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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Yesterday the D.C. City Council voted 12-1 to approve a bill that allows the city to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries. The lone dissenter was four times married, ex convict, longtime crack addict, and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
This is the reason Barry gave for casting the single vote against marriage equality in the district.
"What you've got to understand is 98 percent of my constituents are black and we don't have but a handful of openly gay residents," Barry said. "Secondly, at least 70 percent of those who express themselves to me about this are opposed to anything dealing with this issue. The ministers think it is a sin, and I have to be sensitive to that."
Only a handful of openly gay residents in D.C.? Really? Now stay with me on this because it's leading somewhere.
"He(Barry) can make that claim about a "handful of openly gay residents" because too many of the black LGBTs are firmly in a padlocked closet, notes blogger Pam Spaulding. I don't know what it will take to get them out of the closet -- many attend the very churches that demonize them, HIV/AIDS rates are skyrocketing in the community, and now, the man who represents some of them doesn't have to acknowledge them."
The behavior demonstrated after the final vote by black clergy and residents opposed to marriage equality in my opinion was shameful and embarrassing, and it was all caught on video. You might want to stop reading and view the short video here. The fireworks explode at the 4:12 mark.
The entire country is moving forward on this issue and many in the African-American community refuse to see this a civil rights issue and are determined to use the crutch of religion to impede progress for LGBT's.
It's becoming clearly evident that they're going to fall on the wrong side of history. Thoughts?
6 Comments:
"98 percent of my constituents are black and we don't have but a handful of openly gay residents,"
He can not be serious. The main reason my gf and I go to DC for weekends is because of the openess there. Thanks for the info, always love to read your blog!
May 06, 2009 12:29 PM
Lately I have been thinking about who my enemy is in this world. It's not the white man. It's not the boogey man. It's my own community. The black community who would rather remain closed minded and bigoted than to be open minded and accepting. Conservative views are one thing. And I don't judge people for their conservative views. But when your views impede on my civil rights and my stake in equality then we have a problem. What a stain on the legacy of MLK and Coretta Scott King that we have these hate mongers representing "Their faith and belief in a hateful past". I will not be complicit in their foolishness. If that means I can't step foot in another church so what.
My enemy is closed minded people. And many of my family members including my own mother are closed minded. People are going to try to tell me "aww thats your family love them as they are" but its time out for that. If my entire family were KKK members would that mentality also stand?
Take a stand in your family, your community, your race. When you hear adults picking on kids for being sissies, faggot, or punks call them out. There is no reason a grown up should attack a child. If your nephew or cousin wants to play with dolls or wear moms shoes let them. If anyone has anything to say about it call em out. The silence of others emboldens them. Never allow shame to permeate. It's been going on long enough. It is 2009 and we must put a stop to it.
May 06, 2009 1:46 PM
I agree with Mr. FAMU. I think (straight) black people are comfortable enough with their status that they feel they can decide on other people's lives. I have had enough of this foolishness and won't stand for second-class treatment by other black folks.
As black LGBTs, I think we largely know how to deal with white people regardless of orientation. The larger issue in terms of our well being is how do we address our families and institutions? I think it's time to call them out, because these church folks feel so bold in talking crazy because nobody (including those of us in their pews) challenges them.
Anthony in Nashville
May 06, 2009 3:09 PM
Just get rid of religion already I mean come on. It's not straight people who are the problem, it's 'church' people and half of them aren't straight anyway.
RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY/FAITH/WHATEVERYOUWANNACALLIT SUCKS! It always has, it always will.
May 06, 2009 9:49 PM
We have to be aware of ourselves at the same time guys or we'll fall into the same pit that the black community has. Nobody likes to be on the bottom and it is human nature, sadly, to place at least one person or group of people below you so can feel something good about yourself. The Black community has done it to themselves(light skin vs. dark skin, straight hair vs. natural!) and us.
But the gay community does it to. I just watched a Tyra show(yes, I know, I know I said Tyra.) where they had representatives from the gay community cast themselves in different roles. They made the king the straight acting gay man and the Queen the straight acting female. The transgender woman was the concubine and the drag queen was the Jester. And they executed(figuaratively) the bi-sexual male because he didn't belong in the gay community and needed to make up his mind and choose a side. I felt so much like I wanted to have a Laurence Fishburne moment from "School Daze" and just ring the bell and scream "WAKE UP!!!!!!". We are doing it to ourselves!! Our community is just as guilty at times of doing the same thing to others that we have had done to us. Like I said, it's human. I just hope we can learn to love ourselves and embrace others quicker than it took the country to start to love and embrace us.
At the end of the day the next generation will push the old ones out. It's just a matter of time. Marriage Equality for me at this point feels inevitable and that is a good DAMN feeling.
May 07, 2009 2:01 AM
If this doesn't force black gay church goers to leave "mainstream" African-African churches, I don't know what will.
May 07, 2009 6:42 AM
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