Last week, I received word that a column I wrote regarding black prides will run in the State newspaper. Most likely the column will appear next month just in time for SC Black Pride (June 18-21). The column will run as either a daily Online Extra or part of the State's online Saturday Opinion Extra package.
I have told only a few friends and was going to announce it on this blog last week. But then the Proposition 8 thing happened and I held back.
The last thing I needed was someone to spoil my good news by saying that my column running in the State is not as important as the Proposition 8 case.
But it is important. As far as I know this will be the first time that the State newspaper will address lgbt issues from an African-American gay man's perspective on its editorial pages.
They also wanted a picture of me to appear with the column. And I should tell you that it's not one of my best but I like it for that reason. I don't look like the usual gay activist one sees in the magazines and on television. My glasses are huge, my hair is wild and I don't look "All-American," so to speak.
Another thing that's important about this column is that it totally avoids the distractive issue of comparing the black civil rights movement to the gay rights movement. It focuses solely on how lgbts of color are ignored in the mainstream African-American community and how this endangers us. I made it a point to address this issue several times, including calling out hypocrisies and expressing the "Native Son" theory of community self esteem made by black author Richard Wright.
So despite the Proposition 8 decision, I continue to be in a good mood. I personally think a step forward has been made.
I will let you all know when the column is published.
Congrats, i continue to be amazed by your hard work and dedication. Do not let anyone tell you that your piece running in The State is less important than the Prop 8 decision**. I see more value in the hands-on work you do against substantial odds (and the victories, as you wrote about on 5/19) than i see when the heads of the big orgs preach to the choir in West Hollywood and SF as millions of dollars get flushed away.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, SC will be a better place in the future for it.
**- this is coming from a Californian transplant that grew up in SC, btw - i am uniquely qualified to judge the weight of CA Supreme Court decisions against articles appearing in The State newspaper ;-)
Thank you so much. Your kind words of support made my day ;p
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on them agreeing to publish your material. When I saw that The State had endorsed the SC constitutional amendment abolishing any possible recognition of gay marriage, I lost all respect for them. I believe that this was before McClatchy took control of them. I hope things have changed since then. When I was in the Air Force, I spent 3 years in Sacramento where McClatchy is headquartered. I had high respect for them on the west coast. SC is my home, but I haven't lived there in a long time. I enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading it once it's out!
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