Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: When the conversation is race we always stumble
Oh sweet Jesus! A little over a week before the big to do in Washington, DC and look at what the folk at Queerty do. Throw out some provocative essay about race, activism, and the “gay community.” Lord help us. Hide the children and bar the doors!
Nakhone Keodara comes out swinging with his “The Whites Can Have LGBT Activism: I Quit.” He argues the concerns of gays and lesbians of color are never at the table when white gay activists get together, that Anglo gays are always quick to make the argument that discrimination is discrimination without ever giving their white privilege a look over, and that the freedom of all gays and lesbians, no matter their racial background, is not the care of the gay freedom movement.
“We’re frustrated with being shut out, discredited and slandered when we attempt to speak up and represent the interest of the people of color LGBT community. Now I see that it’s fruitless because they just don’t understand that their white privilege has prevented them from having empathy or compassion concerning discrimination the people of color LGBTs have endured even within the LGBT community.”
So in response to this Keodara is calling an end to his gay activism and leaving it to white folks. There are a few things about Keodara’s jeremiad that need to be called out. The whole reasoning behind white privilege is rickety at best. Oh it can get a few applauds, but it it’s too broad and imprecise to have any meaning, especially now that race lacks its rigid legal codification.
As for “quitting,” that is an option only “the privileged” can consider. Right now I’m reading Slotkin’s No Quarter: The Battle of The Crater, 1864 and if black Union soldiers dealt with the racial barbarity of the Confederate enemy and the perfidy of too many of their white Union comrades, Keodara can keep keeping on with the annoying assumptions of some of his white brethern and sistern.
Keodara also engages in the type of thinking that he critiques Anglos for.
“The Anglo LGBT community refuses to listen to any of the concerns of the people of color within this movement and it will do what it pleases regardless of the consequences.”
If we as gays of color hate it when a few whites describe communities of color with sloppy and general terms, it makes no sense to use that same schedule. Broad strokes are consistently unhelpful, no matter who uses them.
With all of that said though, whenever the topic is race, electronic comment boards do show an ugly underside that at some point has to be talked about. It would have been nice if a few of the folk commenting on Keodora’s words would have kept their white sheets at home, but that is becoming typical for us as a community. When the topic is race ( can we say Prop 8 defeat?) we rev up in overdrive and type out stuff that is ugly. It would be cool if “the community” actually had a conversation about race, but that is never going to happen because we have much invested in this fantasy that we are just one big happy gay family.
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Such a loaded topic. Mainly, the problem is we try and pretend that since we are all gay, we are all alike. We might as well ask where are race or religious problems at ALL since the majority is heterosexual. With THAT in common, imagine them having all those other issues. There was a time when society was so against our sexual nature that we easily found our common ground enough to occupy our time and energy. THEY were far more intimidating than the diversity among ourselves. Those days are over. As the population increases, as people find gay more “normal”, as people come out at a younger and younger age, once again the larger picture issues, the ones we learned before our sexuality blossomed in our lives, will again become more a factor. Unless we a s a community try to solve them, if we care to. Many will not.
I’ve never understood racism, or homophobia, or religious hatred. I’m smart enough to recognize it, although like “homophobia” ignorance of race is often mistaken for racism. Sometimes we ourselves are so emerged in, and -ism, an idea or way of life we refuse to see that while it may be all consuming to us, it’s not to those who don’t share our lives or beliefs. Like my straight friends don’t always understand the struggles of being gay, I don’t always understand or recognize the every day struggles of my black friends. Am I a racist? No, I’m just not black. While I’m not disinterested or uncaring, I have a life with my own problems that consume a lot of my time. If I seem so, then tell me so. Don’t throw down a gauntlet because I don’t understand every nuance of a life I don’t live.
That said, there is something I have wondered at. I’ve lived, and partied, all around the world. One thing I have noticed everywhere is what seems, to me. to be a self ostracization of gay men from the rest of the “community.” Whenever I’ve been in a multicultural city, people are usually represented pretty well by population percentages. Asians, Latinos, Turkish, Arab, Indian…. Everyone except blacks. Whether here in he states, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, the orient… I KNOW there are black gay men out there, but you wouldn’t know it by their representation. There’s even a club here in Miami that has two dance floors, one with house music and one with more Hip Hop. There are always white guys in the hip hop side, rarely ever and black men in the house side.
There is the very real possibility, and quite understandably since sexuality starts with the onset of puberty for many, that race is more ingrained in many of us than sexuality, and dropping the fetters of one to embrace and include oneself in another, is just too much for many people. Maybe we’re not keeping you out, but you are not allowing yourself to come in.
Race and homosexuality are not liked together, simply because some gays are also black, or some gays are white, but hated by blacks who see they color of their skin and evidence of wealth. Racism and homophobia are different issues, and don’t automatically get combined because the person is black and gay, or white and gay. it is false logic to say that gay activists are required to speak out on additional black suffering, or are in fact racists themselves.
But to any white person who still believes that racism against blacks is over, they need look no further than the birther movement for evidence black suffering is alive and well.
I don’t see any conflict. Activists who want to focus on the additional suffering of black gays, can do so, and activists who what to focus only on homosexuality should be allowed to do so.
What is wrong, is when black activists demand all activists speak about the additional suffering of blacks, or if not, are racists. I can see why activists would only want them to focus on homosexuality only, just to focus attention on gay issues of all gays. Black gays are not excluded from this activism because of their skin color; they are included. Equating a homosexuality only approach to activism as racist because the additional suffering of blacks is not discussed is absolutely wrong. It is just as wrong as when black gay activists acts as apologists for the additional percentage of homophobia among members of the black community, making excuses for their hatred of gays.
Racism against blacks is very real, but it is not racist for gay activists to to be gay activists, instead of adding other characteristics to mix.
The reason no one can start a discussion about racism in the is a really simple one.
No one really wants to to speak truly honestly racism or homophobia in this country.
We are all trying to be either so politically correct or so morally right on the the subject the we never pay attention to the that particular set of 600-pound guerrillas in the middle of the room that forced us to come together as a group in the first place.
The only way the LGBT Communities will ever deal our interpersonal issues and difference is for us to collectively put all of our cards on the table and deal with them openly and honestly.
We need to come together and talk( freely and without censorship) inside and out side of this community that at tearing us down and keeping us from being the peoples that we should be.
Should we always speak with one voice? NO but we should not be our own worst enemies either.
1 Clean our own house. we have to be free to be honest about ALL of the issues that are dividing the LGBT Communities.
(racism in white LGBT Community-racism in LGBT Communities of color-Tran-phobia among many gay men and lesbians-the social divide between masculine and feminine( both prevalent in the gay and lesbian communities)
This is is just a small and woefully list of the things that fracture us a peoples and helps keep us weak.
How do we bring that many opposing groups into one LGBT tent. There is an answer and you are going to hate it.:
Hard work
An unGODly amount of person restraint.
Free and open debate even when it hurts.
Lots of tears and emotional pain.
Tolerance and open minds on all sides of the table.
The will to break with someone you were taught to hate and who has learned to hate you just as much.
Don’t blame-Don’t fault.
How we call ourselves a community when we are as divided as this nation. How can we ever rally in to one voice ever do is form a cacophony?
IN short, the BEST way to start talking to and not AT each other and really listen each is saying and not listen for a shut the discussion.
I don’t think gay people are one big happy family.
We’re individuals whose only agreement would seem to be prefering cock to pu$$y, unless of course one is talking about gay women.
Other than that, we’re just as different from one another as anyone else.
As for people of color not caring for what us privileged white people do: YOU do it then.
White gays aren’t inclusive enough. We don’t carry people of color on our backs enough.
If you don’t like the way white gays are fighting for rights for all of us, then you’re more than welcome to step up and show us how. Some new fresh ideas and energy would be well worth it.
However, it’s simply easier to clutch at our legs whining about how we don’t do enough FOR you.
White people aren’t here to raise non-white people. You don’t like your life, DO something about it. You don’t like the way you are represented, get off your ass, stop whining and represent yourself!
I’m sick to death as a white male of being constantly harrassed by other people with arms and legs and brains telling me what I have to do FOR them!
The color of your skin and the problems your social history have created based on the cliches and stereotypes which did not manifest themselves out of thin air are simply NOT MY PROBLEM.
People of all stripes can debate the appropriateness of stereotyping until hell freezes over, but the FACT remains that a majority of black people in California voted to deprive gay people of equal marriage rights.
That is a FACT!
You can FEEEEEEEEEL anyway you damned well please about it, but a fact is a fact is a fact.
I read both articles and the spewing of comments back and forth. These two need to just kiss and make up. It is amazing how many of Phil’s responses were removed for violating policy. We ‘collective/inclusive of everyone’ need every voice we can get. It is sad that Keodara’s voice has been silenced.
“White Privilege”? What does that mean? I don’t get it. I am 43, unemployed for 10 months now, and can’t find a job, even though I have a degree and am “highly qualified”, because I am not a “diversity” candidate. So what privileges have I gotten? Someone PLEASE tell me, because if I am not getting what all other whites are getting, then I want MY fair share.
“White Privilege” what a joke!
@Yhitzak: I agree. I wouldn’t even know how to start a dialogue about race issues within the “community”. But that doesn’t mean Im not willing to jump in a get involved to better educate myself. I honestly don’t see where the “whites” concern is for their rights and theirs alone. Granted, I’m white. 3/4 Canadian french, 1/4 Irish ancestry. Does that even make me the “Anglo” that is described? I have no clue. I have biracial nieces and nephews. I’ve had biracial boyfriends/lovers, etc. What’s the deal folks. Maybe Im oblivious to some of this “White-Gay only” rights that are spoken of. Help me out here please.
The activism Im taking part in here in CT is not of racial anything. Im doing this, and going to D.C. for ALL GLBTQ. I add Q because even Queer, ie: Different, people need protection and representation too!
To me, this has never been anything about race and how my White genes are superior to any other race/ethnicity. There is no “White-only GLBTQ” movement…never has been.
It’s interesting to me that instead of being the bigger person in a time of our “movement” making great strides…no one can seem to over come an appearent “race obsticle” and continue to preach equality…which is exactly that fact, we are all equal. When you reach opposition…you stress it harder. WE ARE ALL EQUAL, PEOPLE. White, Black, Brown, Yellow, Purple, Green, Pink, Red, Indigo, and Orange. Clearly when someone who toutes themselves as an LGBT Activist, yet can’t continue a dialogue or participate in dialogue about the struggles and extreme diversity within the LGBT community…then clearly we don’t need you.
I for one do not feel that Im superior to you just for being white. I do, however, feel that I am surperior to you because I am willing to enter dialogue and learn and grow about what stands in the way of our “community” feeling equal to one another. How can we over come this race issue? How will “people of color” (POC) feel more included in the issues that we fight for? Is it that there are not enough POC speaking at the march? Thats the same crap from some woman posting last week that the final nail in the coffin for not going was because there “were not enought female speakers”. Are you freaking kidding me? So then call your favorite female or POC activist and urge them to get involved. Quit bitching about it and throwing the towel in when you haven’t done anything to turn it around. Im sure there were plenty of opportunities for your female and POC speakers to speak up and say they want to present at the rally.
In the words of a commentor who posted on this dudes article on Queerty…C-ya. If you can’t be constructive when things are seeming quite destructive, then good luck to ya. Maybe you will decide to re-join the fight when you realize that there are “whites” who don’t feel surperior to your ethnicity, or anyone elses for that matter.
So what sort of conversation should we be having, and where should that conversation begin? I’ve read through this dude’s post and it seems to me that marginalization knows no bounds. Heh. That is to say that we are ALL guilty of both marginalizing others AND our selves, whether we fall into a sexual minority or not or whether we fall into a racial minority or not.
I’ll be honest: I have NO idea how to talk about race, but I do feel that it’s an important conversation to engage in. Even if I’m not black. Heh. And that’s exactly why I have no idea how to talk about it. I don’t see black people as really ultimately being any different from white people, but then again, I don’t see homosexuality as being that far away from heterosexuality. It’s all expression, right? It’s all genetics (with race), right? (Not getting into the debate about the roots of sexual preference. Just not gonna do it.) I have always thought of racism and homophobia as excuses for people to hate each other. It is often so much easier to claim that someone’s race or sexual preference is what makes you hate them when it is in fact a poor behavior or bad attitude (among other things). So how do you separate the individual from the group? Or how do you highlight the struggle of the individual in light of a group mentality?
For whatever it’s worth, I stopped thinking of the struggle for sexual equality as the same as racial equality once I sat back and considered history. There have never been Gays Only public utilities and facilities, GLBT people were not legally traded as slaves for decades, and -most important of all- GLBT people can hide their preference from everyone including themselves, but race is physically and visually evident at every moment in a person’s life.
I will concede that GLBT people of color have an added struggle: overcoming ages-old racism on top of sexual prejudice. But I don’t think that race is where it ends OR begins; ethnicity and culture are not always unquestionably tied to race, but are equally important factors to consider in a discussion such as this. I’m not racially Italian, but I *am* ethnically Italian. And Italians like homosexuality about as much as black folks do. Heh. Take that however you will.
How is it even possible to talk about the struggle of racial or sexual groups without using broad strokes? I’m not trying to be a jerk in asking such a question, but I do wonder about that as this is a conversation we as a people have been engaging in for decades. Progress has been made, but we’re still talking in terms of black and white and I can’t help but wonder what progress even means. What do you as a black man want from me as a white man? What would you say to me about race and sexuality, as a black guy to a white one? I admit I’m a bit naive about this subject; I missed the boat on the global south theory… color is SOOOOOO much prettier than white!