I appreciate your attention to this matter.
We are working hard to grow our organization,
and want to get the right message out about us.
There is a large void in California based political action commitees consisting of afrocentric Black LGBT people.
BRC is working to help change that. We are looking forward to continuing outreach and collaboration throughout our entire community.

Kindly

Lawrence Shine

Bayard Rustin Coalition

I’ve now removed it to clear up the confusion. For the record, though, in case anyone is curious, here it is:

African American LGBT leaders call for unity in aftermath of Prop 8

The San Francisco-based Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, calling for an end to blaming African Americans for passage of Proposition 8, held a press conference Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Castro. “We are very encouraged at the recent protests nationwide to demand the overturn of Proposition 8,” said Lawrence Shine, BRC board member. “However, the blaming of African Americans for the passage of Proposition 8 needs to stop now. Enough is enough.”

Exit polls suggesting 70 percent of African American voters voted to ban same sex marriage have been widely reported. “Clearly, the work must continue to outreach to African Americans and other communities of color and faith on the matter of marriage equality,” said Andrea Shorter, BRC co-chair. “Still, this 70 percent figure simply doesn’t add up and has caused enough unnecessary hostility and division. Cooler heads and rational minds must prevail to advance civil rights for all versus allowing racial targeting to needlessly tear us apart.”

The BRC, formed in 2007 as a forum for political action to empower Black LGBT people, announced a panel discussion on Wednesday evening with the Stop AIDS Project to improve African American and LGBT community relations and work for marriage equality. For more information, email bilenmesfin@yahoo.com.

Mary Ratcliff, editor
SF Bay View

There ain’t no Pimping Blackness going on with the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Coalition.

The Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Coalition is an all Black political action committee. BRC was founded by african-american activist Zwazzi Sowo, after a very brief period BRC was handed to Andrea Shorter. Our Coalition is and always shall be a group lead by and focused on african-american interests.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-spaulding/the-n-bomb-is-dropped-on_b_142363.html

I’m not saying that the bloggers made up the men, I’m saying that the two posters on those blogs are anonymous and their reports are not supported by any eyewitness accounts that I can find. Moreover, it’s unlikely that it happened, for the reasons stated before. I am 50 years old, went to my first gay activist event at 19, and was a regular in as well as working in gay bars in DC and San Francisco for 15 years. I have NEVER heard a white gay person call a black person a nigger to his face in all that time. Yes, I have heard the word, we all have. I have used the word, most of us have. But I have never seen anyone do something so deliberately stupid and I have seen a lot of stupid in my life.

Pam is not saying that she knows that this happened. She’s saying that two people who post on two other blogs said that this happened. She is then commenting on it as if it is fact. What I a saying is that I have not seen anything to back it up.

I’m also not saying that there is not racism in the gay community. I’m well acquainted with some of the _history_ of racism in the gay community, because I was there. I know for example, that the Lost And Found in DC tried to keep black guys out, and Andre’s Clubhouse tried to keep white guys out. And one bar discriminated against lesbians and a women’s bar discriminated against men.

Thinking a bit more about the election results and Prop 8 demographics, there is a call out there to “stop blaming blacks”, which given the numbers could be read as “Let’s not talk about this, because no good can come of it.”
I don’t particularly approve of not talking about things because they are uncomfortable, but I fail to see how discussing the demographics of the vote is divisive but repeating an unproven claim about name-calling at Westwood is positive or productive.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-spaulding/the-n-bomb-is-dropped-on_b_142363.html

You write they were “allegedly” accosted. They made statements. Are you saying that the bloggers made up the men?

I was referring to the story of the two black gay guys who were allegedly called ‘nigger’ at the Westwood protests. It has gone from “two posters on a BBS said this happened” to “this happened” in a very short period of time. When you try to find ANY verification, all you find is the same reference being repeated on websites, all going back to two anonymous people whose truthfulness or motives are unknown. You repeated it as fact, which I consider irresponsible on your part.

To your credit, and I appreciate this, you at least responded to a challenge on the subject. At some point down the road I will expect that there will be those who will switch from “this happened” to “it doesn’t matter if it happened, because it represents stuff that does happen” as if often the case when “common knowledge” is cross examined.

You ask why the bloggers would lie. We’re talking about the internet here, people lie for attention, to make a point, to deflect, and all sorts of reasons. People lie so they can point and say, “I made that happen.” But it doesn’t make sense, and that’s why it needs to be questioned. To many it appears to make sense because they think it confirms what they already believe, but in observation it does not make sense. Look at the Westwood videos. For some reason, “the Mormons” outside the temple were largely Samoans or Tongans. Did you hear anyone yelling “Go back to Samoa!”? Did you hear anyone yelling, “You fucking Chink (or whatever)?” No. People were yelling “Go back to Utah!”, which is kind of funny actually, considering who they were yelling at.

There should indeed be discussion, I hope that you and I are having one. Too often it seems, people make up their minds and then brush off any actual discussion. Writing about racism is not irresponsible, repeating as fact something that you don’t know to be a fact is irresponsible.

Next, you’ll tell us that white gays weren’t mad enough to get violent and offensive after the passage of Prop. 8.

I was proud of the gay people taking to the streets in Westwood. I was impressed when the gay people through Joel’s Army out of the Castro. As disappointed as I was in the numbers, I was still proud of the folks in Florida who protested the passage of Amendment 2. I was proud of every gay person who actually got off his or her ass and stood up for themselves. I didn’t look at those videos and see “white people”; I saw gay people and straight friends of the gay community. Is that what you saw?

I confess that I was feeling angry and violent- towards the Mormons. I wouldn’t have minded if the protestors had taken down that temple brick by brick. Afterwards, I might have felt differently, but in that moment I wanted revenge. I did not feel the same antipathy towards black people. I was angry when I read the reports of how the black vote broke out, of course I was. I indeed felt stabbed in the back, not because “I voted for a black guy so you should have voted against Prop 8.” but because I thought that we had a common understanding that We were voting for Change to a more fair and just society. I was shocked to discover that so many people, especially people that I thought would understand, didn’t see me in We.

So while others were simply saying, “Don’t believe this (blacks throwing the vote).” I did what I always do: I started doing research. What I discovered in the precinct maps was that it wasn’t race that defined the anti-gay vote amongst blacks, it was economics. Poor black precincts voted for discrimination, and middle class and black precincts voted against discrimination. By the way, the white precincts were all over the place; the only thing I found was that the closer to the water you are, the more likely you are to vote against discrimination.

You’ll also tell us that Black folks weren’t blamed in the media for the passage of Prop. 8.

I didn’t and I won’t. I can’t imagine why you would say that. I also won’t ignore the numbers or the implications. There is no free pass on this. Everyone who voted for Prop 8 committed an immoral act, they voted to strip a minority of equal rights. The LDS church is a hierarchal religious and political organization known for the obedience of its members and it was a legitimate object of protest. The same simply cannot be said of the black community in whole or in part, which is why there was no protest targeting the black communities.

Also, you say my essay is “irresponsible” and “shouldn’t be taken seriously.” Are you saying the stories about the African Americans being accosted were not true? If so, please tell us why those bloggers would lie? By the way, my story was about more than those individuals’ stories.

Also, I disagree that writing about these issues is “irresponsible.” There should be discussion about this topic other than the ones that white men are telling for African American same gender loving people.

Next, you’ll tell us that white gays weren’t mad enough to get violent and offensive after the passage of Prop. 8. You’ll also tell us that Black folks weren’t blamed in the media for the passage of Prop. 8.

If you’re going to make stuff up, please be a little more creative.

By now, you may have seen or heard about the disturbing behaviors among the predominantly White gay protesters of Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage in California. Outraged protesters have mailed a white powdery substance to local churches, apparently to provoke an anthrax type scare, and most notably have blamed Black folks for their defeat against stopping Prop. 8. To express their anger, some have attacked Blacks with the word “niggas.” I even heard one exclaim that, “We gave you [Black people] your first Black president. How dare you turn your back on us now!” Apparently their vote for Obama was an attempt at a disingenuous deal-maker with Black people. The facts of the matter are: Black women constituted only 6% of the states’ voters. So few Black men voted (less than 4% of the state voting population), that exit polls didn’t even bother to calculate their vote. While 75% of voting Black women supported Proposition 8 , Blacks only accounted for 2.3% of the total Prop. 8 vote ). White men and women, who account for 64% of California’s voters, make up the majority of who produced the actual result.

An irrational affront on Blacks by the gay community is not unusual, but merely demonstrates symptoms of a larger historic issue of racism between the gay and Black communities. As a Black man who is committed to the education, health and affirmation of Black people, I have talked about being a Same Gender Loving (SGL) man, who has never identified with gay culture. For example, over 20 years ago, I pointed out that Black HIV/AIDS prevention efforts should not be done in a way that blatantly prioritized gay identity over Black culture and wellness. Now close to thirty years later HIV/AIDS is still out of control in Black communities. That gay-identity politics was prioritized over the importance of Black cultural affirmation is a major co-factor.

Currently, Prop. 8 protesters are conducting rallies throughout Los Angeles, but they have not brought their demonstrations to historically Black communities. Why? Given that it’s the only community of color that they directly blame for their loss. The gay community has never addressed the Black community in ways that build bridges on this or any other issue. Despite the civil rights dialogue employed by the gay community, many gay organizations still practice blatant forms of White racial bias. Even to date, when you see Blacks in the gay press, it is extremely rare to see two Blacks depicted together. Black are typically depicted as a White person’s partner or alone. The term same-gender-loving (SGL) was distinctly created to provide homosexual and bisexual Black people with a descriptor that was more affirming, healing and culturally reflective, and to break Black complacency with “gay” racism.

Yet, my concern is not the redundant problem of racist attitudes in the gay community. What I find troubling is the silence of the so-called Black gay leaders in Los Angeles. During this gay onslaught of attack, where is the Black gay community? We cannot use the excuse that they are not any who are “out”! Where is the Black AIDS Institute’s Phill Wilson, a long time Black gay identity advocate, or the leaders of the gay group called ‘In the Meantime’? I’m told that lesbian identified publicist and writer Jasmine Cannick has offered her perspective, and there are others who are not speaking. I believe this silence results from that White gays are the philosophical parents of many Blacks who have defined themselves as gay or lesbian leaders.

Consequently, I understand why people in the Black community question the relevance, safety and value of gay as a viable identity in the Black community. Not that I agree with any form of oppression, I merely understand the suspect. This is because the so-called “Black gay community” has yet, itself, to effectively address the Black community. It has rarely even been present in the Black community in progressive ways, only showing up when it’s time to call someone Black homophobic. Similarly, the Black HIV/AIDS movement has been traditionally more concerned with pushing gay identity than pushing the Black community toward prevention and wellness. The Black gay movement doesn’t look like a “Black community affirming” movement, but instead like a group of co-opted Black folks running behind a White homosexual agenda. This exacerbates anti-homosexual attitudes and now anti-homosexual marriage perspectives in the Black community.

So, in solution, in the age of Obama, we need to be in real dialogue as a community about our cultural, philosophical, and sexuality diversity. As White gays protest against Blacks while disenfranchising the Black community in their political efforts for “gay marriage”, they establish yet another reason Blacks and others have not jumped on their bandwagon. As can be attested to by the lack of Black support, including Black homosexual support against Prop. 8, education about such bills need to be presented in ways that affirm and engage Black people. The current mixture of Black “gay” silence and White homosexual racism will not garner Black support of same-sex anything, let alone marriage.

About Cleo Manago (cleomanago@gmail.com)

Cleo Manago is a nationally acclaimed “social architect,” a popular speaker, columnist and director/founder of the AmASSI Prevention, Cultural and Leadership Training Centers, where he is CEO with projects in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas and Harlem. He has appeared on national television networks including C-SPAN, BET – with Tavis Smiley, PBS and most of the major networks.

His work has been profiled in many publications including the American Journal of Public Health, Ebony, Essence and the Black Scholar-Journal of Black Studies and Research. Mr. Manago he has also been featured in most of the nation’s newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Final Call, Amsterdam News, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and several scholarly journals and books.

Books include: Atonement (collected stories from the Million Man March) and Male Lust (an anthology on male sexuality). His views are presented in the bell hooks’ book: We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity. Most noted is his development of the Critical Thinking and Cultural Affirmation or ‘CTCA’ cultural competency strategy, featured in an American Journal of Public Health editorial. He is also the author of several noted essays, and founder of the Black Men’s Xchange (BMX) in 1989. His historic speech at the 2005 Millions More Movement served as a culmination of over 25 years of hard work.

Religious opposition to LGBT rights is nothing new: In the 70s it was Anita Bryant and the so-called Moral Majority. In the 80s fundamentalists called AIDS god’s curse. In the 90s they tried to cure us with their silly ex-gays groups.

As an atheist since I was 16 (I grew up catholic), and a queer activist since 1971, I have often been up against religion (usually of the christian variety) when I fought for my right to be who I am.

People (even those within the LGBT community) have always been afraid to confront the churches because, as British scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins says, religion is afforded “an abnormally thick wall of respect.” It doesn’t deserve it. If religious folks are working against our rights, then they need to be challenged. Treating them with kit gloves has never stopped them from doing their evil work. When ACT UP confronted the catholic church in the late 80s (to much criticism from mainstream gays), it helped change the attitudes of catholics. Suddenly, the church was providing services to people with AIDS and the homophobic pope was hugging someone with AIDS.

In the early 70s we in gay liberation had a chant, “2, 4, 6, 8, smash the church, smash the state.” Religion is still the enemy. Until we deal with it, we will continue to lose battles like Prop 8.