To my knowledge, the removal of blacks by force from Africa ended almost 150 years ago. I very much doubt than any living today can claim these atrocities happened to them. A very sad and regretable chapter in our nation’s history to be sure, but one cannot live in the distant past and cite this as the source of all evils within the present-day black community, nor can it be an excuse for the ills that trouble the black community today.

“But No, you cannot compare Dr King to our homo struggles. Black struggles and gay struggles are two totally different playing fields.”

No, they are not. And interestingly enough, the late Dr. King and his wife did compare our struggle with the black struggle. Coretta King stated this publically, so even if you do not accept that it is similar, the leader you refer to did.

“If you did not live your life as an african american you will never understand what we face.”

I understand quite well. My eyes and mind are open, and I see what happens. As a white man I may never have to experience these things on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean we cannot understand or empathize. Gays too are oppressed, denied opportunities, harassed by the police, the victims of discrimination, ridicule and violence, hated by some for being different. I have also experienced racial discrimination by members of the black community for being white. Yes, I think I understand quite well.

” But alteast, if your not black, you can still trace your family back generations. You know exactly where your familys from,…”

Ever read Roots? It may not be an easy process, but it is possible, tho maybe not for everyone. You should be able to trace you family back at least 150 years since the end of slavery when families were not sold away from one another. My family on my father’s side was traced by to their arrival in this country back in the 1700′s but this has absolutely no bearing on me or where my life is today.

” as black people we have been divided, have you ever gone grocery shopping in the hood?

Shopping, no but I have spent quite a bit of time in “the hood” as one of my dearest friends is black and was raised in the worst ghetto in Tampa. Instead of bemoaning his fate and relishing his victimhood, he chose to educate himself and is now a chief meteorologist. Yes, the odds may be against you, but there is also something to be said for ambition and the drive to excell beyond the settings of one’s childhood.

“Black people are oppressed and the world around us media, music, the food we eat, the things we buy do nothing but degrade us, humiliate us,…”

Not sure what the media is doing to oppress you, perhaps you would care to enlighten us so that we may further understand your plight. Music? I am a fan of classic rock and metal and I have never heard a song of that time oppressing, degrading or humiliating black people. In fact, one of my favorite muscians from that time is a black guy named Jimi Hendrix…you may have heard of him. Bob Marley is also a favorite and his music was even more positive towards black people. Listen to Buffalo Soldiers then tell me how this hurts the black people. The only genre of music I can think of that degrades blacks (women expecially) is possibly rap music, which is a genre predominated by blacks. Far as food, if it offends you, then don’t eat it. Again, I don’t understand exactly your meaning here so please enlighten us.

“and work toward eliminating the black race.”

I am part Cherokee so if you want to talk genocide, take it from someone whose people have had it FAR worse than the black people. You say your ancestors were brought here by force, yet this was once the red man’s country, taken from us by that same force. The land your ancestors were forced to cultivate was ours, the land where you presently live was ours. Native Americans were slaughtered wholesale with some tribes disappearing entirely and our culture for the most part obliterated from the lands of our ancestors. What few survivors there were were relegated to reservations and people from my tribe were removed from our native lands around North Carolina and forced-marched to Oklahoma. If you want to know what real suffering is, research the treatment of Native Americans (North and South America)
since the 1500′s when white people first arrived.

Everyone, yes everyone has struggles that they must face and overcome. I tend to think that it makes each person stronger as they overcome and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And you are right, I do not know what it is like to be as a black man. I do know what it is like to be a white man, though. That, you do not know.

We were taken from our country, stripped of our identities, familys… have any of you read the willy lynch letters??

As a black lesbian women, I face three strikes.

I support the black community, the gay/lesbian community, yes we are all fighting to make a presence, be heard, be respected.

But No, you cannot compare Dr King to our homo struggles. Black struggles and gay struggles are two totally different playing fields.

If you did not live your life as an african american you will never understand what we face.

Yes being gay someone might talk shit about, may even beat you up. But alteast, if your not black, you can still trace your family back generations. You know exactly where your familys from, you might even have little trinkets passed down…. as black people we have been divided, have you ever gone grocery shopping in the hood? Black people are oppressed and the world around us media, music, the food we eat, the things we buy do nothing but degrade us, humiliate us, and work toward eliminating the black race.

To compare homosexual struggles to race struggles and saying minor details are the only difference you need to do some research on the treatment of black in america since the early 1800s

I would venture that this is in part due to Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, and the attitude of “We’ve had enough! If you are going to push us, we will push back” This is a mindset the SCC Community urgently and desparately needs to adopt, rather than feeling sorry for a murderer who has martyred yet another one of us.

I hear and understand your point of view. I also agree with parts. I still don’t think the comparison is accurate. I pointed out the main similarity I see and I agree that all bets are off but not because we as Gay men and woman are visible. I think that’s moreso because it’s no longer socially acceptable to “bash” Black folks but it is to bash Gay men and women.

That does not change the fact that the basic reasons for the struggles are different and comparable to the other only on the surface in my not so humble opinion.

As a Black man, when I walk out of my home in the morning, the bigot standing there will see the Black man before he sees the homosexual.

In essence, I agree with this statement. There are differences surrounding the circumstances such as slavery, the inability to hide (in most cases, tho there were some who “passed for white”) in a white world (perhaps “blend in” is a better term than hide). While the differences are significant in the struggle for black equality, the similarities between the two outweigh the differences. Both groups suffer as outcasts from mainstream society. Both are/have been considered less than human and undeserving of equality. Both have been the victims of lynching/murder. Both have faced financial and economic inequities (it is still legal to fire someone for being gay, tho while it is, in theory, illegal to do so to a black person, I am quite sure it still happens in practice). These similarities are most important because they go beyond race and have affected both groups, only the details vary. We should set aside these differences because as a wise man once said, I am not free until you are free. Any endorsement for any prejudice against any minority is to endorse all prejudices.

“A Black person is obviously Black in most cases. The same can’t be same for Gay people much of the time.”

You obviously have never met my ex

“The similarity is in the language used by the oppressor. You can substitute the “F” word for “N” word most of the time.”

This furthers my point of the similarities outweighing the differences. “Faggot” and “nigger” are repulsive labels used to ostracize, demean and dehumanize and they both boil down to one thing…”inferior”. This is one thing we share in the eyes of some.

“Please don’t compare what Dr. King or Malcolm X did with protesting because a school chooses to not welcome Gay men and women. Gay men and women have other choices. Black people did not.”

Actually this is a perfectly valid comparison. Segregation of schools was a major hurdle in the civil rights movement as “separate but equal” was exposed for the farce that it was. Dr. King and others spoke out to this injustice and desegregation was another step in helping blacks take their rightful place as equals in our society, and so it will be with gay acceptance. Let us not forget the Bible was used to justify slavery and the 2nd class treatment of blacks, so this is one way of attempting to open a dialogue with those who hate gay people.

One final thing I think is very important to recognize is the fact that many white brother and sisters stood by Dr. King and were beaten and jailed with him. There were white people in his marches and the authorities were color blind when it came time to punish those who dared speak out against racial injustice. We hope our black brothers and sisters will remember this in our struggle as those who have experienced discrimination first hand, as they have, should be the last ones to put it into practice against another minority.

Maybe not directly, but the comparison is still valid. The major difference between gays and blacks in the experience of being targets of prejudice is that one is visible, while the other often is not. But when gays are visible, all bets are off.

I and my partner now live in a very conservative area, heavily influenced by fundamentalism. Because we are always seen together, we are identified as gay. As a result of being visible, we are often targets of public insults and blatant discrimination. (Interestingly, in the same area, blacks are treated respectfully. But, also interestingly, blacks have expressed the worst in-your-face prejudice against us and act totally self-righteous about it.)

So, it seems likely to me that if gays had always been as visible as blacks, gays would have experienced much the same institutionalized discrimination as blacks. And, in fact, until only a few decades ago, gays who had their cover blown were often exposed to discrimination so malicious that it could ruin their lives.

I think you’re right. It’s different.