On Tuesday, May 24th, a collection of over 50 pastors from across North Carolina held a press conference in Raleigh.

Many of these pastors were African-American and they came to voice their support HB 2. Many of these same pastors had been involved in the Civil Rights movement. This was a big deal.   I chronicled their remarks in my Storify Article.

Highlights:

“HB2 has nothing to do with Civil Rights.”
“Rev. Barber does not speak for us”
“Roy Cooper is more occupied with running for an election than standing for privacy & safety of our children.”
“The people are behind you (Gov. McCrory) on ‪#‎HB2‬.Those who oppose HB2 will never vote for you. We will!”

By the way, the same pastors are now demanding an apology from AG Loretta Lynch, President Obama and NC AG Roy Cooper.  The group explicitly calls out AG Cooper for not signing onto the lawsuit filed by 11 other states.

Excerpt via NC Capitol Connection:

“HB2 does not prevent a person who is not transgender from playing cards with a person who is,” he said. “HB2 does not prevent a transgendered person from attending the same hospital entrance as someone who is not transgendered. My point is, African Americans are due an apology. We should get an apology from Loretta Lynch, we should get an apology from Roy Cooper… There is no way that should be compared with what African Americans suffered in this country during the dehumanizing Jim Crow era. Our crime during Jim Crow was that we were born of a darker hue.”

There was a ton of media present at this event. They asked a lot of questions.  What did we see in the local that night and the next day? Next to nothing. The only major outlet who had anything up, was the News and Observer.

Thanks to Major Dave, we have video clips of the whole thing. They are all listed below with their link and description.  Share them, the media won’t.

Part 01 – https://youtu.be/Pb2nG-bAxRw
On May 24th, 2016, over 40 pastors from across the state gathered on the south lawn of the NC Capitol building in Raleigh to make a strong showing of rejection of the claims by the Obama Administration that the current push for recognition of gender identity and sexual orientation is a part of the civil rights movement for blacks in America. The press conference was moderated by John Amanchukwu, Executive Director of the Upper Room Christian Academy of Raleigh, NC.

Part 02 – https://youtu.be/XyZupNiOrYI
Dr. Patrick Wooden, Senior Pastor of The Upper Room Church of God in Christ of Raleigh has been at the forefront of the local African-American community in support of HB2 as “common sense” legislation. He offers his perspective on the connection between gender identity and the Civil Rights Movement.

Part 03 – https://youtu.be/h_6Z5B5b1TI
Clarence Henderson is Chairman of the North Carolina Martin Luther King Commission and was one of the four original sit-in demonstrators at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, NC in 1960. His long history of activism for true civil rights stands him in a unique position to speak to why the current controversy over sexual orientation and gender identity has nothing to do with the Civil Rights Movement in this country.

Part 04 – https://youtu.be/4YWN_fkTeJ4
Dr. Gabriel Rogers, Senior Pastor at Kingdom Christian Church in Charlotte, NC explains his perspective as a mental health professional on SOGI issues and how HB2 does not discriminate against people, but rather behavior.

Part 05 – https://youtu.be/kSW8zg2_qOw
Dr. Leon Threatt, Senior Pastor at Christian Faith Assembly in Charlotte, NC has been at the forefront of the fight against the Charlotte ordinance and explains his reasons for his involvement in helping to stop it from becoming law.

Part 06 – https://youtu.be/mErM5jUyDso
Pastor Kenneth Fontenot, Senior Pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Wilson, NC offers a creative illustration of why calling something by a name other than what it is does not make it into something else.

Part 07 – https://youtu.be/Bmr7XcKvvdk
Pastor Jimmy Bention of the Metrolina Christian Center COGIC in Monroe, NC came to Raleigh to share his personal experiences and views on HB2 and to explain the disconnect between sexual orientation and the civil rights movement.

Part 08 – https://youtu.be/Eu3xd55dVUM
Pastor Olden Thornton of Raleigh’s International Church explains just what a eunuch is and how biblical explanations of sexual deviancy help define how we treat such individuals.

Part 09 – https://youtu.be/lJINE8kfcxo
John Amanchukwu offers a summary of what has been said and why they are there to stand up in defense of HB2, followed by Elder Raychon McKoy who offers the benedictory prayer.

Part 10 – https://youtu.be/GBoKqpTIx54
At the conclusion of prepared remarks, the Pastors took questions directly from the media in attendance, addressing the civil rights, mental health and public safety aspects of HB2.