Civil Rights Leader Resigns From NAACP National Board Over Gay Marriage Endorsement

The debate over gay marriage in the African American community continues to rage one month after President Barack Obama endorsed same-sex marriage. Weeks after the NAACP, an African-American civil rights organization, passed a resolution also backing gay marriage as a civil right, the Rev. Keith Ratliff Sr., a member of the organization’s national board, has resigned.
According to KCCI, Ratliff, who also served as the NAACP’s Iowa/Nebraska conference president, has been uncertain about his future role in the group since its decision to follow in Obama’s footsteps. On May 28, World Magazine reported:

The Rev. Keith A. Ratliff Sr. said he is “in prayer” about his relationship with the NAACP following its endorsement of same-sex marriage on May 19…“I’m against same-sex marriage,” he told CitizenLink. “There are a number of issues that the NAACP has to address and deal with, and I certainly don’t think same-sex marriage should be a top priority.” Ratliff added that the gay rights movement should not be compared with the civil rights movement: “There is not a parallel between the homosexual community and the struggles of African-Americans in our country. I haven’t seen any signs on any restrooms that say ‘For Homosexuals Only.’ Homosexuals do not have to sit on the back of the bus, as African-Americans had to.”

After prayer, it seems his decision has been solidified.
“I want to thank the NAACP for the privilege to humbly serve in such an organization and thank all those I had the privilege to work with in the states of Iowa, Nebraska and throughout the country,” Ratliff said in a statement announcing his decision to exit his leadership role in the nation’s oldest civil rights group.

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