Read Article 11-17-04


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	They Have So Many Things To Say 11.17.04 By Jasmyne Cannick When I opened up the newspaper a while back and read about a Black minister pledging allegiance with the KKK because they oppose same-sex marriage, I found myself feeling ashamed to be Black. Since when did Blacks start aligning themselves with the KKK over any issue? Even more disturbing is Jesse Jackson's recent comments that "the [gay rights vs. civil rights] comparison with slavery is a stretch in that some slave masters were gay, in that gays were never called three-fifths human in the Constitution, and in that they did not require the Voting Rights Act to have the right to vote." No two groups experience prejudice exactly the same way. Women and Blacks are not the same either, but our laws still protect women from discrimination. Latinos, Native Americans and people with disabilities have all experienced different types of prejudice from that experience by African Americans, but our laws protect those groups as well. It doesn't matter if two groups are identically oppressed what matters is that no group should be oppressed. Because Blacks continue to be oppressed in this country we should be able to understand the plight of gay and lesbians to obtain the right to marry. It was only fifty years ago that Brown vs. the Board of Education came to the conclusion that separate does not mean equal and the same can be said for civil unions vs. civil marriage. Why should gay and lesbian couples have to accept less than what every other married couple in America receives? And while gays and lesbians didn't require the Voting Act Rights Act to have the right to vote, they will require some legal precedent to obtain the 1,049 benefits and privileges extended to married couples. Then there is the issue of Black gays and lesbians, a part of two communities and often times shunned by both. As the good Reverend was quick to point out that gays didn't require the Voting Rights Act to vote, he indirectly suggests that there just simply are no Black gays and lesbians, at least none over 55 that can identify with both the 60's civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. Why is it so hard for African Americans to accept the fact that Black gays and lesbians do exist? Plain and simple, we all know someone in our family or a friend who identifies as gay. If you don't, it's probably you. When someone sees me, they see first that I am Black above all else. They will then probably notice the fact that I am a woman. Not once, just from looking at me would anyone assume that I was a lesbian. That is information that I would have to disclose. Since when did ones sexual orientation supersede ones skin color? Blacks need to stop pushing their gay and lesbian brother and sisters out of the community as if somehow by identifying as gay or lesbian you lose your Blackness. Consider this. I don't eat a "gay food" but I do eat traditional Black dishes. If we were to be bound by the history and cultural traditions of America, interracial marriage wouldn't be allowed, Blacks would still be jumping over the broom and women would be considered property. Gays and lesbians are not trying to "steal" the civil rights movement. Marriage is a civil issue. The Supreme Court established that marriage is a civil right for everyone in the Loving decision in 1967. Because gays and lesbians pay taxes and have families like everyone else in this country, they too should be allowed to have the 1,049 rights heterosexual married couples have. When our government starts to hand out benefits, it has a responsibility to so do fairly. Right wing radicals are counting on the fact that religious Blacks won't be able to connect the dots. They are counting on us to look at this from a religious viewpoint and using our Black ministers and churches as pawns in this conspiracy. Why else would a Black minister align himself with the Ku Klux Klan over the issue of gay marriage? Two men or two women getting married and taking care of themselves and their family is not going to bring about the end of the world or break down the institution of marriage. Leave the breaking down of the institution of marriage to folks like the good ole' Reverend who recently conceived a child out of wedlock. Or Brittany Spears who takes the record on the shortest marriage in history. No, I think heterosexuals have done an excellent job of tearing down the institution of marriage all on their own. \| News / Misc Page 5 \| News / Misc Page 4 \| News / Misc page 3 \| News / Misc page 2 \| Born to Love \| Ellen Buzz \| \| Return Home \| Klick N Read \| Monthly Calendar \| SYM Calendar \| Venue Photos \| SYM Photos \| News/ Misc \| Great Links \| Valentino's \| FAQ Page \| Contact Us \|