Benjamin Jealous: NAACP Doesn't Take a Position on Gay Marriage

This week, the NAACP celebrates its centennial, marking 100 years as the nation's oldest and arguably most high profile civil rights organization. President Barack Obama will address the conference on Thursday.

Long indifferent on LGBT rights and concerns, the NAACP has made some strides under Benjamin Todd Jealous, the newest and youngest president of the civil rights group. In February, for the first time ever, the national board of the NAACP took a position on marriage equality and called for the overturn of California's Proposition 8. And of course, National Board Chair Julian Bond—who has an excellent record on LGBT rights and marriage equality. But when will the group take a national position on gay rights and marriage, CNN's T.J. Holmes asked jealous over the weekend.

Jealous told CNN: "We don't take a position on that nationally."

JEALOUS: We have been steadfast advocates for the basic civil rights of gay people, making sure that, for instance, hate-crimes protection is extended to gay people. ... We want to make sure that - that our children and our family members who are gay is - basic civil rights and human rights are protected.

HOLMES: Is that not considered then, in you all's estimation, a civil rights? Some would call it that kind of civil right, a - a issue of equality, a gay person being able to marry who they want to marry?

JEALOUS: That's a very tense debate inside our association. You know, and there have been branches and state conferences - like, for instance, in California and San Francisco, come out very clearly on the issue. There are others, some of our national board members for instance, from the Midwest, who have taken an entirely opposite position. We're a democratic, small 'd,' organization, where issues are debated until a consensus is reached. And that one is very much still under debate amongst the membership of the association.

It's also worth noting despite the NAACP's recent movement on Prop 8 and August Provost—the black gay sailor found brutally murdered at Camp Pendleton—the organization is still largely controlled by the black churches and ministers. Such as Rev. Keith Ratliff, Iowa's leading black pastor and the anti-gay chair of the Iowa/Nebraska chapter. Perhaps this explains why there are no seminars or topics on LGBT rights at this year's conference, and, HIV/AIDS is only mentioned as far as its impact on black women. 

AFTER THE JUMP, via Queer Isn't It?, watch Benjamin Jealous discuss the NAACP, gay rights and marriage equality. There is also some personal reflection by Jealous on growing up biracial, and, having a longtime friend who is gay (or transgender?). Jealous tells Holmes: "I've seen the homophobia he experienced in the black community. I've seen the racism he experienced in the gay community. No one should have to hide their identity."

Comments

[Kevin Perez]

I'm confused about this. Didn't the NAACP support gay marriage before the Prop 8 drama?

[alicia banks]

1/2 an ally = 1 whole enemy

1 frenemy = 1 enemy

i miss julian bond!!!

like all hypochristian elder orgs,the naacp is filled with gaybashing dl church folk too..shame!

[Rodd]

"when will the group take a national position on gay rights"

AFAIK they have already taken a stance on a couple of gay issues that are not about approving gay marriage (Hate Crimes, Bullying, Prop 8).

On a related issue:

The whole gay blog camp flipping the fck out over this (thankfully not yours.) calling the NAACP pathetic and homophobic is beyond ridiculous. It's no wonder some people see the Gay Rights Movement as a group of hysterical men who care about no one but themselves.

I mentioned Prop 8 in the post and have talked many times before about California NAACP helping to bring marriage. But I agree with you, the NAACP has been slammed by many gay blogs. There is only so much the National Baord can do right now. Oh and no profanity pls, thanks. -RM

[KT]

Hey Rod,

The NAACP is having a panel discussion on Wednesday about LGBT issues at 2pm moderated by Julian Bond...It should be interesting--they will be talking about hate crimes, unemployment, health, housing and DOMA...

[Rod Mc]

@ KT: That I didn't know. I will recheck the program and will update my story. Thanks and apologies in advance!

@ Kevin: The NAACP is very autonomous. The California chapter aggressively supported marriage and many chapters in the state did. Some local chapters support marriage, some don't. The entire group came out against Prop 8 in February. Good for them. -RM

[Chris]

I am sure he has to navigate some complicated waters there so I'm happy they have done what they have.

[Kevin Perez]

Queerty is pretty much a race war. Nothing but scapegoating and flame wars. Really, nobody wants to discussion anything and simply play Oppression Olympics.

Rodd:

That really isn't much of an excuse considering POC in general scapegoat their LGBT kin and treat them like a seperate group of people (or beneath them). And I mention that because POC are generally are looked down on by the masses but have no probelm treating others in the same community like sh*t. The LGBT community not representing POC in media and what not is becoming very tiresome argument. Am I suppose to believe that indivdiuals don't know anybody or have family members that are LGBT? It's not realling cutting it any more. The whole gay blog camp also has a bunch of hypocrites that claim to support us but they don't "support the gay lifestyle/believe in it". Oxymoronic and best and the "Hate the sin, not the sinner" garbage. More insults and arugments about who has had the worse and still those who act if gay LGBT folk don't exist.

With that, we hear more POC hollering that its an insult to compare gay rights to civil rights, 'cuz there aren't any LGBT of color, right? The same folks who still are angry about Prop 8 also express their hostility. The LGBT community needs to take a stand on racial issues but POC need take a stand on gay rights for people WITHIN their own communities. POC can complain about the racism in White gay communities all they want because the ordeal the LGBT of color go through in their own communities isn't any better either.

[Kevin Perez]

On the side, I'm a TIRED of people speaking for others on the issue of marriage. Just because a individual feels the issue of marriage is "White" and not important to the bigger community really doesn't make it right for them to speak about LBGT couples of any color who DO want to get marry.

That's another tiresome thing about the gay blog camp. POC using the same rhetoric over and over about marriage being "white", ignorning benefits that could be great for many LGBT of color and their families, whom many of you know have more families than their White counterparts.

[Laurence P]

Wasn't NAACP formed around Civil Rights? What happened?

[Mad Professah]

Actually to be more specific National NAACP supported the idea that Prop 8 was unconstitutional.

They did not take a position opposing Prop 8 during the electoral campaign.

The California State Conference of NAACP chapters opposed Prop 8 and worked actively to defeat it before it passed and joined lawsuits before the CA Supreme Court asking it be struck down.

[alicia banks]

see some cheerful sanity on h8 from black het celebs here:

www.bet.com/entertainment/Photos/Celebsonprop8.htm

[RainaWeather]

@ Kevin. Too true. Luckily someone on that site mentioned Tod 2.0 and Pam's House Blend.

[Kevin Perez]

Love, love, love Pam's House Blend. The discussion about this issue here is more civilized there and there's no Oppression Olympics like in other gay-related blogs or those annoying psuedo-tolerant religious zealots and their pathetic "hate the sin, not the sinner BS! or "I don't approve/believe in the homosexual lifestyle but...". And no sign of selfish, heterosexual POC trying to feed the myth that Gay = White and the rejects that continue to speak what's "important" for the community and what not. Rod Beta and Pam's House of Blend is where I go. I don't trust other blogs too much.