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From: "bobandcarole" <bobandcarole333@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.prettyboy
Subject: Re: Charlene E. Cothran comes out of da hood for good
Date: 2 Apr 2007 04:47:22 -0700
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On Mar 31, 8:22?am, "bob&carole" <bobandcarole...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> A prominent black homosexual activist has come out of the closet,
> except this time as an ex-lesbian.
>
> Charlene E. Cothran, 48, runs a quarterly magazine named after her
> homosexual friend, Venus, who was shot dead by her ex-lover. For 13
> years, the periodical has targeted black gays and lesbians and grew to
> a circulation of over 38,000 across the nation.
>
> For 29 years, she has encouraged the homosexual community to stand up
> for themselves and moved to the forefront in gay pride movements and
> lobbying efforts for "equal treatment" of homosexual persons.
>
> But today, she has a different message for her audience and
> supporters.
>
> "...I must come out of the closet again," stated Cothran. "I have
> recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I
> completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer
> of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex
> relationships are not what God intended for us."
>
> The shocking announcement was made on the cover story of her latest
> Venus issue in February entitled "Redeemed! 10 Ways to Get Out of the
> Gay Life If You Want Out."
>
> "I don't expect that this message will be widely received, quite the
> contrary," she said in her article. "But, I do know that there is
> someone, possibly reading this very article, who is tired and unhappy
> living this way."
>
> Having grown up in a Christian home, Cothran was one of those "tired"
> persons. She felt disconnected from God living as a lesbian and
> knowing what Scripture says. So she avoided church altogether.
>
> "When you know the truth, you don't want to see it," she told The
> Christian Post. "I didn't go to church, I didn't read the Bible."
>
> Cothran would only go to service for Easter or other major religious
> holidays.
>
> At that time, "gay" churches were springing up. She attended a few
> services but she never stayed. Although a warm and inviting
> experience, Cothran felt it was like "'playing' church."
>
> "Truth is, I could not bring myself to join a 'gay' church," she said
> in a blog. "I just could not get it passed any of my senses that God
> and gay were just fine together. I just never believed it."
>
> Cothran's transformation came in June 2006. The Lord gave her what she
> called "an ultimatum" - to make a choice today who she will serve.
>
> Venus magazine reaches the same audience today - gay and lesbians who
> are predominantly African American - but Cothran is writing more as an
> evangelist now. The last two issues ran without the support of all her
> regular corporate ads that were geared toward gay lifestyle. She has
> also lost some of her dedicated subscribers, some of whom felt
> disappointment and sadness while others felt betrayed, considering the
> role model Cothran was to the gay community.
>
> Still, she hasn't lost all of them. One reason, she says, is because
> she still has credibility with them and another, because they are just
> curious about how such a prominent homosexual activist changed.
>
> "When you're holding this magazine up, you're holding up a mirror,"
> Cothran explained about the new issues of Venus. "A lot of times, you
> don't like what you see," she said, alluding to homosexual persons who
> were largely raised in a Christian home.
>
> In the African American community, homosexuality is a taboo, says
> Cothran, and blacks are much more homophobic than any other ethnic
> group, she believes.
>
> Her piece of advice is to treat everyone with love. Her advice to the
> black churches - don't leave out truth.
>
> "We have to mix truth and grace," she said. "Everyone should be
> invited to come into the temple of God just as they are ... but you
> can't say 'under grace, it doesn't matter if you're gay.'"
>
> "That's only grace without any truth," she continued.
>
> "The Lord instructed us to sin no more."
>
> Churches should say, "We want to help you walk out [of homosexuality]
> with you" and not "continue to come and be gay," Cothran noted.
>
> "But not enough people are saying 'come.'"
>
> Cothran has a flood of new support now in addition to her past
> supporters, including parents, other ex-homosexuals and churches.
>
> She has no ad clients for her next magazine issue and some of her past
> friends won't take her call anymore. But she's happy.
>
> "I'm celibate," she now calls herself. "And I'm very satisfied with
> just me and God."
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