Gay Rights vs. Civil Rights
African Americans band together to fight racial injustice, but for some, gay rights is a different battle
http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/gay-rights-is-a-civil-rights-issue/
As the discussion over
gay rights continues, so, too, does the debate as to whether the gay rights issue is a civil rights issue, namely one that some say is reflective of the black civil rights movement. In the upcoming film,
The New Black, filmmaker
Yoruba Richen explores the histories of the African American and LGBT civil rights movements. “
The film specifically looks at homophobia in the Black church, and how the Christian right has exploited this phenomenon that exists in order to promote an anti-gay political agenda,” says Richen. Her project is demonstrative of how the parallels and distinctions between the African American and gay rights movements are complex and multi-layered.
In light of the recent advances in gay rights policies, such as the legalization of same sex marriage in New York, the civil rights movement may seem to be a part of the past, but Alotta asserts that’s not the case.
“We haven’t eradicated racism and we do live in a country built on slavery right now,” she says. “There are plenty of queer people of color whose experiences prove that every day. There are multiple movements going on. Surely the American civil rights movement set the standard for civil rights movements going today.”
Consider
Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist who was the key organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 alongside
Martin Luther King, Jr. “Bayard Rustin was an integral part of the civil rights movement,” Green says. “He was a gay Black man and worked closely with King. But when it came time to have him as a representative of the struggle, people were nervous.” African American author
James Baldwin, a fervent activist who participated in the civil rights march, was also criticized for his sexual orientation. This schism has gradually shifted with organizations, such as the
National Black Justice Coalition, that are committed to protecting the rights of Black LGBT people and bridging gaps between them and members of the straight
But as the gay rights movement gains momentum, some Black LGBT activists caution against making comparisons to the civil rights movement by predominantly White gay rights organizations.
Kenyon Farrow is co-editing a book called
Stand Up! The Shifting Politics of Racial Uplift, which will be published in the spring. “I’m often troubled by it, as someone who has worked in LGBT specific work,” Farrow says.
