What a week, what a week
First let's get the trifling mess out of the way. This is important because it illustrates the points I was making yesterday and the day before:
N-Word Hurled at Blacks During Westwood Prop 8 Protest
Not that this wasn't expected. The recent passage of California's Proposition 8 has exposed some of the latent racism of many within the LGBT community—instigated in part by many in the e-telligentsia such as proto-racist Andrew Sullivan and columnist Dan Savage. Unfortunately the "blame the blacks" meme is being commonly accepted by some so-called "progressive" gay activists. A number of Rod 2.0 and Jasmyne Cannick readers report being subjected to taunts, threats and racist abuse at last night's marriage equality rally in Los Angeles.
Geoffrey, a student at UCLA and regular Rod 2.0 reader, joined the massive protest outside the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Westwood. Geoffrey was called the n-word at least twice.
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.
Pam Spaulding gives her take on the situation:
The backlash is upon us, and it's going to get uglier unless our organizations step forward and say something. The desire to scapegoat blacks for Prop 8's defeat has exposed the now not-so-latent racism in our movement.
I have already blogged a lot about why the lack of effective communication (and I'm not even talking about outreach on gay issues to socially conservative blacks) between white people in general and people of color. That dearth of understanding and mutual respect for difference, and lack of desire to seek common ground through personal relationships ultimately leads to what we are seeing here.
The great irony over this entire thing is this item I found on PageOneQ:
San Francisco ranks 53 of 59 counties in voter turnout
San Francisco, considered by many to be the "gay capital" of the United States (perhaps the world), ranked close to the bottom of California counties in terms of turnout for Tuesday's general election, PageOneQ has learned. The balloting included Proposition 8, an effort to repeal marriage equality in the state. The proposition passed, making California the first state to affirm, then revoke, equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Personally I think the behavior of some lgbts, especially some lgbt bloggers, have been extremely irresponsible in pushing this mess up. And it brings a point to my mind.
Everyone wants to win but you have to sometimes learn how to lose. Losing shows your true character and if you can't lose with humility then don't count on winning because you will never win.
In other words, stop acting like a bunch of dumbasses. Wipe away your tears, fix your faces, and get ready to work.
But I am still in a good mood. For one thing, other leaders in the lgbt community have come out speaking against these racist actions.
For another thing, I don't think its over. Everyone seems to forget that in 1992 even with the election of Bill Clinton, Colorado passed an amendment that forbad the state from protecting lgbts from discrimination.
The Supreme Court overturned it two years later.
So we may be on the losing end now but we will win in the end.
And lastly:
WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT, Y'ALL!!!!!!
I can't help being reminded of the movie Blazing Saddles (an excellent anti-p.c. comedy that still holds up) in which a racist white town received a black sheriff.
Naturally they treated him like shit until a monstrous villain (Mongo) invaded the town.
Forgetting all of their ugliness, the townspeople begged the sheriff to take care of the situation, which he did with a lot of aplomb.
What does that tell me? After so many years treating the black man like shit, America is now turning to him to help it through one of the most turbulent times in this country's history.
And I have faith that like that sheriff in Blazing Saddles, Obama is going to come through with flying colors.
6 comments:
That there was a march in protest against a Mormon church after the success of Prop 8, I think, was a political mistake. I am sure that the religious right was out there with video cameras. We lost. Analyze the reasons why we lost and try to do better next time.
Alvin, we have a president-elect who happens to be black. I am a gay Republican who doesn't care if the president of these United States is black, white, yellow, purple, or poke-a-doted as long as the person is elected by the system outlined in our constitution. To say the least, it will be interesting to see what an Obama Presidency turns out to be. The world is a dangerous place out there in the post Cold War era.
Pure twilight zone moment - I agree with you on the first point. LOL
I'm strongly opposed to all the scapegoating that's going on, but I view Cannick as intentionally divisive and dismissive of conversation and collaboration.
Having Cannick call people "proto-racist" is not helpful -- it doesn't describe precisely what is false or misguided about the beliefs or statements of Sullivan, Savage, or others. And it permits whites to dismiss her out-of-hand since few white people consider themselves racist.
She wrongly assumes -- or worse, doesn't care whether -- people know precisely what she's talking about.
Interracial collaboration and mutual support will be achieved through careful, detailed explanation -- not labeling.
For the benefit of those who don't know what Mike is talking about:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-cannick8-2008nov08,0,3295255.story
It is a fiery piece that many may not agree with but it is a perfect example of what the blame game can lead to. She was merely reacting to the mess thrown at the African-American community.
Oops, it was Rod McCullom that used the "proto-racist" label, but blacktsunami is correct: I was reacting mostly to Jasmyne Cannick's LA Times article.
Despite his use of that label, I find Rod's article (overall) much more accessible and conducive to conversation than Jasmyne's.
Thanks for all the links in this post. I've spent some time the last couple days trying to wrap my head around this whole mess.
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