Black pastors, conservatives are letting white homophobes exploit them (again)

The newest coalition between conservative black pastors and the mostly white anti-LGBTQ industry exploits the Civil Rights movement to diminish the LGBTQ equality movement and renders African-American LGBTQs invisible.

Editor's note - Please DO NOT be like our opposition. Do not use this post as proof of the ridiculous LGBTQ vs. African-American argument. Do not fall into the trap of getting caught up in that argument.  Our equality and survival depends upon knowing that we ALL have the same opposition and knowing that,  just like with Milo Yiannopolous with the LGBTQ community, there are some African-Americans willing to exploit ignorance and prejudice for their own gains.

One thing the LGBTQ community has earned in our successful fight for marriage equality is how the anti-LGBTQ industry has no problem  using African-American pastors and conservatives as a tool either to turn the black community against us or to give themselves some type of credibility with other white folks.

The National Organization for Marriage tried to use this strategy. It even  employed a pastor by the name of William Owens as its "bona fide" civil rights movement leader. to lash out against marriage equality and the LGBTQ community. Employed is the correct term because the group was paying him and his wife for their efforts. We later found out that Owens was known for being the black token for conservative white groups (for a price.)

I wonder how much the anti-LGBTQ industry is paying for  THIS version of the  old divide-and-conquer game:

Yesterday, a group of black leaders made that quite clear in a special press conference on the steps of the Supreme Court. Tired of hearing the LGBT community compare its experience to the real suffering of the civil rights movement, church and civic leaders decided to speak out about why Jack's case matters. FRC's Dean Nelson and FRC Action's Patrina Mosley spoke, sharing deeply personal stories about the pain and prejudice their families experienced over the color of their skin. Patrina talked about how insulting it is to hear LGBT activists equate their "persecution" to generations of African Americans.

Ah yes. Deliberately omitting or diminishing the existence of LGBTQs of color in order to push the phony idea that the gay community is attempting to "equate their struggle to black people."

It's a cynical, lying game and these supposed people of God and "morality" should know better. But more information on who was involved in the press conference tells me why they pushed the nonsensical talking point:

Dean Nelson, co-founder of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of North Carolina and senior fellow for African-American affairs at the Washington-based Family Research Council, said Phillips is being attacked because he is a Christian. “Jack is an honorable man who has served his community through his business for all people, regardless of their race, creed, color, gender, or sexual identity,” Nelson said. “Jack as a Christian is compelled to love all people, and this is what he has done for decades.” The Frederick Douglass Foundation, which promotes Christian and conservative values, sponsored and organized the press conference, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group that defends religious liberty and represents Phillips. 

 The foundation also has launched a website in support of Phillips called We Got Your Back, Jack. Janet Boynes, author of “Called Out: A Former Lesbian’s Discovery of Freedom,” said the civil rights movement started to help blacks gain their rights and sexual behavior is not the same as skin color. “I resent having my race compared to what other people do in bed,” Boynes said.

That explains a lot. It's a bunch of black conservatives employed or affiliated (Frederick Douglass Foundation of North Carolina) with an anti-LGBTQ hate group (Family Research Council) holding a press conference sponsored by another anti-LGBTQ hate group (the Alliance Defending Freedom, who will be arguing the baker's case). They certainly didn't hold the press conference because they felt strongly about this issue. It's all about money or influence. It's all about being seen.

To make it even worse, the webpage announced by the press conference ( wegotyourbackjack ) is disgusting on so many levels. Via videos and pictures (such as the one above), it exploits the history of African-Americans struggling for equality to diminish the fact that LGBTQs are doing the same thing.

And you just know that this webpage, the press conference, or the awful campaign in general wasn't paid for with African-American money or sprang from the minds of the black community.  It came from the pockets and minds of wealthy white conservatives; the same folks who are probably funding efforts to destroy the voting rights of African-Americans or turning our inner cities to military zones by creating excuses for extreme police measures and covering up police  corruption. And all while black conservatives are playing their parts by smiling wider than than Aunt Jemima or Uncle Tom, directing attention to another round of Oppression Olympics. 

It's what they are good for.

Do you know what a black conservative is? A political sideshow performer. A powerless circus freak. Their brand is the color of their skin. They are always available for press conferences or to be quoted by the media, but not for what they say, but who they are. They soothe the minds of white conservatives, thereby making them more complacent in their stereotypes.  Just show up, smile, say a few words, and reap the benefits of a paycheck and/or influence. Other than that, they have no power. They don't influence anyone in the conservative movement. Their job is to be tokens. Repeat the talking points of the conservative movement like a robot.

And a lot of them enjoy it.

Show up, crowd the podium, say something witty about the civil rights movement (because the anti-LGBT industry always manages to "find" somebody who was involved), mention Martin Luther King, Jr. and go on your way until you're needed again. And God forbid, don't challenge the conservative party to change its narrow minded way of doing things. Don't call out conservatives for their racist dog whistles. Don't speak out against problems which actually plague the black community instead of the ones anointed as problems by white conservatives.. Your job is to be a black face of conservative propaganda about black people.

Well people like me are getting mighty tired of people like y'all. LGBTQs of color are not going to be quiet while you attempt to render our lives unimportant or nonexistent. Nor are we going to allow you to diminish  the African-American community's link to the LGBTQ community at large. So consider this post a little truth telling.

None of you conservative black folks aren't fooling anybody. We see you for what you are. We know you. We see you 'shinin.'

And we are definitely taking note as to how low you stoop.