A prominent Washington, D.C. minister who also serves as a national leader for the Millions More Movement has infuriated black gays and lesbians with a controversial sermon earlier this month in which he told his congregation that "lesbianism is about to take over our community."

The Rev. Willie Wilson delivered the remarks on July 3 at his church, Union Temple Baptist Church in Southeast D.C. Wilson is a former D.C. mayoral candidate and serves as executive director of the Millions More Movement march, an effort to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March, which was called by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Black gay and lesbian leaders say they are particularly angry because they felt excluded from Farrakhan’s Million Man March 10 years ago. Farrakhan, however, has said recently that all blacks are welcome at the event, including gays.

But several gay and lesbian leaders told reporters last week that, in the wake of Wilson’s sermon, they may boycott the October 15 event, which is supported by the NAACP, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and The National Council of Negro Women.

Wilson, who is known for his outspoken political views and fiery rhetoric from the pulpit, has managed to create another firestorm of controversy -- and even his staunch supporters say Wilson has crossed the line this time. Wilson’s comments were reported in the Washington Post and the Washington Blade, a gay rights publication, which obtained a CD text of Wilson’s sermon, entitled "You’ve Got to Fight to Be Free."

"Sisters making more money than brothers, and it’s creating problems in families … that’s one of the reasons many of our women are becoming lesbians," Wilson said, according to transcripts from the Blade.

"Lesbianism is about to take over our community. … I ain’t homophobic because everybody here got something wrong with him," he said. "But … women falling down on another woman, strapping yourself up with something, it ain’t real. That thing ain’t got no feeling in it. It ain’t natural. Anytime somebody got to slap some grease on your behind and stick something in you, it’s something wrong with that. Your butt ain’t made for that.

"No wonder your behind is bleeding," he said. "You can’t make no connection with a screw and another screw. The Bible says God made them male and female."

The Blade reported last week that Wilson "angrily refused" requests by black gay leaders to apologize for a sermon in which he offered graphic and disparaging remarks about gays.

According to the paper, members of an ad hoc group of black gays have called for Wilson’s resignation or dismissal from his position with the Millions More Movement march. Wilson has refused all media requests for interviews, and officials with the movement have not commented about Wilson’s sermon.

Gay rights activist Phil Pannell told reporters he was upset by Wilson’s sermon.

"It’s very difficult to go forth in the community to even try to have a meeting with Rev. Wilson because, with views expressed like that, particularly in the pulpit of the church, it makes it very difficult for the GLBT community to think that any conversation or dialogue regarding inclusion … would be constructive and fruitful," Pannell told the Blade. "I’m quite distressed."

Wilson’s sermon also raised the emotional issue of relationships between black men and black women, which prompted two days of discussion last week on Joe Madison’s national radio talk show.

Meanwhile, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, who currently serves as a Ward 8 Council member, met last week with more than 70 black gays to discuss Wilson’s sermon and the Millions More Movement march, according to the Blade. After the meeting, Barry told reporters he called on Wilson to apologize to the gay community.

In Wilson’s sermon on July 17, he disputed allegations that he’s anti-gay.

"Ain't no church in Washington, D.C., unless it's a gay church, that has done more to reach out to the gay … community than Union Temple," Wilson said, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Carlene Cheatam, a longtime gay rights advocate who supports the October event, told the Washington Blade "I'm terribly upset. It is sickening that he said it ... but it truly shows his colors."