In the aftermath of the vote on Prop. 8, and again today, I have noticed a certain amount of infighting between certain members of the GLBT Kos community and certain members of the AA Kos community (using community for lack of a better word...not to imply that either is monolithic). So, what I am hoping we can do with this diary is discuss what causes this conflict and try to set some "ground rules" of respect. If you want a flame war, please go elsewhere.
I am going to make this a short diary because I think that the comments are going to be the most important part of this. So, I will just make a list of things that seem to be generating a lot of heat...but little clarity...some of these are things I saw today...some reach back to the Prop 8 flame fest.
- Comparisons between GLBTs not being fully equal citizens and the 3/5 rule of the Constitution (I think that the problem with this one should be fairly clear...but I hate to not let people voice their concerns on it)
- GLBTs can "pass" for straight.
- Whether the rights that GLBTs are trying to obtain are "civil rights" and what struggles qualify as civil rights struggles."
- Whether people who are a part of an oppressed minority are/should be less likely to support oppression of another minority.
- Whether the similarities between the struggle for marriage equality for gays and that for "bi-racial" couples is comperable...or a helpful comparison to draw.
Again, I hope that we can try to explain our positions and avoid some of the anger that I am seeing flowing around today. My hope is that if we understand eachother better, we can put a stop to some of the sniping and hurt that we all saw last year and find a better way to relate going forward. Reading some of the comments today, I wonder if perhaps the frame from which some are looking is just so different from the frame of the people who disagree that unintended hurt is being caused and that those causing it do not understand its cause.