The Center hosted the second in a series of LGBT Town Hall meetings to continue discussing how to reach out and educate minorities within the gay community. The focus of the June 21 panel was to emphasize the need for role models in the Latin American and African-American LGBT communities to enlighten youth on tolerance and gay issues.
A crowd of more than 60 people participated in a forum regarding how to disparage the myth that being gay is a choice and how to decipher the influences on LGBT youth while promoting diversity in the minority community. The entire panel agreed that cultural and religious beliefs play a major role in how minorities look at the LGBT community.
Pastor Brei Taylor from Oasis Fellowship was said, â┚¬Å”the Bible does not talk about homosexuality in any form as we know it today.â┚¬ÂÂ
The panel acknowledged that most of people's role models and influences growing up are their parents, pastors and what is seen in the media.
They emphasized a need for adults comfortable in their own skin so they are open to talking to our youths about diversity and tolerance.
â┚¬Å”The change is coming with our youth,â┚¬Â said Oasis Fellowship elder Sue Love. â┚¬Å”I'm lucky enough to be on the page as its turning but it's going to be up to the kids [currently] in grade school, middle schoolâ┚¬â€Âanyone under 26 to make the change.â┚¬ÂÂ
An Oasis Fellowship youth who was in the audience with his two moms offered up a glimmer of hope.
â┚¬Å”It doesn't matter what people say about you,â┚¬Â he stated. â┚¬Å”It's what you care about in your heart.â┚¬ÂÂ
The Town Hall Seriesâ┚¬â€Ââ┚¬Å”Black and Latino, Part IIâ┚¬ÂÂâ┚¬â€Âwas moderated by Metropolitan Business Association (MBA) President Gina Duncan and also included Joyce Hamilton Henry from Mid-Florida Regional Hospital, Rudy Chacin, a medical case manager for the Orange County Health Department (OCHD) and Tatiana Quiroga, a course director in Behavioral Sciences from Full Sail University.
The Center will present Part III in October, where the focus will be on where to find the mediums to get information and education.
