Sen. Barack Obama, the Washington Blade reports, angered some gay supporters when his presidential campaign refused to drop an anti-gay minister and gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin, from a black-gospel themed "Embrace the Change" concert tour intended to energize the support of African-American churchgoers.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, McClurkin has accused gay Americans of "trying to kill our children" and called homosexuality a "curse." Obama's campaign responded to the protests by inviting Rev. Andy Sidden, a white South Carolina pastor who is openly gay, to the tour, to deliver a message of tolerance to the African-American faithful-a move greeted with hoots by Pam Spaulding at Salon.com. Spaulding, who is black, writes:
I'm convinced that Sidden will share a message that is sensitive and entirely appropriate, but given this situation, it's mind-boggling that the campaign would select a white pastor to address homophobia in the religious black community. We're talking Politics 101.
Chris Crain argues that HRC is playing politics on behalf of Hillary, its favored candidate. That's probably true, but can anyone even imagine a gay campaign making use of a speaker who believed, say, that blacks have an innate tendency toward criminality, and then claiming it was taking a positive step by creating a big tent in which both anti-black bigots and gays could work together? Of course not.
Alone, this brouhahah might not amount to much. But it's not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, for example, actor Isaiah Washington received the prestigious NAACP Image Award despite his recurrent use of the slur "faggot," which got him bounced from "Grey's Anatomy." So while lgbT groups bend over backwards to condemn any real or imagined manifestation of racial insensitivity within "the community," we're too often expected by our fair-weather allies to tolerate anti-gay bigotry for the sake of all- important "coalition-building."
More. A first-hand report from a gay vigil held outside one of the concerts:
A black woman who stood in line for the concert marched over to us and declared:"God made man for woman and woman for man." She said a couple of other things of a Biblical nature (how homosexuality is ugly in God's sight, blah blah blah), but I tuned her out. I have learned that little trick over the years.
The ironic thing is that if this vigil was held in the 1950s, the subject would be about segregation and her role would be played by a white person claiming that the "separation of the races" was Biblically mandated.
More still. Rev. Sidden, the gay white pastor, gave an opening prayer, but McClurkin actually MC'd the concert-and used the opportunity to describe how he was "delivered from homosexuality." David Ehrenstein has more, concluding that Obama's "continued relevance to gay and lesbian African Americans is over."
More again. Chris Crain on Hillary courting support from anti-gay black ministers far worse than McClurkin, and the silence from her gay backers.
15 Comments for “Oh, Obama”
posted by Jorge on
I… have a hard time getting it.
Now I don’t want to do anything to encourage or show acceptance of homophobia among the black community, which I do despise [the homophobia I mean], but I don’t approve of throwing people out to the curb for making homophobic statements, either. The black elite ignores the homophobia, which is almost a tacit endorsement, while the liberal elite condemns not only the homophobia but tries to hang the person as well. Neither helps. Obama’s no leader, but at least he personally distanced himself from the anti-gay remarks.
I think these groups have become comfortable. There was a time when the black community was comfortable. Not happy, but comfortable. Then they put their foot down at great personal risk and the world changed. And the gay organizations are putting their foot down–over marriage. Their decision, not mine.
There is a lot to be thankful for if a story like this, highlighting the tension between this country’s increasing liberalism on gays and the presence of homophobia in the black community, is getting air time. It’s not being handled the right way right now, but something’s gotta give.
posted by John on
This is one of those moments where “push comes to shove” and Senator Obama has to take a stand. He had the right words when he was asked whether second graders should be taught about all families but he is now being asked to bat for that idea and reject the politics of bigotry and fear.
He should have removed this singer from Obama’s campaign event immediately, making it known to all that intolerance towards gay people is unacceptable in this day and age.
posted by Boo on
So while lgbT groups bend over backwards to condemn any real or imagined manifestation of racial insensitivity within “the community,” we’re too often expected by our fair-weather allies to tolerate anti-gay bigotry for the sake of all- important “coalition-building.”
Don’t worry, I’m sure Obama intends to come back for the gay community later.
posted by Bobby on
I’ll never understand why so many blacks are homophobic (percentage wise compared to whites).
I mean, here you have a gay community that is about 70% liberal, who supports affirmative action, who decries racism, and yet what do they get in return? Homophobia.
Frankly, if I were a liberal I’d be very frustrated.
I did hear rumor that in the past some gay bars in San Francisco were asking blacks for 4 pieces of identification before letting them in. Is that true?
posted by Carl on
Jorge, gay groups are not putting their foot down over marriage. There are many, many other issues gay groups are fighting for.
-Obama’s no leader, but at least he personally distanced himself from the anti-gay remarks.-
Only after he already got publicity for inviting bigot to appear with him. He gets to have it both ways. It’s more of the phoniness which has caused him to flounder in his campaign. And yet all Chris Crain can do is make it about Hillary and HRC? How sad. Obama should not be given a free pass because he is not Hillary or HRC.
posted by Lori Heine on
The Democratic Party has a long history of dividing people up into little groups and pitting them against each other. Obama richly deserves all the discomfort he has to suffer over this latest flap.
The one thing the party could do to really further civil rights — which would be to get back to recognizing the humanity we all share in common, instead of the superficialities that set us apart — is the very last thing it seems willing to do.
I bought into it for a long time, but I’m sick of being played like a pawn on a chessboard. The Democrats have lost my vote. At this point, I don’t care what Obama says or does to try to win it back.
posted by ETJB on
“I’ll never understand why so many blacks are homophobic (percentage wise compared to whites).”
I find such statements to be misleading. Why?
African Americans are not homophobic because they are black, just like white Americans are not homophobic because they are white. Hence, stating that one racial/ethnic group is more (or less) homophobic then the other does not really help until you look at; why are people homophobic?
I suspect it has a lot to do with; level of income/education, beliefs about gender/women and religious values.
Also, some of the problem is that the leadership and media image of LGBT people is oftentimes white, thus perpetuating a belief that “its” an “imperialist” or “white mans disease”.
Also, I doubt that 70% of the LGBT community is liberal. True, roughly that number of LGBT voters (that we know of) voted for Gore and Kerry for President, but is that a belief in liberalism or just political pragmatism?
Racism is also a problem within the LGBT community. Yeah, gay bars used to ask non-white patrons for more forms of ID then white patrons.
posted by Ashpenaz on
We are rightly called to help with the serious issues facing Africa–but it is difficult to feel sensitive to the plight of countries who execute people for being gay. Perhaps Nigeria and Sudan would have fewer problems if they practiced the toleration towards gays which they want for themselves.
posted by Bobby on
“level of income/education, beliefs about gender/women and religious values.”
—I respond with a quote:
” Even after controlling for frequency of church attendance, education, age, and gender, he found that African Americans were more homophobic than Whites. More specifically, Lewis found that African Americans were 11 percentage points more likely than Whites to condemn homosexual relations as “always wrong” and 14 percentage points more likely than Whites to see LGBs as deserving of “God’s punishment” in the form of AIDS”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_4_42/ai_n15929173
“but is that a belief in liberalism or just political pragmatism?”
—Well, unless the democratic candidate is openly homophobic, most gays will vote democrat because of liberalism. The GOP really stinks when it comes to kissing ass towards minorities. Democrats on the other hand, are masters at that.
“Racism is also a problem within the LGBT”
—I don’t know, I’ve seen a lot of interracial couples in the gay community. I think this phenomenom is easier among gays because we don’t have to justify our partners to our families. Almost all my straight friends on the other hand have to date people their parents will approve of. That’s why most jews date jews, most whites date whites, most chinese asians date other chinese asians, the pressure to stick to your own kind is a lot stronger in the heterosexual world.
The gay world is much simpler. It’s all about attraction among gays.
As for Obama, he’s ratings keep going down because he refuses to do serious interviews like Meet the Press or The O’reilly Factor. As long as he keeps doing soft-crap, like dancing with Ellen Degeneres, his campaign is never going to take off.
I’m very disapointed in him. If he can’t deal with real shows that will be asking him something other than what’s on his Ipod, he shouldn’t be running for president.
posted by Jorge on
Carl, I think the only gay cause out of many that is approaching a revolution is gay marriage. What’s your explanation for that if the gay organizations are fighting for many different causes?
I haven’t been paying too much attention to Obama. I think he’s a good guy but hasn’t been as concrete as other Democrats on what he’d do on things like Iraq and Health Care and how it would work. He’s an idealist running in a pragmatic election year.
posted by Bobby on
“What’s your explanation for that if the gay organizations are fighting for many different causes?”
—Because gay marriage isn’t the only important cause. Not every gay man has a boyfriend he wants to marry, there are OTHER ISSUES as well.
posted by ETJB on
“African Americans were more homophobic than Whites”.
Again, this cannot be because of their race. A person is not more of less homophobic or sexist because of the color of their skin. Their have been to some relevant environmental factors
First off all, not all Democrats are ‘liberals’. In fact most are not. Second off all, I suspect that if the GOP was not run by a bunch of religious right-bigots, the voting patterns among women, minorities would change.
“It’s all about attraction among gays.”
Which can be based on certain assumptions about race, color or ethnicty. Yet, racism is a problem in just about any community.
Obama’s problem is mostly youth and inexperience. They have carried him this far (and I may vote for him in the primary). He gives lots of people hope, and I like alot of what he has to say.
posted by Bobby on
ETJB, there are articles about the homophobia problem in the black community. There are gay blacks who admit they face more homophobia from other blacks than other whites.
In America, black isn’t just a color or race, it’s a culture. While blacks are very liberal when it comes to affirmative action, they’re very conservative when it comes to homosexuality
“Which can be based on certain assumptions about race, color or ethnicty”
—-So am I a racist if I find myself more sexuality attracted to a white or asian man instead of a black man? I don’t think attraction has a racist component.
posted by Jorge on
Because gay marriage isn’t the only important cause. Not every gay man has a boyfriend he wants to marry, there are OTHER ISSUES as well.
An “issue” is as common as a grain of sand on the beach. It does not a social movement make.
posted by dalea on
It seems what you are looking to say is that among blacks, the churches tend to be very anti-gay. And the people who attend these churches tend to be very anti-gay. And almost every gay black person has relatives in these churches. So, for black gays coming out is much more difficult. Men I have known usually need to move to a gay neighborhood, cut ties with their families and then come out.