Kai Wright, the editor of ColorLines, invited Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, Miriam Zoila Pérez of Feministing and myself to participate in "Queer Blogger Roundtable: What's the Future?", a virtual discussion on LGBT online media, race, sexuality, pop culture and the Obama Administration. The discussion is getting lots of feedback on Twitter, Facebook and at ColorLines.
Here is one exchange:
It's still conventional wisdom both inside and out of LGBT circles that Black and Latino neighborhoods and families are exceptionally homophobic. How do you answer that when you hear it?
PAM: I give an honest answer: yes and no. In black and Latino communities, the matter is not completely about race, per se, it's about whether you're talking churched or unchurched. Religion is by far more important than race when it comes to fomenting homophobia, however, the black and Latino communities at large have not held publicly accountable the pastors stoking anti-gay sentiment. That's going to take time to change.
MIRIAM: What gets me most about this blame game around homophobia is the role that white communities--primarily through the history of colonization--have had in the homophobia that exists in the communities of color. You can see this even more clearly internationally, but in immigrant communities here as well. In many (if not most) communities of color, there is a vibrant history of sexual and gender diversity. Think of two spirit folks in Native American communities, hijras in India, etc. It was often the colonial powers that came in (with strong religious agendas) and stamped out much of that culture of diversity and acceptance. Now white folks are coming back around to sexual diversity and they're finger pointing at communities of color? Oh hell no.
ROD: The largely white evangelicals and Mormons have surely taken homophobia to new levels. And black folks ain't voting Republican, you know? They might not call you a "fag" in the suburbs, but your neighbors will often vote against your rights in a heartbeat.
Read the full discussion at ColorLines ...
There's also a good conversation at Pam's House Blend ...
Oh and ignore the over-exposed passport photo ...
"Now white folks are coming back around to sexual diversity and they're finger pointing at communities of color? Oh hell no."
And that should makes communities of color immune to criticism because of that? Many of them willingly embrace bigoted attitudes and don't care about the attitudes of that past or how harmful they are. They play the role of the victim but are just as oppresive. Miriam doesn't seem to mention that conspiracy theories that's popular with communities of color, some of which are directly tied with RACE. What REALLY gets to me is that I listen to the EVILS of European Imperalism yet communities of color glorify, sugar coat, downplay, and even romanticize religion. We can only talk about how it's helped certain groups of people, not a lot of the oppression it caused that was prevalent in colonial societies. It is trivialized so that we hear only good things.
Funnythat we MUST challenge the way we look at ethnicity, race, religion and etc...But the subject of sexuality and sexuality idenity still comes from a conservative POV, it's hypocritical and shows how selective people are about complaining about European oppression. Homophobia cannot be easily connected to race but it sure hell can through culture. Latin America is perfect example, as you will only find sub-culutures that truly accept.
As for attributing homophobia on the basis of race....LOL, how often has HIV/AIDs been attributed to gay men from time to time and sometimes gay men who are not of a ethnic background. Being considered a bunch of raging homophobes isn't as bad as being blamed for spreading a deadly disease, being blamed for society's ills, blamed for destruction of nuclear families, being told you're abonomination and so on. I'm tired of victimizing and the ignorance of Straight Blacks and Latinos. I'm tire of them feiging ignorance on the subject matter. So many LGBT of color suffer most at the hands of the community that patronizing them with the "Let's stick together, we're brothers and sisters" crap sickens me.
MANY DO have friends, family, neighbors who are LGBT. Many also live ubrans considered "ghetto"They simply don't want to acknolewedge the existence and please, PLEASE do NOT ever tell me the problem isn't religion. It plays a HUGE role and not only that, but claming to be religiously affliated in this day and age doesn't mean CRAP. It does not proof how rightous and Christ-like you are and neither does church-attendance.
Sorry for the long, long, long rant. But if they really wanted to stop the blame game they complain about why not simply suggest ALL minorities who have been/suffered discrimination to examine ALL THEIR OWN prejudices before preaching to one another rather than arugue who should call the shots. That is something I struggle with every day.
Posted by: Kevin Perez | 30 June 2010 at 13:41