Nearly one month later, gay Durham councilwoman speaks to Catholic school students

After nearly a month of waiting, an openly gay Durham City Councilwoman finally gave her Black History Month talk Tuesday night at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

School leaders at the Immaculata Catholic School associated with the church originally canceled the speech by Vernetta Alston, who is married to a woman, citing credible threats for protests both in support of and against Alston because of her stance on gay marriage. In addition, school officials canceled classes for the day, citing student safety concerns.

Father Christopher VanHaight said that rescinding the invitation was “a difficult decision,” but that it was necessary to be clear about Catholic teachings, which oppose homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

When Alston finally took to the stage to a standing ovation Tuesday night, police were present as a precaution, but no protests or issues arose.

“Thank you for being an example for everyone in Durham, and for me personally, and thank you for showing me how to fight for our children,” Alston said to the crowd.

Students stood in line to meet Alston following her talk, with some comparing the wait to meet her to the long lines that are typical in Walt Disney World.

Alston said she was overwhelmed by support.

“I felt very excited to finally deliver that kind of message, and I hope people received it well,” she said. “It’s just so special to see folks be committed to what they value and say it out loud and to support one another.”

Alston said it never crossed her mind to decline the invitation to return to the school to speak, and that she is grateful for the community’s support.

VanHaight apologized for how the situation regarding Alston’s initial planned speech was handled. Officials with the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh have declined repeated requests for an interview.