LGBT Community Must Blame Itself Not Blacks for Prop. 8
By Herndon Davis

I further watched and read how Black gay protestors who were against the same-sex ban and in favor of same-sex marriage were called the “N” word during a demonstration march in Westwood.

And finally, I've read how blogger, Jasmyne Cannick was assailed by everyone from Mayor Durrant of West Hollywood to fellow LGBT bloggers for her recent Los Angeles Times commentary concerning race relations within the LGBT community and its effect upon Prop. 8.

My advice to the LGBT community, the organizers of “No on Prop. 8,” the many different LGBT funders, and the remaining members of the “Gay Mafia” is that they should take seriously the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors of black and people of color communities as it endeavors further in its marriage equality quest.

As a advocate, activist and now a consultant within the LGBT arena, I can tell you from personal experience, there is a deep arrogance and belief among many within the LGBT community that Black communities should instantly whip onto the civil rights bus for the LGBT community just because we too are a minority.

In some corners of our diverse LGBT community there is a blatant disregard for culture, religion, and the oppression of other racial and ethnic groups. Many working class black and Latinos are struggling to pay rent, put food on the table and dodging bullets to lift their eyes up from their burdens to see a reason and a connection to the white faced and seemingly privileged LGBT to support marriage equality.

These are points, issues and big chunks of truth that the LGBT community seems ill-prepared to tackle.  In this new age of Obama, there still lies ahead a much deeper conversation concerning race relations that LGBT communities seem to quickly shy away from. So instead of focusing anger towards Black communities, the LGBT community must seriously take a long, hard look at itself.   Here a few things for starters:

1. For Prop. 8, why couldn’t the LGBT community get the Queen of all American cities, San Francisco to vote in higher numbers on such a crucial vote?

Also please remember that Blacks consist of a tiny 6% of California's total population. So this means that far, far more millions of non-black people voted YES to ban same-sex marriage than Black folks. So why all the rage against Black people?? Why not rage instead against the Castro district or the Bay Area that did NOT vote at all!

2. Why in Los Angeles were there seemingly 6 radio advertisments an hour to vote 'No on Prop 8' during the morning run on the Latino 96 FM station but absolutely none on the black 102.3 FM  KJLH station or the black and notoriously homophobic, 106 FM radio?

Where were the funds for the media outreach there? Again, not fully funded or fully staffed by the LGBT powers-that be.

3. Why was there only [1] Town Hall that I know of that was held targeting African Americans in Los Angeles?  And why was there less than 5 Black people across the entire state of California trying to coordinate a 'No on 8' campaign targeted towards the Black community? 

Again Black and people of color community outreach has been historically and consistently under-funded and understaffed  by the LGBT establishment.

By the way the Town Hall conducted in Los Angeles was held just two weeks before the election at the mostly white and wealthy campus of USC in the middle of rush hour at 6:30pm and required $8 to park then walk to the building where it was being held.

So why not hold it at a community center in Compton with free parking at 7:30pm maybe 6 weeks before election with follow up Town halls in Lemiert Park , West Adams, Watts, Gardena , and in other areas South Los Angeles?  I guess that was too much work to do for the LGBT community to earn the Black vote on such an important measure.

4. And where was the door-to-door neighborhood canvassing and phone banking directly targeting Black communities?  

I know of only one organization in the entire state of California that initiated a phone banking activity a few days before the election directly targeted towards Black communities.  I am not aware of any door-to-door canvassing specifically targeting black neighborhoods for 'No on 8.' 

Again, under-funded and understaffed but still the LGBT community expected the Black vote on Nov. 4.  A bit naive don't you think?

5. Also where was the outreach to Black affirming clergy to assist with Black churches in California ?

Yes I am fully aware that there was some work done in this area just two weeks before the election, but again it was not fully funded or fully staffed enough to make a significant impact.

6. And why on earth did the LGBT community expect to run a few advertisements in historically Black newspapers in California just two months before election to sway voters?  Think about it.

After all these years in existence then suddenly the LGBT community places public educational advertisments hoping black folks would help and support on Nov. 4.   I don’t think so.  It takes much more of an effort than that to earn the Black vote.

7. And finally, where was the all important “ask” and with it the justifications of “why?”  Again there is this blanket assumption that all Black folks will do blackflips onto the Civil Rights bus for gays and lesbians.  Think again. 

To reach Black and people of color communities it will take a well thought out and fully FUNDED and fully STAFFED strategic plan, time, and patience.

Remember Blacks went from slavery to 'separate but equal' to desegregation to tolerance to gain.  Blacks for instance still lag behind in many areas of social justice although we have all of our rights. 

From under-employment, under-education, income inequities to literally driving-while-black, African-Americans still face steep odds despite a Black man heading to the White House.

So if the LGBT community would like to continue to compare itself to the Black civil rights struggle, it may want to readjust its timeline a bit. It has taken several hundred years for Blacks in this country to go from slavery to President.

Could it be that the LGBT community may have to just wait its time as well? Maybe not hundreds of years but perhaps a whole lot longer than previously expected? 

These are just a few things for all of us to think about going forward as we have marriage pending in New Jersey , New York , Iowa , and possibly D.C. and of course California

Herndon Davis is media consultant, author, TV/Radio Host. He can be reached directly at www.herndondavis.com  and

www.diversityTV.tv

© Herndon Davis, All Rights Reserved

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Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer and TV Host. He can be reached directly at http://herndondavis.com

Los Angeles, CA, October 31, 2008 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is urging media outlets in Washington and Idaho to draw attention to hate motivated harassment and violence against gay and transgender students at universities in these states. This follows a series of incidents involving anti-gay and anti-transgender harassment and violence at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. and the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.

Between Sept. 29 and Oct. 20, five attacks have targeted the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities of Washington State University and the University of Idaho:

• Sept. 29: University of Idaho student Korey Larabee finds anti-gay vandalism and a death threat written on his door.
• Oct. 12: A gay Washington State University student returns to find his door vandalized with anti-gay slurs.
• Oct. 15: An openly gay student is physically assaulted by another individual while walking on Washington State University's campus.
• Oct. 18: An openly gay student is physically assaulted by a group of three people wearing Halloween masks at Washington State University.
• Oct. 20: A transgender student is knocked to the ground and kicked while attackers yell anti-transgender slurs in a Washington State University parking structure.

The attacks and intimidation of the last few weeks are part of disturbing nationwide trend of a rise in  anti-gay and anti-transgender motivated crimes. This month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released 2007 Hate Crimes Statistics, which revealed a 6 percent increase in anti-gay violence from 2006 to 2007. Earlier this year, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) found that the number of individuals that were harassed or assaulted because they were perceived to be gay or transgender rose by 24 percent from 2006.

"We urge media in Washington and Idaho to report on these incidents of anti-gay and anti-transgender violence," said Neil G. Giuliano, President of GLAAD. "These media outlets have the chance to play a vital role in determining community and law enforcement responses to these crimes and to advocate that campus administration take steps to prevent future incidents from occurring."

While investigations into these incidents as possible hate crimes are still in process at both campuses, GLAAD urges the media to investigate the increase in anti-gay and anti-transgender violence as well as the community's response to it. The media can play a vital role in determining community and law enforcement response to hate crimes as well as motivate local law enforcement and campus administrators to more strongly and transparently address these incidents.

Media Resources
For more information about terminology and other recommendations when covering hate crimes, journalists can view GLAAD's In Focus: Hate Crimes on our website as well as the rest of the GLAAD Media Reference Guide.

Equal Rights Washington
Josh Friedes
(206) 324-2570
www.equalrightswashington.org

Idaho Equality
Rachel Greer
(208) 331-7028
www.idahoequality.org

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.