Where Blacks Lead the Fight for Gay Rights

from the American Prospect:



Where Blacks Lead the Fight for Gay Rights
Black leadership is changing the fight for gay rights in D.C.

Adam Serwer | June 26, 2009 | web only


The anti-gay-rights movement has long sought to use the relative religiosity of the black community to marshal its support. Anti-marriage-equality leaders often cite the results of Proposition 8 in California, which was supported by a majority of African American voters in the state, as proof that the black community as a whole is against gay marriage.

In Washington, D.C., the anti-gay-rights movement attempted to put recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states to a citywide referendum (it was rejected by the Board of Elections and Ethics) hoping that the city's mostly black population would come out against it. This dynamic may explain why Bishop Harry Jackson, an African American religious leader, has been put forth as the face of the anti-gay-marriage movement.

There's only one problem: The face of LGBT leadership in D.C. is often black. Nationally, anti-gay-rights activists have had a great deal of success in encouraging black voters to oppose gay rights, partially because LGBT rights are seen -- incorrectly -- as a "white issue." But in Washington, D.C., the diverse composition of the marriage-equality movement means that marriage-equality activists don't have to "reach out" to the black community, because they're already part of it. That doesn't mean marriage-equality activists don't face serious obstacles in garnering support among African Americans, but it makes racial divisions harder to exploit. The lesson is clear -- when the marriage-equality movement is integrated, outreach becomes less of an issue.

"The District being a majority African American city, gays and lesbians have always played a major part the community," says Jeffrey Richardson, president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, an LGBT-rights group. As a result, Richardson says, a racially divisive strategy "isn't going to work here." ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=where_blacks_lead_the_fight_for_gay_rights

:rofl: