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Leslie Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle

A landmark meeting of African American clergy and members of the gay and lesbian community that began January 19, 2005 in Atlanta is the keystone of an effort to promote the acceptance of gays in black churches. The Rev. Al Sharpton from New York and Bishop Yvette Flunder of San Francisco’s City of Refuge United Church of Christ in the South of Market area are headlining the Black Church Summit organized by the National Black Justice Coalition.

The gathering, at the First Iconium Baptist Church near downtown Atlanta, will feature films, discussions on acceptance and a look at how homophobia in churches is promoting the “down-low” phenomenon — men having sex with other men while maintaining a heterosexual identity.

“The summit will let us have an open, honest and mobilized way to say to black ministers that we have to start talking about gay people in their churches,” said Mandy Carter, a lesbian activist in North Carolina who plans to attend. “This is the first time we have high-profile people having this conversation.”

The involvement of well-known black politicians and church leaders has given new inspiration to the National Black Justice Coalition, the country’s largest black gay civil rights group. The Washington coalition, which has been trying to promote just this kind of dialogue for years, says the summit is especially important because of the large number of black clergy across the country who support bans on same-sex marriage.

The church plays more than a religious role in most black communities, serving as a social gathering place and often dictating the politics of its parishioners. Activists say anti-gay sentiment grew in 2004 because white conservative Christian groups rallied black ministers against gay marriage. Many believe this bond between white evangelicals and black pastors helped President Bush get 11 percent of the African American vote that year.

“The Karl Roves of the world wrote an agenda on how to mobilize the African American vote, and part of that was to suggest the vote against same-gender marriage,” Flunder said, referring to Bush’s top political adviser. Flunder is one of a handful of Bay Area black clergy who support same-sex marriage.

Though the NAACP has vocally supported gay rights, the group has not taken a stand on same-sex marriage. Executive Chairman Julian Bond has, however, compared opposition to same-sex marriage to bans on interracial marriage.

Sharpton, who has been politically active in New York for decades, became involved in the debate over the acceptance of gays and lesbians in black churches during his most recent run for president. He openly supported same-sex marriage, and then in August, he announced plans for an educational initiative to challenge homophobia in churches. In addition to participating in discussions like this one, Sharpton plans to make public-service announcements and talk in schools.

For details on the summit, visit www.nbjcoalition.org.