I read an article online at The Washington Post today about anti-gay activist, Bishop Harry Jackson, from Maryland. I have to admit I did not fully understand Jackson's argument against marriage equality until this article; and now that I know, it sounds even more absurd. Bishop Jackson's basic premise is that passing marriage equality will force the Black family into extinction. Of all the arguments one could propose, that registers right around letting people marry goats. What I would say about this argument in the company of close friends is probably not appropriate for an articulate, academically-based response so I will leave that behind closed doors. I will, however, like to challenge Bishop Jackson on the facts. His argument, while valid in his mind, has no merit in reality.
"If you redefine marriage, you have to redefine family. You'd have to redefine parenting. I'm looking at the extinction of marriage. And black culture is in a free fall." Really Bishop Jackson? Gay people are causing the extinction of marriage? How you forget your history, Sir. The disillusionment of the black family dates back to slavery. Slaves were brought to shore and then ripped from their immediate family, unrecognized as people so the thought of them marrying was obviously unheard of. The men were emasculated by slave owners who made them watch as they raped their "wives"; the children were stolen from parents and bred. The whole idea of gender and sexuality in the black community was an institution defined by slave owners. When black slaves were finally freed, the established roles of men and women were drastically skewed from what we might call normal today. Even in the period after the Great Depression, the institution of marriage and the idea of divorce centered mainly around financial interests.
Whether you call it marginalization, institutional hegemony, or cultural shifts, the Black family was endangered long before the gays came along. Black people are not getting married because we've stopped focusing on each other and started focusing on ourselves, the "get mine" mentality. Our grandmothers are in their 30s instead of in their 50s or 60s, teenage pregnancy rates are rising while access to family planning and contraception is dwindling. Black men are being taught that "pimping" and "Ballin" is the new fad; who needs to settle down and have one wife when you can have all the hoes that you want? When the hit songs have lyrics like, "I wish I could f**k every girl in the world", and "Have a baby by me, be a millionaire", the finger should clearly be pointing inward.
Gay people didn't do that, black people did. Black people go out and support the indecency that degrades our women, black people flock to read "The Down Low" but never ask themselves what institutions are set in place to make these men not be comfortable with coming out.
"I don't know of anybody black who says, 'I hate gay people'. But you overlap that -- homosexuality and gay marriage -- with broken families, and we don't know how to put it back together." I'll tell you how, Bishop Jackson. Increase child support laws and penalties, improve sex education in inner-city schools, start supporting more shows like "The Cosby's" and less shows like "House of Payne". Use some of the money you're raising for discrimination and hold couples counseling and relationship outreach. Support women's health and access to contraception. Get the young men in your congregation to understand that it's not cool to get three women pregnant at the same time, no matter what Lil' Wayne says.
And most important of all, let the gays get married so the gay, black families, who hang by a thread of law, will have some validity. They will be able to teach their children the importance of a loving, committed relationship. Perhaps the number of Black men who are stepping out on their wives, for other men, will decrease.
Allow gay people to adopt so that underprivileged children, whom most gays end up adopting, will grow up in loving families with two parents. Your concern is centered around the erosion of the Black family and yet your campaign is based on breaking up Black families. Yes, Bishop Jackson, there are gay black people. The whole idea that approving marriage equality will contribute to the deterioration of the black family is laughable. Perhaps your time would be better spent on a campaign to ban divorce.
You can find the article on Bishop Jackson's righteous campaign here:
http://tinyurl.com/ykxkb3l
Showing posts with label gay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gay. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Hypocrisy of Bigotry
As I watched the testimonies for and against the DC Marriage Equality and Religious Freedom act, what troubled me the most were all the brown faces testifying against equality. Most of their arguments were religious-based and included declarations of what "God" wants and what the Bible says. It is baffling that in the face of the immense discrimination that we have suffered as African Americans, there are still people ready to throw stones at another group who is discriminated against.
I'm an urban twenty-something, very likely half the age of the majority of anti-equality testifiers; but I grew up in a world where race was as much a factor as it wasn't. I was called a nigger at the early age of six, and though I knew it was wrong, it didn't stop me from being friends with people from every culture. People in my generation, for the most part, don't view race as starkly as people in my mother's generation do. In our world, discrimination is not about black versus white, it's about oppression versus anti-oppression. Yes, there are cultural disparages, even in the gay movement, but at the end of the day, what separates us is pro-LGBT and Anti-LGBT ideals.
That premise blends the color line drastically. In regards to the DC equality movement, you have people of all cultures advocating for equal rights and people of one predominate culture advocating against it: the African American religious fringe. This is particularly ironic, given that a majority of black congregations have a sizable LGBT population. And besides the obvious Stockholm syndrome of LGBT members of anti-gay churches, the history of Christianity and oppression in the black community should be argument enough for the opposition to take a look at what their argument is really saying.
African Americans didn't come here preaching Christianity. We were brought in chains, we were ripped from our language, our families, our culture, and our spiritual beliefs. Christianity was forced upon us by slave owners as a means to dissipate any potential unity. Fast forward three hundred years or so, Blacks were made to believe they had to straighten their hair, get rid of their slang, and assimilate fully into mainstream culture to be regarded as human. They could not marry someone of a different race, hell up until the 19th century, blacks were only 3/5 of a person. All of these institutions, anti-miscegenation, slavery, and voting rights were supported and prolonged by religious ideologies. Those same ideologies that said in essence, "you are the other; in order to be tolerated, you must be invisible". This is where the civil rights movement and the equal rights movement bear close resemblance.
By refusing to acknowledge LGBT people and relationships, we send a message that LGBT people are somehow the other. Black LGBT people, suffer the impact of marginalization two-fold, dealing with bigotry not only from racial discrimination, but from religious persecution. The same people who withstood fire hoses and beatings, who see what hate crimes and intolerance do to a people, have the audacity to seek to marginalize another group of people in the name of a "lord" that wasn't theirs to begin with. We as a people need to wake up and start acknowledging that the hatred for our gay brothers and sisters is doing nothing but perpetuating the denigration of our culture, killing our women, and holding us back from reaching Martin Luther King Jr's "promise land."
For more information on homophobia in Black churches, please join Metropolitan Network Against Homophobia for a panel discussion. 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 10th at The Sumner School 1201 17th Street NW Washington, DC Inside Lecture Hall 102. More information can be found here: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/eve/1446274447.html
I'm an urban twenty-something, very likely half the age of the majority of anti-equality testifiers; but I grew up in a world where race was as much a factor as it wasn't. I was called a nigger at the early age of six, and though I knew it was wrong, it didn't stop me from being friends with people from every culture. People in my generation, for the most part, don't view race as starkly as people in my mother's generation do. In our world, discrimination is not about black versus white, it's about oppression versus anti-oppression. Yes, there are cultural disparages, even in the gay movement, but at the end of the day, what separates us is pro-LGBT and Anti-LGBT ideals.
That premise blends the color line drastically. In regards to the DC equality movement, you have people of all cultures advocating for equal rights and people of one predominate culture advocating against it: the African American religious fringe. This is particularly ironic, given that a majority of black congregations have a sizable LGBT population. And besides the obvious Stockholm syndrome of LGBT members of anti-gay churches, the history of Christianity and oppression in the black community should be argument enough for the opposition to take a look at what their argument is really saying.
African Americans didn't come here preaching Christianity. We were brought in chains, we were ripped from our language, our families, our culture, and our spiritual beliefs. Christianity was forced upon us by slave owners as a means to dissipate any potential unity. Fast forward three hundred years or so, Blacks were made to believe they had to straighten their hair, get rid of their slang, and assimilate fully into mainstream culture to be regarded as human. They could not marry someone of a different race, hell up until the 19th century, blacks were only 3/5 of a person. All of these institutions, anti-miscegenation, slavery, and voting rights were supported and prolonged by religious ideologies. Those same ideologies that said in essence, "you are the other; in order to be tolerated, you must be invisible". This is where the civil rights movement and the equal rights movement bear close resemblance.
By refusing to acknowledge LGBT people and relationships, we send a message that LGBT people are somehow the other. Black LGBT people, suffer the impact of marginalization two-fold, dealing with bigotry not only from racial discrimination, but from religious persecution. The same people who withstood fire hoses and beatings, who see what hate crimes and intolerance do to a people, have the audacity to seek to marginalize another group of people in the name of a "lord" that wasn't theirs to begin with. We as a people need to wake up and start acknowledging that the hatred for our gay brothers and sisters is doing nothing but perpetuating the denigration of our culture, killing our women, and holding us back from reaching Martin Luther King Jr's "promise land."
For more information on homophobia in Black churches, please join Metropolitan Network Against Homophobia for a panel discussion. 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 10th at The Sumner School 1201 17th Street NW Washington, DC Inside Lecture Hall 102. More information can be found here: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/eve/1446274447.html
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sprinting to the Colorblind Finish Line
The National Equality March weekend begins in a few days and buzz is building throughout the community. Despite the criticism for the leadership's lack of organization, it is pivotal that we pull out big numbers for the march. For once, we can learn a lesson from republicans: stick together, be "homo", homogeneous that is.
More importantly, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act of DC was introduced to the council this Tuesday, October 6th; announced by openly-gay DC council member David Catania at the 1st Annual LGBT Convocation for Marriage Equality last Wednesday.
It appears someone was listening when bloggers suggested moving forward with outreach and grassroots efforts. DC is a many-fibered diaspora of histories, cultures and struggles; it took an outside voice to make us realize we should be taking advantage of that.
Rev. Eric E. Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership laid out several points about diversity and solidarity in the movement in his speech at the convocation. "There are five tenets in organizing [all carrying over into one another]," said Lee. "Education, organization, mobilization, agitation and transformation." In CA, he mentioned, equality activists fell short of what they needed to do to frame the movement as a civil rights issue. While this can be a touchy subject, especially for African Americans, I feel we need to tackle the issue head on. DC could be the poster child for the world in regards to the equality movement. The LGBT community pays taxes like our straight counterparts, but not only do we not have a vote, we are at the mercy of congress to decide what rights we should have. We are a community without a voice and we must address that.
Our mobilization must include outreach and education to the people; per Rev. Lee's advice, we should also address the discrimination that exists within our community. "Justice must be universal," and not only will it strengthen us as a group, it will provide the rest of the world with an example of how to do diversity correctly. While simultaneously addressing our own prejudices, we must contact the moderate voters. We know now, from several preceding social movements, that targeting and trying to change minds of the extremists is a futile operation. We are not going to convince someone, who is fiercely against equal rights, to come all the way over to our side; however, the ones sitting on the fence may just need a little push.
Rev. Lee thoroughly explained agitation in the community, an area I think we're making improvements in. Instead of trying to change extremists minds, we need to call them on their discrimination with articulate and well formed arguments. According to Lee, "[We must be] an irritant in a society where the blemish of discrimination must be washed out. Do not bear the burden of oppression; it is not your responsibility. Make the oppressors defend their discrimination!" Powerful words with a more significant meaning. We must be out, we must practice solidarity by enlisting our allies to speak on our behalf. In order to transform the movement into an unstoppable force, we need people to join together and actively practice anti-oppression. That means speaking up when you hear the word "fag", or stopping your buddies from bullying a kid with anti-gay slurs. We need to stop being spectators and get on the field. We need our congressional representatives on the line and our sneakers on the street. We are sprinting to the finish line, standing shoulder to shoulder, with every color of our rainbow pride flag.
Information about the National Equality March can be found here:
http://www.hrc.org/13519.htm
More importantly, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act of DC was introduced to the council this Tuesday, October 6th; announced by openly-gay DC council member David Catania at the 1st Annual LGBT Convocation for Marriage Equality last Wednesday.
It appears someone was listening when bloggers suggested moving forward with outreach and grassroots efforts. DC is a many-fibered diaspora of histories, cultures and struggles; it took an outside voice to make us realize we should be taking advantage of that.
Rev. Eric E. Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership laid out several points about diversity and solidarity in the movement in his speech at the convocation. "There are five tenets in organizing [all carrying over into one another]," said Lee. "Education, organization, mobilization, agitation and transformation." In CA, he mentioned, equality activists fell short of what they needed to do to frame the movement as a civil rights issue. While this can be a touchy subject, especially for African Americans, I feel we need to tackle the issue head on. DC could be the poster child for the world in regards to the equality movement. The LGBT community pays taxes like our straight counterparts, but not only do we not have a vote, we are at the mercy of congress to decide what rights we should have. We are a community without a voice and we must address that.
Our mobilization must include outreach and education to the people; per Rev. Lee's advice, we should also address the discrimination that exists within our community. "Justice must be universal," and not only will it strengthen us as a group, it will provide the rest of the world with an example of how to do diversity correctly. While simultaneously addressing our own prejudices, we must contact the moderate voters. We know now, from several preceding social movements, that targeting and trying to change minds of the extremists is a futile operation. We are not going to convince someone, who is fiercely against equal rights, to come all the way over to our side; however, the ones sitting on the fence may just need a little push.
Rev. Lee thoroughly explained agitation in the community, an area I think we're making improvements in. Instead of trying to change extremists minds, we need to call them on their discrimination with articulate and well formed arguments. According to Lee, "[We must be] an irritant in a society where the blemish of discrimination must be washed out. Do not bear the burden of oppression; it is not your responsibility. Make the oppressors defend their discrimination!" Powerful words with a more significant meaning. We must be out, we must practice solidarity by enlisting our allies to speak on our behalf. In order to transform the movement into an unstoppable force, we need people to join together and actively practice anti-oppression. That means speaking up when you hear the word "fag", or stopping your buddies from bullying a kid with anti-gay slurs. We need to stop being spectators and get on the field. We need our congressional representatives on the line and our sneakers on the street. We are sprinting to the finish line, standing shoulder to shoulder, with every color of our rainbow pride flag.
Information about the National Equality March can be found here:
http://www.hrc.org/13519.htm
Friday, July 24, 2009
Being Out in the Closet
What does it mean to be out? Does it mean holding hands with your partner? Or is it placing a picture of your and your significant other on your desk in and HRC frame? What constitutes your out-ness?
This topic is particularly intriguing because it involves several different points of view. On one hand, the organizations advocating gay rights, LGBT places of entertainment, and community events are both enjoyable and essential to the prosperity of the movement. On the other hand, the question that's raised discusses the dependency of the LGBT community on these assets. Do they limit us from being as "out" as possible?
I look to the civil rights movement for suggestions. When segregation and Jim crow were prevalent in the south, blacks orchestrated sit-ins. Now, I'm not saying we should borough through town just sitting places, the framing of that movement will not be our own, but I think we should commit ourselves to more exposure. Social or political canvassing is a good way of being visible but I also think the act of attending an otherwise "Straight" event, can go a long way toward equality.
We need to practice being out, in our jobs, among our family, in our communities; we need to be in support of each other outside of the gay-bor-hood, that means practicing solidarity in places that may not be as receiving. This is not a chastisement of LGBT establishments or their patrons - I'm pretty sure I'll be at Fab lounge at some point this weekend - it's simply a different way of forwarding the movement.
LGBT people are no more or less perfect than their straight counterparts, however, as advocates for equal rights, we must use the vastness and diversity of the movement to reach our opponents. Think of it this way, Bishop Jackson and I may not agree on equal rights, but we may agree on eliminating poverty. I'm fairly certain there are LGBT people in his congregation, out or not. Although I may not be able to change his mind, by being a fervent supporter of gay rights and working with him on a cause we both agree on, I may change a few minds in his congregation. My visibility may expose people to the gay rights movement, and possibly sow a seed of doubt that their anti-gay stance is on the wrong side of history.
It's not necessary to "make everything about us", the gay rights movement will speak for itself. By just being out and actively pursuing community awareness, we make our mark. As Professor Richard Flacks says, "Historical action is not necessarily noted or recorded. A historical act may appear as exceedingly mundane behavior. A telephone call, a scribble on a memo pad, a push of a button can initiate a chain of actions and events that fundamentally reshape the live of millions."
We can't tell each other how to be out, we can only tell each other to Be Out; our personal relationships and connections can change minds. Don't wait for October, make your coming out day today. And to all the people who are actively practicing being out, reach out to someone who is on the threshold, support their journey, bravery will prevail most expeditiously when there is a glimmer of hope.
This topic is particularly intriguing because it involves several different points of view. On one hand, the organizations advocating gay rights, LGBT places of entertainment, and community events are both enjoyable and essential to the prosperity of the movement. On the other hand, the question that's raised discusses the dependency of the LGBT community on these assets. Do they limit us from being as "out" as possible?
I look to the civil rights movement for suggestions. When segregation and Jim crow were prevalent in the south, blacks orchestrated sit-ins. Now, I'm not saying we should borough through town just sitting places, the framing of that movement will not be our own, but I think we should commit ourselves to more exposure. Social or political canvassing is a good way of being visible but I also think the act of attending an otherwise "Straight" event, can go a long way toward equality.
We need to practice being out, in our jobs, among our family, in our communities; we need to be in support of each other outside of the gay-bor-hood, that means practicing solidarity in places that may not be as receiving. This is not a chastisement of LGBT establishments or their patrons - I'm pretty sure I'll be at Fab lounge at some point this weekend - it's simply a different way of forwarding the movement.
LGBT people are no more or less perfect than their straight counterparts, however, as advocates for equal rights, we must use the vastness and diversity of the movement to reach our opponents. Think of it this way, Bishop Jackson and I may not agree on equal rights, but we may agree on eliminating poverty. I'm fairly certain there are LGBT people in his congregation, out or not. Although I may not be able to change his mind, by being a fervent supporter of gay rights and working with him on a cause we both agree on, I may change a few minds in his congregation. My visibility may expose people to the gay rights movement, and possibly sow a seed of doubt that their anti-gay stance is on the wrong side of history.
It's not necessary to "make everything about us", the gay rights movement will speak for itself. By just being out and actively pursuing community awareness, we make our mark. As Professor Richard Flacks says, "Historical action is not necessarily noted or recorded. A historical act may appear as exceedingly mundane behavior. A telephone call, a scribble on a memo pad, a push of a button can initiate a chain of actions and events that fundamentally reshape the live of millions."
We can't tell each other how to be out, we can only tell each other to Be Out; our personal relationships and connections can change minds. Don't wait for October, make your coming out day today. And to all the people who are actively practicing being out, reach out to someone who is on the threshold, support their journey, bravery will prevail most expeditiously when there is a glimmer of hope.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Get the Spirit at Black Church Maraca
One of the most exciting things about moving to a new city is discovering the hidden treasures that lie within the side-streets, alleys and boroughs. Black Church Maraca is indeed one of DC’s greatest gems, combining music, poetry and the love of life.
Every second Saturday of the month, a throng of artists pack into a private residence and assimilate under the guise of true artistic expression. Upon entering you are greeted with a hug or a warm handshake, food and drinks, discussion and laughter. By the time you reach the middle of the room you are immersed in the feeling of family and community, one which knows no color, gender, or sexuality. Everyone exists as a representation of themselves, nothing more, and nothing less.
After what seems like the passing of a brief moment, organizer and host Jade Foster welcomes everyone, and explains what BCM is and why it is, “Black Church Maraca is a monthly poetry reading [that] manifests the power of genuine fellowship.” She explains that it’s a chance to get away from the “Busboys” pretentiousness and the cacophony of club-going, and enjoy some good words and good music with good people.
She then introduces the featured artist of the month, this month it’s Venus Thrash, professor of English at the University of DC, who delights us with stories ranging from a little girl who wants to be an angel, to the ins and outs of lesbian relationships. Her performance continues scripted by the discussions and feedback from the audience, her thirty minute set seems to fly by. After raucous applause, Ms. Thrash joins the congregation to enjoy an open mic session. One after another, first-time poetry readers, Black Church veterans and previously featured poets and artists take the stage and bear their souls before a room of welcoming hearts. Michelle Antoinette, AKA Love the Poet, stakes her claim as a proud lesbian of color, despite her family’s dissonance and intolerance; her partner in crime, Missy Smith highlights her smooth vocals and impeccable songwriting skills before accompanying Love on a comical serenade. Local female MC artists, “Hyll Factor” offers the “benediction” to the beat of an impromptu beat box from an audience member. The stage then transforms back into a living space and the conversations begin.
Black Church Maraca, despite its name, draws in people of all colors, creeds, religions, and sexual identities. It’s shrouded heavily in pulsating intellectualism, poignant artistry and, like Jade’s introduction, genuine fellowship. The word “Church” in the title, I think refers to the visceral experience you receive, and even if you have never believed in anything in your life, there is a certain truth that can be discovered within the four walls. So the next time you need some uplifting and are tired of the usual city scenes, go catch the spirit at Black Church Maraca.
You can find more information about BCM at http://www.myspace.com/blackchurchmaraca
Every second Saturday of the month, a throng of artists pack into a private residence and assimilate under the guise of true artistic expression. Upon entering you are greeted with a hug or a warm handshake, food and drinks, discussion and laughter. By the time you reach the middle of the room you are immersed in the feeling of family and community, one which knows no color, gender, or sexuality. Everyone exists as a representation of themselves, nothing more, and nothing less.
After what seems like the passing of a brief moment, organizer and host Jade Foster welcomes everyone, and explains what BCM is and why it is, “Black Church Maraca is a monthly poetry reading [that] manifests the power of genuine fellowship.” She explains that it’s a chance to get away from the “Busboys” pretentiousness and the cacophony of club-going, and enjoy some good words and good music with good people.
She then introduces the featured artist of the month, this month it’s Venus Thrash, professor of English at the University of DC, who delights us with stories ranging from a little girl who wants to be an angel, to the ins and outs of lesbian relationships. Her performance continues scripted by the discussions and feedback from the audience, her thirty minute set seems to fly by. After raucous applause, Ms. Thrash joins the congregation to enjoy an open mic session. One after another, first-time poetry readers, Black Church veterans and previously featured poets and artists take the stage and bear their souls before a room of welcoming hearts. Michelle Antoinette, AKA Love the Poet, stakes her claim as a proud lesbian of color, despite her family’s dissonance and intolerance; her partner in crime, Missy Smith highlights her smooth vocals and impeccable songwriting skills before accompanying Love on a comical serenade. Local female MC artists, “Hyll Factor” offers the “benediction” to the beat of an impromptu beat box from an audience member. The stage then transforms back into a living space and the conversations begin.
Black Church Maraca, despite its name, draws in people of all colors, creeds, religions, and sexual identities. It’s shrouded heavily in pulsating intellectualism, poignant artistry and, like Jade’s introduction, genuine fellowship. The word “Church” in the title, I think refers to the visceral experience you receive, and even if you have never believed in anything in your life, there is a certain truth that can be discovered within the four walls. So the next time you need some uplifting and are tired of the usual city scenes, go catch the spirit at Black Church Maraca.
You can find more information about BCM at http://www.myspace.com/blackchurchmaraca
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