One of the things that has irritated myself and many non-white TBLG people is the increasingly nasty rhetoric aimed the Democratic Party and the borderline bigoted and sometimes racist rhetoric aimed at President Obama coming from LGBT peeps frustrated about the stalled GLBT political agenda. GetEqual is one of the orgs trumpeting their direct action confrontations interrupting President Obama's speeches and protests on issues such as DADT, marriage equality and ENDA
But something we have noticed in the African-American LGBT/SGL community and discuss is that predominately white dominated GetEqual and many of the people visiting their FB page are only focusing their anger on the Democrats instead of targeting their real oppressors in the Republican Party.
Since there's been some chatter in the GLBT Afrosphere about this glaring imbalance in GetEqual's focus in terms of their direct action efforts, decided to stroll over to their FB page this morning and ask the question they've been tap dancing around.
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Monica Roberts so when is GetEqual going to do more protests of their GOP oppressors?
56 minutes ago ·
Monica Roberts The GOP are ones who have people in their senate offices shouting 'Kill the gays' Why no bumrushing of Sen Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) office?
Monica Roberts Saxby Chambliss does have a Senate office in Washington DC.
I'm pointing out that your direct actions in the eyes of many in the AA GLBT community have been too one sided. Until that balance changes to where GetEqual is doing more to highlight the fact that it is the Republican Party that have been the obstacles to (GLBT equality and enable) the oppression of the GLBT community instead of hate on a president that is still very popular with my AA community, why should I lift a finger or spend any time to help an org that is deliberately ignoring that point?
I'm pointing out that your direct actions in the eyes of many in the AA GLBT community have been too one sided. Until that balance changes to where GetEqual is doing more to highlight the fact that it is the Republican Party that have been the obstacles to (GLBT equality and enable) the oppression of the GLBT community instead of hate on a president that is still very popular with my AA community, why should I lift a finger or spend any time to help an org that is deliberately ignoring that point?
GetEQUAL @Monica - we understand what you mean. @Chris in the post above explained why we have taken this path at the moment. We feel that pestering Dems is our only chance before the mid-terms. (Then, all bets are off!) If you have suggestions ...on how we can do better, please send them in to info@getequal.org . All thoughts are welcome.
On a side note - we're ALL Democrats! Disappointed Dems though.
On a side note - we're ALL Democrats! Disappointed Dems though.
What has to happen is GetEqual has to be just as hard on the GOP as it is on the Democratic party. I'm not saying back off on the Dems, keep putting the pressure on,. All I and the AA GLBT community are asking for is balance in your efforts.
All attacking President Obama does is while it make white gays happy, it pisses off Black gay peeps and makes our job to try to garner support for GLBT rights issues inside our community, when we already have to battle sellout fundie Black hate ministers, more difficult
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The point that I and the non White GLBT community is making about GetEqual and other GL orgs is that they have been less than evenhanded in their protests, and their monoracial leadership makeup probably is a factor in why that has been the case. .
It has not escaped our attention that the GOP and its inside the Beltway leadership is overwhelmingly monoracial as well. Because protests draw media coverage, it is important that the GOP be hit with them as well to get it into the MSM chattering class discussion that the GOP has been an obstacle to LGBT progress. The lack of protests aimed at the GOP is leading to the ludicrous perception in some quarters of the GLBT community that the Republican Party is 'more friendly' to GLBT.issues.
Yeah, right. The current GOP fights to take rights away, not expand them. The sooner people in the GLBT community get that through their thick heads, the better.
You make an excellent point. I, too, have noticed mainstream GLBT groups targeting Democrats and President Obama for a stalled GLBT. What they fail to realize that it's the Republicans who have proposed constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage and the like.
ReplyDeleteIt frustrates me as a straight ally to see the GLBT and trans community fractured along racial/ethnic lines and the lack of effort on the part of mainstream groups to reach out to the trans people of color and GLBT people of color.
It's no secret that the mainstream GLBT organizations are, in fact, run by those who don't seem interested in being inclusive. It's also no secret that some of these people are indeed racist.