Equality California Targets Blacks With New Marriage Equality Ad

Better late than never! Equality California is working on making inroads with the state's black community.

As same-sex couples who were able to legally marry last year celebrate their one-year-anniversaries, Equality California (EQCA) and Jordan / Rustin Coalition (JRC) are together launching an education and mobilization effort on the freedom to marry in LA's African-American communities. The effort includes a TV commercial, on-the-ground organizers and a dedicated field office, which will be based in South Los Angeles, a predominantly African-American community. "Jordan / Rustin Coalition is happy to partner with Equality California as we do the work to open the hearts and minds of all Californians, including those in the Black community, on the question of marriage for same-sex couples," said Ron Buckmire, JRC board president. "Our partnership includes a multi-media campaign, outreach and public education and even the nuts and bolts of staffing and supplies. I am confident that together we will see the day when full LGBT equality is restored to our state."

H/T to Joe My God.

HRC Celebrates Black History Month

The Human Rights Campaign has put out a video in honor of Black History Month. I applaud this decision, as major LGBT organizations have failed to adequately reach out to communities of color thus far. It is far past time when we need to unite rather than divide. This is one step in the right direction and we must hold HRC accountable to their message of being committed to diversity, we also must ensure that they protect our transgender brothers and sisters during this legislative season and beyond.

What Would MLK Say About LGBT Rights?

Unfortunately, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we honor today, was assassinated before the gay rights movement became a force on the American stage, so we'll never know for sure what he may have done to further the cause of gay and lesbian rights had he lived. The person who knew him best, his wife, Coretta Scott King, was certain, however, that King's legacy was equality for all. To that end, she dedicated much of her time to LGBT equality issues before her death in 2006.

Mrs. King had many friends in the gay community, and a history of tireless activism. Below are some select quotes from her.

“Like Martin, I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others", she would tell black civil rights leaders angered by gays and lesbians comparing their struggle to their own. She would quote her husband and say, “I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible."

"I appeal to everybody who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbians and gay people."

"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."

Dr. King, his wife, and the great civil rights leaders of the past will continue to inspire us, and we honor their legacy and should all seek to "be the change we wish to see." MLK's dream is not over, the fight for equality for racial minorities continues, we must be mindful that all our struggles are connected and we should unite to defeat oppression whether its against homophobia, queerphobia, racism, sexism, or any form of bigotry directed at individuals.

Parts crossposted from Queerty.

Honoring The Dream March in San Diego 1/17/09

On Saturday, 17 January at 10:00 am, San Diego will celebrate the legacy of Dr King. Sara Beth Brooks, of the San Diego Equality Campaign is calling on the GLBT community to come out and show its support. According to Ms Brooks, “It is so important for us as a community to show that we are supportive of all equal rights battles, and that we honor those who have fought so righteously before us.”

This is a golden opportunity to reach out to and shore up the bridges between the GLBT community and communities of color in San Diego. It’s important because these bridges are inestimably vital to achieving equality for all. Remember Dr King and his good friend Bayard Rustin. Live the dream, and let freedom ring.

For more info check out the San Diego Equality Campaign.

Crossposted from the Mike Tidmus blog.

"Welcome to California Where Chickens Have More Rights Than Me"

As a queer vegan blogger I probably have a different perspective on this but I felt the need to rant. I wrote about the Black-Gay Blame Game and how it is wrong to single out African-Americans because the majority of that community voted for prop 8. We must understand that all the struggles for liberation have parallels but cannot be equated as each are unique in their own way.

Black people were enslaved, beaten, and subject to some of the most horrendous discrimination in this country. The queer civil rights movement cannot be compared to that movement because it is fundamentally different, there are parallels but equating that both are the same is doing a disservice to both movements. There are struggles blacks have dealt with that gays have not and vice versa.

Similarly this notion that proposition 2 passed (an animal protection bill) is somehow giving animals more rights than LGBT people is ridiculous and downright speciesist (involves assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership).

People are holding signs at rallies saying "chickens can spread their wings, but gays can't marry." Six hens to a tiny battery cage where they cannot move, and are forcefully debeaked without pain killers, and excrete on one another is not on the same level with the marriage equality movement. The parallel is both movements strive to bring basic dignities and rights to all, but they are not on the same level playing field.



The routine procedures such as castration, debeaking, caging, force-feeding, and denial of basic natural practices for animals is far from humane, and no chickens do not have more rights than gay people. That is a ridiculous assertion, animals have no rights in our society. The federal law to protect animals even excludes animals raised for food consumption.

I am very much in favor of drawing parallels between struggles for liberation, after all we are all tied to the same goals of basic dignity for our families and livelihoods and we all face a similar oppressor each and every time. The time now is to understand the struggle for equality and to draw parallels but not to point fingers and denigrate one struggle over another.