Campaign Seeks To Dispel Image Of Minorities As Anti-Gay

[kweerwolf]

Five national LGBT civil rights groups Monday announced a new coalition to increase the visibility of people of color who support same-sex marriage.

In 2004 President Bush successfully used Black Churches to attack gay marriage and to call for a federal amendment to the Constitution to specifically bar same-sex couples from marrying.

"The right-wing has perpetuated the idea that people of color are overwhelmingly against marriage for same-sex couples --- it is important that people see this for what it is --- a half-baked myth that needs correcting," said Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal, which is one of the five groups.

The others are the National Black Justice Coalition, Asian Equality, National Latina/o Coalition for Justice and Freedom to Marry.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/02/021306minMarr.htm

[marmar]

1. There's actually a really good article in last week's...

issue of the Nation about African Americans and gay rights. It discussed the influence of the church on African Americans and how that affects their support for gay marriage, but also how blacks are far more likely to support protections under the law such as domestic partner benefits and the writing of hate crimes laws to include gays and lesbians than the population as a whole.
Conservatives are trying to exploit this issue to pit a minority group against another minority group - the oldest trick in their playbook. May it blow up in their faces!

[triakis36]

3. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

Coretta Scott King was an outspoken supporter of equal rights for gays in the same vein as the Civil Rights Movement. With her death, one of the strongest voices for LGBT rights by a person of color is gone. Her daughter certainly won't take up the mantle, she's already against gay marriage. So, this coalition couldn't have come at a better time to fill the void and make our voices, as queer people of color, heard.

[MuseRider]

2. I hope this helps because

here we are lilly white as hard as we have tried to be diverse it seems the most diverse we can get is to allow hetero's into the group (thank goodness for me, I would have been so sad if that was not so). We keep trying, we are getting better but still, it has been difficult to find support here. How is it over the border?

[mitchtv]

4. very diverse out here in Calif

most of the Gay (and Straight) couples on my block, for example are Hispanic and Anglo, or similar mix. The gay cruise I went on this fall was mixed (mostly Anglo and Asian gays)

[MuseRider]

5. That is good to know.

I hope that filters out here to the midwest soon. We need to be as diverse as possible. Nothing makes you stronger than diversity.

[mitchtv]

6. well, all the meat packers are hiring Mex's, legal or not

is that just in Iowa and NEB?. Those Latino boys are hard to resist.

[MuseRider]

7. Oh no, here too but

they are not filtering into our groups here. NAACP will not join with us, at least not yet. We are working on trying to diversify but it is slow. We are a good mix of men and women though and that is a good start and we are trying to keep it as even as possible. I don't know how many are straight, me and I don't know who else, we never ask because unless we are asked by outsiders it doesn't matter. One of the group told me she would make me an honorary lesbian but they needed their token straight, lol, guess that means no toaster for me!

It is just going to take a while but it is so frustrating waiting. I love this group though, the best people in the world are working here in Kansas.