Some thoughts: When White Gays show their true rainbow
November 8, 2008
I’m on the phone with Krisiti Lomax who lives in LA and interviews our U People DJs for the music section of the site. She informed me that there was an incident in West Hollywood the other night (a neighborhood predominantly white and gay) where white gay males verbally assaulted black people. They felt justified to do so because they felt that it was homophobic black people who voted for Prop 8. Why did they feel this way? CNN released an exit poll stating that over 70% of blacks in California voted for Prop 8 as oppose to 53% hispanics and 43 percent whites. This was their green light to unleash a deep seeded hatred of black America which quite honest most Black LGBT folks were already aware was there. Salt was added to the wound when columnist Dan Savage stated:
“African American voters in California voted overwhelmingly for Prop 8, writing anti-gay discrimination into California’s constitution and banning same-sex marriage in that state. Seventy percent of African American voters approved Prop 8, according to exit polls, compared to 53% of Latino voters, 49% of white voters, 49% of Asian voters.
“I’m not sure what to do with this. I’m thrilled that we’ve just elected our first African-American president. I wept last night. I wept reading the papers this morning. But I can’t help but feeling hurt that the love and support aren’t mutual.
“I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think they’re scum—are a bigger problem for African Americans, gay and straight, than the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans are for gay Americans, whatever their color.
“This will get my name scratched of the invite list of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is famous for its anti-racist-training seminars, but whatever. Finally, I’m searching for some exit poll data from California. I’ll eat my shorts if gay and lesbian voters went for McCain at anything approaching the rate that black voters went for Prop 8.” – Dan Savage.
Before I express my feeling in regards to Mr. Savage and white gay America’s reaction to Prop 8, let me refer you to an artical at Daily Kos. This article by Shannika breaks down the statistics around these exit polls which essentially explain how 70% of a 6.5 % Black population in California is relatively far less than a 43% of a vast majority of white people in California.
So it seems white gays who agree with Savage believe that one back should scratch another. Or because gay America (which seems not to include black gay America, per usual) voted for Obama, Black America (which seems not to include black gay America, per usual) should have returned the favor. Here is where people like Mr. Savage and white gay America are delusional. I, like many, have been waiting to get this off of my chest for far too long!
1) Gay America (which is for the most part synonymous with whiteness) has done little if much at all to reach out to it brown brothers and sisters and the larger black community; in particular within media. Media representation of gay America is mostly if not damn near all reflective of white gay America. And so you are surprised that most non gay black folks still to this day think that being gay is synonymous with being white. They do not see an earnest and varied reflection of themselves within gay media.
2) The No On Prop 8 ads have all reflected again white gay America. We at U People created an ad that reflected black gay America on teh issue but this is only when asked at the last minute by the No on Prop 8 movement.
3) White gay media like to presume they are absolved from racism because they are steady riding on the backs of the civil rights movement as if the victimization is of the same creed. As a black gay woman this is a conundrum that I live with daily, but in the end I agree with the larger black populace that is often resentful of how white gay America has hijacked the civil rights movement without any effort to create coalitions.
4) And what is even more shameful is the lack of education around the civil rights movement to be so entitled to compare oneself to it. The civil rights movement though born out of black struggle knew one thing, that it could not succeed on that premise alone. The civil rights movement created coalitions around the preservation of civil rights for all. It was about civil rights, not black rights. Learn from history before you appropriate it!
This I feel has been the hugest misstep in the gay marriage movement, lack of strategy and an a skewed sense of entitlement. But this is not gayness, this is whiteness, exacerbated by affluence. As long as it is focused on gay marriage rights, we will be taking two steps backwards before taking a step forward, illustrated in the passing in Prop 8.
But back to Savage and Barack Obama. So we owe you something. So are you to say that you are among the white folks who may have voted for Barack because ‘ooh it would be cool to vote for a black president’? Are you of the flock of bruised Hillary supporters that feel that Baracks strength lies in him being simply that; a black president? ARE you so ignorant to believe that white America voted for him because he is, wait hold up; a black president? Damn you Savage, to attempt to belittle the intellectual and authentic journey of Barack Obama to the presidency. Did you even believe in your vote Dan Savage? Or maybe you were scratching for a reason, any reason that would explain why Prop 8 passed. And in the end you went with what you know best; what was easiest; blame it on them black folks.
Why not blame it on the 43% of white folks who said YES don’t give them sodomites nothin!! Maybe that would be problematic or too close to home. I mean you are a widely syndicated writer; don’t wanna mess with your money. Why not put blame on the NO on Prop 8 movement which released some of the lamest ads around the issue. I mean yawn! These ads lacked one simple thing. The core of our humanity as people…not gay people…people. This is one reason why Olive approached the U People ad in the manner in which she did. But maybe if the gay marriage rights movement would’ve studied the civil rights movements they would have made better strides earlier in anticipation of Prop 8 passing. But instead, the only people who have our back is us. And us really means you nd HRC and the gay elite. And when we don’t win, what do you do…blame the blacks or anyone but your damn self. Self critique is not your jerk reaction rather simply being a jerk is. I seriously doubt that every time the civil rights movement faced a backstep that they blamed the Asians or wined about how white folks don’t like us.
Jeeze, what a bunch a punks, get some backbone and a little direction.
- Souloperator
Link on the subject:
Jasmyne Cannick: Election ‘08: OMG The Gays Are Trying To Get Gangsta With It
Rod 2.0: N-Word Hurled at Blacks During Westwood Prop 8 Protest
