As always, when I decided to place my hands on the keys and voice my
opinion on a controversial topic, I take a great deal of time to research, think,
and engage in thought provoking conversations to gain as much insight as
possible before I leave a forever imprint in the form of a blog post.
It’s been almost three weeks since I saw a ‘Gay is the New Black’ post
on social media (accompanied by a posting of what I deem to be a very derogatory
a t-shirt which I care not to repost), but after scouring the internet, I
realized that this topic has been a part of mainstream discourse for some time.
While I’m sure comparisons were made long before 2008 when a popular magazine, The Advocate posed the question in a
December 16th article, this issues has resurfaced and reignited this
discussion. The Advocate (December
16, 2008 issue) discussed the passage of Proposition 8 in California and the
then protests that ensued around the country as a result. At the time, many equated the struggle for equality between gays’ and African Americans’ to be parallel.
The discussion of discrimination because of one’s sexual orientation
compared to discrimination because of the color of one’s skin has outraged
many. The Obama presidency (first term) placed the gay rights movement front
and center, with some thinking that the gay rights movement had not experienced
the same amount of progress as the civil rights movement; calling the plight of
gay Americans a Modern-day civil rights struggle. Activists likened their experiences to what
blacks championed during the civil rights movement and apply similar concepts
to their current fight. While there is enormous
respect for that period in time by those who advocate for equality for the gay
community, the sting from making stark comparisons is still distressing.
I was moved to reflect on a Facebook post that stated that this fodder
was nothing more than another way to divide us as people and to further highlight
issues of disparity in this country. Aside
from legalities, religious commentary and a review of history, this rang deep
for me.
My belief is that we live in a world where there will always been judgment
and consistent challenges in terms of equality and fairness. For generations,
we’ve been condition to believe certain things and pass these beliefs on to our
children and their children; me being no exception. That’s why I feel the way I do. I grew up being told that the color of my
skins, aptitude which should determine my altitude and my gender could make or
break me. My parent’s mantra was that
you always have to work twice has hard as whites and that there will always be
blacks who excel and some that don’t based on things like education, access,
etc. hence, my father’s embracing of the teachings of his favorite scholar, W.E.B.
Dubois. In my father’s eyes, education
was the key to everything and he marched on Washington and supported civil
rights causes in the Metropolitan area because he believed it was his duty as a
black man to do so. I grew up being beaten over the head (figuratively) with
stories about the struggle of blacks both past and present and my role as a soon-to-be
educated black person. Fast forward to now.
What would my father’s mantra be, knowing that his granddaughter carries
with her the weight of being female, black and gay in today’s America? What would he say to my sister-in-law or my
step sister who wears the same badge?
What would he say to my students who struggle with their sexual identity
and blackness every day? Would he be able to put an educational spin
on this issue? What would he say about
the comparisons between the black civil right movement and the gay rights
movement of today? I know for a fact my
father would probably have a coronary.
To him, there was no greater struggle in the 20th century than
that which was experienced during the civil rights era and my father was an advocate
for black people so it probably goes without saying that he wouldn’t even try
to begin to understand the mindset of a gay person. It’s a sad commentary on my father, but
lovingly, I can understand it because he was born in 1929 and grew up in a
different time.
My father’s perspective on education, however, does carry with it a
great deal of latitude. I believe that in
all that we do there is an element of education, but when it comes to issues
like our civil rights, human indignity and discrimination our emotional tool
box is no longer protected and we become vulnerable to years of self-hate, religious-line
crossing and misinterpretation of everything from choices, to scientific facts
to the law, the bible and perception…the list goes on.
However, I can’t help but think that during the civil rights movement,
Bayard Rustin (young readers PLEASE GOOGLE…take this moment to further
education yourself) held the hope that the civil rights movement of the 60s
would also helped to bring about the same sense of equality for openly gay
people during that time. I’m sure he was
verklempt at the notion of being viewed as a liability by some in Dr. King’s
camp even though he was one of the key organizers of the March on Washington. I’m
sure that Mr. Rustin longed for the day that there would be no prejudiced of
another kind against him and that he could someday live as Dr. King desired…in
a world where each person was sacred, free and equal to all others.
By the title of this blog, you can glean that I don’t agree with this
statement that has been adorn on everything from t-shirts to protests signs. In my heart, gay is not the new black because
the struggle of black Americans in this country is rooted in oppression and still
exists. In some pockets of this country,
people are probably still living like it was 1960. What I’m going to say next may ruffle some
feathers, but black is black…I can’t hide my blackness or do anything to thwart
judgment of those who don’t like me because of the color of my skin, it is who
I am. As Francine Edwards I cannot and will never be able to hide the fact that
I am black! On the other side of this
issue stands a group of people who may have the option of keeping their sexual preference
to themselves or a making it the sacred trust of close confidants; thus
limiting occasions when they can be judged by others. Voddie Bauchman speaks
about this same issue in a 2012 post under the article subheading Unidentifiable Minority: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/19/gay-is-not-the-new-black/
The struggle for gay Americans is real. The right to live with a
same-sex partner, marry, be afforded the same benefits and health care, etc. is
important and shouldn’t be disregarded by any of us. However, likening this struggle to a movement
that was designed to provide equal access and basic privileges and rights of
U.S. citizens to a race of people who were being oppressed as a result of
segregation laws, and legislation that further divided this race educationally and
economically is a historical beast of a different sort. While I believe gay Americans
have faced oppression it is not the same sort of oppression that inhibited black people in the 60s, thus I stand
by my point that the comparison should not be made.
This may be trite, but last year, I was called the N word in a store. Now the lady who did that saw my color but
knew nothing about me in terms of psychographics. If I were hand in hand with a woman and the
same situation occurred in which I bumped into her, would she have used a gay
slur to reference me? (I can imagine that the slur would have been an outward expression
for the hate of both blacks and gays). One will never know, but I share that to
say how the journey for black Americans and gay Americans can be different on
so many levels.
Whenever there is a fight for equality, you have to reach back and look
at how champions in the past did indeed champion that cause. Some believe the civil rights movement laid
the foundation for other ‘rights’ related endeavors like the modern women’s movement and the student
movement and that tools of petitioning, nonvio
lent protests and legal advocacy are still in place and serve to right to wrong of those impacted.
In an effort to bring about change, divisive tactics or catchy buzz
phrases like gay is the new black should not be a part of the action plan. This further divides people and takes energy
away from the real cause. The
conversation about the challenges that gay Americans face needs to be elevated
and yes, the conversations about addressing the rights and inequality that permeate
many of the black communities must continue as well. I believe that the reason so many black
people wince at this comparison is that some people lack perspective and
understanding of the civil rights movement that impacted this nation.
For me the image to the right says a lot. What the warriors of the past went through to
have those signs taken down was powerful.
It was for some a journey to hell and back…for others it was death. The gay rights movement is daunting; I’m sure…but
to this degree? You decide.
You have your struggles…I have mine.
What makes us better people is being able to conquer these struggles not
only for the good of ourselves but for the benefit of others. No matter which side of the argument you’re
on a point free from contention is that we still have more work to do.
“We
are all people…people do not throw their geniuses away. And if they are thrown
away, it is our duty as artists and as witnesses for the future to collect them
again for the sake of our children and, if necessary, bone by bone.”
Alice
Walker in her essay, Zora Neale Hurston: A Cautionary Tale and a Partisan View
