Professor
07-08-2005, 08:37 AM
Dr. Gregory Parks published a book on BGLO and is in the process of writing a follow up. The below e-mail was received by my chapter and distributed to Brothers via list serve. Brothers this topic has been one of heated debate on GC. If you elect to comment, DO NOT personally attack
anyone that supports inclusion or I will close the thread. However, you can refute facts and personal opinions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree with most of what was said. I am not
homosexual, but I have committed other sins that are
frowned upon in the eyes of God. We all have. The
only man to walk the earth without sin was Jesus. So
I will not judge anyone else for their ways of sin.
Whoever wants to be in the organization, all I ask is
that they contribute to the community the "Alpha way",
as I would ask of any other brother of A-Phi-A.
As far as homosexuals making advances towards me, I
would deem that as very inappropriate behavior.
However I make reference to the bibe and quote:
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God
in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness;
full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only
do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
(Homosexualism was refrenced in Romans 1:27)
ALL of these things are inappropriate behavior. So
anybody approaching me, to participate in any of these
things should be, and will also be viewed as such.
This debate has gone on for too long. If you are not
gay then why so much concern. If you are worried
about them "tarnishing" the image of Alpha, then I say
to you
Eze 12:24 For there shall be no more any vain vision
nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
If you give that much control to others, to allow
their view/opinions to determine your worth then I
pity you.
Put this aside and move on with your lives. You are
not the judge of anybody, and the A on your had
doesn't give you that right.
Bottom line -- GET OVER IT!
--- "Gregory Parks, PhD" <dr.gsparks@gmail.com> wrote:
> Fell free to pass along:
>
> So Much for Brotherhood:
> The Minimally Discussed Controversy over Homosexual
> Men in Black
> Greek-letter Fraternities
>
> I'm heterosexual?one hundred percent! I find it
> necessary to state
> this at the outset for two reasons. The first has to
> do with my
> heterosexual bias and limited vision with regards to
> the lifestyle of
> homosexual men. Consequently, my words will likely
> reflect such a bias
> and short-sightedness. I need to own that. The
> second reason is
> because, by the nature and maybe tone of this piece,
> I do not want
> anyone to assume I am homosexual. This reasoning is
> better explained
> later.
>
> Not too long ago, I started work on my follow-up
> book to African
> American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and
> the Vision. In
> thinking about topics to cover for the book, one of
> many was
> homosexuality within Black Greek-letter fraternities
> (BGFs). My focus
> on homosexual men, as opposed to homosexual women,
> within National
> Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations was and is
> for several
> reasons. Among them is that women don't seem to be
> particularly
> concerned about homosexual members in their
> organizations. Men who
> interact with women in said organizations don't seem
> to be all that
> concerned either, or they may be mildly intrigued.
> On the other hand,
> with increasing dialogue about down-low (DL)
> brothers and the
> seemingly rising number of openly homosexual
> brothers, black women
> seem quite concerned with this issue as it relates
> to dating and
> marriage. They are undoubtedly concerned with
> potential health issues
> (e.g., HIV and DL men) and also what appears to be a
> shrinking pool of
> successful and eligible partners (e.g., homosexual
> brothers) who are
> off the market to women. Among members of BGFs,
> there are concerns
> that their respective organizations have a growing
> number of DL or
> homosexual members, which is far more heightened
> than among sorority
> women. In identifying potential scholars/authors for
> a chapter on this
> topic, I contacted several people who were more than
> willing to write
> other?any other?chapters for the book, just not this
> one. All of these
> factors suggest that this topic is ripe for
> addressing and may
> necessitate some critical dialogue within our
> organizations.
> Ultimately and in many ways, the matter speaks to
> the heart of
> brotherhood or lack there of in BGF. I believe both
> heterosexual and
> homosexual/bi-sexual brothers share some blame.
>
> Many heterosexual brothers oppose homosexuals being
> members in their
> organizations for what they claim are religious
> reasons. The constant
> refrain is, "Our organizations were founded on
> Christian principles,
> and such behavior is contrary to the teachings of
> the Bible." However,
> the same brothers resist making similar
> denunciations of brothers who
> get drunk or those who engage in fornication or
> adultery. Thus, it
> seems that we must strip away their layers of
> arguments to get to what
> is "really" going on. In my humble opinion, I
> believe heterosexual men
> don't want any or at least a large number of
> homosexual men in their
> particular BGF for three main reasons: The first is
> the very basic
> belief among many heterosexual men that homosexual
> behavior is
> repulsive. The second is that heterosexual BGF men
> do not want
> outsiders to view their organization as comprised of
> homosexuals,
> which may make any heterosexual member guilty (i.e.,
> homosexual) by
> association. Third, many heterosexual men don't want
> to be in close
> proximity to homosexual men as this may encourage
> homosexual men to
> make advances towards said heterosexual men?as they
> believe. Each of
> these reasons, in my mind are more understandable
> and probably a
> closer approximation to the truth than the religious
> argument.
> However, such arguments still strike at an essential
> notion of
> BGFs?brotherhood. Can a homosexual man be a brother
> to a heterosexual
> one? Can they work together to make our communities
> a better place? I
> believe so, but many heterosexual BGF members are
> likely to disagree.
> So much for brotherhood.
>
> In contrast, some homosexual members play a role in
> eroding brotherly
> bonds, just as some heterosexual brothers do. This
> typically takes
> place in a number of ways, but let me focus on one
> for the sake of
> space. The mere presence of homosexual men in BGF
> brings a degree of
> sexual tension to the organizations. This is so in
> the sense that some
> heterosexual members may be concerned, possibly
> erroneously, that some
> homosexual member(s) might be romantically
> interested in them. Fuel is
> added to the fire when homosexual BGF members
> express?subtly or
> blatantly?romantic interest in heterosexual members
> of their own
> organization. What's at issue here is in part the
> offending of
> heterosexual sensibilities, which is the least of
> our concerns. The
> more problematic element is the sense that a brother
> has violated the
> trust of another brother. I assume most men join
> BGFs for some sense
> of non-romantic brotherhood, and when another
> brother brings that
> element to the relationship, the other is likely to
> feel that they
> have been violated. This is quite natural when a
> person enters a
> relationship with a set of reasonable expectations
> about the nature of
> that relationship and ultimately has those
> expectations violated. When
> homosexual brothers by design or shear chance view
> their fraternity as
> a place where they can meet potential partners,
> individual and
> systemic problems are bound to arise. There again,
> so much for
> brotherhood.
> My argument isn't that these is no place for openly
> homosexual
> brothers within BGF. My point is that that if our
> brotherly bonds are
> to be strengthened and our work in the community
> more effective, there
> are matters to discuss and behaviors to guard
> against. Finally, in
> addition to the matter of pledging, which I must say
> is a debate still
> waiting to happen, matters of organizational
> diversity (i.e.,
> non-black, non-Christian, and non-heterosexual
> members) are among the
> future issues NPHC organizations must face. With
> regards to the
> homosexuality debate, one other topic must come to
> the fore. That's
> how national stereotypes of BGFs?particularly Alpha
> Phi Alpha, Kappa
> Alpha Psi, and Omega Psi Phi?and notions of black
> manhood relate to
> real or perceived homosexual membership within these
> groups. Let the
> discussion begin, and I look forward to your
> comments and feedback.
>
>
>
> --
> Gregory S. Parks, PhD
> LTJ Fellow
> UK Department of Psychology/College of Law
>
anyone that supports inclusion or I will close the thread. However, you can refute facts and personal opinions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree with most of what was said. I am not
homosexual, but I have committed other sins that are
frowned upon in the eyes of God. We all have. The
only man to walk the earth without sin was Jesus. So
I will not judge anyone else for their ways of sin.
Whoever wants to be in the organization, all I ask is
that they contribute to the community the "Alpha way",
as I would ask of any other brother of A-Phi-A.
As far as homosexuals making advances towards me, I
would deem that as very inappropriate behavior.
However I make reference to the bibe and quote:
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God
in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness;
full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only
do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
(Homosexualism was refrenced in Romans 1:27)
ALL of these things are inappropriate behavior. So
anybody approaching me, to participate in any of these
things should be, and will also be viewed as such.
This debate has gone on for too long. If you are not
gay then why so much concern. If you are worried
about them "tarnishing" the image of Alpha, then I say
to you
Eze 12:24 For there shall be no more any vain vision
nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
If you give that much control to others, to allow
their view/opinions to determine your worth then I
pity you.
Put this aside and move on with your lives. You are
not the judge of anybody, and the A on your had
doesn't give you that right.
Bottom line -- GET OVER IT!
--- "Gregory Parks, PhD" <dr.gsparks@gmail.com> wrote:
> Fell free to pass along:
>
> So Much for Brotherhood:
> The Minimally Discussed Controversy over Homosexual
> Men in Black
> Greek-letter Fraternities
>
> I'm heterosexual?one hundred percent! I find it
> necessary to state
> this at the outset for two reasons. The first has to
> do with my
> heterosexual bias and limited vision with regards to
> the lifestyle of
> homosexual men. Consequently, my words will likely
> reflect such a bias
> and short-sightedness. I need to own that. The
> second reason is
> because, by the nature and maybe tone of this piece,
> I do not want
> anyone to assume I am homosexual. This reasoning is
> better explained
> later.
>
> Not too long ago, I started work on my follow-up
> book to African
> American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and
> the Vision. In
> thinking about topics to cover for the book, one of
> many was
> homosexuality within Black Greek-letter fraternities
> (BGFs). My focus
> on homosexual men, as opposed to homosexual women,
> within National
> Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations was and is
> for several
> reasons. Among them is that women don't seem to be
> particularly
> concerned about homosexual members in their
> organizations. Men who
> interact with women in said organizations don't seem
> to be all that
> concerned either, or they may be mildly intrigued.
> On the other hand,
> with increasing dialogue about down-low (DL)
> brothers and the
> seemingly rising number of openly homosexual
> brothers, black women
> seem quite concerned with this issue as it relates
> to dating and
> marriage. They are undoubtedly concerned with
> potential health issues
> (e.g., HIV and DL men) and also what appears to be a
> shrinking pool of
> successful and eligible partners (e.g., homosexual
> brothers) who are
> off the market to women. Among members of BGFs,
> there are concerns
> that their respective organizations have a growing
> number of DL or
> homosexual members, which is far more heightened
> than among sorority
> women. In identifying potential scholars/authors for
> a chapter on this
> topic, I contacted several people who were more than
> willing to write
> other?any other?chapters for the book, just not this
> one. All of these
> factors suggest that this topic is ripe for
> addressing and may
> necessitate some critical dialogue within our
> organizations.
> Ultimately and in many ways, the matter speaks to
> the heart of
> brotherhood or lack there of in BGF. I believe both
> heterosexual and
> homosexual/bi-sexual brothers share some blame.
>
> Many heterosexual brothers oppose homosexuals being
> members in their
> organizations for what they claim are religious
> reasons. The constant
> refrain is, "Our organizations were founded on
> Christian principles,
> and such behavior is contrary to the teachings of
> the Bible." However,
> the same brothers resist making similar
> denunciations of brothers who
> get drunk or those who engage in fornication or
> adultery. Thus, it
> seems that we must strip away their layers of
> arguments to get to what
> is "really" going on. In my humble opinion, I
> believe heterosexual men
> don't want any or at least a large number of
> homosexual men in their
> particular BGF for three main reasons: The first is
> the very basic
> belief among many heterosexual men that homosexual
> behavior is
> repulsive. The second is that heterosexual BGF men
> do not want
> outsiders to view their organization as comprised of
> homosexuals,
> which may make any heterosexual member guilty (i.e.,
> homosexual) by
> association. Third, many heterosexual men don't want
> to be in close
> proximity to homosexual men as this may encourage
> homosexual men to
> make advances towards said heterosexual men?as they
> believe. Each of
> these reasons, in my mind are more understandable
> and probably a
> closer approximation to the truth than the religious
> argument.
> However, such arguments still strike at an essential
> notion of
> BGFs?brotherhood. Can a homosexual man be a brother
> to a heterosexual
> one? Can they work together to make our communities
> a better place? I
> believe so, but many heterosexual BGF members are
> likely to disagree.
> So much for brotherhood.
>
> In contrast, some homosexual members play a role in
> eroding brotherly
> bonds, just as some heterosexual brothers do. This
> typically takes
> place in a number of ways, but let me focus on one
> for the sake of
> space. The mere presence of homosexual men in BGF
> brings a degree of
> sexual tension to the organizations. This is so in
> the sense that some
> heterosexual members may be concerned, possibly
> erroneously, that some
> homosexual member(s) might be romantically
> interested in them. Fuel is
> added to the fire when homosexual BGF members
> express?subtly or
> blatantly?romantic interest in heterosexual members
> of their own
> organization. What's at issue here is in part the
> offending of
> heterosexual sensibilities, which is the least of
> our concerns. The
> more problematic element is the sense that a brother
> has violated the
> trust of another brother. I assume most men join
> BGFs for some sense
> of non-romantic brotherhood, and when another
> brother brings that
> element to the relationship, the other is likely to
> feel that they
> have been violated. This is quite natural when a
> person enters a
> relationship with a set of reasonable expectations
> about the nature of
> that relationship and ultimately has those
> expectations violated. When
> homosexual brothers by design or shear chance view
> their fraternity as
> a place where they can meet potential partners,
> individual and
> systemic problems are bound to arise. There again,
> so much for
> brotherhood.
> My argument isn't that these is no place for openly
> homosexual
> brothers within BGF. My point is that that if our
> brotherly bonds are
> to be strengthened and our work in the community
> more effective, there
> are matters to discuss and behaviors to guard
> against. Finally, in
> addition to the matter of pledging, which I must say
> is a debate still
> waiting to happen, matters of organizational
> diversity (i.e.,
> non-black, non-Christian, and non-heterosexual
> members) are among the
> future issues NPHC organizations must face. With
> regards to the
> homosexuality debate, one other topic must come to
> the fore. That's
> how national stereotypes of BGFs?particularly Alpha
> Phi Alpha, Kappa
> Alpha Psi, and Omega Psi Phi?and notions of black
> manhood relate to
> real or perceived homosexual membership within these
> groups. Let the
> discussion begin, and I look forward to your
> comments and feedback.
>
>
>
> --
> Gregory S. Parks, PhD
> LTJ Fellow
> UK Department of Psychology/College of Law
>
