Series:

Black LGBTQ+ Legends of Los Angeles

Topic:

African American History

LGBT Movement

Biographical Note:

Senior Bishop of the worldwide Unity Fellowship Church Movement, Inc. Founder of Breaking Ground, a lesbian, gay, and transgender youth educational organization.

Interviewer:

Johns, Byron

Interviewee:

Jones, Zachary G.

Persons Present:

Johns and Jones

Place Conducted:

Conducted via the Zoom teleconferencing platform

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Byron Johns, Psy.D., organizational psychologist and trained facilitator and interviewer. Johns has worked with Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) in New York City, and on numerous LGBTQ-focused projects.

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording as transcribed by a professional transcribing agency. The interviewee was given an opportunity to review the transcript but made no corrections or additions.

Length:

5 hrs

Language:

English

Copyright:

Interviewee Retained Copyright

Audio:

Series Statement:

The Black LGBTQ+ Legends of Los Angeles oral history project reflects a legacy of Black folks supporting each other in the face of race, sexual orientation, and class-based marginalization. Los Angeles is one of the major US cities that experienced sweeping social and political changes as a result of Black civil rights movements and gay liberation movements from the 1960’s until the present. Likewise, Los Angeles is often represented as a city where integration was established ahead of legislation. However, LGBT histories involving African Americans are limited. These oral history testimonies will fill historical gaps relating to Black LGBT social and political life in Los Angeles.

Note:

Brief mentions of individuals have been redacted to protect privacy.

Self-description—Growing up in Los Angeles—Family History—Influence of his siblings and local environment—Realizing he was different from his peers—School life—Relationships with his teachers—Describes an instance of sexual assault—Gino’s, a teen gay club in Los Angeles—Relationship with his brother Larry—Coming out on television on the Montel Williams Show— Influence of the gay community he met through his brother Larry—Being more accepted by his family than his brother was—Going to seminary—Marrying a woman—Getting a divorce—Meeting Carl Bean and learning about the AIDs epidemic—Getting involved with the Minority AIDs Project—Dreaming about going to Pepperdine University but not being able to afford it—Becoming a lifelong learner and student

Naming himself Beatitude—Working as a Banker and working for Delta Airlines—Getting a master’s in theology—Studying music—Studying metaphysics—Traveling to 21 countries—Going to gay bars in foreign countries—Experience being a black man in foreign countries—Finding gay friends—Getting married to a woman for religious reasons—Getting divorced and joining The Great Outdoors, a predominantly white gay group—His partner passing from AIDs—Meeting Carl Bean—Testing positive for HIV–Witnessing a blossoming black gay community—Jewel’s Catch One—Coming out on the Montel Williams Show—Going to New York and deciding to stay there to replicate his work with Unity Fellowship Church—Starting the New York Black Gay Men’s State Network—Forming Unity Fellowship, New York City—Moving Unity Fellowship to a larger venue—Forming Unity Fellowship Breaking Ground—Retiring from being a pastor and becoming the prelate of Unity Fellowship Church—Commonalities across different regional LGBTQIA communities

His love for jazz music and learning to play the piano—Going to an adult music camp—Goals for his doctorate—His education and career history—Loneliness in older gay men—His advocacy work in New York and Washington, D.C.—Visiting the White House and meeting President Obama—Concerns about violence against transgender people—Concerns about anti-LGBTQIA churches—Gentrification—Immigration issues—Polarizing issues of race in the LGBTQIA community—Successes for the LGBTQIA community—Identifying areas where LGBTQIA progress has moved slower—Reflecting on the interview process—Vision for the Black LGBTQIA community—His legacy