I love my heterosexual African-American brothers and sisters but why is it so hard for some of them to acknowledge the existence of lgbt of color throughout black history?
What set me off? This:
Michigan House stalls gay rights bill after pastor testifies there are no ‘LGBT water fountains’
The gist of the story is that an African-American pastor in Michigan by the name of Stacy Swimp played the "you can't compare the black civil rights movement to the gay rights movement" game in front of the Michigan State House in order to stop an equality bill. The bill stalled because of lack of support in the Republican-led House, but even if it had passed, I would still be pissed.
Why? Because crap like what came from Swimp's mouth:
It pains me that a supposed intelligent man of the cloth can be so ignorant. But I have to wonder if Swimp is as ignorant as I think he is. Unfortunately there does seem to be an unspoken conspiracy amongst some heterosexuals in the black community to omit just what racism and segregation did to lgbts of color. However, in spite of attempts at reckless omission, lgbts of color existed all through black history. We lived through slavery and segregation, got raped, lynched, called "boy" and "gal," been lied to and spat upon, subjected by hoses and dogs, put on jail, and murdered just like heterosexual African-Americans.
Why is there is this intent to omit us, eradicate our presence, erase our existence. Well Swimp and the others need to know they can't succeed, no matter how much they try. The video below, which I am posting in an attempt to soothe my nerves, makes my point better than I can. And less profane too because if I continue to express my anger, I am going to collapse in a word salad of choice profanity I haven't used in YEARS:
What set me off? This:
Michigan House stalls gay rights bill after pastor testifies there are no ‘LGBT water fountains’
The gist of the story is that an African-American pastor in Michigan by the name of Stacy Swimp played the "you can't compare the black civil rights movement to the gay rights movement" game in front of the Michigan State House in order to stop an equality bill. The bill stalled because of lack of support in the Republican-led House, but even if it had passed, I would still be pissed.
Why? Because crap like what came from Swimp's mouth:
“There’s a comparison between the homosexual allegation of gay rights and black civil rights,” he continued. “And as a minister of the Gospel, and as a black American whose parents participated in the Freedom Rides — my ancestors were slaves in plantations in the state of South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana and Mississippi — I stand here today rather offended.”
It pains me that a supposed intelligent man of the cloth can be so ignorant. But I have to wonder if Swimp is as ignorant as I think he is. Unfortunately there does seem to be an unspoken conspiracy amongst some heterosexuals in the black community to omit just what racism and segregation did to lgbts of color. However, in spite of attempts at reckless omission, lgbts of color existed all through black history. We lived through slavery and segregation, got raped, lynched, called "boy" and "gal," been lied to and spat upon, subjected by hoses and dogs, put on jail, and murdered just like heterosexual African-Americans.
Why is there is this intent to omit us, eradicate our presence, erase our existence. Well Swimp and the others need to know they can't succeed, no matter how much they try. The video below, which I am posting in an attempt to soothe my nerves, makes my point better than I can. And less profane too because if I continue to express my anger, I am going to collapse in a word salad of choice profanity I haven't used in YEARS:
It is a dubious analogy, since racial discrimination only gained traction when Africans were "introduced" as slaves with the creation of the greatest experiment in "social engineering" ever was conceived; America.
ReplyDeleteDiscrimination on the basis of sexuality has gone on since the beginning of time!
ReplyDeleteGreg,it is not a dubious analogy. The black community has discussed, written about, and televised the effect of racism and slavery on the heterosexual black man and woman. We have yet to even ponder what it did to lgbts of color. The problem is that when we talk about that "social engineering" which was slavery, folks want to omit that lgbts were a part of that social engineering.
ReplyDeleteMr. Tsunami:
ReplyDeleteMuch as I would like to agree to disagree, I'd rather have coffee with you at the famous Staten Island Diner!
… Since the one has generational effects, and the other terminates with the individual, I see the oppression differently. It's certainly a fair analogy, when attempting to inform the entirely clueless, but …
FYI: I used to be able to doggy paddle, but now I could not handle a Tidal Wave!
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