Through drips and drabs of celebrity hate-speak, most recently Isaiah Washington and, now, former Miami NBA star Tim Hardaway, we are beginning to come to terms with an unspeakable topic: that open expressions of gay hatred are far more acceptable in the African-American community than among whites. To quote from Hardaway's outburst:
Well, you know, I hate gay people....I let it be known I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States, I don't like it....I don't condone it. If people got problems with that, I'm sorry. I'm saying I can't stand being around that person, knowing that they sleep with somebody of the same sex.
The topic is "taboo" because to even suggest that black culture is more tolerant of homophobia is to risk being branded as a "racist," the politically correct line being that blacks, Latinos/as and LGBTs are all oppressed by straight white America and thus natural coalition partners, supporting each other's political agendas (which is why many gay groups opposed welfare reform and support race-based preferences). Yet polls show that opposition to gay marriage is much higher among African Americans. Example-Pew Research: A majority of Catholics (53%) and black Protestants (74%), as well as a plurality of white mainline Protestants (47%), also oppose gay marriage."
And really, it's hard to imagine a white TV star assuming it was somehow ok to blast a fellow cast member a "little faggot," or a white celebrity athlete making comments as hate-filled as Hardaway's. Yet, instead of addressing the problem of homophobia in the African-American community outright, our national "leadership" chooses to engage in the kind of cognitive dissonance that refuses to see evidence of what ideology dictates can not exist.
More. And yet another coerced apology.
To clarify a bit, I realize gay groups do crticize individual celebrities who spout bigotry, regardless of color. But what they won't do is confront the issue of homophobia being more acceptable within the African-American community than among people of pallor.
19 Comments for “Taboo Topic?”
posted by thom on
This column by Stephen Miller is yet another example of bashing imagined “leftist” views of all gay “national ‘leadership'” organizations, a tactic that Mr. Miller and others in this forum relish.
Maybe I’m just uninformed. Therefore, I ask Mr. Miller or others to provide me with statements by gay national organizations supporting Isiah Washington’s and Tim Hardaway’s statements. Or, in response to those statements, an organization suggesting that it would be wrong to take issue with an African American who makes a homophobic remark. Or, a gay organization that denies that the African American community is less tolerant of homosexuality.
If I’m not mistaken, GLAAD was involved in the Washington incident. GLAAD is a national gay organization, which in Mr. Miller’s world, means that it’s leftist and obsessed with political correctness. Yet, remarkably, it condemned Mr. Washington’s statements. Will wonders never cease.
posted by Alex on
While I agree that it feels like it is all but impossible for a Caucasian person to openly criticize a person of color, I would also request examples of African-American’s being given a pass to air these kinds of opinions on the airwaves.
Why are these views more firmly entrenched in these minority communities? Plain and simple, in my mind: Christian Fundementalism is the prevailing religious tradition. And it is the Christian Fundementalists who most viciously oppose our lives.
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
While I agree that it feels like it is all but impossible for a Caucasian person to openly criticize a person of color, I would also request examples of African-American’s being given a pass to air these kinds of opinions on the airwaves.
Louis Farrakhan.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Picking on basketball players and actors is easy. But for GLAAD and HRC to oppose Democrat politicians and supporters…..forget it.
posted by kittynboi on
Religion is the primary culprit in fostering it, but many on the multiculturalist left enable this with their excuse making.
Part of this stems from this bizarre definition of racism; racism is the combination of race based prejudice AND the structural power to oppress.
This leads to “anti racists” and multiculturalists to claim that minorities, especially blacks, cannot be “racist’ because they cannot oppress anyone.
This has been expanded, at least in sentiment, because many leftists have taken it to something of an extreme, and ultimately think that minorities, and blacks in particular, cannot be hateful or prejudiced at all.
When confronted with clear examples of minority prejudice and hate, they just make excuses, or claim that anyone hated by blacks have it better off than blacks, so it doesn’t matter.
Many hateful members of ethnic minorities are able to get away with this, because so many people on the left are terrified of anyone even suspecting them of being a racist, much less accusing them of such.
posted by Carl on
Stephen, it feels like you’re just writing this based on your own presumptions, not on what has actually happened.
The only similarity between these instances is a black man made the comments both times.
At Grey’s Anatomy, he has kept his job and didn’t even apologize for months upon months. Only after he humiliated the cast in public did he apologize.
Hardaway had to immediately apologize (even if it was half-assed) and the NBA has pulled him from any media appearances and condemned his remarks.
Shouldn’t you praise the NBA instead of condemning gay leaders? And why didn’t you point out that GLAAD has comments up which condemn Hardaway?
http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3974
Stephen I think that you have erred here and weakened your point severely.
posted by thom on
Just as I suspected. The comments, just like the article, claim that “leftists” prohibit condemnation of African Americans making homophobic slurs, yet fail to cite any actual examples of that.
North Dallas Thirty: What homophobic remarks did Farrakhan and Ford make, and what gay national organization supported their right to do so, or criticized those who spoke out against their conduct? So far, you haven’t even come close to supporting the fundamental tenet of Mr. Miller’s article.
Kittynboi: You speak only in generalities, and provide no examples of a gay national organization (which is the point of Mr. Miller’s “leadership” comment) condemning criticism of an African American making homophopic slurs.
posted by kittynboi on
“”””Kittynboi: You speak only in generalities, and provide no examples of a gay national organization (which is the point of Mr. Miller’s “leadership” comment) condemning criticism of an African American making homophopic slurs.””””
Thats because its not gay leadership that does it, its straight leftists, usually those who define themselves as anti-racist.
Or does it only count if its gay leadership saying it?
posted by thom on
***** Kittynboi: Thats because its not gay leadership that does it, its straight leftists, usually those who define themselves as anti-racist. Or does it only count if its gay leadership saying it?*****
In the text of the Independpent Gay Forum, Mr. Miller refers to “our national ‘leadership'”, which I assume means the national gay organizations, like GLAAD and HRC. So yes, it does only ocunt if its gay leadership refusing to condemn African Americans who say homophobic things.
Beyond that, since you see fit to attack so-called “leftists,” I’d ask you to identify any national “left-leaning” organization that, “when confronted with clear examples of minority prejudice and hate, they just make excuses, or claim that anyone hated by blacks have it better off than blacks, so it doesn’t matter.” Perhaps you can identify any organizations that said something like, “It’s okay for Washington to call someone a ‘faggot’, because African Americans have had to suffer so much in the past, they should have a pass to make slurs against other minorities. Please provide a link or other citation to support your allegation.
Thanks.
posted by Bobby on
Tim isn’t a christian fundamentalist, he’s just your typical dumb jock basketball player. He’s just as Christian as Madonna for God sakes!
Why is everything the fault of Christians or Christian culture?
I’m not gonna make excuses for Tim. He’s a black homophobe, period. In fact, I kinda admire his honesty. I can’t stand bigots who say they like you when they really don’t.
posted by kittynboi on
“”””Why is everything the fault of Christians or Christian culture? “”””
Because those things are evil.
posted by Xeno on
Kittynboi, many Christians are great people who care about LGBT people. Not those who espouse the ignorant vitriol of “loving the sinner, but hate the sin.” but those who have championed for our civil rights and acceptance into society. While most abrasive evangelical and orthodox elements consider them ‘evil’ for supporting us, I certainly don’t and neither should you.
posted by Al on
“And really, it’s hard to imagine a white TV star assuming it was somehow ok to blast a fellow cast member a “little bitch faggot,” or a white celebrity athlete making comments as hate-filled as Hardaway’s”.
That assertion seems a bit of a stretch. In essence you are saying that, in the instance of homophobia, it is much more likely that a black person would be the one articulating offensive comments. Based on what? Two incidents that have been highlighted in the media?
Certainly there are elements in black culture, specifically the church, which promote a more hard line intolerance on gay issues. But to then make the leap, without any conceptualization, and say blacks are “much more likely” to spew homophobic insults, is a gross generalization. Though I don’t see the intent in your remarks as stemming from a racist view, placing the attributes of a specific example on to an entire culture is one of the hallmarks of how racism is defined.
posted by Randy on
Well, now. Both Dan Savage AND Andrew Sullivan weigh in on this and say that the gay groups should be working to secure our rights, and forget about the people who say hateful things. Their point? We don’t live in some sort of dystopia where thoughts are illegal.
Let them hate us. We don’t care. There will always be people who hate gays. There will always be people who hate blacks. and there will always be people who hate the brown M&Ms. (I certainly do.)
But we can’t send Hardaway to some ‘re-education’ camp, can we? Or is that what is proposed here?
You know, on this blog, the gay groups can’t do anything right — if they fight for our rights, they are bad. If they don’t fight for our rights, they are bad. If they are silent, they are bad, if they speak up, they are bad. Enough already! Form your own damn gay group, proclaim yourself a ‘leader of gays’ and then do whatever it is the hell you want.
posted by jomicur on
More mindless knee-jerk left-bashing from Steve Miller. Just off the top of my head, Julian Bond, Coretta Scott King, Jesse Jackson, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Al Sharpton, Carol Mosely Braun and any number of other black leaders have spoken out against homophobia and have done so repeatedly. And Keith Boykin has been tireless in combating anti-gay attitudes in the black community. But does Steve give any of them credit or even a mention? Of course not; they’re leftists and therefore part of some sort of monolithic evil, period. The more I hang out at this site the sillier its regular commentators seem.
Yes, there are a lot of dumb fundamentalists (if that isn’t redundant) in the black community and yes, a lot of them have gone on record with homophobic comments. But the people who most often “give them a pass” tend to be other Christians, who seem to think that any kind of villainy is excusable if you claim you’re doing it for Jesus. Oh no, wait–it’s liberals, the problem is liberals, leftists are behind it all. Right.
posted by Randy on
But let’s take the arguement of Steve’s at face value: It is true that there is more homophobia in the black community that in the white. (What about Latinos? Does Steve give them a pass?)
Then what should we do about it? Yes, okay, I get it. The first and foremost thing is to complain about all the liberal gay groups.
But after you’ve done that, what exactly SHOULD we do to combat homophobia in the black community? And the Latino community? And the white Christian community?
Debate on these topics would be far more valuable than just the usual bashing that goes on here.
posted by ETJB on
Where is the proof that homophobia is more acceptable among African Americans vs white Americans of similar socio-economimc backgrounds?
The fact that we had happen some African American celebrities use the word ‘faggot’ does not prove it.
posted by Alex on
Where is the proof that homophobia is more acceptable among African Americans vs white Americans of similar socio-economimc backgrounds?
More acceptable or more prevalent? Are they the same thing?
One statistic that, may or may not, support the premise is that support for the anti-gay marriage proposal in Michigan ran over 80% in the African American community (cannot quote the statistic for other communities).
Also, it isn’t that African American’s are against us but biblically literalist Christians are…and African American’s are predominantly (not totally) in that religious catagory.
posted by Marc on
I worked in a gay bar, and had a chance to talk to a few gay African Americans. They readily admitted to me that the black culture is homophobic, and if they ever intended to survive in the “hood,” they better keep their homosexuality tucked safety away in a box, on the top shelf of the closet. They also noted that being a “minority inside a minority” made it sometimes even more difficult for them, since – and I will leave others to debate this — they often encountered prejudice inside both the black and gay communities. The sad irony of all this is obvious, but it perhaps proves that phobic tendencies aren’t exclusive to any one group of people.
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