Living Out Loud with Darian

As I was trying to make sense of everything that transpired last weekend with the small controversy surrounding two gospel artists that I'd written about last week, I became inundated with comments and phone calls from people who were either appalled by my statements or shared the same views as I did.

Through this experience I began to really understand the effect religion and the church has on a person's life, particularly in the African-American community. On Sunday I joined a church I'd been visiting regularly since I moved to Atlanta. The Vision Church of Atlanta is a GLBT affirming church that embraces all of God's children regardless of who they are and where they are in their walk with Christ.

I often talk about living life authentically and sometimes that means going against what is considered "normal" in order to be true to yourself. I've come to realize that this simple act of courage is easier said than done for some SGL people and for many different reasons.

I attempted to pour my feelings into writing, but my thoughts were running together. I later came across a video featuring spoken word artist and activist Kenneth Morrison that summed up exactly what I was feeling.

At 13 is a poem that was written in memory of Kenneth's friend Devon who comitted suicide at 13 years of age. Everything that I was feeling about the church, the Black community and the effects of internalized homophobia within the gay community were spoken through the brilliance of Kenneth Morrison.

Some of us are tired of fighting

But I'm fighting because I'm tired

I'm tired of my existence being underrated

I'm tired of my freedoms being postdated

Living as the most hated

-Kenneth Morrison