The Gay Community and African American Leadership

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Saturday November 08, 2008 · 8:17 AM PST

2008/11/08 · 08:17

The recent lack of support for gay marriage in African American community has been attributed to bigotry and that would off the mark. It is more complex than that.

There are at least two salient reasons there is a disconnect between Gay issues and leadership in the African American community: Understanding and Commnication. First, for many people, including African Americans the language surrounding the issue is confusing. Is it a Civil Rights issue or a Human Rights issue? Most H.S. books do not properly conceptualize Gay rights as a civil rights. When it is discussed many textbooks tend to reference it as an Identity based movement.

However, I think the commnication aspect is more important. For example, most Black Ph.D.'s over 50%, around 30-40% of Lawyers, Accountants,teachers, ministers and Doctors in the African American community graduate from HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges). This group forms the core of the leadership in Black civic society; Yet, I will bet anyone here at KOS there is not more than 1 GLBT organization at any of the more than 100+ HBCU's. These schools are part of informal network that African American leadership graduates from and is familiar with. ALthough some of the newer leaders come from the Ivy league (Harold Ford, BHO and others) they know they cannot build a political base without them. That was the reason the Clinton's were so angry with the Obama campaign. B.O took away their link to the grassroots African American leadership network. For example, following B.O.'s victory in Iowa, his field director enlisted the online listerves of Black civic society to carry the day in South Carolina and the rest of the south on Super Tuesday.

Finally, Gay activist's to gain influence in the community, have to pragmatically organize with African AMericans on more issues than HIV and Marriage. To paraphrase Bell Hooks "Sometime we are fighting so hard it becomes difficult to see beyond on own issues". For example, incarceration rates of Black Males, public education, etc.. Connect with the A/A commnity consistantly on a broader range of issues and they will have your back. However, the first step is to get organized to network with the Black community.

Poll
71 votes Show Results
Will the Gay Community organize with progressive African American's?

No

Maybe

Yes, it is time for the Progressive movement to form stronger networks

The Conservative movement will stop this

71 votes Vote Now!
Will the Gay Community organize with progressive African American's?

No

12 votes

Maybe

13 votes

Yes, it is time for the Progressive movement to form stronger networks

43 votes

The Conservative movement will stop this

4%

3 votes

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