Comments on: All aboard the Trayvon bandwagon

By: Unwedging the Wedge « You think I just don't understand, but I don't believe you.

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:38:17 +0000

[...] recently, Kevin Naff of the Washington Blade demonstrated “supreme obliviousness” by deriding “[r]eckless pot-stirring by ambulance-chasing zealots like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, along wi… in connection with the murder of Trayvon Martin. A generous interpretation of Naff’s piece is [...]

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:21:33 +0000

Correction:

William Levy, the white Cuban American on ‘Dancing With The Stars’.

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:17:33 +0000

For the record, Hispanic isn’t a race. Hispanics can be of any race and many Hispanics are black or Afro Latinos. However, many white Hispanics like Ricky Martin, Ricky Levy, and Desi Arnez can assimilate into white America and are accepted by white America, gay and straight. A black or Afro Latino isn’t accepted by white America and being black is seen as being inferior by most whites in America, and Kevin Naff is one of them.

By: Editors Diverge On Whether LGBT Activists Should Get Involved In Trayvon Martin Case - City Desk

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:18:54 +0000

[...] or why gay activists would want to align themselves with a movement that isn't an LGBT problem. He wrote: Not to be left out of all the bandwagon posturing, the nation’s leading LGBT advocacy groups [...]

By: Sage

Sage — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:09:59 +0000

Thank you Jeffrey (last name omitted due to alleged fear for personal safety (Child, please!) for your contribution here. That main contribution I see you bringing to the table here is your making a complete and total mockery of the concept behind the phrase to “speak truth to power.” In all my years I have literally never witnessed someone make such a complete mockery of that phrase like you just did. I got a good chuckle out of that one, baby. So I guess you did contribute something here. Otherwise, try harder next time!

By: Sage

Sage — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:53:57 +0000

Umm, it would behoove you to read the comment thread carefully and to pay attention to who it is exactly I am saying “great points” in response to. I was not responding directly to Kevin Naff who wrote this objectionable op/ed piece. But rather, to one of the commenters here in the comment thread (Steph). Thank you.

By: Realit-E

Realit-E — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:37:12 +0000

Thank you Ian! Let’s just call a spade, a spade. Zimmerman’s actions were racist…period. Would he have followed a white boy, or a white girl? Of course not. For us to think that racism doesn’t exist anymore in 2012 is completely ignorant. One example of racism, is this opinion column by Mr. Naff. The white gay privileged community is just embarrassing! Wake up!

By: Charles

Charles — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:50:31 +0000

Correction:
Caucasian gay and straight white males will never understand, their being born white affords them privilege in this country.

By: Charles

Charles — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:48:45 +0000

As a gay black man, I’ve been saying for sometime, many white gay males are just as racist as white heterosexuals and white gay men aren’t a minority. White gay males belong to the 220 million white population in the United States. I found Kevin Naff’s article to be bigoted and he showed his true colors as white gay racist male. I was glad to see black gay and lesbian men come out against Kevin Naff’s racist statement. Caucasian gay and straight will never understand, there being born white affords them privilege in this country.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:41:02 +0000

I normally leave my full name when posting comments, but won’t on this one out of fear for my safety. The nastiness of these responses is threatening.

Seeking common ground (unlike most above), I certainly agree the Martin killing was a senseless & avoidable tragedy. Yes, race played a role. And I admit that to some degree, I am a racist – WE ALL ARE, including those who have made assumptions about Zimmerman’s behavior based on his race. Let’s ALL deal with it.

Thanks & condolences to Ryan (above) for sharing the tragic attacks against him by black males, a common occurrence in our area & elsewhere. The many good black males bear the stigma of their dangerous piers. Of course Zimmerman was suspicious of this young black male in his largely white neighborhood following several burglaries committed by the same demographic. He was undoubtedly responding to indisputable facts, unless the vast racist conspiracy theory includes a complete denial of eyewitness & police statistics here & there.

We obviously have a long way to go in race relations if an editorial like Kevin’s strikes such a violent outcry from so many. To my eye, he has taken a liberal position decrying gun proliferation, denouncing the Stand Your Ground law, blasting prejudice, & rallying for common minority rights. But for the monolithic, politically correct, left-wing purists, it is never enough. Zero tolerance for actual diversity or objectivity. Despite the needlessly provocative headline, the only divergence I culled from Kevin’s article & most of the above was the need to allow justice to rule, not mobs. Thanks to Robert & Kevin for daring to speak truth to power.

I’ve heard virtually none of the public mob “jurists” sympathize with victims of black male violence, denounce it or offer solutions to disarm this impediment to peace & racial harmony. Any concerns about inciting violence against the accused? Any problems with rushing to judgement over garbled & blatantly touched up 911 calls? How about encouraging blacks to participate in gay activism instead of attacking from the outside?

How about coming together, instead of blaming everything on white racism? Woops, we should actually say “clear”, since apparently “white” is no longer a (“people of…) color”?