AMERICAblog: An op-ed for Black Gay Pride from our friend, Alvin McEwen
Jophus
· 5 months ago
'Homosexuality is a black issue.'
I'm not a big fan of that language, but I love this piece. Republicans couldn't appreciate the severity of discrimination double minorities receive.
One thing that came to mind though, other than the YMCA group, I've never seen a gay native american man. It sounds like they would tend to be extremely gorgeous. Am I wrong? Anyone have pictures?
nctodc
· 5 months ago
'...homosexuality is a black issue.'
If we want to be honest with ourselves, this message needs to be heard by LGBT rights organizations as much as anyone else.
Jophus
· 5 months ago
Don't you think that it can also lend the issue to black interest? The reason I said it scared me was because it can also be used as a divide and conquer strategy from the right. The next time a gay issue comes up, they get a man on tv who is solely intrested in black issues all of a sudden burdened with having to deal with an issue he doesn't know anything about. The next thing you know we loose prop 8 again. Maybe I'm too paranoid, but that is what I would do if I were a strategist on the other side. I would be pushing this issue.
robish518
· 5 months ago
agreed... powerfully stated (with emphasis on IS).
Bluestocking
· 5 months ago
In his classic novel Native Son, African-American writer Richard Wright demonstrated, through the turbulent life and death of his protagonist Bigger Thomas, that when society works against building the self esteem of youth, it usually creates criminals and those who engage in negative behavior.
In layman’s terms, when young gay and lesbian African-Americans are not given social and psychological support and are constantly bombarded with images of weak, oversexed, pathetically funny or disease-ridden images of themselves or no images at all, how can anyone expect the outcome of their lives to be anything but negative?
*************************************************
Reminds me of something that George Takei (the actor who played Sulu on "Star Trek") said about his childhood during an interview several years ago. He and the rest of his family, like many other Japanese-Americans, were placed in an internment camp during WWII despite the lack of any evidence suggesting that the Takeis were disloyal to the United States -- and he said that for a long time, this combined with being gay left him feeling that he already had two strikes against him simply for existing. Nobody should be encouraged -- whether actively or passively -- to feel that way about themselves. Homosexuality is a black issue, yes...also a white issue, a Latino issue, an Asian issue, a Native American issue, a (fill-in-the-blank) issue. In short, it's a HUMAN issue.
Jack
· 5 months ago
Living in Memphis, TN, I have seen first hand the viciousness of the black community leaders, especially the leading pastors of the christian churches. A quote taken from the local paper reads, "Shelby County Commissioner Wyatt Bunker and local pastors blasted a proposal Tuesday that would protect gays, lesbians and transgender people from job discrimination, saying sexual orientation is their choice and the Bible prohibits homosexuality." However at the local rallies held to defeat the ordinance the language used was absolutely appalling and so hate-filled I cringed and the local media refused to air much of what was said.
The city council did manage to pass a substitute "anti-discrimination ordinance" after all reference to LGBTs was stripped. The ordinance simply states, ". . . that discrimination against any Shelby County employee on the basis of non-merit factors shall be prohibited."
This was seen as a giant victory by the local LGBT community. So, I applaud Alvin's op-ed piece but am extremely conflicted on how as a GWM I can contribute in a positive manner to the debate in the black community. Am I white first and then gay or am I gay first and then white? Or is not my place to even raise my voice in support?
robish518
· 5 months ago
It's disheartening when the issue moves to gay rights vs. moral standing. With all the debating going on back and forth between gays and let's face it, Christians (although not exclusively), the argument shifted away from religious freedom. The swing voters are somehow being duped into believing that Gay Rights = Bad and Upholding Christian Morals = Good. It's time to bring the debate back to them with religious freedom. When did it become OK in our country to enforce one religion's ideals on everyone else? What gives them the right constitutionally to say their religion is law?
Houndentenor
· 5 months ago
I think we help by speaking up against racism in the gay community. Think how it must suck to face racism from other gays and homophobia from your ethnic group?
teddy b
· 5 months ago
Black people love to think that they're the only people of color. Let's not forget about the Latino and Asian gays who also live in this country.
I don't want to undermine that black gays and lesbians are underrepresented in this country, but at least they and Latinos have some representation in government.
Can you even name an Asian congressman?! Let alone a gay one?! It's really hard, isn't it?
So a message to minority gays, please don't try to separate yourself from the rest of us and pretend we don't exist. We're all in it together. Homosexuality is more than a black issue.
a. mcewen
· 5 months ago
Teddy, your strange comments are indicative of the forced homogenization that lgbts of color have to deal with from the gay community.
Just who are the representatives of lgbts of color in government? Futhermore, when the lgbt of color communities are given full verbal representation and visibility in the lgbt community at large, then we can talk about being in this together.
serge
· 5 months ago
As many would suspect, progressive commentary here in SC is hard to find most days. I applaud your friend, Mr McEwen, for writing what flies in the face of the hard-core anti-gay sentiment found in too many minority communities. That took balls.
It also took balls for The State to print his op-ed. I can't think of any other paper in SC that would have had the sense to do the right thing. Good on The State. and on McClatchy.
Indigo
· 5 months ago
Speaking of psychological closets and the black community, our President Obama seems to have mastered the technique of pushing gays right off the agenda. Who's his handler?
ShirleyGoodnessanMercy
· 5 months ago
Bravo to Mr. McEwan.
I hope that more black celebrities will come out like Wanda Sykes just did. I do believe that makes a difference in public perceptions.
All Comments
I'm not a big fan of that language, but I love this piece. Republicans couldn't appreciate the severity of discrimination double minorities receive.
One thing that came to mind though, other than the YMCA group, I've never seen a gay native american man. It sounds like they would tend to be extremely gorgeous. Am I wrong? Anyone have pictures?
If we want to be honest with ourselves, this message needs to be heard by LGBT rights organizations as much as anyone else.
In layman’s terms, when young gay and lesbian African-Americans are not given social and psychological support and are constantly bombarded with images of weak, oversexed, pathetically funny or disease-ridden images of themselves or no images at all, how can anyone expect the outcome of their lives to be anything but negative?
*************************************************
Reminds me of something that George Takei (the actor who played Sulu on "Star Trek") said about his childhood during an interview several years ago. He and the rest of his family, like many other Japanese-Americans, were placed in an internment camp during WWII despite the lack of any evidence suggesting that the Takeis were disloyal to the United States -- and he said that for a long time, this combined with being gay left him feeling that he already had two strikes against him simply for existing. Nobody should be encouraged -- whether actively or passively -- to feel that way about themselves. Homosexuality is a black issue, yes...also a white issue, a Latino issue, an Asian issue, a Native American issue, a (fill-in-the-blank) issue. In short, it's a HUMAN issue.
The city council did manage to pass a substitute "anti-discrimination ordinance" after all reference to LGBTs was stripped. The ordinance simply states, ". . . that discrimination against any Shelby County employee on the basis of non-merit factors shall be prohibited."
This was seen as a giant victory by the local LGBT community. So, I applaud Alvin's op-ed piece but am extremely conflicted on how as a GWM I can contribute in a positive manner to the debate in the black community. Am I white first and then gay or am I gay first and then white? Or is not my place to even raise my voice in support?
I don't want to undermine that black gays and lesbians are underrepresented in this country, but at least they and Latinos have some representation in government.
Can you even name an Asian congressman?! Let alone a gay one?! It's really hard, isn't it?
So a message to minority gays, please don't try to separate yourself from the rest of us and pretend we don't exist. We're all in it together. Homosexuality is more than a black issue.
Just who are the representatives of lgbts of color in government? Futhermore, when the lgbt of color communities are given full verbal representation and visibility in the lgbt community at large, then we can talk about being in this together.
It also took balls for The State to print his op-ed. I can't think of any other paper in SC that would have had the sense to do the right thing. Good on The State. and on McClatchy.
I hope that more black celebrities will come out like Wanda Sykes just did. I do believe that makes a difference in public perceptions.