Why Did The Blacks Vote Against Prop 8?

[Squirt]

The French???

Oh mon Dieu! :french:

[Squirt]

I think we need to work harder on educations and acceptance in regards to the Gay marriage issue. I think we need to work even harder on an alternative "gateway" national public policy on civil unions that are separate but equal to traditional marriage.

Here are a couple links on different Obama interviews on this issue. One on the Logo channel and the other on the Christian Broadcasting Network channel. I really do think Obama will take this issue on in the near future. You can tell from how he speaks of his mother and fathers marriage as not being legal at the time in many states that he understands the concept and connects with it.

Regardless of what Obama does, we still need to push forward, be seen and educate people that the stereotypes and fear they are being fed is not the reality for 98% of the Gay community in America.

You know, i was reading a new peice a few days ago, dont remember where but ill see if i can find it again, where they interviewed and polled a bunch of African Americans and they all said that gay right and racial rights were not related to one another.

Perhaps that explains why such a large population of those African American voters that did come out to vote were against gay marriage.

If they cant see the correlation between their having their rights refused for centuries and us having ours denied maybe we should be working on educating people in general why there are similarities between the two.

Instead the gay community has taken itself to fighting the mormon church and boycotting companies - Yet people wonder why prop8 passed, when we cant even come up with an organized method of getting our message across that matters, instead of throwing hissy fits to anyone we can target as a group.... Feeding the stereotype.

Regards,

Lee

[Lee]

Squirt,

I totally agree the problem we have though is that WE dont have a MLK, until we can come up with someone to represent our views as a community, that isnt far left or far right in views but someone neutral politically, we're not going to get anywhere.

Right now we dont have a spokesperson for the gay community at all, we have celebrities who, for all intents and purposes, are just fighting for their own purpose, there is no gay rights movement to the extent that the african americans had with MLK and everyone who does speak on behalf of gay rights are seen as crazy, drama queens or just to far right-wing in terms of civil liberties issues pertaining to 'gay rights' and the marriage argument is the one they use time and time again.

I personally dont care either way if 'we' are allowed to marry or not, i have no intention to marry, but i would still like to see us be given the same rights as straight couples, the good ones and the bad ones, whether that be the tax breaks, medical options, ability to adopt or if we so chose, who we marry.

For me marriage or civil unions isnt an issue i actually care about, im indifferent about it, but this seems to be all the gay community is focused on when there are much larger, easier to win battles we could be fighting.

After 8 years, you would have thought the gay community would have learnt that forcing the issue of gay marriage isnt the way to get it, instead we need to collaborate on getting other civil rights first, gay marriage is to much of a hot topic right now, we need to take a few steps back and work on more important issues then, once we have won those easier battles like being able to give blood to our loved ones, being able to make life saving decisions for them if they ever get seriously ill in hospital, being able to give children who so desperately need one a home, work on getting marriages or civil unions legal country wide.

Marriage is, for all intents and purposes just a peice of paper, being able to say whether my partner lives or dies if he got in to a life-threatening accident is what im more concerned about.

Regards,

Lee

[Squirt]

Squirt,

I totally agree the problem we have though is that WE dont have a MLK, until we can come up with someone to represent our views as a community, that isnt far left or far right in views but someone neutral politically, we're not going to get anywhere.

I nominate Dan Savage


He's been making the media rounds for the last year or so. He's in a LTR and has an adopted child. He's extremely smart, well spoken, and driven. I just started reading his book "the commitment" and it's very well done.

I don't remember the blacks having an MLK when they were freed from being slaves. We had Harvey Milk, and because of him SF is the Gay capital of America. Let's not forget stonewall.

i would still like to see us be given the same rights as straight couples, the good ones and the bad ones, whether that be the tax breaks, medical options, ability to adopt or if we so chose, who we marry.

As would I. This trend of taking away the right to adopt of all thing is very disturbing. The religious right uses the word "marry" as the only reason they don't want us having equal rights, of course they never mention why they lobby for us to not have the right to adopt. It's hateful and I think things will turn our way in the next 2-4 years, partly because of Obama but mostly because of the direction the country is headed in.

I think prop 8 really opened peoples eyes to the work we still have to do as a nation and I think it will turn our way soon. :thumbsup:

The odd thing is that if I was in LA I'd be marching like I did for AB101 but I'm teetering on the militant who takes the extra violent step. I dunno why but it's all so hypocritical and getting old fast. "eveyone in America is equal" "oh, except for you" bleah

[Squirt]

Oh and if you go here on Obamas site you can sign up and tell them what direction you think things should go in. They have a checkbox for LGBT on the first page too!

I just got this via email so thought I'd share :groovy: