I posted a video the other day from the 1993 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. If you didn’t see it then, I think it is very important to take a look at it, so here it is again.
That was sixteen years ago. Sixteen years.
For a long time I thought that we had made a lot of progress towards making civil rights for gays and lesbians a reality. One of the parts of that video that brings me to tears is when the narrator asks one man why he came to Washington. His answer: “To be noticed, to be heard”. And really isn’t that what we gay activists have been doing all these years? Trying to tear down the walls of the closet that keep us shut off from the rest of the American dream has been a goal since the first major march on Washington in the 1980’s which led to the creation of National “Coming Out” Day.
Now Obama, and the new Democrats, and most shockingly of all, so called “leaders” of the gay community want to shove us back into the closet. For Obama and his legions the reason is pretty straightforward, homophobia. For the gay community I think it is a mixture of internalized homophobia (that desire to return to the safety and anonymity of the closet) along with increased pressure from our so called allies, along with a good dose of rationalization that those that would push us back into the closet are actually our friends.
The closet was always something that those outside of the gay community constructed to keep us quiet. Our puritanical parents and grandparents, with their major sexual hangups, didn’t even want to acknowledge that gays and lesbians even existed. Until very recently, this was not only managed through social pressure, but also the fear of the consequences of it being known that you were gay. These often meant (and still do mean) losing your family, your job, and in many cases your freedom (There are still anti-sodomy laws on the books, and if you ever lived in a rural community, you know that gay men are still regularly targeted for “solicitation”). Not to mention the danger of violence that being “out” opens gays up to. Therefore it is understandable that many LGBT people struggled immensely to gather the courage and strength to come out despite those dangers. And for years, the gay community did all it could to make coming out at least tolerable enough that it was a viable option. We have come some way in that respect. I dare say it is easier to be out now then it was, say, in the 40’s. But we are still a long way from eliminating the closet entirely. This is what drives me crazy when I hear all this talk about the younger generation being completely tolerant of gays and lesbians. If that were true, then there really wouldn’t be a closet for younger kids anymore, something even the most kool-aid drunk gay person would admit is not so. If it were true, things like this wouldn’t still happen:
A fifteen-year-old boy shot in the head by a fellow pupil at school on Tuesday has been declared brain dead. (he subsequently died)
Lawrence King, who was reportedly openly gay and sometimes wore ‘feminine’ clothing to school, was shot twice while in class at a junior high school in Oxnard, California…
A fourteen-year-old boy, Brandon McInerney, has been arrested and charged with murder.
Ventura County prosecutors said the killing was a premeditated hate crime and McInerney would be charged as an adult.
And why did this happen?
“He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails, the whole thing,” said Michael Sweeney, 13. “That was freaking the guys out.”
“Several students said King and a group of boys, including the defendant, had a verbal confrontation concerning King’s sexual orientation a day before the killing.”
So this is what happens when we come out of the closet. It “freaks out” straight people to the point that they kill us. What kind of message do you think that sends to gay 15 year olds across the country? At the very least it may make them think twice about coming out of the closet. Here’s another example, from the UK (notice how the murderers are treated by the authorities):
Gavin Alker, 19 and James O’Connor, 19 of Huyton, Merseyside were charged with Causer’s murder today at Liverpool Crown Court.
Causer was attacked by three young men on July 25th and suffered serious head injuries. He later died of brain swelling at a local hospital on August 2nd.
The two men received bail, although a court official told the two: “You are both extremely fortunate to be on bail.”
The body of Eddie Araujo, a transgender 17-year-old, was discovered 16 December 2002 in a shallow grave outside Placerville, Calif. Four men were arrested in connection with the killing, after a witness led police to the grave.
Araujo’s mother filed a missing person report after Araujo failed to come home from a party on Oct. 3 in the San Francisco suburb of Newark. According to police, Araujo had a run-in with several young men in late September, and the tension escalated at the party, where Araujo arrived in female clothes at the home of two of the four suspects. ..
“People did not really want to accept him,” said a family friend, Pastor Ed Moore. “He didn’t get a job because of who he was, and things like that. And so there was a struggle going on even within the family, his personal struggle ? but also how he was viewed by society.”
Ironically, Araujo’s hometown has recently been the scene of controversy, after Newark Memorial High began rehearsals for “The Laramie Project.” The play reflects the mood and reaction of the small town of Laramie, Wyo., in the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard. A plea for tolerance, “The Laramie Project” has been accused by conservatives of promoting a gay agenda, and Newark’s production drew the attention of Kansas fundamentalist Fred Phelps, who picket the show.
Who knew that staying alive was part of the gay agenda…
One of the reasons that people like myself and others came out during the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s was to make sure that things like this didn’t happen. And to create an environment where young boys and girls didn’t have to live their lives in fear of people finding out who they really are. And we did this despite being labeled sinners, deviants, pedophiles, and disease carriers.
Now we are being told by our “progressive” Dem allies, and even members of our own community that we need to be quiet. That we shouldn’t rock the boat. That we have to “pick our battles”. When I hear those words I get the real message–get back in the closet.
In the aftermath of Prop 8 we were told by many that our white privilege more than made up for any discrimination we might face because we are gay and lesbian. We were also told that gay marriage is a “white” issue, and thus proof of our racism. But this is just a way to get us to be quiet and quietly get back in the closet.
I mean the whole concept of gay white privilege is inherently homophobic. The gist of it is that as a white man, my privilege supersedes any bigotry I might face as a gay man. But ONLY if I hide my homosexuality. That’s the part that racist homophobes like Jasmyn Cannick conveniently leave out of their statement when they’re telling us to STFU and stop whining. So to enjoy that privilege I have to go back into the closet–if I can. Many gay people, black and white, don’t have that option. Sometimes who you are is so apparent that no amount of denying will convince those around you. These men and woman also tend to be the ones that end up being victimized, like Lawrence King. Of course it is racist because it totally ignores the plight of black gays and lesbians. Or at the very least argues that they are somehow different from the rest of us. Just read the words of Cannick herself:
At a time when you should be apologizing to and trying to build bridges with African-Americans after exposing your closeted racism towards us over the passage of California’s Proposition 8, you’re at it again.
The man isn’t even in office yet and you are all up in arms over the inaugural invitation of evangelical pastor Rick Warren by President-elect Barack Obama just because Warren opposes gay marriage.
Look—America already knows that you are unhappy with the outcome of Prop. 8…but as discussed in previous chapters, you have no one to blame for that but yourself .
Instead of denouncing Obama’s choice to invite Warren, you should be hailing it as it shows a continued effort on Obama’s behalf to reach across the aisle in an effort to bring everyone to the table. You know that thing that you haven’t quite learned how to do yet.
If no one ever told you—the world doesn’t revolve around gay marriage. If it did, let’s face it, Obama wouldn’t be the President-elect, now would he?
It’s a laugh to hear that hate filled zombie talking about bigotry, but it is something that unfortunately is going to become more commonplace. For years the LGBT community has fought to become a recognized member of the Democratic coalition. Now we are being dumped out of electoral expediency. Our rights just aren’t worth the votes that the Dems lose to fight for them. But the Dems need a handy excuse to scapegoat and exile the gays. What better one than the lie that we are all racists. At the moment the gay community is responding in fear. They are returning to their closets in the hopes that the accusations of racism won’t stick and that maybe ten years down the line we can come back out and again ask for our place at the table (like we were back in ‘93). Reactions to the Obama election, and his thinly veiled homophobia are evidence of this. Take this confusing, pathetic article from the SF Chronicle:
Hope – and the idea that the country’s new leader would break down barriers of discrimination – overshadowed the disappointment many gays and lesbians felt when an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage gave the invocation at President Obama’s inauguration Tuesday.
“I am completely hopeful, optimistic, relieved, enthusiastic – even knowing that he’s going to disappoint,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Just a quick note to the author of this piece and Kate Kendell: That’s not called hope, that’s called denial. And not speaking up about it is just what they want. They want you to go back to the closet, be quiet, and keep voting for them. These people don’t need hope, they need a psychiatrist…
San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty is optimistic.
“I am hopeful that we will be an important part of the tapestry that is being woven by this administration,” said Dufty, who is gay.
And what makes these people so hopeful? Is it meaningful promises to end discrimination, or did they literally just parade them up and down the street?
Salvador Tovar of San Francisco embodied that belief. He marched in the inaugural parade with the Lesbian and Gay Band Association contingent – a first for a presidential inauguration.
“We’re in the midst of making history,” Tovar, a member of the color guard, said by cell phone Tuesday morning as he waited for the parade to begin.
But even when they are supposedly letting us participate, they still are forcing us not only to the back of the line, but back into the closet:
It wasn’t until nearly 6:30 p.m. on the East Coast – after nightfall – that the gay marching band, made its way past the First Family’s reviewing stand.
And if you think that was just a coincidence, think again:
Openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson delivered the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration concert on the National Mall today. However HBO’s exclusive live national broadcast of the celebration started after Robinson’s prayer, disappointing millions of LGBT Americans who saw Obama’s selection of Robinson as an olive branch offered after weeks of blistering criticism over the Rick Warren debacle. Even those in attendance missed Robinson’s prayer, as sound difficulties caused him to be inaudible to most of the estimated crowd of 500,000 gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
AfterElton.com has spoken to HBO, who tells them that the decision to keep Robinson’s invocation in the pre-broadcast portion of the concert was made by the Obama team.
Contacted Sunday night by AfterElton.com concerning the exclusion of Robinson’s prayer, HBO said via email, “The producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show. Uncertain as to whether or not that meant that HBO was contractually prevented from airing the pre-show, we followed up, but none of the spokespeople available Sunday night could answer that question with absolute certainty. However, it does seem that the network’s position is that they had nothing to do with the decision.
And according to other accounts, there was a noticeable pause from Robinson’s prayer to when Obama addressed the crowd. Didn’t want the taint of gay on him I guess. Look, to all you gay people on the fence, it is time to wake up. I understand that you want to join in and celebrate that this country is capable of overcoming discrimination and electing a black man as President. I would love nothing more than to do the same. Obama is not just playing politics with us, though. He is a homophobe. He doesn’t like gay people. He doesn’t want to be around us. And he CERTAINLY is not going to waste any political capital on us. And why should he? We’re the ones absolving him of his homophobia and making it easier by shutting our mouths and going back into the closet. Just look at some of the comments on the SFGate article:
…Obama did not win the election catering to fundamentalist Christians, but no matter how he may feel personally he can move us along no faster than society is willing to allow. And when that time comes Obama will not be the one to stand in the way…
…Let’s all give our new president a good chance. He has a lot on his plate, in addition to walking the talk and nodding to the left while making inroads to the right. I dont think anyone is more eqipped today to handle the tasks at hand, chiefly of which is to unite as much of country as possible. Bring forth old and young, black and white, men and women, rich and poor, gay and straight, red and blue, and so on and so on. No on, not even Hillary Clinton, could ever manage as daunting a job as Obama now has. He needs all our help and we should all pull our own weight at the very least…
No, let’s get back to our roots and raise our voices and encourage every single last gay and lesbian to come out of their closet and DEMAND their equal rights. That’s the only thing that we have proven to work over the past 50 years of the gay rights movement. I came out of the closet 20 years ago, and I’ll be damned if some two bit homophobic politician, or the Democratic Party, or racist homophobes are going to make me even think of getting back inside.
SILENCE=DEATH
Posted by garychapelhill 
