Race, Religion, and Proposition 8

and like the author (and i have pointed out beforehand) barack obama - a man who is supported to support equality - clearly sent a message to the blk community that marriage was between a man and a woman. so the message of equality in relation to sexuality has not been articulated in the blk community. blk people DO need to work on their homophobia and stop perpetuating similar prejudice and discrimination on their lgbt family. still i must remind the white lgbt family (cuz clearly lgbt of color are in a diff position) that alliances must not be assumed. yall have to cont to reach out to lgbt people of clolor and people of color in general. your anger towards blk people is justifiable but if yall hold onto that then there will never be an alliance between blks and gays, and old alliances - lgbt of color may separate further. so, let's focus on stopping bigotry within each of our communities.

If you lived in my community(westhollywood) and saw the way black ministers and black community leaders talked on the 6 pm news about Me not being good anough to have the same rites with my partner as they share with theres and saw the numbers of blacks that came out for OUR new prez.There is no way that it did not have a afect on the passing of prop 8.So yes I am pissed at the black community.If I were you, dont be suprised when Obamo looses becouse just like those ministers on the 6pm news called on there poeples to vote so that gays can not marry I will be asking my friends/family and any stranger to not vote for any black canidate or anything that keeps your communitys rites.I will work to over turn everything that I see that will punish them.Yea I know that not all blacks voted that way just as not all whites voted for the idiot goerge w.But you can not tell me that most didnt.So you reep what you sow.

Jeramy, Dear, you have a lot of nerve, sitting up in a wonderful country like Canada, where you have enjoyed FULL EQUALITY for years, and casting judgement on those of us who are still fighting for our basic humanity IN JUST ONE US STATE! Believe me, if you worked for 47 years to secure basic equality in your home state, only to have it ripped from you by a mop 4.5 months later, you might feel a little bit different. Grow up.

I had a great response, and I was really nice in it, but I am not one who counts my characters as I type.. So here it is Short: -BAYARD RUSTIN, the openly GAY adviser to Martin Luther King. Who was responsible for the major protests and Non-violent protesting - African Americans owe a lot to him and us white voting liberals and gays. I wanted to say we do have to hold African-American Voters Accountable. But, they did us one favor as well. Prop 8 not passing fired up the masses and we are not just happy with one state and no federal recognition. It is time to hole one African-American to his promise of change, all of our state legislators, and our judges. We need to repeal DOMA and go for full equality now.

We do have to address the African-American Community for its 70% approval of Prop 8. We have "a dream" too. Gays throughout history have helped in civil rights movements of every other minority, woman included. I am not sure if you have heard of BAYARD RUSTIN. Few realize that he was an openly GAY African-American ADVISER to Martin Luther King. BAYARD was responsible for Organizing the most important MARCHES and protests in the 60s and he was the idea man behind NON-VIOLENT PROTESTS. MLK and the African-American Community owe a lot to the gay community and to especially one important gay man. I would have been a little more elequent in my delivery, but this message board didn't allow for the extra wording.

Finally someone points out that Obama is against gay marriage! I was surprised that the gay community jumped on the Obama train so early in the race. Even the Advocate pointed out in the early days that Hillary was probably our best bet. Even this Hillary supporter sees that the country is in a much better place with Obama over Hillary but I am not sure the gay community is. Maybe if Obama had to campaign more in California (it turned blue early) he could have addressed why he was against Prop 8 and reached all of his followers (black, white, and everything else). I guess you could say he owes us.

Reverend Monroe chooses to ignore the salient fact when considering the black vote on Proposition 8. No other minority has been subjected to discrimination to the extent that the black population has. GLBT individuals have for many decades fought for the equal rights of the black minority. How quickly our black brethren have forgotten the pain of sitting in the back of the bus, attending black only schools, drinking from "Negro" water fountains, being denied the right to marry a white person in 1/2 of the states and even attending a white church. Those same churchs were at the forefront of enforcing the discriminations. Now we ironically find that the blacks have walked through the door of equal opportunity and slammed that door in the faces of the GLBT community. It's the "I've got mine - you don't need yours" mentality. Shame on religion and shame even more on the black community for their endorsement of prejudice and discrimination. How quickly they forget!

Well, Robert Goodman, M.S, thank you for your response and for respecting my right to express my opinion. Oh wait you didn't... I guess you label Log Cabin republicans as homophobic as well. How does that work? Rest assured that if I ever move to the US and am faced with an election I will contact you first Robert Goodman, M.S to ask you how I should vote so that I do not offend you by going astray from the flock. Btw, CAPS really aren't needed dear

Rev. Monroe knows damn well that she won't encourage Black religious folk to respect Gay people by referring to them as "queers". I've told her this before via email, and she just ignores me. Just her insistence on embracing words like "queer" and "dyke" (or worse, "dykette", which she used in a recent essay) undermines her activism and reflects poorly on her judgment. There's no way in Hell you can effectively confront the power structure while embracing the dehumanizing slurs that same power structure has created to marginalize you! I'm saying this to Rev. Irene and also to anyone who's planning to march on a church carrying a "we're here, we're queer" sign. All you're doing is validating the "Yes on 8" mentality.

Jeramy- Get a clue. Voting for Prop 8 DOES MAKE A PERSON HOMOPHOBIC! People may not like having to face that uncomfortable fact about themselves, but denying it won't make it different or go away. I am sick and tired of people not accepting basic responsibility here. I can deal with someone saying, "Yes. I voted this way, and I accept that it is a form of hatred and intolerance toward Gay and Lesbian people." What I cannot accept is someone voting to take away another groups BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL, HUMAN CIVIL RIGHTS and then whining about being called what they are: HOMOPHOBIC. If a white person were to vote to take away African-American's right to marry, you can be DARN SURE not ONE SINGLE PERSON would have a problem labeling this person a racist--and rightfully so.