I know that I already posted today, but this has me in such an uproar, that I literally feel my skin crawling as I sit here typing this. A close friend of mine who lives in California has alerted me to what can only be described as a redistribution of hate. I actually had to read this twice, because I wanted to deny that people would be this blatantly racist and hateful; especially the very people that are currently experiencing such hate themselves!!!
So listen up: GAYS!!! DO NOT become a racist because YOU think that “blacks” are to blame for Prop 8. PEOPLE are responsible for it. People voted for it, and people need to be convinced that Prop 8 has no place in the law. It doesn’t matter what color of skin they had when they voted; WHITE people voted for it to! DO NOT under any circumstances think that it is now okay to turn the hate that has been thrust upon us onto another oppressed group; doing so is so unbelievably hypocritical, not to mention insanely hurtful to the black gay and lesbians that are also a part of our community.
If you find yourself mad because of Prop 8, I am WITH YOU. But I will turn on you in a fucking heartbeat if I hear any of the shit come from that was described in the aforementioned article. There is NO PLACE for redistributed hate, and I frankly am ashamed that white gay people would act this way. You know better. We ALL know better. Let’s fight this fight together, against anyone that voted for or believes that gay people don’t deserve civil rights… the color of their skin is inconsequential, and it is outright racism to place blame on any one race; especially when white people voted for Prop 8 too.
I honestly don’t want to believe that something like this would still happen. I was born to a southern family who threw around the N word as if it were common language, and I find it unacceptable that people are still racist towards black people; especially gay people experiencing the same level of bigotry from this vote. My friend told me that he found it hard to go out and fight the fight with the rest of his so-called gay brethren because of this displaced hatred, and I really, really want him to know that I am ashamed that anyone could be so hateful, and I hope that we can stop all of this finger pointing, and focus on Prop 8; not the color of someone’s skin who voted for Prop 8. I wish that I could make everyone of those people perpetrating this behavior understand how wrong they are for doing this.
Wow. I am just in shock.
Thanks, Duane. There’s been a lot of scapegoating surrounding this issue..
I don’t think hate is a very good term to use. I have a few gay friends and a lesbian sister who I couldn’t possibly love more… but I would have voted yes on Prop 8.
Marriage is an institution created to procreate and raise children. Gay people have the same rights to get married… they just don’t want to marry someone of the opposite sex.
I am in favor of legal civil unions… not gay marriages.
Awesome Duane! Thank you so much.
I will admit that I felt some inklings of this when then the statistics started rolling in about the percentages of black voters who supported Prop 8 – and I think it was more the initial shock and hurt than it was anger. I really had to sit and reconcile my thoughts on it – yes the hurt is still there because I cried tears of joy when they announced Obama had won the election and to have the majority of the black community not support my rights on that night seemed a bit hypocritical. However, the rational side of my brain also understands that African Americans only make up about 6% of the entire population of California. It doesn’t take a math genius to realize that 70% of that 6% of the population is a far far smaller number then the number of white voters who supported Prop 8. According to 2006 census data white non-hispanics make up about 43% of the population of California and that same group had support numbers on Prop 8 around 48%.
Yes, we need to do more outreach in the black community – they don’t have a lot of exposure to ours and I don’t think the campaign really addressed them until it was too late to get the message across. But if we want to be in the business of pointing fingers at who is responsible here for stripping us of our rights, we should accept the fact that the finger should be pointed right where it always has been – white Christians. They have been and always will be our biggest barrier.
(I’ll be posting this in my own journal – I’ve been meaning to make a posting but just hadn’t gotten around to it yet)
I’m sure you read my “rant” already, but I’m glad you hit the racism head on. People are emotional, and I understand that, but wow. Cool the eff down!
Oh Good Lord. I can’t even believe it. Well, I CAN really, which is the sad thing about it all.
Steve, I am going to honest, and say that I feel sorry for your sister. You don’t think she deserves the same rights as you, because you obviously see homosexuality as a choice. Regardless if you think it is based in hate that we are second class citizens doesn’t matter; it is still hate that drives these people. Also, just so you know, a civil union doesn’t cut it, especially when it is more of a separate but equal treatment (even though it is no where near equal… which is the problem); and we all know how well that worked.
Additionally, if you believe that marriage really is an institution for procreation, do you support forced divorce for couples that do not procreate? Because if not, then you are just a hypocrite.
Two wrongs do not make a right. The African American Jesus Worship Church has been spewing out hatred of Gays and Lesbians for years. They were a big factor in the passage of proposition 8. This does not justify what allegedly happened at that rally.
I say allegedly because I was not there. I take what Jasmyne Cannick says with a grain of salt. While a handful of people shouting the n word is too much, I can’t help but wonder if it was really as bad as these reports say.
As for those numbers.. It is a good possibility that African Americans were turning out in great numbers because of Barack Obama. This would make a 75% yes on 8 vote have a larger impact than it ordinarily would.
You are so right. I do not have much to add to that. You have probably come a long way, if I understand you right with what you mention about your Southern background. We need rants like this! I hope it opens the eyes of some
To Steve P., perhaps ‘hate’ isn’t exactly the correct word, but it is most definitely discrimination, whether it comes from a place of hate or not. Also, if marriage is to procreate and raise children, then one should also take away the right to marry from those who have no intention of procreating and sterile people. The problem comes when one insists on defining marriage as distinctly *for* something, other than just letting it be something two people want to enter into together for their own reasons.
Here here. I was about to write on this very topic, and on this topic I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, it’s not new. I’m always surprised when I hear racist jokes or comments from (typically) other gay men. Unfortunately, I’m surprised a lot.
I couldn’t agree more with you Duane! It is a shame that in trying to protest for what was good and right (NO ON PROP
the people who are targeted are turning on another sector of society and blaming them when it was totally the “Christian” agenda to pass PROP 8. Regardless of the color of their skin, it was wrong to vote for discrimination against anyone. It is also just as wrong to discriminate against any certain race due to PROP 8 passing. As far as marriage versus civil union I totally agree with you on that as well. Civil union is just another way of saying that homosexuals are second class citizens and do not deserve the same rights as heterosexuals. All we want is equality. We want to be treated like the tax paying citizens of the U.S. that we are and we expect nothing less.
I read that Melissa Ethridge blogged that she should not have to pay California state taxes since she is considered a second class citizen of the state! I totally agree!!!
I am a straight black female that just so happen to believe that people should marry who they want for what ever reason. I am uncomfortable with christians or any other group changing the constitution to fit their adgenda that being said, gays that just assumed that this would pass were living in lala land. The gays that assumed automatically that black people would support their adgenda when they have been silent on issues that plague the black community are beyond racist. They are as arrogant as their straight white counter parts that they love to blame everything on. Straight christians got the point YEARS ago that you draw more flies with honey than you do with vineger. When they are campaigning they hit the black churches. They go to the places that wealthy white gays would not want anyone to know that they were at.
My suggestion to these people stop throwing childish tantrums and be a grown up. Accept the fact that you dropped the ball on this one and it is rolling away fast with this ugly behavior. The christian groups campaigned and got the attention of black conservatives with missinformation about the bill which GLBT did LITTLE to refute until it was TOO LATE. You raised more money than the christian right but they put their money to far better use than you did.
Also realise that this measure failed by 20 points in 2000 and in 2008 prop 8 was passed by only 4 this is signifigant progress so stop being such drama queens and be happy with the great progress that has been made in such a short period of time. Your movement is a young one so I will forgive these childish outburst this time. The ball is in your court CONVINCE us that you are worth our time because like it or not YOU NEED us like we also NEED you.