More good news on gay rights coming from the NAACP Centennial Convention.
The NAACP’s LGBT Equality Task Force was announced, a new partnership between the NAACP and National Black Justice Coalition. The Task Force will be comprised of seven members and is co-chaired by NAACP National Chairman Julian Bond and California NAACP Chair Alice Huffman. Bond has an excellent gay rights and marriage equality record. Huffman also boasts a strong gay rights record and the California NAACP chapter was instrumental in the California marriage decision in June 2008.
NBJC Deputy Director Jason W. Bartlett, who made history as the first openly gay black state legislator in the nation when he was elected to the Connecticut assembly in February 2008, made history again Wednesday by representing the first black LGBT group to address the NAACP Board of Governors
Said Bartlett: "Black gay people need you on Hate Crimes. We have a disproportionate number of Black LGBT people who are suffering from hate crimes and we need you to speak about it and advocate for them. It is our Black brothers and sisters who are transgender people, or who are gay and lesbian that need you; they need you to not let them be oppressed at their place of work."
Bartlett urged the NAACP to pass resolutions on each of these issues on behalf of LGBT people of color and added: "Too often, our community—the Black community—thinks of LGBT concerns, thinks of gay concerns as White. The National Black Justice Coalition represents Black LGBT people—like myself—that need you."
Hear, hear. It's high time the NAACP welcomed black LGBTs. Now it's time for more black gay men to come out and demand equal footing in the black community.
About time! I luv reading stuff like this!-QH
Posted by: QH | 17 July 2009 at 10:30
kudos
nbjc rocks!!!
Posted by: alicia banks | 17 July 2009 at 10:32
This good news made my day !!
Posted by: Vincent | 17 July 2009 at 10:47
This is excellent news. I am a member of the NAACP and NBJC.
Posted by: Mel Smith | 17 July 2009 at 11:36
This is a significant and inspirational development! I need to step my game up and become a member of these organizations.
I agree that it is time for black gay people to step out of the darkness and stand up for ourselves.
To that point, there is a recent column by LZ Granderson that is another illustration of the sad, segmented thinking many of our community members engage in, believing you have to "choose" between your sexuality or your racial identification.
Posted by: Anthony in Nashville | 17 July 2009 at 12:00
DO THE DANG THANG!
I am proud of this organization for aggressively taking on the frontline national work that has to be done WITHIN the family!
I love that Julian Bond is so present in the fight, even when the NAACP's leader has been lackluster to do so.
I am proud of the ways and the works and it's no wonder than change is in the air. WE ARE ALL BUSY DOING OUR BEST AND PUTTING OUR BEST FORWARD! Progress is a fight worth fighting!
Thanks for this Rod! This is a way to begin the weekend! NYC must be on fire this weekend with progressive thinking! (OR AT LEAST THAT'S MY DREAM!)
Posted by: TheRevKev | 17 July 2009 at 12:51
@Anthony-I'm thinkin' the same thing about membership, especially for NBJC (checking their site now). I will support orgs that are actually taking a stand.
I have sooooo much respect for Julian Bond. Bartlett's address was a major step in our visibility.
Posted by: Otis | 17 July 2009 at 14:14
Hey, Anthony!
I read the LZ Granderson piece and also the respone by one of Pam Spaulding's contributing poster to her blog. The only thing critical in Mr Granderson's essay was his lack of knowledge of the gay civil rights movement.
When I've faced fierce criticism on this blog (not just Towleroad) for my continued devotion to President Obama, all I kept thinking was, "do they understand, realize just how many black gays (and maybe many gays of other races/ethnic groups) are prepared to give this President MORE TIME. We are not ready to sport "Impeach Obama" buttons yet. I don't think Mr Granderson's piece should have offended anybody.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 17 July 2009 at 15:19
@Derrick
Why shouldn't it have offended anyone? I don't like or agree with him for the most part or the way he basically used race to bash gay rights.
I'm a black gay person with a mind of my own and I would like if he didn't assume all of us were like him by turning the disagreements with Obama into a white gay vs black gay issue.
Posted by: Rodd | 17 July 2009 at 15:44
@ Derrick,
I understood what Granderson was trying to say, I just don't think his argument was articulated clearly.
If his goal was to say "we need to give Obama more time," I'm not sure it was necessary to bring up the difference in gay clubs, which are always going to self-segregate unless you're in a small town. And you're right, he showed a very poor knowledge of LGBT history.
I have read his articles in the past so I know he is capable of better writing than he showed in the CNN article. Maybe he just wanted to be sensational to draw attention to himself.
Posted by: Anthony in Nashville | 17 July 2009 at 16:36
This is very good news---kudos to NBJC!
Let's hope NAACP and other civil rights orgs like SCLC will finally step up and take a position on marriage equality.
Posted by: Mad Professah | 18 July 2009 at 20:05