If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this primary cycle it’s that, when it comes to “diversity,” some groups are more diverse than others. It’s become clear that, even in the world of marginalized groups, LGBTQ people are second-class citizens.
Take the AM Joy program broadcast on MSNBC on 12/7/19. Joy had gathered a panel of about half a dozen people (none gay, I’m assuming; certainly, no one declared him or herself to be such). They were there to lament the “lack of diversity” as it currently stands in the upper echelons of the Democratic field. By this, of course, they meant the lack of people of color among the candidates who would be appearing on stage at the next scheduled debate. Certainly, this is a serious problem, but not a single panelist, nor Joy herself, thought to point out that one of the candidates who would be there is an openly gay man married to another man. Not one. I know gays have come a long way, but THIS far? To be this blasé that, for the first time in history, Americans are seriously considering electing a gay man to the highest office in the land? Indeed, when Mayor Pete was mentioned, it was only to point out that he was “robotic” and not qualified to be president - certainly valid positions to hold, but not even particularly relevant to the discussion they were having, which was, I repeat, about the LACK OF DIVERSITY in the field. (Someone did finally point out that Elizabeth Warren is a woman, so she, at least, was declared an exception to the white maleness of the group as a whole). One panelist also made the important point that, people of color watching the debate will have no one that they feel reflects them and their life experiences on the stage. That’s terrible, I agree, but do you know who has NEVER had a person like that on a presidential debate stage till now? Gay people, that’s who. Just as people rightly pointed out that, when Obama ran for president - and won - black children all across the land finally saw that they too could one day achieve Olympian heights, imagine how gay children - many of them in less than friendly environments at home or at school - will feel seeing a confident “out” man doing the same.
And this is hardly an isolated incident. I cannot count the number of times I’ve come across the dismissive phrase “Pete is just another white guy” in comments on Twitter and social media. That would be like describing Cory Booker as “just another heterosexual male” or Elizabeth Warren as “just another straight white person.” No one would even think about doing that, yet Pete’s gayness (and, with it, his diversity quotient) is utterly erased - along with all the very specific issues that are an integral part of any gay person’s experience.
All I can say is, straight privilege must be nice if you can have it.