From Coates blog on The Atlantic:Why are posters here, and the media generally, ignoring the fact that these results were driven by Maine's overwhelming number of black churches?
And yeah, in case you did not get the reference, that was when African Americans in California were blamed for Prop 8, even though if one took out all the African- american ( and Pacific islander, and Asian descended, and Hispanic/Latino votes, but apparently their vote did not count). There was quite a bit of ugliness here, plenty of blaming President-Elect Obama. I got really ticked off, since many of my neighbors happened to be African american or Latino and gay and live here in Portland, where we had a similar disgusting vote, despite working our asses off.
So what did we learn, Dorothy?
- Still, but STILL, no apology from Dan Savage or anyone here from last year who was willing to pile on "Blame the Blacks game". No acknowledgement that the census data people were basing apparently long hidden prejudice from was incomplete and wrong.
2)White skin manifests itself in all sorts of ways, and part of that is this strange need to have one's humanity decided by committee. The thinking seems to be this: "Well, I am just LIKE them, so therefore, even though my humanity is slightly DIFFERENT, in most fundementals I am JUST LIKE THEM, so they will decided to accept me."
- Which leads to thinking that you really, really know your neighbor.
- Show your individuality by doing what everyone else does, or narrow down your scope of humanity to something easily co-opted or consumed by the popular culture. Because being 'White' means being able to consume and do anything, without any real consequence. For so-called gay culture, that means ejecting Count Cullee and Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman and James Baldwin and Freddie Mercury, leaving in Cher, designer liquor, interior decoration and clothing. Fabulous, darling!
- Neglect to read any of Stephen King's books, which examines Maine culture with a x ray eye.
- Completely neglect left leaning church groups.
7)Honestly think that when given a chance, someone has a fucking right to have a say in YOUR HUMANITY, without them thinking of themselves first.
Okay. So that is what we have learned this year in the whole gay marriage/civil unions struggle. What can we take away?
- You are unique, you are special and good- just like everyone else. And like everyone else, you do not need to have your fundamental humanity voted on, approved or stamped on by anyone else.
- Because you are a human, you have certain inalienable rights, including the pursuit of happiness and the right to a fair and just shot in this country. By preventing two consenting adults the fundament right to set a household and dictate how property and money is used in case in incapacitation, the state is denying gay people, of all backgrounds, their fundamental human rights.
- In order to acknowledge your humanity, get rid of your white skin privilege and expectations. It's a fucking lie. Punks figured that out in the late 70s/Early 80s ( but I was a baby; I had to be told these things) until they were co-opted by pop culture. That attitude needs to return.
- Related to that: You don't know your neighbors. Not really. You are surrounded by liars, cheats and bigots. Liars, because they believe in lies about white skin privilege. Cheats, because they would choose to cheat you and yours out of your rights. And they are ultimately bigots, because they simply don't approve. Do you really want your life determining by a lying, cheating bigot?
- Call every gay lawyer you know, regardless of background. Ask them how they can work part time, pro bono, for state Supreme Court cases. It's one thing to be a corporate lawyer. It's another to fight when it counts, and it counts now.
6)Finally, embrace your diversity and stop the bleaching and disinfectant of gay culture. There are strategies there, ways of being there that is completely ignore.
I need to go bake a pie.