Comments on: DC gay marriage debate moves issue to black community

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:41:37 +0000

@ Michellle: for whatever reason, you continue to disregard what I’m actually saying and “respond” to comments I never made. I didn’t say you were nitpicking. I said you responded to what I clearly labeled “an aside” and ignored the substantive comments that I made.

Now, you act as if I’ve criticized the quality of Rice University when in fact I said that its academics are strong. And you posted a link that doesn’t address any of my comments, except perhaps to support my positive view of Rice’s academics.

If you had really posted to paint a fuller picture of Rice, there would be no reason to direct your comment to me, since I focused on a different topic. I also didn’t say that the article takes a narrow view, that same-sex marriage in DC is insignificant – I think the opposite – or that it is somehow insulting to suggest that DC is important.

I suggest that you get clear about your real reasons for posting so oddly. If you have difficulty replying logically to other people’s comments, you can simply disregard them and post your own separate opinions about the article. The other posters have a right to read relevant remarks, not your sniping at me and my having to point out that I didn’t make the comments that you seem to think I made.

By: LOrion

LOrion — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:18:35 +0000

NOTE: If you didn’t know. Terrance is a black gay man, married to a white gay man. and they have two sons raising from birth! One is now 6 or 7 other just a year or so.

Read his blog, if you are interested in this topic..and it is only part 1.
THE MASTERS Tools
tinyurl.com/pneapn

By: LOrion

LOrion — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:16:02 +0000

Here is link to a commentary… fairly lengthy, as usual, from ‘TerranceDC’.. He discusses how NOV 4 felt and why he was silent until now.

re.WASH DC. .BLACK Homophbia…with discussions of history, books, new items from DC Churches etc…. and it is only Part 1.

” THE MASTERS TOOLS:
tinyurl.com/pneapn

By: April Morris

April Morris — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:02:35 +0000

Quincy Shameless(and shame you should feel)
okay did you not get my point about how religion does play into this point. and i was not there so do i get thrown under the bus b/c i am black. gay or not you people do throw minorities under the bus to get laws passed and it is just not fair or right.

By: John

John — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:41:33 +0000

Can you speak for closeted White men? They exist ya know

—–

They not only exist. They’re quite dangerous. And I mean that in the quite literal “bodily harm” sort of way.

If we were to accept the reporting of hate crimes and incidents of intolerance on this website as an accurate reflection of America, then we can only come to two conclusions. Black homophobia tends to result in lots of hurt feelings. White homophobia tends to result in lots of body bags.

By: drewski

drewski — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:24:29 +0000

So it looks like some of us gays have allowed a few black demagogues to blind us to the truth of black DC. It would be bigoted of non-black gays to allow a few bitter voices to lead us to demonize others. Sounds like maybe we need to listen less to polls and preachers, and do more to listen to our neighbors wherever we are. What’s directed at us has been or can be directed at any other minority, and vice versa.

By: Michellle N

Michellle N — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:06:48 +0000

@ Dan, I don’t think suggesting that your comments about Rice were misleading is nit picking.

Rice is like many other campuses across America and is an Island of diversity and liberalism despite the zip code. I wanted to paint a more realistic view of Rice, it is a very good school that just happens to be in Houston. And while it has a healthy endowment a significant amount of funds are offered as merit and need based scholarships to the student body. It is considered one of the best values among private schools.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1318/is_9_53/ai_55468002/?tag=content;col1

But more to my point of re-posting, while this article is focused on gay marriage in DC it takes on a much larger picture. Hence the quotes from Dr Finn. And in that context, gay marriage in DC is extremely significant. As big or bigger than Iowa. And I don’t feel that is insulting to anybody.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:53:43 +0000

george Said:
I would like to hear from some gay black men. I would also like the issue of being ‘on the down low’ and what that means about homophobia in the black community.
======================
Black Gay OUT man here.

I could answer by saying “I would also like the issue of being ‘on the down low’ and what that means about homophobia in the white community.” I’m not interested in making racially charged comments that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

I will answer by saying, I can’t speak for closeted Black Men. Can you speak for closeted White men? They exist ya know

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:50:45 +0000

@ “Michellle”: I was clear that my comment about Rice University was “an aside.” The fact that you didn’t mention my points about the issues themselves suggests that, for some reason, you were more interested in criticizing me than actually discussing the subjects at hand.

I also didn’t suggest that Dr. Pinn was unqualified to discuss the subject. As far as Rice having a diverse student body, only one ethnic minority has substantial representation: Asians, who were 19.2% of undergraduates and 8.4% of graduate students in 2007-2008, the most recent year presented on their website. It’s true that there are many international students, but their race isn’t shown. African Americans are sharply underrepresented at only 6.8% of undergraduates and just 3.7% of graduate students.

I don’t mean to suggest that Rice is academically weak. It’s actually one of the academically stronger universities in the country in several fields. And your point about Dr. Pinn is well taken. I just think we do better to constructively address our common goals than to snipe at each other or at other demographic groups.

By: Michellle N

Michellle N — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:32:43 +0000

@ Dan said, it seems odd that they quoted a professor at Rice University, a conservative, largely white, expensive private university in Texas

Your generalization of Rice is misleading. It has a very diverse and International student body and faculty. It’s rated second by Princeton Review in “Lots of Race/Class Interaction”

And while I don’t know Dr Finn, a web search indicates he obtained his PhD from Harvard and his work focuses on liberation theology, Black religion, and Black humanism. He seems fairly qualified to speak on such subjects.