Excuse me? I voted against Proposition 8. I'm among the 30 percent of black Californians that did so. And as much as I can condemn the homophobia and intolerance that drove a portion of the 70 percent of blacks that voted in favor of Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage, it's an outrage to lay its passage at their feet. I've read several editorials already about how the ungrateful blacks betrayed gays right after America gave them their first president. I know there are some wounds and frayed nerves right now, but this type of condescending, divide and conquer isn't going to help at all. And it's a gross oversimplification of what happened.
According to the exit polling, there's enough blame to go around. Don't forget the 49 percent of Asians who voted for Prop 8. And the 53 percent of Latinos who fell in line for it too. And then there is the white vote in support of 8. Slightly under 50% percent of them, a group representing 63% of California voters, voted "Yes" on 8. Last I checked blacks held little sway over all of those groups.
So who did? For starters, the churches, religious leaders and advocacy groups in support of 8 were a very formidable force. Surveys showed religion played a major role in voter's decisions. Even No on 8 supporters have admitted that their camp was too complacent, arrogant and far to unorganized. I told a friend the day after the election, that I thought the arguments needed to be much stronger to answer the lingering questions Prop 8 boosters had leveled, disingenuously or not. Even I had some personal misgivings before casting my vote against.
Perhaps gay rights activists needed to better explain how a No vote wouldn't force churches to perform gay marriage ceremonies. And how a No vote wouldn't affect schools or teach children about gay marriage. Maybe deeper outreach in the black and brown communities could have changed some minds. What about fostering a stronger dialogue beyond the good side of town and in the neighborhoods where some of the unfortunate prejudice takes root?
No on 8 also needed a better defense against Obama's own stance on gay marriage. He is on record as wanting to allow the states to decide, even though he still supported full rights for same sex couples under civil unions. It's clear that anybody hoping to get elected this year needed a position that was generally acceptable to the red states. And Obama came out strongly against 8. But those nuances could have been much better explained to those who might be excused to follow suit with Obama's somewhat loose position. The anti-Prop 8 forces couldn't just rest on the hope that entrenched and arcane beliefs would be washed away without both a robust defense and offense.
In the coming weeks, those of us who are standing against Proposition 8 -- including, I'm sure, millions of blacks nationwide -- are all going to need unity as we lobby, fight and advocate for either a reversal of this amendment or a new battle in 2010. There are very valid arguments against the presumptuous collapsing of Obama's win and the results of the Prop 8 vote, but we can table that for now. Regardless of your position, making scapegoats of blacks as a bunch of thankless homophobes is hardly playing the best hand.
This also appeared on my blog.
Update: Check this open letter from Kathryn Kolbert, President of the People For the American Way Foundation
Update: Please also check this recent post on Daily Kos addressing facts and figures about the vote on Prop 8
Follow Raymond Leon Roker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/raymondroker
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That means no more tax-free status. And an end to government handouts and the extraordin
Christophe
christophe
We don't need to beg anyone for the rights we are entitled to. As a gay man I don't need your understand
I'm ashamed today to be a California
Mikey to be honest it seems you wouldn't care about my rights anyway, in your mind they don't affect you, and in your mind the gay world I guess is all white and all those blacks, asians, and hispanics in your community are insignific
Mildred Loving's statement about freedom to marry. Everyone should read it. If you don't cry when you read it, you're not a human being. Please use your favorite social sites to buzz it up.
There is only one cure for ignorance - and that's education.
http://www
I live in the Bay Area & this 70% black vote thing is simply bogus! This very suspect poll was courtesy of A.P whose very right leaning biases were exposed this election cycle!
The pervasive condescend
Mormons/Ca
To hear many here tell it, one would think that white & gay: mutually exclusive. A lot of black gay people in San Francisco complain bitterly of the discrimina
Blacks including those who worked against this propositio
Ironically
Try as they may it seems, they cannot hide their blackness as evidenced by the fact that many non-black mormons, catholics etc. who actually sponsored & voted for this initiative in larger numbers can continue about their business unharassed & in complete anonimity - Unless of course they are waylaid on their way out of their specifical
PLEASE, stop calling Black people homophobes and Gay people racists.
Gays and lesbians come in all colors and religions and are discrimina
PLEASE, keep your eyes on the prize!
We cannot assume living in a liberal state means we all agree. If that were true, we wouldn't need a constituti
PLEASE, don’t digress into blame games and defensiven
Why not analyze the demographi
PLEASE, stop blaming the electorate
Let’s pull together. We lost this battle, but the fight goes on. We have work to do.
“Never believe that a group of committed citizens cannot change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead
Isn't it also the black community'
Do gays and lesbians have to show proof of victimizat
Is the disparity in civil rights not enough? Is the tragedy and stigma of AIDS not enough? And hasn't AIDS outreach and funding, pushed forward by LGBT's, been one of the most powerful forms of outreach beyond our own community.
Where are we supposed to come together? Should it be in the churches or the courts?
You can look at the white people (less than 50% by your admission) or the asians (at 49%) and even the latino community (at 53%). At least, near half of the people in these groups are more concerned about civil rights than 70% of black California
It's not about blame. It's about hypocrisy. I understand it's a bitter pill for you to swallow... I understand your defensive posture... but you've got to own this. You've got to go out to these areas and get them to see the error of their ways. You've got to do this because the 70% reflects badly upon you and all of your crying "it's not my fault" falls on deaf ears. YOU'VE got to do this because they're not going to listen to a white-brea
I am actually doubtful that this amendment will ever happen now based upon all of the comments here. I just don't know...
These comments to me show that white people and other minorities have no idea of the level of racism that still continues to this day.