The latest attempt by this video by the National Organization for Marriage is to try to win by fear. This is the same approach that has been used time and time again whenever a group of people belonging to the majority wants to marginalize those in the minority. It is no different than the antics used to defend slavery and segregation as well as to oppose equal rights. It is no different than the arguments posed to justify apartheid. And it is no different to justifications given for the slaughter of 6 million Jews.
This is their newest attempt since they are obviously losing the intellectual argument.
I know that a log of black gays dislike the equating of the civil rights abuses with the current struggle within the gay community and to an extent I agree with them. I agree because by definition it is not the same. If it was the same this would be 1960 or maybe 1860. Nonetheless, there are some similarities. Comparisons are not made because 2 things are exactly the same, but because there may be lessons to be learned from their similarities. Given that the same segment of the demographic that previously thought it OK that I couldn't sleep in certain hotels, eat in certain restaurants, attend certain schools or... yes... marry certain people are espousing the same arguments to once again relegate me to the sub-human, under-class, then yes I think the comparison is worthwhile.
I am heartened though, because I know that barring a cataclysmic event human progress has set us on a course that demands that equality be achieved.
Friday, April 10, 2009
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1 comment:
I hate it when folks use the Civil Rights v. Gay argument only for the fact it's a needless comparison. Do we compare the Civil Rights Movement to the Women Suffrage Movement?
The principle complaint some people of color have against comparing the Civil Rights Movement to the Gay Plight is that you CAN'T hide your color but you CAN hide your sexuality. Not exactly true...
Since we often, as a society, equate a person's sexuality by how masculine/feminine they are, some folks can't hide who they are. Fey guys like me?
Shoot! While I'm no lisping nelly queen, you'd recognize my "homosexuality" within minutes of interacting with me... I'm too atypical from the "stereotyped" straight guy. Besides, I stare at guys too much and that's hard to stop with so many beautiful men around, LOL.
As a proud person of color AND gay man, I don't care about the comparison, just that we get equal and fair treatment. I, for one, am tired of being treated as a second class citizen on multiple levels...either based on my race, my ethnicity (which is so different from race), or my sexuality.
I just want a seat at the table like er'rybody else.
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