Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: ABC’s attack on minority voters in California
ABC today published a lengthy story about how minorities are swaying the gay marriage vote in California. Its tag line: “Minorities, often social conservatives, could support California gay marriage ban.”
Well, I believe the individuals who testified to their own experiences in the Black, Latino and Chinese communities in the article, but I am hesitant to write off minorities as enemies of the LGBT people.
ABC quotes a Christian leader in the Latino community who insists that the Hispanic people support “traditional” marriage. It quotes an ad written in Chinese that mentions the evils of gay marriage (using very similar language as the English ads aimed at promoting Proposition 8). It quotes, extensively, a gay minister who left his church in the eighties rather than coming out to his congregation.
This does not exactly look like a convincing case for the dangers of minority voters.
The truth is that older people, on average, are less likely to support gay marriage. Change is hard, harder for those who have been around a bit longer than most of us, and many of that generation are going to oppose a fundamental shift in what constitutes marriage.
That means that your grandparents, whether you are white or Black, will be less likely to embrace your marriage to your partner than your best friend or your siblings.
It’s not a foolproof test, but it holds true more often than not.
I believe that young people of all races are ready to accept equal rights. The ABC story mentioned this, but talked about young people as separate from minority communities.
In reality is it minority youth, as much as any of us, who are shifting the expectations of the community and many of the minority voters who come out to punch their ballot for Barack Obama will also be individuals who support equal rights for LGBT people.
I hope that the ABC story does not affect the way we see minority voters in the next election. The struggle for gay rights really does extend across racial communities. I offer my solidarity to all those individuals who work to make their own families, friends and city more accepting as a whole.
I have been following some of the posts/posters here with interest and thought it time to throw in my own 2 cents.
I think they general gist of wayne’s argument is that the only time the SCC Community pulls together is when it is faced with severe adversity (please correct me if I am wrong) and this, from my experience I would agree with. While there are some fine activists within our community, one of the biggest flaws is also apathy. I have said that the only time that many will be drawn to stand up for their rights is only when their bars and bath houses are raided and they actually feel the consequences of discrimination at the expense of their pleasures. Indeed, the event that is more or less recognized as the beginning of the gay civil rights movement was exactly that. A group of drag queens got understandably upset with the constant raiding and harrassment at the bar Stonewall by the police. As long as most can consume their alcohol and pick up tricks for annonymous sex, they really aren’t going to care about civil rights because that has no bearing on the way they conduct their lives. Many don’t care about the benefits of marriage because it would be logistically impossible to get married every 2 or 3 days (2 or 3 hours) to their newest flame. Many don’t care about serving in the military because no diva would be caught dead in camoflage. Likewise, many don’t care about the Matt Shepard hate crimes bill, ENDA or stopping school bullying because it does not effect them directly and personally. In short, much of gay culture is extremely hedonistic and narcassistic. These people will never fight for their rights because activism is not motivated by the “pleasure principle”, but rather they will allow the few to fight for them and enjoy the freedoms that come from the sacrifice of others. This is sadly true in almost every civil rights movement.
I also agree with Wayne’s position on the duplicity of Obama. I have said before that one cannot trust a black man that has forgotten his own history and has the audacity to advocate “separate but equal”. Some have suggested that this is merely a ploy to secure his election so he doesn;’t offend conservative voters. My response is if that is the case, don’t expect him to do anything at all for us in his first term because that would harm his chances at a 2nd term, and I would say that it is unlikely even then (tho I pray I am wrong). Society needs its scapegoats and minorities find it comforting to know there is at least one group lower on the totem pole than they.
All this being said, and even supposing I am correct about Wayne’s reasoning, I still do not find this a reason to vote for McCain/Palin. Aside for civil rights issues, I don’t believe this man is capable of leading this country to a better future as he has sided with King George far too often and we can see what a disater his
8 years in office has become and his legacy will be a detriment to the USA for years, if not decades, to come. Even more scary is the thought of Palin taking over if McCain becomes incapacitated or dead. In short, we don’t have much of a choice, as usual, and to expect real leadership for the common good is about as naive as hoping Santa will bring you good presents.
Until we show the pols that we mean business and are willing to FIGHT for our rights as a community and that those who seek to oppress us suffer from their actions, we will never be free, never be equal. We have gay marriage in 3 states, but the full faith and credit clause that has served us so well for decades is being conveniently forgotten. Instead, we should be pressing other states to honor their obligations that already exist under the federal Constitution. Once it is decided that state constitutions conflict with the federal, the anti-gay amendments can be removed from the state constitutions. All this would take is for one of those 3 states refusing to recognize marriages and other legal documents from the other states and this would be decided in short order.
As far as anti-gay prejudice in minorities, nothing says “you have arrived” like having others to tread upon. White conservative fascists and religious freaks set the tone of what mainstream America is all about (forget all that “all men are created equal and the life, libery and persuit of happiness nonsense our country was founded on). Hatred is profitable and it also keeps us so busy fighting with each other that we don’t take the time to worry about what government or big corporations are doing to us. The finance industry has raped us twice now (once under Reagan, the other under King George) and we still find fighting amongst ourselves more rewarding than holding these people accountable. Its good to have priorities.
The Advocate has a good article summarizing the many arguments for why all gays should vote for Obama:
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid64532.asp
Ruby-Sachs, I think that it’s absolutely amazing! I don’t think there is any common ground between the way that you and I think. I find that to be absolutely amazing.
Tell me that you can not be so naive to believe that there is wide support for gay rights with those that are entrenched in Latin – black or Asian communities.
And Wayne, I think a more important question is to ask why so many gay folk ignore Obama’s connections with those that would deny us rights.
blacksteel said: Or maybe they’re a Republican tag team sent here to back up each other with propaganda and disinformation. In any event, no one has to accept Obama’s bullying tactics.
————
blacksteel, You might be surprised to learn that this election will be the first time I’ve ever voted for a Republican. And may I ask, what exactly have I posted that is not factual? It’s only “propaganda and disinformation” if it’s untrue. On a side bar, I have to say, you seem to have a childish habit of employing personal attacks rather than letting your ideas stand on thier own. If your ideas have merit, they do not need your petty personal attacks to validate them.
“Wayne” and “Obama” sure sound alike. Maybe they’re one and the same. Or maybe they’re a Republican tag team sent here to back up each other with propaganda and disinformation. In any event, no one has to accept Obama’s bullying tactics.
Wayne,
I’m going to let our work here at 365gay stand on its own with no defense from me. You can make the accusation of bias. Does not mean it’s true or valid.
Sincerely,
James
———–
That may be true James, but it sure doesn’t make it false or a less valid accusation either. In this Op/Ed alone, ABC News is actually being attacked by 365gay because they have the balls to report the obvious, that there are is large majority within the African American and Latino communities that are anti-gay, and anti equality. These are Obama’s base, and instead of forcefully speaking out against their discrimination, Obama is actually exploiting it to help garner votes for his presidential campaign! His “Faith Tours” are targeted to these very people! And yet 365gay actually attacks ABC News for reporting a critical piece on the effects of the Obama campaign on gay rigths innitiatives. It is just my opinion, but the bias couldn’t be more obvious.
Wayne,
I’m going to let our work here at 365gay stand on its own with no defense from me. You can make the accusation of bias. Does not mean it’s true or valid.
Sincerely,
James
Wayne,
While you are entitled to your opinion, it is pure hyperbole to say that the gay press has not covered Obama’s connection to homophobiac preachers. That charge does not stand (and there are TONS of other charges that do).
Sincerely,
James
——————
James, my complaint with the “Gay Press” is beyond the dismal reporting of Obama’s ties to homophobic anti-gay bigots like Donnie McClurkin and the almost near non-existant discusion of Obama’s on-going exploitation of homophobic hatred to garner votes with his “Faith Tours”. It’s sad, but more and more evident that many in the gay media are more interested in getting Obama elected than they are in exposing the truth about Obama and his segregationist policies towards gay people. Don’t believe me? Count how many articles there have been on 365gay during this election cycle that are critical of Obama and his discriminatory stances towards the LGBT community in comparison to the amount of articles that have been posted that openly shill for the Obama campaign. It’s called bias.
Sincerely,
Wayne
Excuse me Jessica, 365gay.com is not the official Democratic Campaign Site. The GLBT community has many points-of-view. Wayne is just one of many millions of us who do not share your goose-stepping, lemming-like attraction to a political candidate who finds people like you just useful fools during election cycles and disposable in between. It sounds to me like you are the one being a shill. And a “shrill” shill at that.
Jessica K Said: “Wayne,
Stop being a republican shill. We all have discounted your rhetoric many times but you still dispense it as if someone may actually pay attention to you which they wont. You will have better luck, agreement & support over at Fox so please go there…”
Uh…
“… all have discounted your rhetoric many times but you still dispense it as if someone may actually pay attention to you…”
That kind of arrogance sounds more Republican to me. “We all have discounted your rhetoric…”
Wow, Jessica, who died and made you goddess? Talk about delusion of grandeur! Give it a rest.
“I believe that young people of all races are ready to accept equal rights.”
A someone who has grown tired of hearing the Black community shout that Gay rights are not the same is civil rights and thumb their BIbles to “prove” it, I find Ruby-Sach’s statement incredibly naive at best.
Wayne,
While you are entitled to your opinion, it is pure hyperbole to say that the gay press has not covered Obama’s connection to homophobiac preachers. That charge does not stand (and there are TONS of other charges that do).
Sincerely,
James
I do think that this is unfortunately true in the case of minorities as a whole but not on an individual basis. Minorities are more likely to go to church and listen to what the pastor, rabbi etc. preaches from the pulpit.
Do you really think that it doesn’t exist in the highly “machismo” Latino culture where they want their boys to play the field but like to think of their daughters as virgins who are saving themselves for marriage? Most of my Hispanic friends have no connections with their families since they were thrown out the door as a child when they were found out to be gay or lesbian.
Or how about the African-American culture where black men have sex with men but claim that they are not “gay” or even bisexual? We all know that this is a sham but they can not admit it even to themselves because the culture is so anti-gay.
Unfortunately this will have an impact on the election. I want Obama to win but I don’t want it to be at the cost of marriage in California.
Wayne,
Stop being a republican shill. We all have discounted your rhetoric many times but you still dispense it as if someone may actually pay attention to you which they wont. You will have better luck, agreement & support over at Fox so please go there…
ABC is owned by Disney, and they play both sides of the gay coin. On one hand they offer gay partnet benefits for those that work for their theme parks. On the other hand they sponsor “Christian Music Night” at Disneyworld and show “The 700 Club” on ABC Family. Disney is interested in one thing…MONEY.
Minorities seem to have short memories as to who stood by them when they fought for their rights. Gays have always fought for Civil Rights for minorities but now that we need them to help our cause, they turn away in the name of religion. I for one will never help support Civil Rights for any group other than Gay Rights if the minorities do not stand by us in California.
Obama has targeted conservative African American churches on his “Faith Tours” in which Obama has anti-gay marriage “Yes on Prop 8″ advocates shilling for the passage of Prop 8 and to garner votes for the Obama campaign. We in the gay community ignore the homophobia and hatred within the Black and Latino communities at our own peril. Obama definately isn’t ignoring it. In fact, Obama has been using homophobia and hatred to fuel his campaign from the very beginning. He started off by empowering the anti-gay bigot Donnie McClurkin, and Obama continues to mine anti-gay hatred in an attempt to garner votes with his bigoted “Faith Tours” at the expense of gay equality. It’s sad that the main stream media is more aware of the perilous situation Obama puts Gay Americans in, than the so called “Gay Press”.