YOU IN. THE WORD OF GOD IS JUDGING YOU. DR. KING was a PREACHER of the GOSPEL first...His struggle was centered around the MISTREATMENT of BLACKS FIRST ..

[MrFerrariDaytona]

@rockdiva888 I don't have to justify who I am, I found this video doing Coretta King research not gay research. If you know anything about King you would know that he wanted to make the movement broad and frequently said that the movement was about justice for all people not just black people. Coretta knew that and so did Martin...maybe instead of judging you should try to understand others and how they feel, and maybe you should try to understand your bible and history better as well.

[rockdiva888]

@MrFerrariDaytona and then for the OPPRESSED..I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING ABOUT GAYS back in the 60's being a part of Dr. King's struggle...because they (Gays) were MOSTLY IN THE CLOSET..WHY IS THAT? IF IT WAS SOMETHING OF A NORMAL NATURE ..ABLE TO REPRODUCE AFTER THEIR OWN KIND...THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR A CLOSET...CALL it what you want..this society is notorious for that! ..where right is WRONG and wrong is RIGHT!

[MrFerrariDaytona]

@rockdiva888 Plenty of blacks that could pass for white chose to do so. What that means is that people would rather fit in than be excluded and I'm sure many blacks would have followed suit if they could. However, people should not have to hide who they or for fear of retribution. You're simply using your bias and whatever interpretation of history and the bible to support your own prejudice, which as I said before is nothing new...but of course it's different this time right?

[odessyrcr589]

Thank you Mrs. King!

I would expect that you knew your late husbands feelings on this matter better than your children would. He may have been a devout Baptist, but in the end I believe he too would stand up for what is right.

Shame on Bernice for her anti gay comments.

[sawleo]

@odessyrcr589 I absolutely agree!!! When I saw Bernice King in that hateful presentation, I was thrown totally off because I knew her mother supports the rights of all human-beings to live free of oppression. It is amazing to me that so many people of the cloth come out this way. It would be nice if they were far more vocal about the lack of health care, raise their voices against wars, rally for quality education for all, insist on living wages for workers, etc, etc.

[xcountrygrl]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't know before that Coretta Scott King spoke on behalf of Gay Rights.

[saw1261]

Oh, yes! Ms. King was also an outspoken supporter of marriage equality as well.

Check out Julian Bond's speech on equality on you tube as well. If you think this is something watch Bond! You'll be floored.

[sawleo]

@xcountrygrl Coretta Scott King attended Antioch College, one of the most progressive colleges in the country. In fact, she was the one who helped MLK to get beyond Bayard Rustin's sexual preference. Fact be told, the story of Mrs. King has not been told in it's entirety. SHE WAS A BLAST!!!