Documentary confronts being black and gay in church
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
Writer and producer Clay Cane introduces his documentary “Holler if you hear me, gay in the church” on Saturday, March 5 at Salem College.
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
FOR THE CHRONICLE
With the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community gaining acceptance all over the world, there are still places where homosexuality remains somewhat taboo.
To shed light on the subject, the documentary “Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church,” written and created by Clay Cane, shows the reality that LGBT youth often face while assessing their role in the church. “This is an unapologetic black gay film,” Cane stated frankly about his work.
The groundbreaking documentary filmed in Atlanta was shown on the campus of Salem College on Saturday, March 5, with creator Clay Cane in attendance to introduce the film, along with a Q&A session afterward that turned intense.
“For me, with this film I wanted to push the narrative beyond same sex marriage, beyond don’t ask don’t tell, because there still is so much work to do, and wanted people to acknowledge theological and spiritual violence is just as damaging as physical and emotional abuse,” said Cane of what he wanted to accomplish from this film.
The documentary opens with the story of an engaged lesbian couple, who met in the church, on the verge of their wedding day and how their respective families do not approve of their nuptials. The film then transitions to a young woman who was kicked out of her home by her mother who does not approve of her lifestyle and the tribulations she endured soon after. She then goes to live inside a youth home for LGBT teens that have been exiled by their family and friends and have nowhere else to go.
Also featured in the film is the existence of gay churches, the role of LGBT individuals inside the church, as well as how LGBTs affect the bottom line of a church through offerings and tithes.
Throughout the film, young people expressed the hurt and ridicule they received from those inside of the church, along with members of their own families. The mother of one of the engaged young ladies getting married even refused to attend the wedding due to her not agree-ing with her daughter’s lifestyle. Another young lady attempted a heterosexual relationship to please those around her, but felt as though she was prostituting herself with this man because she did not love him and only entertained the thought of being with him to be seen, as some would say, “normal.”
A preacher in the film even stated that along with having secretly gay members in the congregation, there are also many secretly gay preachers who dare not come out of the closet due to not wanting to lose members.
Following the film there was a Q & A session that became rather intense due to having individuals from both sides who wanted to argue some of points presented in the film. A young man stated that he does not believe in the term “gay Christian,” which incited a debate that allowed everyone to give their viewpoints on many issues from the uniqueness of being black and gay inside the church versus being white and gay inside the church, to the older individuals inside the church that have seen the gay community growing inside of the church for decades.
The majority of the responses were positive in response to the film. Cane stated he does not believe that being gay is a sin and asked the question, “Where does your soul go when you have been taught you are an abomination?” This was a question presented to all to illustrate some of the thoughts that some LGBT individuals wrestle with daily. Food for thought.
