Reaction to fire chief dismissal brings key Atlanta groups in focus

Midwest 20%

Northeast 19%

Pacific 17%

Mountain 8%

Fulton and DeKalb both rank among the nation’s top 25 counties in the number of same-sex couples per capita, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

U.S. Rank / Same-sex couples / Same-sex couples per 1,000 households

10. DeKalb / 4,117 / 15.15

21. Fulton / 4,473 / 11.88

Source: Williams Institute/UCLA School of Law study

Atlanta ranks 6th among U.S. cities in the percentage of same-sex couples

U.S. Rank / Same-sex couples / Same-sex couples as a percentage of the population

1. San Francisco, Calif. / 8,902 / 2.7

2. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / 1,418 / 2.1

3. Seattle, Wash. / 4,965 / 1.9

4. Oakland, Calif. / 2,650 / 1.8

5. Berkley, Calif. / 788 / 1.8

6. Atlanta, Ga. / 2,833 / 1.7

7. Minneapolis, Minn. / 2,622 / 1.6

8. Washington, D.C. / 3,678 / 1.5

9. Long Beach, Calif. / 2,266 / 1.4

10. Portland, Ore. / 3,017 / 1.3

Source: 2010 U.S. Census

DIGGING DEEP. Mayor Kasim Reed's decision to terminate former Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has reverberated nationally, igniting debates over religious freedom and tolerance in our diverse society. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will continue following this story — from the State House, to city hall, to your community — and measuring its impact.

BOOK CONTROVERSY

Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran wrote “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” last year, a 162-page book aimed at Christian men. Cochran is a deacon in a large Atlanta-based Baptist church and regular participant in Christian education programs aimed at men.

Below are the passages from the book regarding homosexuality.

ON THE DEFINITION OF “UNCLEANNESS”

“uncleanness … (is) whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, and all other forms of sexual perversion.”

ON THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF SEX

“since God made sex for procreation, he only intended it to be between a man and a woman.” Those who live without God’s purpose, he wrote, “pursue sexual fulfillment through multiple partners, with the opposite sex, same sex and sex outside of marriage and many other vile, vulgar and inappropriate ways.”

Mayor Kasim Reed’s dismissal of Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, whose religious book and subsequent firing has led to a still-broiling national controversy, is viewed by many as a seminal moment for Atlanta.

But in an area with a predictable Sunday morning routine, whether that moment signals progress for the gay community, or lost ground for conservative Christians — the black church, in particular — is up for debate.

Those who think Reed was right to terminate Cochran, whose 2013 book described homosexuality as a sexual perversion, see the move as a win for Atlanta’s sizable lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

But for others, Cochran’s termination is raising questions about the ability to express religious beliefs in an increasingly secular society. And even those who respect Reed’s authority to make the decision wonder what effect Cochran’s firing will have on the African-American faith community’s long-standing relationship with City Hall.

Others still see the controversy as entirely overblown, a construct of the conservative right in order to gain support for a religious liberty bill now under consideration at the Capitol. Supporters say House Bill 29 seeks to protect religious expression from government intrusion.

In any case, conversations with many involved in the issue reveal the conflict isn’t as clear cut as it seemed at the Gold Dome last week, when both friends and foes of H.B. 29 held up Cochran’s case at their respective rallies.

Interviews with several church, political and LGBT advocates reveal deeply personal and nuanced takes on Cochran’s firing and what it says about Atlanta today. What’s clear is the reaction to Reed’s decision reflects a city and country still grappling with rapid sociopolitical change on matters of faith and equality.

“The issues that are raised in this case are issues that can probably only have been raised in 2015, at a time when you are dealing with a much more plural society, a much more plural Atlanta than it was before,” said Emory political scientist Andra Gillespie, referring to growing diversity in race, culture, religion and sexual orientation.

“Now it’s about trying to figure out if there’s such a thing as being able to agree to disagree in a public place,” she said.

The Rev. Gerald Durley, a Civil Rights activist and Baptist pastor, described the reactions to Cochran’s firing as “growing pains.”

“As things evolve and ideas and positions differ, sometimes it’s painful and sometimes you might not know exactly what’s happening,” he said. “That’s the way societies and cultures do.”

Durley’s participation in a pro-Cochran march to City Hall last week wasn’t out of concern over growing clout of an LGBT political machine or to protest the firing, he said. He’s worried about what the dismissal says about the black clergy’s influence at City Hall.

For decades, Atlanta mayors — including Reed — have called on faith leaders to help sort out the city’s thorniest issues, he said.

“There was always a working relationship and we want to maintain the relationship with the mayor,” Durley said.

He doesn’t argue with Reed’s decision to dismiss the chief, something Durley describes as a labor dispute.

“If you know Mayor Reed, you can’t get into a contest,” he said. “You’re wasting your time.”

RELATIONSHIPS IN FOCUS

Cochran’s firing shines light on complex relationships between key Atlanta groups: politicians, black faith leaders, conservative white Christians, and LGBT men and women.

Justin Ziegler, a local real estate agent and LGBT advocate, supports Reed’s decision. But he think the issue is all too easily boiled down to Christians against the LGBT community because of competing interests.

“It’s hard for those two groups who have opposite goals — to remove or reinstate — to find common ground and come together when the thing you’re fighting for just naturally pits you against each other,” he said.

The Rev. Tim McDonald, member of the Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta, doesn’t believe black and LGBT communities are at odds. He thinks Cochran’s firing is being used as a wedge issue by the Georgia Baptist Convention to drive support for H.B. 29.

McDonald is deeply suspicious of the GBC because of its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention, which in the Old South promoted white supremacy and opposed desegregation.

“It’s not about Cochran, they’re just using him in my opinion,” McDonald said. “A lot of people thought (the rally) was about Cochran. That’s why they came.”

Mike Griffin, public affairs spokesman for the Georgia Baptist Convention, flatly denies politics are at play. Cochran’s church, Elizabeth Baptist, is a member of the GBC, he said.

“No one is using anybody; Georgia Baptists are coming to the defense of one of their own,” he said.

Cochran’s supporters are unpersuaded by Reed’s statements that the chief was fired over a breach in protocol. They say he was terminated because of Christian beliefs.

Garland Hunt, a Norcross minister and Cochran’s attorney, said he was “inspired” by the alliance between black and white religious leaders at last week’s rally.

“Vast numbers of people that are all across the political spectrum came to the mic and agreed on two issues — that the mayor went too far, and No. 2, that we can not allow anybody to violate or deprive us of our First Amendment right of free speech and freedom of religion.”

If there’s any division, Hunt suggests it rests within the black faith community, which he thinks has moved towards acceptance of same-sex marriage because of President Barack Obama’s stance.

Noted Atlanta leaders, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis and former Ambassador Andrew Young, have also championed same-sex marriage, comparing the LGBT movement to a modern day Civil Rights struggle.

Hunt is pushing back against that shift, he said, as he believes it’s in conflict with Biblical teachings.

“You have pastors and ministers like myself who say my convictions under the word of God are too strong for me to change my perspective because of what President Obama says,” he said.

Glen Paul Freedman, a boardmember of advocacy group Georgia Equality and former city council aide, said many in the LGBT community are members of religious organizations with less traditional views.

“Whether you are white or black, Christian or Jewish, you will find people that are incredibly supportive,” he said. “And I’m sure there are just as many on the other side who are holding on to the last breath, and say this is what we believe and we won’t change.”

For him, the business community’s public stance against religious freedom bills last year was a key indicator of progress. “I think it’s the same on faith. I really do believe that the majority of people just believe that change is slow.”

‘MATURING CLIMATE’

For Jeff Cleghorn, a family law attorney, Reed’s decision signals a “maturing climate” in Atlanta — and is another acknowledgment of the city’s significant LGBT community.

Fulton and DeKalb rank among the nation’s top 25 counties in the number of same-sex couples, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. And Atlanta ranks 6th nationwide among cities for its percentage of same-sex couples.

“It would probably be true that not too many years ago, had this happened, that an official of such significance as the fire chief would not have been suspended or certainly not terminated as a result of what this gentleman has done,” he said.

Cleghorn sees Reed’s move as consistent with fast-paced legislative changes supporting same-sex marriage across the U.S.. The subsequent outrage, he believes, is “an acknowledgment by the far right that they are losing on issues of equality nationally and in Georgia.”

For the Rev. Wellington Boone, founder of The Father’s House Church in Norcross, it’s not so simple. Boone said his faith — not political agenda — is why he’s calling for Cochran’s re-instatement.

“This isn’t politics. This is real for me,” he said. “I don’t have anything else but my religious and Biblical beliefs to stand on.”