When Jennifer Louise Lopez first saw the horrific anti-gay sign go up on The ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church in her neighborhood in Harlem, she knew she had to take action.
Run by Dr. James David Manning, a man who has been outspokenly critical of the Obama administration and the progression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights over the course of the past six years, the church made headlines in late February when religious leaders posted a polarizing sign that read "Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man."
The church then later replaced the sign with one that read "Jesus would stone homos," along with "Stoning is still the law" and Bible verses Matthew 5:17-19, Deuteronomy 17:5-7, Leviticus 20:13 and John 8:1-11.
In response, Lopez knocked on the church's front door this week and informed the man who answered that she was there for her stoning. "I saw your sign and I'm here for my stoning, I'm a lesbian," Lopez informs the man in the video below, which Lopez posted on her Facebook.
The man, who seems a bit unsure as to what he should say, ultimately tells Lopez that he doesn't have any stones but she should come back the next day.
"I hope that by going up to the door and presenting myself as the human and the product of [Goddess’] creation, churches can begin to understand that us lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are the very same creations that they are," Lopez told The Huffington Post. "My [Goddess] is one of peace, love and inclusion for everyone. As a United Methodist Christian I would love to see that one day soon all of our churches, including any religion, are able to finally stop the discrimination toward LGBT people."
Lopez noted in the comments section of the video that her actions were inspired by Pamela Raintree, a transgender woman who dared a lawmaker to stone her last January. Raintree decided to confront Councilman Ron Webb after he remained the single dissenting vote against the LGBT non-discrimination ordinance that passed in Shreveport, Louisiana, last December and then masterminded a repeal of the ordinance. After Raintree's incredible speech, Webb rescinded his repeal.
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