‘I’m a fierce supporter of marriage equality,’ said longtime D.C. resident Donna Brazile. But she added that voting rights and legislative autonomy for D.C. should be the top priority for the city in 2009. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP)
Black
gay
activists
in
Washington
have
expressed
concern
that
advocates
for
legislation
to
legalize
same-sex
marriage
in
the
city
have
not
developed
a
strategy
for
winning
support
from
black
residents,
who
make
up
56.5
percent
of
the
D.C.
population.
Following
a
closed-door
meeting
last
week
at
the
D.C.
gay
community
center,
activists
representing
several
local
gay
groups
agreed
to
call
a
community-wide
forum
Dec.
11
to
debate
whether
the
City
Council
should
take
up
a
same-sex
marriage
bill
in
January.
Gay
D.C.
Councilmember
David
Catania
(I-At-Large)
said
he
and
several
of
his
Council
colleagues
are
considering
introducing
a
same-sex
marriage
rights
bill
in
the
Council’s
first
legislative
session
in
2009.
All
but
one
of
the
Council’s
13
members
have
said
they
support
legalizing
same-sex
marriage,
but
most
have
said
they
weren’t
sure
of
the
best
time
to
move
ahead
with
such
legislation.
“There
needs
to
be
a
discussion
within
the
community
with
a
diverse
group
of
people
to
make
sure
there’s
a
consensus
to
move
ahead
with
this,”
said
Darrin
Glymph,
vice
president
of
the
Gertrude
Stein
Democratic
Club,
the
city’s
largest
gay
political
group.
“Then,
if
you
decide
to
go
forward,
you
need
to
reach
out
to
the
entire
D.C.
community,
including
the
faith
community
and
the
African-American
community.”
Glymph
and
other
black
gay
activists
pointed
to
the
approval
by
voters
in
California
of
Proposition
8
as
an
example
of
a
failed
strategy
for
reaching
out
to
minority
voters.
The
proposition,
which
passed
by
a
margin
of
52
to
48
percent,
amended
California’s
constitution
to
ban
same-sex
marriage.
A
CNN
exit
poll
showed
that
69
percent
of
black
voters
in
California
supported
Proposition
8;
subsequent
reports
have
suggested
the
number
might
be
closer
to
57
percent.
U.S.
Census
Bureau
figures
show
that
blacks
make
up
6.7
percent
of
the
population
in
California.
With
blacks
making
up
nearly
57
percent
of
the
population
in
D.C.,
black
gay
activists
said
gay
marriage
supporters
must
redouble
their
efforts
to
reach
out
to
blacks
and
other
minorities
in
the
District.
“I
don’t
know
if
we
can
obtain
the
allies
to
help
us
defeat
a
referendum
in
the
District,”
said
Carlene
Cheatam,
one
of
the
founding
members
of
the
D.C.
Coalition
of
Black
Lesbian,
Gay,
Bisexual
&
Transgender
Men
&
Women.
“I’m
not
worried
about
our
elected
city
government,”
Cheatam
said.
“They
are
all
supportive
because
they
equate
marriage
rights
with
civil
rights.
It’s
the
general
population
that
I’m
concerned
about.”
Cheatam
and
Glymph
said
coalitions
and
alliances
would
have
to
be
built
between
gays
and
black
community
institutions,
including
historic
black
churches,
to
educate
the
community
on
why
the
right
to
marry
is
a
civil
right.
But
the
two
said
they
weren’t
sure
such
coalitions
and
alliances
could
be
put
together
in
time
for
a
gay
marriage
bill
in
January.
Autonomy
first?
Black
gay
activist
Brad
Lewis,
a
former
Stein
Club
president
who
lives
in
Ward
8,
said
not
all
activists
believe
gay
marriage
should
be
at
the
top
of
the
list
of
priorities
for
gays
in
early
2009.
Lewis
said
it
would
be
better
for
gays,
and
all
D.C.
residents,
if
a
unified
coalition
of
activists
devote
their
energies
in
2009
to
persuading
Congress
to
grant
the
city
full
budgetary
and
legislative
autonomy.
Lewis
said
the
enlarged
Dem-ocratic
majority
in
Congress
and
the
election
of
Barack
Obama
as
president
give
the
city
its
best
shot
at
gaining
full
control
of
its
budget
and
lawmaking
processes.
Longtime
D.C.
resident
Donna
Brazile,
a
veteran
Democratic
Party
strategist
and
CNN
commentator,
said
she,
too,
believes
congressional
voting
rights
and
legislative
autonomy
for
D.C.
should
be
the
top
priority
for
the
city
in
2009.
“I’m
a
fierce
supporter
of
marriage
equality,”
Brazile
said.
“But
that’s
not
the
point
here.
The
point
is
if
we
had
legislative
autonomy,
legislative
and
budget
autonomy,
we
wouldn’t
have
to
worry
about
Congress.”
Even
if
Congress
were
to
grant
the
city
budget
and
legislative
autonomy,
some
in
the
black
gay
community
believe
other
issues
impacting
gays
should
be
given
a
higher
priority
than
marriage.
Glymph
said
many
in
the
community
feel
issues
such
as
HIV/AIDS
and
homeless
youth
are
more
pressing
than
marriage.
Brian
Watson
is
the
current
president
of
the
D.C.
Coalition
of
Black
Lesbian,
Gay,
Bisexual
&
Transgender
Men
&
Women
and
program
director
for
Transgender
Health
Empowerment,
a
local
organization
that
provides
services
to
the
transgender
community.
In
a
Nov.
13
e-mail
sent
to
local
activists,
Watson
criticized
the
mainstream
gay
rights
movement
for
its
“current
frenzy
over
same-sex
marriage.”
He
noted
that
developments
on
the
marriage
front
overshadowed
news
that
Duanna
Johnson,
a
black
transgender
woman
in
Memphis,
Tenn.,
had
been
shot
and
killed
on
a
street
not
long
after
being
beaten
by
police
officers
in
a
Memphis
jail.
“I
find
it
deeply
ironic,
and
equally
tragic,
that
the
topic
of
‘gay
marriage’
(in
the
form
of
the
recent
controversy
over
the
passage
of
California’s
Prop.
8)
once
again
threatens
to
monopolize
the
national
queer
agenda,
while
incidents
such
as
Johnson’s
death
go
under
the
radar,”
he
said
in
his
e-mail
message.
“I
continue
to
believe
that
the
excessive
time,
money,
and
political
energy
that
the
mainstream
queer
movement
has
poured
into
its
push
for
‘same-sex
marriage’
comes
at
the
expense
of
public
discussions
about
people
like
Duanna
—
people
that
do
not
adhere
to
the
upwardly
mobile,
masculinist
narrative
that
‘gay
marriage’
pundits
so
often
subscribe
to,”
Watson
wrote.
The
Blade
reported
on
Duanna’s
death
and
the
death
of
another
transgender
woman
in
an
article
published
Nov.
21.
Watson
told
the
Blade
this
week
that
he
and
other
black
gays
he
talks
to
regularly
have
mixed
feelings
over
whether
the
City
Council
should
move
forward
with
a
same-sex
marriage
bill
in
January.
“I
think
there
are
other
priorities
in
the
African-American
GLBT
community,”
he
said.
“And
I
think
the
evidence
was
apparent
...
The
following comments were posted by our readers and were
not edited by the Washington Blade. We ask that you
treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will
be removed.
GH on 12/4/0812:39 PM:
I think most are missing the real point. Blacks are not against gay marriage because they are black, but because they are the most religious racial minority in the country, and they tend to belong to Biblically conservative denominations. The church is the problem, not the minority. For example, the Calif. polls show that over 80% of evangelicals voted for Prop 8, but for blacks overall it was in the 50% range.
jeri . on 12/4/0812:37 AM:
equality is equality. it has nothing to do with black or white, queer or straight. equality is for everyone. and just to keep the record straight, enough of the nonsense blaming discrimination against gays on black americans. the concept is ludicrous. "black" people only make up 14% of the nations population. it's those pinkish/beige "white" people keeping everybody down. so blame it on people of color? why? because they are the minority? or it makes you feel better? sh#t! get off your butt and demand equality. nobody is going to give it to us. demand it from that "white" majority. fight.
RCS on 12/3/081:18 AM:
One thing that I would add is that if David Catania and his allies want to introduce this bill and move it through the DC City Council, it should be done right away. The longer the law stays in place before a new election and a potential anti-gay referendum comes up, the more likely DC voters are to realize that it is no big deal. In fact, by the time of the next election, it could be very old news indeed.
RCS on 12/3/081:14 AM:
A lot just depends on what happens across the country. If the California Supreme Court overturns Proposition 8 and a few more states pass gay marriage into law, it could change the whole current dynamic. That could re-energize the gay marriage movement and get it going again. On the other hand, if things go against gays elsewhere, it could have a very negative impact here, too. We're just going to have to wait and see. One thing that is clear is that if the DC Council passes same sex marriage, there is going to have to be a lot of work done to make sure it stays passed.
txmichael on 12/2/086:12 PM:
I'm not going to get into the black gay vs white gay vs black flame war.
What I will say is that the problem with this bill -- even if it passes -- is that it lacks the larger context of a national campaign for same-sex marriage (and other GLBT civil rights). The other side has been successful because theirs has ALWAYS been a national campaign -- our side rope-a-dopes itself between firewall defenses and heartfelt (if doomed) efforts in supposedly friendly territory.
http://50statestrategy.blogspot.com
KevinS on 12/2/081:25 PM:
rpcv84: you said "...before we can expect equal treatment" Does that mean that because crimes are committed by members of other minority groups that they shouldn't expect equal treatment either? That statement you made is just absolutely ignorant.
Shinynewthings on 12/2/0811:30 AM:
Mikey,
Your understanding of my understanding is an obvious misunderstanding. It would be much easier to understand what I understand, if you understood what I wrote.
arcanum202 on 12/2/0810:39 AM:
Then stop complaining about blacks blocking your "RIGHTS"...(How pathetic is that, that someone in this country thinks that blacks have enough power and presence to block anyone's rights - however, we are an easy scapegoat). Go get married Mikey683, it's your right! Don't let my gay black a ss stop you! LMAO!
mikey683 on 12/1/089:54 PM:
Oh I got that shiny I just don't think you understand
that no outreach to anyone is nessesary to achieve
something that everyone is already guaranteed by the
constitution. No one's opinion matters.I don't need to
convince anyone I deserve rights I already have.
Shinynewthings on 12/1/089:32 PM:
Mikey,
Sounds like you may need an English 101 refresher course, since it's clear you did not comprehend a single word I wrote. You represent your movement well.
Unfortunately for you, I'm gay.
mikey683 on 12/1/089:02 PM:
Well shiny sounds like you could use that polisci
class. The bill of right is supposed to protect
minority right from the majority. Thats how I get to
have the same rights as everyone else no matter what
you think of me. See how that works? Tell you friends.
Shinynewthings on 12/1/086:33 PM:
Sounds like Mikey is under the impression that the people who are in the power structure to place such measures on the ballot, to create anti-gay laws and discriminate against gay people through legal channels, are black. Therefore, it is blacks who need a "copy of the constitution and a polysci class." This is a prime example of why it is 30 states and counting. The gay community has no rational coherent message, no real leadership. They don't even know who or what it is they are fighting against. Sometimes I even wonder if white gays know that blacks gays exist? Doesn't seem like they do.
mikey683 on 12/1/0811:59 AM:
Exuse me but I don't feel I need the permission of the black community to have civil rights. Maybe someone needs to give them a copy of the constitution and a polysci class. Constitutional right should not be up for popular vote. That why ther're called "rights".
arcanum202 on 12/1/088:39 AM:
First off, who still believes in God? That is so 1800!
But anyway, I think that if gays who want to participate in this failed hetero experiment gone wrong, titled it something else, that the straights wouldn't have a problem with it.If all you want is the rights, take civil unions and call it a day. Many straight people, even those that don't admit to be,are religious. They tie religion with the term "marriage".Take the religious terminology out of it, and then what do they have to fight?Equal rights! Most straights could care less about gays signing up for misery, don't call it marriage.
Mr Chris on 12/1/081:11 AM:
Shinynewthings: Thank you so much for what you said.
Very True. They have never reached out to Blacks let alone the Black LGBT community. But such statements prove their biasness
For instance this passsge here
Rev.Dyan Abena McCray, pastor of Unity Fellowship Church, which has a mostly black gay congregation, and Rev.Charlie Arehart, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of D.C., which also has a largely gay congregation,
See how they mentioned that Unity is mostly BLACK but failed to mention that MCC is mostly WHITE
GO FIGURE
truthhurts82 on 11/29/0810:54 PM:
My feelings on same sex marriage is this, im totaly against it. First being married is a gift and a priviledge from god, he's the creator of this sacred and special union.It should not be tainted with sexual immorality! God is soooo against it,so much that he destroyed a whole city because of it. If you want to be with someone of the same sex, do you thats your business but dont try to make it a public matter and have everyone else try to legalize your sin! Does any body care what god thinks anymore?
Shinynewthings on 11/29/083:25 PM:
To date 30 states have banned gay marriage, which include lily white states such as Utah, Oregon and Oklahoma. As long as gay rights activist continue to frame homophobia as exclusively a black problem, they will continue to lose.
The harsh truth is that Americans in general, regardless of color aren't supportive of gay marriage. If they were, we wouldn't be having this discussion. I guess that's a tough pill for white gay activist to swallow, much easier to blame the blacks I suppose. Blacks could be the least homophobic group in America and gay marriage would still be invalid.
rpcv84 on 11/28/082:11 PM:
arcanum202: You wrote "Maybe if the white gay community (who wants this marriage thing so bad) partnered with the black community in genuine and visible ways, they would support your ridiculous cause to be married and miserable!" I agree with you. I've written numerous times that the notion of marriage for the GAY community as a whole is a joke. The gay community needs a lot of maturing and abidence to norms of acceptable social behavior (seen a gay pride day freakfest lately?, seen the criminal activities against the Mormons lately?, and so on...) before we can expect equal treatment.
arcanum202 on 11/28/081:55 PM:
Don't just holler that the black community is discriminatory and riddled with hate, when black gay people and black people, could say that of the white gay poplulation! Trust me, I know that the white gay male community is riddled with hate (goes to show that in this last election, the only minority that showed a rise in votes for Republicans and John McCain were white gay men!).
Maybe if the white gay community (who wants this marriage thing so bad) partnered with the black community in genuine and visible ways, they would support your ridiculous cause to be married and miserable!
rpcv84 on 11/28/081:25 PM:
Gay marriage in overwhelmingly black DC? Never happen. Ironically, the black community is surprisingly discriminatory and riddled with hate, isn't it???
