(Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)Saturday was Meet In The Middle, a statewide rally for LGBT equality in Fresno protesting Proposition 8 and the lack of marriage rights in California. The day started with a march from Selma, CA to Fresno, CA and culminated with a huge rally at City Hall in Fresno. The choice of Selma was deliberate, but I'm not entirely convinced it was wise:
Some African American gay activists were troubled by Saturday's march from Selma to Fresno. They suggested that organizers appeared to be trying to borrow symbolism of the civil rights movement -- the 1965 marches from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery were indelible events -- while ignoring the fact that gay activists do not suffer the same kind of oppression that blacks did in 1960s Alabama.The above quote is from the Los Angeles Times article on the Fresno rally and march in Sunday's paper. Do you agree with my comment?
"One needs to be careful about appearing to appropriate the symbols of the civil rights movement without fully acknowledging the significant differences as well as the similarities between the movements," said Ron Buckmire, a gay activist who is black.
I can't speak for everyone, I know quite a few LGBT folks who openly equate the marriage equality struggle with the civil rights struggle - e.g. saying things like "gay is the new black." It really troubles me, esp. when a non-minority person says it. I think it's b/c it seems to perpetuate the idea that one struggle is "supplanting" another. I think the more insidious view though is the idea that our rights are somehow mutually exclusive. I talked to someone the other day who said something along the lines of "I voted for a black president and you (black people) go around and overturn my rights" - as if the struggles are at cross purposes. (Not to mention the implicit racial scapegoating.) But to answer your question, yes I agree with you - for a whole variety of reasons.
ReplyDeleteExactly, it's perfectly reasonable to COMPARE the two movements as far as I am concerned, but when one starts using the language of "equate" and "same" or even the offensive "gay is the new black" I take great exception.
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