Commentary: Gay is not the new black

Published on July 17 2009 3 Comments

LZ Granderson says criticism of Obama from the gay community has gone too far… Read his opinion on CNN then share your thoughts below.

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Charles David King said:

Well anyone that knows me knows I can not leave that one alone. I agree with many of the statements made in this piece by Mr. LZ Granderson. Now his facts are facts non the less but anyone raised in Mississippi knows we are a self segregating species! Nuff on that. I myself do not see color as aa barrier whatsoever. I also believe that same Black Community that has it’s own Black Pride also has to take a step toward the middle, as do the Lesbians and the White Gay Men. We all need to unite as one figure and fac e the monster. Being critical of the President does not make us any less accepting of anothers skin color. I can assure everyone reading this I was alot more critical of Bush and a hell of a lot more a hater of Cheney, and I am white as snow. I fought under the early scary years of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, so that everyone could have a right to voice their opinions loud and clear and assemble as they see fit. For a Black Man to tell me I should give the President some sort of pass because he is Black is somewhat upsetting. I would hope the Black men in this country would to just the opposite and hold him to a much greater standard than any man of any other color would. He is the first Black President of our Great Country. He has to succeed it is paramount for the Black Community and the Gay Community. This is the first President in recent History that will not fail himself but will fail an entire peoples, he has to be above board he has to be on cue he has to be the leader he promised. We as the Gay Community have every right to hold him to that Higher standard, that standard to which he promised to rise to after he was elected. It is a journey that begain years ago, and we helped President Obama get this far and we will help him get where we are all going, I just hope and pray the our Black Gay and Lesbian Community will join us and HOld the President to that standard to which He Himself set during the campaign. We the People!

# 18 July 2009 at 9:31 pm

John Yu said:

@Mr. Charles King,

“I myself do not see color as a barrier whatsoever.”

The primary message of the article is that GLBT rights activists should take care not to alienate themselves from Black people, particularly Black GLBT rights activists. We should all recognize that our struggle is a common one. However, with regard to this struggle, it is at best unproductive to deny the oppression ubiquitously felt by Black people every day in this country while at the same time criticizing them for not recognizing the oppression felt by the GLBT. As a member of the Gay community, I suspect that you recognize how frustrating it is to have your own oppression denied and your outrage invalidated, and I can empathize with that. But I hope you can also recognize how it feels for me as a person of color and a GLBT rights activist to see your denial of the oppression and outrage of my Black brothers and sisters–as well as the oppression and outrage that I feel daily as an Asian. I’m telling you as a GLBT ally: race is still a barrier.

And Mr. King, you don’t have to pray any longer that your Black Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters will join you–THEY ARE YOU. But I think that if you want more unity, we have to be willing to respect the unique characters of our struggles–and ultimately realize that it’s a common one.

“I’m not going to trust you until you’re as willing to be changed and affected by my experience as I am every day by yours.” ~from “The Color of Fear.”

# 20 July 2009 at 9:39 am

John Yu said:

That being said, I’m also disappointed with the pace of progress. It’s too slow. It breaks my heart every time another a Second Lt. Sandy Tsao, a Lt. Choi, or a Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach is discharged–especially when they’ve served us with such distinction and honor.

Progress is–in fact–being made, though: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071901688.html

Until the bill is signed, we’ve got to keep on keeping on.

# 20 July 2009 at 9:53 am