We’ve encountered the Atlah Church before, a church in Harlem whose pastor, James Manning, enjoys posting viciously homophobic statements on the building’s marquee, such this charmer. Call it Schadenfreude, but it’s hard not to gloat a little now that the church is in bankruptcy and its building up for sale. Add to that a bit of poetic justice: the probable buyer is the Ali Forney Center (AFC), the largest organization in the U.S. dedicated to helping homeless GLBT youths. And toss in some dramatic irony: most of the kids served by AFC were kicked out of their homes by Christian fundamentalist parents who share many of Rev. Manning’s views. Soon these young people will have a place to go in Harlem for sustenance and compassion.
