Gay Racism: DON'T

Emotions are running high in California, and across the country. But that is absolutely no excuse to get stupid and spew hatred. It also makes NO FUCKING SENSE. From Rod 2.o:

A number of Rod 2.0 and Jasmyne Cannick readers report being subjected to taunts, threats and racist abuse at last night's marriage equality rally in Los Angeles. Geoffrey, a student at UCLA and regular Rod 2.0 reader, joined the massive protest outside the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Westwood. Geoffrey was called the n-word at least twice.

It was like being at a klan rally except the klansmen were wearing Abercrombie polos and Birkenstocks. YOU NIGGER, one man shouted at men. If your people want to call me a FAGGOT, I will call you a nigger. Someone else said same thing to me on the next block near the temple...me and my friend were walking, he is also gay but Korean, and a young WeHo clone said after last night the niggers better not come to West Hollywood If they knew what was BEST for them.

Los Angeles resident and Rod 2.0 reader A. Ronald says he and his boyfriend, who are both black, were carrying NO ON PROP 8 signs and still subjected to racial abuse.

Three older men accosted my friend and shouted, "Black people did this, I hope you people are happy!" A young lesbian couple with mohawks and Obama buttons joined the shouting and said There were "very disappointed with black people" and "how could we" after the Obama victory. This was stupid for them to single us out because we were carrying those blue NO ON PROP 8 signs! I pointed that out and the one of the older men said it didn't matter because "most black people hated gays" and he was "wrong" to think we had compassion. That was the most insulting thing I had ever heard. I guess he never thought we were gay.

Cool it, people. Don't be like the right wing haters we all despise; we are smarter than that. This is completely unacceptable; like all the No on 8 signs say, "It's unfair, and it's wrong." Period.

Like Rod 2.0 goes on to say:

There is more than enough blame to go around—the homophobia of the black church, lack of outreach by mainstream LGBT organizations, reluctance by the Obama campaign, many blacks gays and lesbians in the closet, deep pockets of the social conservatives, take your pick—but it is a statistical fact that millions more whites voted for this initiative than blacks. You want to blame somebody, go to overwhelming white Orange County, Bakersfield or San Fernando Valley and blame them. Or better yet, head up to San Francisco and blame the 50 percent of voters who didn't even bother to vote. Look, whenever the rights of a minority are put to popular vote, they almost always lose. But very telling indeed many white gays instantly revert to racism to explain Prop 8's passage. It's going to be difficult for gay groups to reach out to blacks with this mentality.

Wise up: African-Americans are only 6.2% of California's population. Regardless of how they voted, don't blame the whole community. Isn't that what the nasties have been doing to us all these years? Isn't that what haters always do? But we gays and lesbians are NOT about hate, and we're not going to be.

Like our next President said in his election-victory speech, we are ONE united nation now. There is no red or blue America, and no white or black America: we are all in this together. Mindless, stupid racial hatred has no place in this country, and it certainly has no place in gay people's struggle for equal rights. What the hell kind of result will that stupid shit get us? Only alienate and harden anti-gay attitudes more.

Come on guys, we're above all that. This is the time to be reaching out and talking, educating and uniting with all other Americans to ensure that liberty and justice really are for everyone in this land. Grow up and use your brains. Pour that anger and hurt into constructive work in this fight, it's beyond stupid to put other people down - and notice these incidents described above included innocent passersby, even gay and lesbian blacks!

What I say: President-elect Obama is a very busy man right now, I know. But he needs to speak out NOW and use his great calming influence to smooth out the roughness in the gay community and the black community. And if he's all that he's claimed to be, he will.

Or else things could get uglier. Hey Barack, man--where are you? Say something!