“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence,”— Frederick Douglass
Venerable African American scholar Douglass is offering an iconic counsel on the true measure of leadership that may not be popular, but one that is willing to tackle issues head-on even at the expense of their own fortunes.
Douglass went on to say, “A man’s character always takes its hue, more or less, from the form and color of things about him.”
I strongly urge that Detroit City Council candidate Charles Pugh to heed the wise words from a man whose work on the greater questions of justice and equality have helped to inform the Black struggle for more than a century.
In other words, Pugh should confront the elephant in the room and be bold about it and seeing it as a teachable moment for Detroit and the wider community.
Something is wrong if the candidate who espouses and exemplifies the struggle for gay rights is not willing to make it a campaign issue to liberate others who share the same sexual orientation but are afraid to come out publicly.
Despite the conspicuous silence on the campaign trail about the issue, the streets are talking and the conversations are taking place in living rooms as Pugh is set to become the first openly gay president of the Detroit City Council.
And when that happens, Detroit will make history.
In a barbershop style dialogue I had with a Detroit businessman who was adamantly but secretly opposed to Pugh’s candidacy, I discovered a deep resentment among some about other people’s sexual orientations.
Everyone should have the right to their sexual preference and we cannot legislate or try to impose on individuals what kinds of lives they ought to live.
The Bible-touting and cassock wearing men and women always say that Detroit is a God city because of its religious tradition, and not the number of churches that are on every street corner, some located near the tranquilizing liquor stores.
No one would dispute the strong religious tradition in Detroit that has for long spoken to the issues of economic and social justice for African Americans.
But we cannot also forget that this city ought to be a free society where there is tolerance regardless of whether we approve of the lifestyles of others or not.
If a particular religion dictates a certain kind of lifestyle/sexual choice for those who subscribe to that faith, it ought to be between that individual and their faith. That is why I believe that faith is a personal matter.
I keep my faith to myself.
I am not interested in dangling what church I go to or engaging in a verbal competition about the church that has the most enriching spiritual experience.
Faith is strictly a personal experience for me.
Likewise, Pugh should be judged on the merits of his campaign, his understanding of local government and whether that, in fact, translates into meaningful change, and not his sexual orientation.
But just like President Obama was forced to deal with race and racism at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia during the 2008 presidential campaign because of the Jeremiah Wright crucifixion, I believe Pugh, should have addressed the issue of homophobia and gay rights.
Pugh could have selected perhaps one of the area high schools where there were reports of gay students being tormented.
Even if he felt that dealing with the issue has the deadly potential to siphon votes away from him in the race, it would at the same time afford him an opportunity to redefine his identity within the context of the political process.
He should do so especially when most gay advocacy groups around the nation are monitoring his election in Detroit very closely, and praising it as an example of how the nation is marching forward on the ever-burdening question of gay rights.
I don’t subscribe to the notion that Detroit is a straightjacket thinking community, because not everyone comes from the same experience and orientation.
If Pugh had addressed the issue of sexual preferences and how intolerance has affected the lives of many young people in Detroit’s high schools, I believe the majority of Detroiters would view him not through the lens of homophobia but as a real candidate for council.
Politics is about risk- taking and in this business that requires so much, men and women ought to stand for what they believe in. I respect people who stand on the principles that inform their sociopolitical philosophy and world view, not those who waver and hide behind political expediency.
I admire those who operate from their deep-seated political convictions. No matter how extreme their views may seem, at least they are willing to tell us where they stand on the crucial matters shaping our lives as members of this community.
That should be the definition of the call to public service – a belief in the principle of the public interest – drawing from one’s reality and existence.
That is why anytime someone approaches me at restaurants to discuss the candidates and frowns at Pugh because of his sexuality, I always challenge them to make their positions known publicly.
The issue of gay rights is part of the larger debate regarding human rights and the true measure of our conscience, and we in Detroit cannot sideline the issue.
Yes, there could be a political price to pay in addressing this issue. But what hard political decisions don’t come with a price?
“For him it would be political suicide. Detroit is not ready to speak to gay issues and that is why so many men and women are in the closet,” said renowned author Terrance Dean, a native of Detroit.
But I disagree with Dean, who is also gay.
There are some men who, perhaps, will want to come out of the closet in throngs now because they see aspiration, hope and security in Pugh’s candidacy.
For those who might be reading this commentary and are mad at me for the audacity to pen such an issue, I want to remind you that your freedom is no freedom if another person’s freedom is threatened by your prejudice and intolerance.
Detroit has to realize that explosive issues such as gay rights cannot be swept under the rug any longer.
The reason the AIDS pandemic is eating so much of our community — with Black women claiming the highest rate — is we have treated HIV/AIDS as a taboo while conservative theologians and churches have turned the other way.
But on Sunday, our pews are filled with members who might be suffering silently because of these ills, but no help comes from the pulpit because we have decreed that such issues must not be addressed openly in the church.
Pugh’s presence in the race elevates the conversation of gay rights and increases its credibility, whether he wants to deal with it now or later.
If political advisers suggest that he skips the issue until his election, it would even be more troubll if he becomes council president. Then he would be forced to address the issue through ordinance or some form of city policy.
Why wait until later?
Watch Bankole Thompson’s weekly show, “Center Stage,” on WADL-TV 38 Saturdays at 1 p.m. This Saturday, Oct. 31, “Center Stage” will feature a special election panel
and also examine the counsel-by- district proposal.
He is the host of “Climate Change: Is Detroit Open For Business?” — a weekly roundtable discussion about business in Detroit on WDET-101.9 FM, Detroit Public Radio, Wednesdays at noon.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, he will join “Spotlight” on WXYZ-Channel 7, at 9:30 a.m. for an election roundtable. At 10 a.m. he will join “Flashpoint” on WDIV-Channel 4 to analyze Tuesday’s elections.
E-mail him at bthompson@michronicle.com.