Beyond the dream: 7 lesser-known facts about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
2. King opposed homosexuality
During the 1950s, King was an advice columnist for the African American publication Ebony magazine.
In 1958, an unnamed teenager wrote a letter to King, noting that he was struggling with homosexual thoughts.
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"I am a boy, but I feel about boys the way I ought to feel about girls. I don't want my parents to know about me. What can I do?" queried the young man.
King responded to the question, referring to homosexuality as a "problem" and encouraging the youth to seek counseling.
"Your problem is not at all an uncommon one. However, it does require careful attention. The type of feeling that you have toward boys is probably not an innate tendency, but something that has been culturally acquired," wrote King.
"Therefore, it is necessary to deal with this problem by getting back to some of the experiences and circumstances that lead to the habit. In order to do this I would suggest that you see a good psychiatrist who can assist you in bringing to the forefront of conscience all of those experiences and circumstances that lead to the habit."
