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4 Reasons Why ‘Gay is NOT the New Black’
Published by Travers on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 5:15 am.Posted by TRAVERS for BET’s YOU(th) VOTE
First off, I hope everyone had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and I wish you a Happy New Year! So if you’re just joining the conversation, recently I saw a magazine cover that stated: GAY IS THE NEW BLACK. Since that’s such a bold statement, I thought that it’s worthy of debate. Last Tuesday, I presented “4 reasons why Gay IS the New Black” (Click here to read that post), so today I’m presenting 4 Reasons Why Gay is NOT the New Black. Here they are:
1. Racial discrimination has historically been more powerful than any other form of discrimination.
You can’t compare discrimination against an entire race of people to discrimination against people who share a sexual orientation. Although discrimination against gays and lesbians is a horrible reality, it is a huge miscalculation to say that the discrimination that they experience is equal to the discrimination that black people have experienced since slavery. Think about all the different ways in which people are categorized: race, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, etc. Now think about which one of these factors has always been considered the most “important” in society. Better yet, think about what has historically (and even still sometimes in today’s society) been the most significant difference between a wealthy, educated, Christian, heterosexual black man in America and a wealthy, educated, Christian, heterosexual white man in America. Get my point?
2. The Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Rights Movement are two VERY different animals.
While there are some similarities between the two, the black Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Rights Movement are very different. Here are some examples: 1. The power of religion helped the Civil Rights Movement; the power of religion hurts the Gay Rights Movement. 2. Black people in the Civil Rights Movement were fighting for many basic rights that gay white people have always had (voting, education, riding in the front of public transportation, etc.). 3. In Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement had a leader and a face; the Gay Rights Movement is yet to produce an individual standout leader to represent the struggle.
3. The slogan is technically flawed, confusing, and inaccurate.
The slogan “Gay is the New Black” is flawed for several reasons. Here are two examples: 1. The most glaring flaw to me is that the slogan fails to acknowledge that there are actually BLACK gay people! It might as well say “Gay White People are the New Black”! 2. It can be interpreted in too many different ways (i.e. “all black people are gay,” “gay black people aren’t discriminated against,” “gay people and black people have the same experiences,” etc.). And what does “black” really mean anyway??
4. Gay is gay, black is black—there is nothing “new” about it.
The slogan “Gay is the New Black” assumes that everything is peachy-keen for black people in America when it comes to racial discrimination. Here’s the truth: just like the election of Harvey Milk to public office in San Francisco decades ago didn’t mean that discrimination against gay people was over, neither did the passage of the Civil Rights Act nor the recent election of a black President mean that racism against blacks is dead. No one likes to be the “new” something else or the “something else” that is being splendidly reinvented. People just want to be themselves. It will makes it even harder for African Americans to support the Gay Rights Movement when it boasts a slogan that fails to acknowledge the current status of black people, and makes them feel that gay people are trying to replace them. Both gay people and black people are discriminated against, and it is reckless to imply that one group suffers more or less than another.
So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my reasons for why ‘Gay is NOT the New Black’? Would you add or subtract anything from the discussion?
Hit me up to break it down.
TRAVERS
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Look let,s keep this simlp ,the hell with the non sen/ Black battle and we are still fighting to this day for our right to stand up as a race of poelp together for our own will to do what we as a group need to do to live and raies a faimly just as any other race of peolpe, but we are and have been deny by our coloizer. The right to live and be happy.
First, to comment on the statement made that to be gay is “in” like to be black is “in”, being black will never be “in”. I don’t care how many caucasian friendly movies Will Smith makes (and I love Big Willy, by the way!!) or even that President Obama beat all the other candidates fair and square, it will NEVER be in…..sorry. Next to the comment on how people in the church hate on gay people while there are people sinning in church all the time. If we could get rid of our own sin, we wouldn’t need Jesus, so yes, I PRAY that there will ALWAYS be sinners in the church! Next to “hate” means a learned dislike or loathing of another person, group, or thing. To hate the act of homosexuality is what the church is SUPPOSE to do because God said it is an abomination, but to hate the person committing the sin is not because God also said with loving kindness have I drawn thee. We all are human and will sin everyday, but to stay in it and not strive to be better is when it will become rebellion. So don’t be angry at the church because ALL of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God…..just don’t stay there!!
POST SCRIPT:
If this article was meant as gay is the new “black” as in fashion…. it should have stated that. We ALL know that when you put statements out like this, EVERYBODY outside the fashion world will be looking for an explanation. So it could have read, “Gay is the New Little Black Dress!” Which also is not a shared opinion, by the way….
Um, I think you misinterpreted what ‘BLACK’ means.
Black in this context meaning ‘basic black’ like that goes with everything. Like when a woman has nothing to wear she just throws on a little black dress because you can’t go wrong with a little black dress.
Black always being seen as classic and in vogue.
Gay being the new black is saying that it’s acceptible and vogue now.
Nothing racial about it.
THE ESSENCE OF SURVIVAL ” Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed…every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle…when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” Life can be complicated, but…happiness is really pretty simple. Change your thoughts and change the world. It’s choice-Not chance that determines our destiny. Even if we are on the right track, we’ll get run over if we just sit there. Peace.
I think that being gay is not a thing to be ashamed of. I have a family member that is gay, is married, andd also has two kids to raise.
Saying that “GAY IS THE NEW BLACK” is not necessarily a meaning of something negative against blacks. Gay people have a hard time trying to be themselves. Straight people have a tough time as well but not as rough as gay people. Lots of races are gay. BLACKS, WHITES, HISPANICS, ASIANS, etc. etc. So the article doesnt necessarily have a meaning about it that is based on race. The issue is about people being attracted to the same sex.
Hey David, I think you are gay for commenting on Obama like that, SICKO!
I AM A GAY BLACK MAN and I certainly don’t agree with this slogan. First we must put things in perspective. This slogan is meant to tug on your heart strings and garner sympathy from the masses for the plight of Gay people. While all forms of discrimination will have some similarities I feel this slogan belittles the struggles that Blacks have had to endure since slavery.
Also please realize that this is largely a gay White movement and it is mostly to gain support for gay marriage. Many gay Black are not AS concerned with being on the front lines of this issue because it is not paramount in our communities. Black Gay people are still Black first and therefore many of our more pressing issues are more inline with the concerns of the general Black community. Black Gay people are more concern with disporportionate HIV rates, stigma and discrimination, racial discrimination, affordable education, safe neighborhoods, paying bills, etc, than this largely gay White agenda. In general Black gay people don’t have as much time and resources to be worried with gay marriage. Please note: this is not to say that some or all Black gay people don’t care about the “gay civil rights movement”, it is just not a top priority for most. However, we realize that we too we benefit from the fruits of the labor of this movement.
Other than the differences mentioned by the author most people fail to acknowledge that slavery in American was institutionalized and dehumanizing. This historical fact makes these movements very different. For example, strategically Blacks where treated as live stock and property because they were told that they were less than human. A slave owner could kill one of his slaves if he deemed he/she not profitable to keep around. This is what you do to a horse that has a broken leg! No, Gay is NOT the new Black!
Another obvious difference is that one cannot hide (in most cases) their racial identity however a gay person may be able to hide their sexual orientation. Black gay people will be judged as Blacks first and then (perhaps) as being a gay person. If Gay IS the new Black then I guess I am up sh!t creek without a paddle!
In conclusion, although I understand what they are trying to achieve with this slogan, I disagree that Gay is the new Black. While the two movements may have some similarities (as all discrimination would) the comparison should stop there. We, as gay people, should learn from the achievements and mistakes of The Civil Rights Movement but not ride its wave just to get support from the masses. This in my opinion is a slap in the face to my ancestors.
theres a gay white man named shane cohen running for alderman in the 314 and there is no way hes gettin elected in my neighborhood. he dont know us or what we go threw hows he sposed to represent people he dont know?
people need to worry about they self and let god be the judge. Also I am not felling that, gay is the new black sh*t.
Whatever desire people have that’s between them and God.
We need to get away from the whole debate of whose struggle is worse. Historically, whether black v. jews, women v. men, that’s always a losing argument. It’s interpreted to only undermine the other group’s struggle. And there’s no need to split hairs over how the gay movement and civil rights movement differ.
The long and short of it is that equal rights should be have by all citizens of the United States. This government is for the people, all people and therefore, the government is required to protect all its people. Period.
We have to realize that whether it be str8 or not we’re still one. ur sexuality shouldnt matter. as a christian myself im sick of people in blac churches ranting on and on about gay this and gay that like it’s the only thing happening right now. if people would judge themselves and make suggestions to improve to themselves like they do to others then the world would be a much better place. as long as we continue to ignore this its going to get worse. its so bad that our own family members cant come forth becuz so many of our church leaders are so judgmental and condeming when in the fact the bible emphasizes unity, loving thy neighbor and the golden rule. i just pray that one day we can put aside our differences and stop judging people. then and only then will we be able to grow as a nation…..
WHAT ON EARTH BRING ABOUT THIS SLOGAN ‘GAY IS THE NEW BLACK’ .BROTHERS AND SISTERS I THINK IS TIME FOR US TO SEE OUR SELF
AS A POEPLE WE ALL KNEW OUR URGLY PAST WE SHUOLD NOT EQUATE IT WITH *~%~$~* THINGS.
first i want to apologize for my opinon if thus come of homophobic .most people have been gay for yrs. and just coming out the closet in the new millenium becuse they feel free to.im not gay personsonally but, i know bac in the day they would be killd for being gay. i hav gay friends and it is not the new blk. as it goes for apartment rentals,and same sex marriages the mariage isnt legaland it isnt right by god,and some rental places wont rent to gays/ lesbians.yall can catch the episodes on true life .but i dont condone being homosexual.but people would get beat up bad buy their preference.society is just going to catch up we are not in the old days anymore. rply if u dnt agree!!!!!!!1
gay is not the new blk.gay is gay.blk white spanish whatever.be who u r not what society wants u 2.
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