Gay marriage? I do.
Seems like everyone is required to take a stance on gay marriage these days so, for whatever it’s worth, here is YourBlackFriend’s two cents.
If “The gays” (my nod to Donald Trump) want the right to be married then, as has frequently been quipped, they deserve the right to be as miserable as the rest of us. Arguments about the sanctity of family have long been buried in the moral graveyard of the traditional heterosexual family unit. And why foolishly get caught up in the matter of choice i.e., whether or not a person chooses to be gay. This is mostly an indefensible position/untenable argument. Personally, I can’t see why one would willingly choose the drama that goes along with coming out and being gay in this society; but again, that’s a different conversation. Homosexual marriage does not take food from my mouth, money from my pockets or love from my heart so – have at it.
Having said that, I do not co-sign the decision, in some gay activist circles, to compare(?) the struggle for gay rights with the struggle for Black Civil Rights. I hope a legitimate case can be made without having to co-opt the Movement because the fallacy of the logic detracts from their argument. Quite simply, I will NEVER have the option to hide/obscure the fact that I’m Black. You, on the other hand can closet/choose to not highlight your sexual orientation and continue to reap the benefits you currently enjoy. While it’s a shame that you feel like you have to deny your-self, the fact remains that you have (and can exercise) the option. Being Black and being gay is NOT equal.
Recently, comedienne Wanda Sykes made a (silly) statement to the effect that one group (gay or Black) has the harder road to travel in society. As a Black gay woman, I think she got overly caught up in her sexual politics. Perhaps what she meant was: is there anything more difficult than being Black and gay? As any honest gay Black person will tell you, racism is rampant within the LGBT community and this brings my point full circle. When it comes down to it, what makes The gays truly any different than the rest of us? Let them eat (wedding) cake!!
2 Responses to “Gay marriage? I do.”
Leave a Reply
What is it like being Black, Gay and living in America is also a question. Where does the same gender loving black american fit in? America can be very cruel, heartless and just down right thoughtless. As Black, Gay Americans, we face even harder dilemma’s of acceptance and understanding. We have the same disparities in regards to employment, education and living in the ghetto growing up in a single parent home without a father figure as well as dealing with black on black crime aa well as rape and HIV/AIDS. It’s very easy for one to feel all alone and suffer with an identity crisis and having to be on the down low in today’s society because society does not offer and provide a safe haven which allows a black gay men to be themselves.
I have a gay blog and ofter homophobic people leave some nasty comments in which they express themselves in a way I can’t reproduce. Ignorance and bigotry, mainly found in religious communities, further promotes the idea of homosexuality as a disorder. Many churches may see homosexuality as an act of the devil’s influence or even a demonic possession. However these sects of people are shrinking. Fortunately.