NAACP's Benjamin Jealous in NYT: Gays Should Mobilize Blacks

The Sunday New York Times 'Race Matters' column, which is normally very thoughtful, publishes a rather lackluster interview with Benjamin Todd Jealous, the young and newish president of the NAACP. Deborah Soloman's interview quotes the terribly inaccurate and debunked 70 percent exit poll figures in California's Proposition 8.

The N.A.A.C.P., which just held its 100th annual convention amid much fanfare, was founded to advance civil rights. Why has the organization failed to take a stand on same-sex marriage, one of the most urgent civil rights issues of our day?
We’re engaged in fighting a whole range of issues of urgent relevance to the gay community and people of color in our country, including school bullying, hate crimes and employment discrimination. But we’re a barge, not a speedboat. We’re not going to repeat the mistakes of so many other institutions that have literally torn themselves apart over this divisive issue.

Exit polling suggested that 70 percent of black voters — the largest by far of any minority group — voted to make gay marriage illegal in California by voting in favor of Proposition 8 last fall. How do you explain that? The bond between black culture and church culture?
You’re looking at this from 50,000 feet. I’m looking at if from the ground, and I know that church leaders are on both sides of the debate. Black voters have been scapegoated — so many pundits blamed the passage of Proposition 8 on them. But it would have passed even if 100 percent of the black voters had voted against it.

Why do you think it’s such a divisive issue in the black community?
If gay rights groups want to change the opinion polls in the black community, they have to invest in it. It’s a long-term conversation. The battle to oppose Prop 8 could have been much better run. They came to the black community late, with the expectation that they were going to get certain results.

Jealous adds that the gay community should engage and "mobilize", not the other other way around. That is the take-away to Jealous' message.

On the upside, under his leadership, the NAACP now has an LGBT Equality Task Force. And of course the the national board of the NAACP took a position on marriage equality and called for the overturn of California's Proposition 8. But the organization is still largely controlled by the black churches and ministers. Some are progressive and gay-friendly but many, such as Rev. Keith Ratliff, Iowa's leading black pastor and the anti-gay chair of the Iowa/Nebraska chapter, are vehemently anti-gay. But the new partnership with the National Black Justice Coalition should slowly educate membership on LGBT issues.

Questions for Benjamin Todd Jealous [NYT]

Some Background ...
NAACP Doesn't Take a Position on Gay Marriage [R20]
NAACP, Julian Bond Call for Overturn Prop 8 [R20]
NBJC First Black LGBT Group to Address NAACP [R20]
Obama to NAACP: "Gays Still Denied Their Rights" [R20]

Comments

[Ryan]

Meh, Ben Jealous is lackluster period...

the NAACP got them a very flustered, suspect, and at times, very intellectually challenged president to runt he organization...

he comes off as *NOT* very informed and that's not good (see his recent appearance on the Bill Maher show earlier this month)

and, its pretty obvious that SOME black folk JUST.DON'T.GET.IT. they really don't.

[alicia banks]

i miss julian bond!

bj sets off my gaydar and he is no ally

i filed him under frenemies with his fellow pale faker obama long ago...

[Mitch]

How did this become such an issue for Black america to have to address. Why is Black America having to address an issue that was created by White America? Andrew Hacker stated close to twenty years ago that when America resolves the Black issue in this country all other issues will resolve. So, until we eliminate subtle and advert racism in this country nothing else is going to be resolved.

[Kevin Perez]

Seriously, have you been living under a rock? I politely suggest you get your head out of your rear end because this issue affects Blacks, Latinos and other minorities as well. POC who are LGBT, especially, are affected by these issues you deem "White".

Eliminating racism won't resolve the hostility Black and other POC have towards LGBT, especially within ethnic communities. By your logic, I'm sure the AIDS epedemic is a "White issue" started by White America.

Mitch, people like you are part of the problem, believe it or not.

[Jim]

Mitch said: So, until we eliminate subtle and advert racism...

"Advert racism." So, is that like racism in advertising?

[Chitown Kev]

@Mitch

"How did this become such an issue for Black america to have to address. Why is Black America having to address an issue that was created by White America?"

Because it's America and black people vote. Period. Well said as usual, Kevin Perez.

IMHO, the black community can be engaged on the issue provided strategies are developed to get past the frontin' homophobic (and occasionally DL) black pastors. Part of the problem of the white gay community is the stereotype that all black folk are religious and listen exclusively to their pastor. That's not true.

Unfortunately, the very same pastors also head many black "secular organizations.

Black people can be engaged individually on the issue.

[Chitown Kev]

@alicia

by the way, I recently started reading your blog and I like much of what you say.

and abt. that gaydar, yeah, BJ (lol) pings and personally, I think he's a cute bear daddy.

[AzzedineAliaFan]

i'm wondering if this while marriage issue, is it as important to black gays as it seems to be for white gays??

[Kevin Perez]

Love how the issue of marriage always seems to comes down to White vs. Black, in this diverse country I'm pretty sure there are LGBT Latin Americans, Asians, Middle Eastern/Arabs and *gasp* Native Americans who would like to get married. It's more than a White gay elitist issue, as many like to claim. Seriously, its annoying that people keep confining the issues of LGBT and marriage exclusively White and Black.

You know, the funny thing is while its true there isn't enough representation of ethnic minorities in the LGBT community, that doesn't explain the "Helen Keller" syndrome where minorities feign ignorance about LBGT within THEIR OWN communities. Yeah, like they've never met a flaming queen loud and proud in their entire lives or has at least met someone that defies the gender norms. And last time I checked I had no idea POC instantly = Black/African Americans.

Another thing POC in the communities face are those with what I call the "AF" syndrome (Apologetic Faggot syndrome), where self-hating faggots try to rationalize the abuse and homophobia were given by group of people who forget where on the same bandwagon, treats us like were a different entity altogether, and forget they are the sh*t stain on the social ladder in this country and there's no excuse for the hypocritical attitude towards LGBT. The AF syndrome also includes closest cases, church queens and the like blatantly act homophobic to impress Heterosexuals and make them feel comfortable while verberally (and sometimes physically) harrassing the fems for being out, loud and proud and having no shame cuz you know the butch muscle boys like to stick in the butt but then you're nothing but a pile of sh*t if you don't say "in your place" and attack what they feel is their manhood and masculinity being put in question. Did I forget the pathetic attempt to sleep with women hoping they'll be "straight".

Hell, sometimes women can be our worst enemies too. Judgmental, fake, hypocritical and just as gender conformist as everyone else. If you're flaming queen, you're alright if you're st8ish muscle boy, than its impossible to be the ghey! Sometimes its just jealous that their ideal men turns to be homos or on the DL.

Yeah, there are all issues Black LGBT and other POC face that aren't directly tied to race. 'Cuz, you eventually have to deal with people in the "brotherhood" or "community" who, just as the masses, want to see you fail to they can feel good about themselves.

[Ravenback]

@ Kevin Perez

I love the way you express yourself. You say what's on your mind and you don't try to sugar-coat it. You give one of the most honest expressions of opinions and viewpoints on this blog. Keep at it and never hold back.

[Sasha]

To say this interview is lackluster is giving it too much credit. It is almost content free.

The questions are inane and the answers even worse. This is the best a Rhodes Scholar can do?

Ben Jealous, who often reminds audiences that he grew up with a transgender woman that he thought of as his brother in their youth, knows full well that the 70% voting statistic is incorrect and that if 100% of black Californians had indeed turn out to vote and voted against Prop 8 that the results would have been different.

He also tries to do a slight of hand on who should be organizing for LGBT rights. Since the NAACP is well populated with LGBT people (though many remain on the DL), the NAACP has as much if not more responsibility for organizing African Americans to fight homophobia and achieve civil rights for LGBT people.

Given the fact, that white gay donors contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help underwrite the 100th NAACP convention one would have hoped that Ben would have had his talking points together.

[Rabbit Vibrator]

Very interesting. I never knew the black community was for the most part against gay marraige. Could it be that many gay black men are afraid to come out of the closet due to the social stigma of being a homosexual.