"Yes We Can" to "YES on 8": Blacks Overwhelmingly Approve Prop 8

The blame game begins as the exit polls and county returns are crunched in California. Black voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 8.

The numbers are daunting: 70 percent of black voters favored the amendment to ban gay marriage. In comparison, the CNN exit polls report "55 percent of white voters and 52 percent of Hispanics voted against the proposition." 75 percent of black women voted yes on the anti-gay measure. Similar numbers are not available for black men.

The obvious reaction is to blame black voters for the measure's passage—and we're covering that angle for the next issue of The Advocate. But black voters only represent 6 percent of the electorate—that's only a very small piece of the pie—so you have to look at the entire jigsaw puzzle. Even if black California voters opposed the measure by similar margins as white and/or Latino voters, it still is likely to pass. The number of black voters are dwarfed by whites and Latinos. The question becomes, why did black voters overwhelmingly support this amendment and what can LGBT organizations do differently?

The first question can be answered by the many black pastors who supported this measure. Although the black community is moving from a prophetic-based leadership to a multi-ethnic political paradigm, the black  church is still very powerful and many of the anti-gay pastors were ecstatic to lead this issue. Many of our churches are steeped in a fundamentalist tradition and homophobia and anti-gay sermons are quite commonplace. The second question has to be addressed by gay activists and LGBT organizations because the face of marriage equality remains largely vanilla. There was some outreach by black Hollywood against this measure—Mary J Blige headlined an event, Samuel L. Jackson and Magic Johnson voiced commercials, younger stars like Greek's Paul James, Girlfriends' Golden Brooks and Danity Kane appeared in PSAs. The black outreach was a last minute strategy—even an 11th hour robocall by Magic Johnson was, well, 11th hour. Those of us who are black and gay remained largely on the sidelines. 

Did You Read ...
Anti-Gay, Black Pastors Use Children for Prop 8 [R20]
Blige, Etheridge Raise $3.9M for No on Prop 8 [R20]
"Noah's Arc" Cast Urges "No" on Proposition 8 [R20]
"Noah's Arc" Actor Doug Spearman, Black Ministers Urge "NO" on Prop 8 [R20]
SCLC Leader Criticizes Anti-Gay, Black Pastors [R20]

Comments

[Rod Mc]

COMMENTS MOVED FROM PREVIOUS POST

[Luther]

This is sad indeed, and, I'm still waiting until the last vote is counted. And, wondering what the next step will be, this fight is far from over.

I did get a huge suprise from my COGIC Mother who voted no on 8, along with all my siblings, but, alas, my Pop's the preacher fell for the hate, ugh.

[Derrick from Philly]

Yes, this is sad. Many of the white "children" are blaming black folks for the success of the "yes" vote. I understand their anger, but their anger is rather short-sighted. It is hard to convince black folks that being gay is NOT a choice. I imagine more educated black folks can be persuaded, but it is difficult.

Also, I asked them to think abut how many white homosexuals would have been in support of banning inter-racial marriage in the 1950s.

It took Black Americans more than 300 years to gain human & civil rights in this country, what makes Gay Americans think we can do it in just 30 years.

[Rowan]

Yeah Derrick...

But why are African Americans soo prejudiced/insular?

I'm black from Britain via Africa and I get that black people are weirdly soo religous....is it genetic? Are we more prone to irrational thoughts then intellectual?

I just don't GET why Afro Americans can not see the correlation between the white man shoving the bible down your throat to control you on the plantations and being so religous!

Talk about self hate! At least if they invented their own relgion I may understand the desperate need their is in black folk to follow, be guided, listen to rulessssss....

But to take to either christianity or islam...jeez, how depressing...

[Dob]

Seventy percent of African American voters approved Prop 8, according to exit polls, compared to 53% of Latino voters, 49% of white voters, 49% of Asian voters.

[South Side]

Rowan, are you really "black"?

Your comments range from the first to third person and you call black people "they". "WE" all understand that many black Americans are religious and from fundie Christian background. I don't think is "weird at all it is just history and our experience. It is just unfortnate that our church is not socially progressive.

It is very shocking anyone "black" would not know this and call it "weird."

[Former COGIC]

Luther, that is very intertesting you are from COGIC background. So am I. Obviously you overdosed on the all afternoon homophobic sermons too.

[jb]

It really should be no surprise that blacks voted in favor of prop 8, but I am surprised it passed in general. From the outside looking in one would think California is this big progressive state and ultra-liberal. The reality is that while most of the state votes democratic its not as liberal as people would have you believe. The only real liberal progressive part of the state is the Bay Area where the measure was defeated; almost every other county voted in favor of it. That includes LA county.

[Ben]

Even if 100% of black votes checked Yes on Prop H8te, it wouldn't have mattered at only 6.09% of the state's total population.

The reason Prop H8te passed? Lack of opposition. The largely monied LGBT folks in SanFran, LA, and elsewhere in California did not believe - and this is clear in various early blog postings, reportage on sites like Towleroad and ThinkProgress - that the people of California would support Prop H8te. But the supporters of it knew they had a clear path and used rather disgusting and insidious campaigning and advertising (as well as lots of confusing language) to win. The whole 'they'll teach gay in kindergarten' scares a lot of otherwise rational people...despite it being logically fallacious.

No...blame for the passing of Prop H8te sadly falls on the shoulders of LGBT forces who took for granted the tolerance of others in the biggest of big blue states. The minute the Mormon money was detected...HRC, GLAAD..all the groups should have sat up and said Uh oh, time to go to work. Mounting your opposition in the final three weeks after the Pro Prop h8te people had been working for months...not gonna happen.

[Nate]

WARNING OBSCENE WORDS

[Tolliver]

Wow Nate, strong words, we are supposed to be against hate.

[Jason O]

Ben those are very good points. i think to many of us just assumed the good people of California were super liberal. It is a very diverse state and actually it is only the coastline and northern California that is very liberal. Even southern California is largely conservative.

[Howard U Freshman]

What about all the gay couples who married. Aren't there about 16,000 couples what is their status?

[Luis Vasquez]

That's a good question.

[Evan]

It's very sad this happened but totally expected. black pop culture glorifies homophobia and many people who might want to speak out could be afraid too.

[Derrick from Philly]

Rowan,

first of all, it's always great when someone from across the Atlantic posts a comment here on Rod's Blog. Y'all add some foreign freshness and flavor with your perpectives. Thanks.

On the issue of homophobia in the black communities in the US, Caribbean & Africa; I make angry responses/comments that could make me an honorary member of the Ku Klux Klan. A lot of it is personal life history, but I jsut couldn't understand how black folks refused to see the injustice and hyprocrisy of supporting the oppression of another minority group especially when so many members of that group are their own sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, neighbors, church members, etc.

But even with my anger I was not ready for the views of many white gays when they castigated black folks on the subject of homophobia and anti-gay prejudice. "You blacks ought to know better" "use the word 'faggot'...how would you like to be called a nigger." It occured to me that too many white gays had a "special" intolerance for black anti-gay intolerance. Why?

White priviledge.

They would speak as if black homophobia was only directed against white gays. It was as if we black gays didn't even exist on this issue...AND WE BEAR THE BRUNT OF ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE FROM BLACK FOLKS... Who is being beaten, cursed by black homophobes? Black gays, that's who. Gay-bashing is an INTRA-RACIAL occurence.

It was then that I realized that many white gays couldn't give a used condom about what happens to black gays in the US, Caribbean and Africa--NOT ALL, of them, but many.

So when I read the comments of SOME white gays angry over black folks' suppport of Proposition 8; yes, I feel frustrated too, but I also understand what that "special" anger towards black folks' homophobia is all about: vocal black homophobes insult white gays' sense of white priviledge.

"How dare that nigger call me faggot! I'm white!"

"Well, why shouldn't he call you a faggot?... he just called me one too...and threw a bottle at me to boot. And I'm black!"

[Christian]

South Side, I am not surprised that Rowan would write the way he did. He is not African American but from the diaspora. He does not necessarily understand our experience. I teach at a university and hear some of my African/Caribbean students make some pretty horrendous comments about those of us who are African American.

So, I am not shocked at all, which does depress me...

[Kevin Perez]

That's a pile steaming of BS.

I would aruge a lot African Americans also don't give a rat'-@$$ about those within their OWN community dealing with these issues too. The so-called Brotherhood or Black Unity is non-exisent in my eyes. Great to see people here believe anybody who is White that doesn't take the BS given by hypocritical Blacks is some Skinhead abusing his ''White Priviledge''. A student (not a friend) I know in my school who is openly gay use to make jokes about the wannabe thugs that got on his case for being gay. He pointed out their hypocracy and pretty much told them what you're saying, except with the good 'ol F*ck You and jab about the folktales their Grandmas must of been shoving down their throats. I found it very amusing that it helped my self-esteem some what when it came to dealing with being gay and Latio . I always was disguted the thugs (Black or Latino) that made it their mission to torment those who where suspected of being gay or not.

It's interesting because what I think what you're saying is that if a White Gay Man stands up against Black Homophobes, they're ''Racist'' because they're not taking for their intolerance. Do I have a White Gay ''Latin'' Priviledge then? I'm light skin or ''White'' or mostly of European descent so I guess by YOUR logic I can't complain about the difficulties of being gay and Latino because I don't have the complexion of the African-descended population in Latin America or the West Indies?

Sorry, the Black communtiy should know better including OTHER ETHNIC MINORITIES about discriminating. On the issue of nobody caring about Black Gays....LMAO, your ''brothas and sistahs'' certainly should be blamed for that. Why aren't you angry about Black America's reluctance to talk about sexual idenity and AIDs. Why aren't angry with obsession Black America has with Christianity and Islam, to major sources of Homophobia or Hip Hop or Black Pop Culture.

You speak out against this so-called ''White Gay Priviledge'' but say nothing about that. Here's another thing too, I'm pretty sure those White Gays could not only accuse Blacks of intense Homophobia but racism as well. Why? But being gay is a conspiracy against Blacks and its a choice that is un-AFRICAN, according to many Afro-Centric losers.

I don't see any discussion about that. But don't worry, the homophobia the Black community has is right up there with the Latinos. I don't give a horse sh*t if I'm not a brotha or ''You know know what its like''. If that's the case, than stop speaking for the Latino community and trying to seek some kinship with them on issues that affect POC in the LGBT community.

[Kevin Perez]

''They would speak as if black homophobia was only directed against white gays. It was as if we black gays didn't even exist on this issue...AND WE BEAR THE BRUNT OF ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE FROM BLACK FOLKS... Who is being beaten, cursed by black homophobes? Black gays, that's who. Gay-bashing is an INTRA-RACIAL occurence.''

So what? What about the beatings that youth in Latin America endure if they're outed? A lot of countries in Asia are intolerant of it. If there is anybody who has it the worst, its the kids of the MIDDLE EAST. Yet, I don't see anybody or YOU mention them either! Blame your community for not caring about its LGBT family. Should I blame the gringos because those in the Spanish Carribean and Latin American still have their heads in their culos? Should I? I actually believe a White person could endure homophobia and racism at the same time. And my belief is that ANYBODY who is in the minority shouldn't be judging the LGBT community. ESPECIALLY if those in the LGBT community have the same skin color you have or are in the SAME ETHNIC GROUP YOU'RE IN.

POC can attack each other for those two very same reasons. No discussion on that either.

[freeleo]

this is a shame. why is it so easy to say yes to hate and homophobia? this is very sad. i wonder how it will effect the people who are already married?

[FQ]

kevin, where you talking to anyone in particular or just ranting?

[Baltimore Femme]

Rod, thanks a million for staying on this.

And Christian and Derrick are right on the money. We have to look at ourselves.

[David]

So in other words....Barack Obama saying he was against this had absolutely no effect.

[S. Flemming]

i know none of us are shocked by this ... I don't even let this mess phase me anymore because those same black women who voted against this are probably dragging three or four kids with no names by some sorry negroes behind them to church singing "Amen". Oops, did I say that out loud?

Hetero black folks are the kings and queens of faith-based hypocrisy, and we just need to accept it and keep it moving. I try to deal with as few of them as possible.

[Indelicato]

Kevin. I am Puerto Rican and can understand 'some' of what you say ... but I am not looking for an 'us versus them.' Many of the same problems exist in Puerto Riucan culture, there are very progressive political voices often drowned out by the religious and fundamentalism.

I do not think the Latino and Black cultures are in competition.

And Rod I am checking in from San Juan Puerto Rico, love the site.