racist gays
I’ve considered posting on this topic before but resisted because my evidence was strictly anecdotal. Turns out I underestimated the problem.
The reaction from some gays following Prop. 8’s passage — supported by 70 percent of black voters — shames us all and merits widespread condemnation.
It was like being at a klan rally except the klansmen were wearing Abercrombie polos and Birkenstocks. YOU NIGGER, one man shouted at men. If your people want to call me a FAGGOT, I will call you a nigger. Someone else said same thing to me on the next block near the temple…me and my friend were walking, he is also gay but Korean, and a young WeHo clone said after last night the niggers better not come to West Hollywood if they knew what was BEST for them. …
Jasmyne Cannick has a similar and unfortunate report. “I have received several phone calls from Blacks, both gay and straight, who were caught up in Westwood around the time of that march. From being called ‘niggers’ to being accosted in their cars and told that it was because of ‘you people gays don’t have equal rights and you better watch your back,’ these gays have lost their damn minds.”
The verbal harassment follows a steady stream of racist comments left on this blog and many others across the gay virtual community. At least a dozen racist comments have been removed from this blog since Tuesday, such as, “Thank you Black people for denying gay people the same rights that you deserve and have”, “Black people make me feel like a piece of shyt when it should have been a night of celebration for all,” and the succinct, “F–K you niggers.”
Such ignorance is stupefying, but not unfamiliar. I don’t know how to explain it. There’s no rationalizing it, no excusing it and no forgetting it.
I support the right to marry but am opposed to equivalence with the civil rights movement. You can’t compare the right to wed with the right to vote, or even the right to sit where you want on a city bus. Nothing’s stopping us from having committed relationships. There are shades of discrimination, and California 2008 is not Selma 1964.
Next time you hear a gay or lesbian or etc. hurl a racial epithet, confront them. Excusing ignorance only perpetrates it.
(thanks to Duane for the link)
Shouting racial slurs is wrong and stupid. But it does not shame ten percent of the population.
Rodonline seems to be the prime source of information for this incident. (If you look down the page at rod on line, you will see an ad for something called “thugboys 4 lyfe”.) He does not report what percentage of the crowd was indulging in this shameful behavior. I strongly suspect it was a small part of the crowd.
There have been other rallies in California regarding the passage of Prop 8. Here is a report from the huffington post about a rally that seemed to go well.
While the race baiting at the rally should be condemned, it is not a time to trash every gay and lesbian person disappointed by the passage of proposition 8.
chamblee54
November 9, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Point taken, but I didn’t intend to suggest such racism was commonplace. Note: “The reaction from some gays …”
Perhaps we’re not all shamed by it, but we need to acknowledge it. Racism is a problem in the gay community and it should be confronted, not ignored.
atlmalcontent
November 9, 2008 at 7:55 pm
There’s always been a pretty clear tension in the Democratic coalition between blacks and gays. California just happened to put that in bold relief with a ballot that included Obama and Prop 8 — each bloc had a passionate stake in turning out the vote. Turns out there’s no dovetail.
A shame about the invective hurling. I would have opposed Prop 8, but I agree that it’s a relatively secondary civil right. Gays in Cali can still own a home together, raise a child, leave a will. Still, it’s instructive to see this tension brought to light — all the better to deal with it.
sansho1
November 9, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Oddly enough, a blog post I’ve had sitting in my Draft folder for over a year now is how I’ve noticed black people being prejudiced against gays. My evidence had only been anecdotal as well but the 70% support from black voters for Prop 8 kind of supports this. I have no real other comment.
dpb
November 10, 2008 at 1:06 pm
“While the race baiting at the rally should be condemned, it is not a time to trash every gay and lesbian person disappointed by the passage of proposition 8″
I agree.
Like when a Palin supporter allegedly shouts “Kill him” (which the Secret Service denies even happened) we shouldn’t jump to criticze Palin, Republicans or the Right? Or is this only reserved for certain protected groups?
DaleC
November 11, 2008 at 2:58 pm