Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney performs the first 15 minutes of Letting Go of God, a solo act where she explores the rethinking of her faith. The Los Angeles Times called Sweeney’s show a “a gale-force breath of fresh of fresh air into the mostly politic dialogue about religion in our time.” Definitely worth a watch.
Jasmyne Cannick, a sometimes controversial lesbian writer from LA has spoken out on Prop 8, and you might not like what she has to say, particularly about us “white gays.”
“I am black. I am a political activist who cares deeply about social justice issues. I am a lesbian. This year, I canvassed the streets of South Los Angeles and Compton, knocking on doors, talking politics to passers-by and working as I never had before to ensure a large voter turnout among African Americans. But even I wasn’t inspired to encourage black people to vote against the proposition.
“Why? Because I don’t see why the right to marry should be a priority for me or other black people. Gay marriage? Please. At a time when blacks are still more likely than whites to be pulled over for no reason, more likely to be unemployed than whites, more likely to live at or below the poverty line, I was too busy trying to get black people registered to vote, period; I wasn’t about to focus my attention on what couldn’t help but feel like a secondary issue.”
And…
“There’s nothing a white gay person can tell me when it comes to how I, as a black lesbian, should talk to my community about this issue. If and when I choose to, I know how to say what needs to be said. Many black gays just haven’t been convinced that this movement for marriage is about anything more than the white gays who fund it (and who, we often find, are just as racist and clueless when it comes to blacks as they claim blacks are homophobic).
“Some people seem to think that homophobia trumps racism, and that winning the battle for gay marriage will symbolically bring about equality for everyone. That may seem true to white gays, but as a black lesbian, let me tell you: There are still too many inequalities that exist as it relates to my race for that to ever be the case. Ever heard of “driving while black”? Ever looked at the difference between the dropout rates for blacks and for whites? Or test scores? Or wages? Or rates of incarceration?”
This isn’t the first time Jasmine Cannick has run across our radar. She successfully ran a campaign against Shirley Q. Liquor — a white man doing drag as a southern, black, not-so-well-educated woman — getting him banned at several night clubs/events throughout the country. Liquor has a large fan base, both black and white.
I get the sense that Cannick would like us “white gays” to get to the back of the line and wait our turn. Perhaps a better analogy is for us to get to the back of the civil rights bus. While she makes a “few” valid points, I couldn’t disagree more. What do you think?
After the passage of Proposition 8, there was a brief collective breath, and then it began…
Protests are also being organized in Long Beach, Boston and Salt Lake City.
You will find a very comprehensive list at Queers United.
In addition, several petitions are gaining traction on the internet. Here and here.
And finally, three lawsuits have been filed against Prop 8.
We will fight this thing. And we will win.
My partner and I was among the 2000 standing outside of San Francisco City Hall tonight, declaring that our fight to secure marriage equality for all Californians was far from over. Similar vigils were held across California in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and other major cities.
I had hoped the turn out would be closer to 5000 but the lateness in notice and hour likely affected the attendence. Speakers included local politicians, religious leaders and people who played key roles in the No on 8 campaign. All worked hard to buoy our spirits and instill a sense of hope, encouraging us to keep up the fight. It was a cathartic experience that helped ease the seesaw of emotions I had felt all day. Here are a few photos from the vigil.
