Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 7 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 23 years, 3 months ago by
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Do minorities such as African Americans have a lower acceptance of gays and lesbians than whites do? Also, do you find it offensive when we as homosexuals compare our civil rights struggle with the civil rights struggles of racial minorities? If so, why?
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Name : Seth S., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Disciple of Christ, Age : 23, City : Cuyahoga Falls, State : OH, Country : United States, Occupation : Actor, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Most native cultures are pretty accepting of gay people. The ones who aren’t generally have been influenced by Christianity. Many native cultures have the tradition of two spirits, medicine men who sometimes took on female, gay, or transvestite dress or characteristics in ceremonies. Some gays, including some urban native gays, misinterpret that to mean all native medicine people were gay, or all gay people among natives were medicine people. There were also some tribes that had a few female warriors who took other women as wives. Among Latinos, I’d say being gay has a heavy stigma because of the strong Catholic beliefs of many. There are plenty of hateful epithets in Spanish for gay people like ‘joto’ (which also means bastard), ‘marecon’, ‘fresca’ for lesbians, and probably the worst insult you can call another man in Spanish, ‘puto’ (faggot whore). Ironically, gays and transvesites are also often feared as tough people who beat and rob others in places like Peru. And being ‘temporarily’ gay by doing such things as using another man sexually in prison doesn’t have too much stigma. It’s even considered a sign of toughness in some circles. I’d say it bothers some people when gays compare their struggle to that of ethnic minoroties because few of us have the option of staying ‘closeted’ like gays do. But many also recognize that we and gays usually have the same people trying to bar the way for both of us.
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Name : ACC24039, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : W Lafayette, State : IN, Country : United States,I think that, despite the diversity of religions embraced by African Americans, much of our religious heritage is centered on Christianity of the strictest, old-fashioned, fire and brimstone variety. In this tradition, homosexuality is considered a terrible sin, a demon by which one is possessed, not simply a variety of sexual orientation that one is born with, just as one is born heterosexual. Many people use this interpretation of Scripture as an excuse to justify their own hatred, and some people believe in the teachings about homosexuality fervently enough to speak out about it. This is my theory on why homophobia is so much more prevalent or vocally expressed in the black community.
As for the feelings of black people about the comparison between the struggle for Civil Rights in the ’60s and the struggle for Gay Rights today, I can only speculate on the opinions of black people at large. The Civil Rights movement of the ’60s was largely organized around the Church. It could be that black people who object to the comparison object to what they consider the attempt to defend a sinful way of life using as a model a movement that was so invested with faith in Jesus Christ as they understood it. Further, it could be that some African Americans resent the comparison between black skin itself, something that a person can’t help having and need not be ashamed of, with homosexuality, which they believe is a sinful choice, and something of which one SHOULD be ashamed.
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Name : Jennifer, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : St. Paul, State : MN, Country : United States, Occupation : Non-Profit, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,While it is true that you cannot see who is gay, you are mistaken on your other two points. Just like skin color, sexual orientation (not ‘preference’) is not something that is chosen. It is innate. Also, gay people HAVE had to endure pogroms. During World War II, Jews were not the only ones rounded up into concentration camps. Gypsies and gay people were as well. There are still ‘lynchings’ today (Mathew Shepard) and laws still disciminate against gay people (some states moreso than others).
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Name : Me21892, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 27, City : San Francisco Bay Area, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,As a black man, I do find it extremely offensive when homosexuals compare their civil rights struggles to those of blacks in this country. Why? 1) It is immediately obvious from my physical appearance that I am black, and discrimination against blacks stems from my appearance. As a homosexual, it is much more in your discretion to choose what people know about your personal life; it is not within my discretion for people to know that I am black. 2) Discrimination against homosexuals is based on a dislike of the homosexual lifestyle, while discrimination against blacks is based on dislike for the black race. Homosexuals want freedom from discrimination based on who they love/choose to love/have sex with. Blacks want freedom from discrimination based on who we are. 3) There is a long history of anti-black discrimination in this country. From slavery, to Reconstruction, to Jim Crow, to post-Jim Crow silent discrimination. Gays have not faced such discrimination. There were no pogroms instituted against gays, there were no mass-lynchings and no systematic means to keep gays in their place, etc.
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Name : Greg-H21541, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 23, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : law student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,Nowhere in my statement did I say or imply that sexual orientation is not innate. In fact, I chose my words carefully to avoid making that implication. As to pogroms, I was referring to actions in the U.S. since that is where the civil rights movement in question occurred. And although most people only use the term pogrom to refer to European genocidal acts, the sheer volume and number of blacks killed (particularly in the period between 1900-1950)allows it’s use in that situation to be correct when applied. However, to address your point,while Jews, gypsies and homosexuals were indeed interned in concentration camps by the nazis, you prove my point just by saying that. Jews had to wear Stars of David on their clothes so that they could be readily identified as jewish because (unlike blacks) it is not always readily apparent who is jewish and who not. The same is true for homosexuals. Unless you happen to have personal knowledge that a person is gay, there is no surefire way to tell.
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Name : Greg-H21543, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 23, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : law student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,Greg, I think you’re a bit off the mark here. Although you’re right when you say that black people are obviously more easily targeted; therefore, they are, in that sense, more apt to discrimination. Black people are black b/c who they are, AND gay people are gay b/c who they are, also. This is not a choice. The only choice one must face is the choice to come out and be true to yourself and your loved ones. Furthermore, discrimination against gays comes in two levels…that which happens before one comes out (which negates them being true to themself at all) and that which happens after one comes out and identifies him/herself as a homosexual. Gay discrimination throughout the years is much more apparent than anyone knows. They are just recently starting to keep records and track anti-gay discrimination, suggesting millions of crimes that went unrecorded. Many similar crimes also go unreported due to a need for privacy. Some parts of the world still order the execution of homosexuals. Also, the inclusion of gays in the holocaust is often forgotten. Systematic means to keep gays in their place??…discrimination in housing, adoption, employment. And people wonder why we have places like the Castro and Greenwich Village.
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Name : A.N., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : London, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,Speaking for asians, most of the older people (like my parents) practice that ‘I don’t care if you are, just don’t flirt with me’ policy. In the Japanese comics (manga), specifically girls’ comics (shoujo, mostly for teens) many series (Like X, by CLAMP) highlight homosexual relationships (mostly between men, though ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ highlights the love between two women), because of their belief that love– of any kind, with any person, is beautiful. Judging from the popularity of many series like these, I know many young people are pretty accepting.
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Name : Monique20352, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 18, City : Monterey, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,
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