Can we all agree that anyone who tries to pin the passage of CA's Prop 8 on the high turnout of Black voters is a misinformed, misanthropic douche-nozzle?
Can we also agree that it's disappointing that Black Obama-voters went in such high percentages for Prop 8? It feels bizarre that we've worked so hard together to defeat one kind of discrimination, while another quietly flourished.
Can we agree that religion shares some of the blame, but not all, since lots of believers of all backgrounds voted NO on Prop 8? Can we agree machismo shares some of the blame, regardless of race?
And can we ultimately march forward together?
We need to refuse to allow our joy at our collective triumph in Obama's win to be too diminished by the bigotry that yet remains. To my Black hetero brothers and sisters, I say this especially to you. Celebrate this week. Just celebrate. Come help us fight the effects of Prop 8 next week, or next month. But this week, rest, cry in relief, leap for joy, dance, sing, and even enjoy some schadenfreude. You've earned it. We've earned it. Long time coming. Too, too long. We celebrate for and with you.
We understand that racial equality is a battle that has been fought, bled and died-for long before the realistic hope of GLBT equality surfaced anywhere. We understand that it's rationally more straightforward to understand that people should be judged by content of character and not color of skin. Marriage, gender roles, and compulsory heterosexual coupling have deep roots in MOST religious and ethnic circles, and these go back many centuries. We've only in the last decade seen same-sex marriage as a real possibility. We understand that it will take time. We understand that SO many of our Black hetero brothers and sisters support us and fight for us. And we are grateful.
But if you would, let us queerfolk of all colors weep. Let us grieve. Let us feel disappointed that some of our fellow Obama-voters who understand discrimination very well did not support us Tuesday night. Let us feel some anger, even.
In return, we will commit to fighting against the blaming of Black voters. That scapegoating tendency is soul-killing, and it above all else undermines our spectacular victory this week. We won't give the right wing that satisfaction, and we won't debase our own unity. We won't. We need each other too much. And we've come too far.