3 Comments for “Another Topic Deemed Undiscussable”
posted by Tom Scharbach on
As Boozer correctly points out, support for same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuality are higher among white Democrats than among African-American Democrats.
I suspect that the difference can be better explained by religion than race, however. A high percentage of white Democrats are religiously unaffiliated, mainline Protestant, Jewish or Catholic (all groups with significantly higher levels of support for same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuality than the national average) while a significant number of African-American Democrats are affiliated with evangelical Christianity (a group that with a significantly lower level of support).
I would be very careful about ascribing too much importance to race itself. African-American culture, historically shaped in part by religion (it is no accident that Dr. King and most of his leadership circle where preachers), because a comparison of white evangelical Protestant and black evangelical Protestant attitudes show that support for same-sex marriage among African-American evangelicals runs about 10-15% higher (both historically and currently) than among white evangelicals (see Pew’s “Attitudes on Same-Sex Marriage” studies, which unfortunately I can’t link because of the one-link rule on IGF).
Conservative homosexuals have repeatedly tried to argue that African-Americans are bigots when it comes to homosexuality (see at least a dozen posts over the years on IGF, for example). I think that’s too simplistic.
The lower level of support for same-sex marriage and lower level of acceptance of homosexuality among African-Americans is a fact, but it is a fact that cannot be explained in terms of race.
As far as I am concerned, the lower levels are an issue to be addressed, but throwing gasoline on the issue by trying to explain the different levels in terms of race rather than religion (and related cultural factors) is counter-productive.
posted by Jorge on
African American tolerance for homosexuality: 63%
African American support for Pete Buttigieg in South Carolina: 0%
Right.
It’s almost to the point where “maybe blacks don’t like him because he’s gay” is replacing “he’s gay” as a trope.
You missed the story a couple of weeks ago saying Buttigieg’s hope may be in young African Americans. That story mentioned it. Any story about Buttigieg and black support that’s long enough mentions African American attitudes toward homosexuality in some fashion.
“Boozer’s speech was electrifying. His use of two slurs, one right after the other, alliterated by hard, double gs, shocked the audience, forcing it to confront what it feels like to be the target of bigotry.”
Pete Buttigieg has not done a single shocking thing yet this campaign, and he won’t before it’s over. Not one. He’s as conventional as Apple and Cinnamon in oatmeal.
“While I do not have the experience of ever having been discriminated against because of the color of my skin, I do have the experience of sometimes feeling like a stranger in my own country, turning on the news and seeing my own rights come up for debate, and seeing my rights expanded by a coalition of people like me and people not at all like me.”
Served cold.
Blacks saw each other on TV knocked down by hoses and mauled by dogs. I on a few occasions in my life have felt the whisper of that fear, and I’ve made my own decisions to protect myself at times that you might not understand.
Boom! That’s how you connect to African Americans. Let them feel your fear. Let them feel your joy. “I feel your pain.” Add one of those “stranger in my own country” if you must. Let them fill in the blanks.
3 Comments for “Another Topic Deemed Undiscussable”
posted by Tom Scharbach on
As Boozer correctly points out, support for same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuality are higher among white Democrats than among African-American Democrats.
I suspect that the difference can be better explained by religion than race, however. A high percentage of white Democrats are religiously unaffiliated, mainline Protestant, Jewish or Catholic (all groups with significantly higher levels of support for same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuality than the national average) while a significant number of African-American Democrats are affiliated with evangelical Christianity (a group that with a significantly lower level of support).
I would be very careful about ascribing too much importance to race itself. African-American culture, historically shaped in part by religion (it is no accident that Dr. King and most of his leadership circle where preachers), because a comparison of white evangelical Protestant and black evangelical Protestant attitudes show that support for same-sex marriage among African-American evangelicals runs about 10-15% higher (both historically and currently) than among white evangelicals (see Pew’s “Attitudes on Same-Sex Marriage” studies, which unfortunately I can’t link because of the one-link rule on IGF).
Conservative homosexuals have repeatedly tried to argue that African-Americans are bigots when it comes to homosexuality (see at least a dozen posts over the years on IGF, for example). I think that’s too simplistic.
The lower level of support for same-sex marriage and lower level of acceptance of homosexuality among African-Americans is a fact, but it is a fact that cannot be explained in terms of race.
As far as I am concerned, the lower levels are an issue to be addressed, but throwing gasoline on the issue by trying to explain the different levels in terms of race rather than religion (and related cultural factors) is counter-productive.
posted by Jorge on
African American tolerance for homosexuality: 63%
African American support for Pete Buttigieg in South Carolina: 0%
Right.
It’s almost to the point where “maybe blacks don’t like him because he’s gay” is replacing “he’s gay” as a trope.
You missed the story a couple of weeks ago saying Buttigieg’s hope may be in young African Americans. That story mentioned it. Any story about Buttigieg and black support that’s long enough mentions African American attitudes toward homosexuality in some fashion.
“Boozer’s speech was electrifying. His use of two slurs, one right after the other, alliterated by hard, double gs, shocked the audience, forcing it to confront what it feels like to be the target of bigotry.”
Pete Buttigieg has not done a single shocking thing yet this campaign, and he won’t before it’s over. Not one. He’s as conventional as Apple and Cinnamon in oatmeal.
“While I do not have the experience of ever having been discriminated against because of the color of my skin, I do have the experience of sometimes feeling like a stranger in my own country, turning on the news and seeing my own rights come up for debate, and seeing my rights expanded by a coalition of people like me and people not at all like me.”
Served cold.
Blacks saw each other on TV knocked down by hoses and mauled by dogs. I on a few occasions in my life have felt the whisper of that fear, and I’ve made my own decisions to protect myself at times that you might not understand.
Boom! That’s how you connect to African Americans. Let them feel your fear. Let them feel your joy. “I feel your pain.” Add one of those “stranger in my own country” if you must. Let them fill in the blanks.
posted by Edward Brown on
What did mayor Pete do for African Americans?