Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
The niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a crowd at a National Organization for Marriage rally last weekend in Atlanta. Dr. Alveda King (pictured) passionately addressed the issue of same-sex marriage, stating that it would lead to "extinction" and "genocide."
King, who is a politician, activist and author, is the daughter of the late slain civil rights leader A.D. King.
A former Georgia House of Representatives member, King is known for speaking her mind about controversial issues, such as abortion and gay marriage. She has been a pro-life crusader and vehemently opposes same-sex marriage.
King addressed a crowd of attendees, who were outnumbered by protesters. She spoke out about her family's commitment to traditional matrimonial values and even claimed that her uncle, Dr. King, and his "lovely wife," Coretta Scott King, were also on board with this belief system.
King failed to mention, however, that the late Coretta Scott King actually supported gay marriage publicly and was even a speaker at a 1996 Gay Pride festival in Atlanta. Back in 2004, she called gay marriage a "civil rights issue" and even denounced a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban it. She was once quoted as saying:
"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing, and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."
Perhaps Alveda King should take a page from her aunt's teachings?