The recent Iowa Supreme Court decision that declared the ban on same-gender marriage unconstitutional is sure to stimulate more conversation and debate. Painfully lacking from public discourse about marriage equality here in the state, however, is an affirmative African-American voice.

While it is not uncommon to see local black leaders standing united with other politicians and activists in opposition to the Iowa Supreme Court decision, it is important to note that national black leaders like Julian Bond of the NAACP and the Rev. Al Sharpton of the Social Action Network have taken an affirming stance on gay rights as civil rights, and they both support marriage equality.

Rarely do we see local black leaders who champion the cause on behalf of those gays and lesbians who live in our communities and frequent our Sunday services.

An exception is Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the United Methodist Church. He declined an invitation from Catholic Bishops of Iowa and other religious leaders in condemning the Iowa Supreme Court decision. Instead, he stated that he "strongly believed that the Iowa Supreme Court acted with judicial integrity in its determination that 'civil marriages must be judged under constitutional standards of equal protection and not under religious doctrines or religious views of individuals.'"

Furthermore, Bishop Trimble challenged Iowa United Methodists to engage in spiritual introspection and self-discovery, asking "what does 'radical hospitality' look like, when the practices of the state and the policies of the church differ?" Excluding this exception, however, raises an important question: Why is there among some blacks such stiff opposition to marriage equality, on the one hand, and a curiously annoying and deafening silence from supporters on this important human and civil rights issue, on the other?

Perhaps part of the disconnect arises from a misunderstanding of what this decision means in practical terms. Many wonder, for instance, if this now means that pastors and other religious clerics will be forced to scrap their religious convictions, violate their consciences and perform wedding ceremonies for gay and lesbian individuals.

Recognizing the sincerity of religionists who believe that traditional marriage would be undermined if marriage equality were upheld, the court declared that civil unions between gay and lesbian partners do not infringe upon current religious practices, and that civil marriage does not define marriage for religious institutions.

Striking about the angst of some religionists to maintain the integrity of traditional marriage, of course, is the fact that traditional marriage reportedly dissolves nearly 50 percent of the time.

Removing the ban against same-sex marriage will not necessarily undermine traditional marriage, as is often postulated. Traditional marriage is already imperiled. These religionists and activists should probably invest more energy into strengthening and maintaining loving heterosexual marriages as opposed to affronting same-sex partners.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., famously said that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Contrary to popular opinion, we would learn that most of our gay and lesbian neighbors will tell us that they did not choose their sexual orientation, if we can arrest our deeply-seated homophobia and exercise the love and patience to listen attentively to their stories. Certainly, we do not want to be guilty of denying other human beings equal protection of the law, after gaining the freedoms that we as African-Americans enjoy through the fight for equal opportunity. Instead, let us organize and unite our love, talent and energy around demanding that our legislators fight to eradicate the crippling disparities in economic development, education, health care and criminal justice that plague our communities across our great state. And if we are not engaged in the fight to advance the cause of human and civil rights on behalf of our gay and lesbian neighbors, perhaps on this subject it is better to imitate the great teacher of hospitality of biblical fame: simply remain silent.