Reflections

I have read on some blogs, that there are people that want to blame the passing of Prop 8 ON the African American voters. That they feel betrayed. That we fought hard for their rights and were then stabbed in the back. I honestly don't feel that way. I can understand the parallels that have been drawn on the fight for civil rights. I understand the similarities. But let's take an honest look.

While we do not have equal protection under the law in every state mandated by the federal government, there are pockets across the country that do exist. None did for African American at all before the civil rights movement. There are no signs posted on water fountains saying drink only from this one if you are gay. We do not have to sit at the back of a bus. There are not separate entrances for gays and straights. We are not hosed down when we gather to protest. We haven't heard that only certain jobs are for straights only. Those instances that do so say, we manage to sneak in under the radar. We are free to go to any educational institution we chose and can afford for higher learning. We are not forced to attend gay only high schools. And while we have been singled out for violence, it is not anywhere close to what African Americans have experienced with lynching mobs. We have found recourse through the courts when we were done wrong in our employment. We have been able to own property and never have been considered someones property in the eyes of this country. We can roam freely in this country where ever we chose.

Yes, we have been denied federal protection in all states from discrimination in housing, employment, violence and marriage. Yes, some have been murdered for their difference either real or perceived. Yes, we have been hounded by law enforcement because of our proclivity for sex in less than ideal circumstances. Yes, we have far to go for true equality.

However, we do hold positions in corporate America of power, prestige and financial reward. We do hold government positions openly at all levels of state and federal government. We do have civil unions, though not perfect are a step in the right direction, in some areas of the country. We are able to walk through public in most instances without incident any where in America. We have learned to use the system that repress us to express us. We have very wealthy members of our community that African Americans never had during their struggle to support our causes. We are more organized and openly active than our counterparts ever could have been during their initial struggles.

Don't blame them for the failure to pass Prop 8. African Americans are for the most part very traditional family oriented as well as religious. Those two things alone are diametrically opposed to our cause. While some are sympathetic to the cause, most cannot fully embrace it. I respect that. It is not their battle to fight. It is ours. We will always have the opposition but we will also have our enlightened allies. The war is not over. We regroup, redefine our positions and forge ahead once again. We learned our lesson this go round. We know now what we must do. We must alter the battle plan. Stop such propositions from ever reaching the ballots. We must change the laws that govern such from the inside. We must rewrite the laws regarding out of state and religious contributions. We must continually be educating and campaigning for our rights everywhere. We cannot give up. And we cannot blame other minorities for understanding our inequalities. To them there are none.