Comments on: Withers: Will the DC Council pass a gay marriage bill? http://www.365gay.com/blog/091509-will-the-dc-council-pass-a-gay-marriage-bill/ The daily news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:04:27 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jay http://www.365gay.com/blog/091509-will-the-dc-council-pass-a-gay-marriage-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-73044 Jay Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:21:53 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=9609#comment-73044 I am happy to give credit to black politicians who support gay rights. They are walking in an inspiring line of black activists who support gay rights and deserve to be honored for it. But it sounds like you want them to get credit before they have actually done anything and that you don't want the media criticizing those yahoos who do the wrong thing. People who want to deprive others of equal rights--whatever their color--need to be called on it. Perhaps unfairly, we do hope for more from people who have themselves experienced discrimination. I am happy to give credit to black politicians who support gay rights. They are walking in an inspiring line of black activists who support gay rights and deserve to be honored for it. But it sounds like you want them to get credit before they have actually done anything and that you don’t want the media criticizing those yahoos who do the wrong thing. People who want to deprive others of equal rights–whatever their color–need to be called on it. Perhaps unfairly, we do hope for more from people who have themselves experienced discrimination.

]]> By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="1624570576">John Visser</fb:name> http://www.365gay.com/blog/091509-will-the-dc-council-pass-a-gay-marriage-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-73042 John Visser Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:37:32 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=9609#comment-73042 I agree completely - hardly a word will be uttered about the black council members who voted to support marriage equality while the blogs will be screaming about the black church members led by Harry Jackson and Marion Barry. It's always easy to point fingers, lay blame and prejudge than it is to rationally look an issue and see the differences within a group and the similarities across many groups. But to answer you question, DC is a unique situation in which the entire "state" is an urban area and urban areas are chock full of people who are used to living with many different types of people and therefore more tolerant. But every area, regardless of how urban or rurual, has its whack-jobs (i.e. Harry Jackson and the Catholic Bishop). I agree completely – hardly a word will be uttered about the black council members who voted to support marriage equality while the blogs will be screaming about the black church members led by Harry Jackson and Marion Barry. It’s always easy to point fingers, lay blame and prejudge than it is to rationally look an issue and see the differences within a group and the similarities across many groups.

But to answer you question, DC is a unique situation in which the entire “state” is an urban area and urban areas are chock full of people who are used to living with many different types of people and therefore more tolerant. But every area, regardless of how urban or rurual, has its whack-jobs (i.e. Harry Jackson and the Catholic Bishop).

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