Don't Give African-Americans a Pass for Homophobia

By Clay Cane, The Advocate. Posted November 22, 2008.

The injection of race into the analysis of Proposition 8's passage is extremely disappointing. A battle for equal rights has now turned into an issue of whites versus blacks. It's sad to see the smoke screen of racism when rights are being denied from Americans who pay taxes and have served their country.

In the beginning, I wanted to stay out of this racialized debate on Proposition 8. However, after I read Jasmyne Cannick's opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, "No-on-8's White Bias," I felt compelled to speak up. Cannick is someone I deeply admire and highly respect, and she is black and gay like me; however, there is another side of this debate from the black gay community.

In her piece she states, "I don't see why the right to marry should be a priority for me or other black people. Gay marriage? Please." Cannick adds, "Some people seem to think that homophobia trumps racism." She explains, "There are still too many inequalities that exist as it relates to my race." Cannick lists important issues in the black community such as dropout rates, poverty, and incarceration.

As a black gay man, incarceration rates are as important to me as gay marriage. Dropout rates are as important to me as the fact that, according to the CDC, 46% of black men who have sex with men are HIV-positive. Poverty is as important to me as the fact that there are 30 states where gays and lesbians can be fired from their job with no protection from their government. As a black gay man who has endured the words "n****r" and "f****t", who lives in this duality of gayness and blackness, I have a vested interest in both inequalities.

Cannick argues that the white gay community "never successfully communicated" to blacks why gay marriage is an important issue. I agree there was a poor strategy on Proposition 8; however, I don't need white people to hold my hand into believing gay marriage is important. Black people are not docile bystanders who require whites to communicate that discrimination is wrong. Just like I don't need outreach from black heterosexuals to know that poverty is important.

No, I do not agree that blacks are at fault for Proposition 8 passing. Still, I challenge the notion that blacks needed more "communication." Many (not necessarily Cannick) who uphold this "communication" argument say, "Only 6.7% of California is black, so blacks had nothing to do with Proposition 8," then say, "Blacks needed more communication!" You can't have it both ways -- either black Californians needed outreach because they were a big enough voting bloc or they didn't.

The black community was not completely ignored. Opponents of Proposition 8 worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Sure, maybe that wasn’t enough. Still, California is only 6.7% black. Asians voted at the same rate as whites and, according to the last census, Asians make up 12.4% (nearly double the black population) of the people in California; Asians had just as little "communication" and voted yes on Proposition 8 at 49% -- 20 percentage points less than blacks. Do black folks need extra-special attention for ignorance?

See more stories tagged with: race, rights, same-sex marriage, glbt, proposition 8

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