Since the elections ended almost two weeks ago I have seen many different reactions to its outcome. Many people in the LGBT community have been upset since elections because so much anti-gay laws passed in four states. While being someone who identifies as a lesbian I definately understand how frustrating it is to have our rights not being recognized across the country but as a multi-racial (Black & hispanic, though I mixed with asian and native american as well)person of color I also have a different outlook on things. Minorities in this country have been and are still constantly fighting so that we get recognized and our rights are represented.Obama winning the election is an historical but we all know that if this was 20 or even 10 years ago that he wouldnt have won. The timing wouldnt have been right. Blacks in this country didnt start fighting for our freedom during the Civil Rights movement, we have been fighting for our rights ever since slavery ended, and we still dont have equal rights to white people. Hopefully with this new development with the elections can change that but coming from NYC I can tell you I have seen and currently see our rights getting overlooked. in the past two years in NYC I have seen cops kill innocent black people who were unarmed and not even commiting a crime and get let off with a slap on the wrist from the courts and some still able to keep there jobs. So, how can I expect gays to have full rights in this country when minorities dont have full rights! Now, thats not to say that I thing the anti-gay laws passed are in anyway good but I just see things in a different light being a person who has been discriminated on multiple levels and knowing that just because one major change in American history has occured doesnt mean that everything else will just fall into place.
It takes time like every major change. The stonewall movements were the beginning but that's not long enough to make a major change in America, seeing as the big movement of gays coming out and being seen in public more and the media has only been within the past 10 yrs or so. As gays we can fight for our rights and no one should ever tell us that we can't but this world and country is a fucked up place so we shouldnt be suprised when anyone that's different gets the shitty end of the deal. But I am proud that Obama is our next president and that is more important to me than anything else because my culture and race is a major part of who I am and being gay is just a tiny part of it. Some gay minorities might see this differently and thats ok, this is just my opinion but to me, I have struggled with my identity and who I am as a multi-racial person my whole life and so being proud of my heritage is very important to me. So stop bad mouthing Obama just because this shitty laws have passed, because he didnt draw up those bills,he has openly stated that he feels that gays and lesbians deserve rights.He couldnt obviously take a stance on gay marriage because the battle of him becoming president was hard enough without him risking taking a stance on it and lossing the election. That doesn't mean that he's not and it doesn't mean that he is going to try to fight for gay rights in America, it just means the man hasn't even taken office yet so give him a chance to see if he will do something, then you can complain if you want. But thats just my opinion...
Note (9/5/2009): Here's an article on this very same topic by LZ Granderson, an openly gay ESPN sports writer, he speaks the truth and I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in Feb. 2009 at Indiana University, check it out:
Gay is not the new black (Updated 7/16/2009)
