Building Bridges in the Wake of Prop. 8

In the wake of finger-pointing following California's passing of Prop. 8, television writer and producer Tajamika Paxton suggests the time has come to build a bridge between the LGBT and African-American communities -- to engage in discussion rather than looking for somewhere to place blame.

By Tajamika Paxton

An Advocate.com exclusive posted November 18, 2008

The passage of Prop. 8 and the subsequent fallout show that there is now a renewed urgency to the debate over gay rights. The time has come for discussions that avoid placing blame on one group -- discussions that avoid treating a group in any way that suggests that group is monolithic. It’s time for discussions that create harmony, not acrimony. Time for us to understand our unique connectivity on this issue of human rights and, in the words of the Dalai Lama, understand our interdependence.

Clearly, there’s plenty of emotion flying around. Some of the white gays who felt threatened by the passage of Prop. 8 succumbed to simmering hatred. Some African-American gays, in response, raged and pointed fingers and labeled white gays blaming African-Americans for the passage of Prop. 8 as racist. The game of hate and blame continues.

As a society we can look at the election of Barack Obama as a symbol of racial equality. But the man and the campaign he ran are about far more than his racial background. Let’s model his even-tempered, thoughtful approach -- his civility in the face of cruelty, his graceful composure in the face of conflict, his ability to reach toward those who opposed him and understand how working with them can further common goals. For within the community of humanity -- in general and specifically -- that is what this crisis requires right now.

There’s always a tendency for people to create little fiefdoms of belief. I believe x, so this is my camp. You believe y, so that is your camp. Within the Prop. 8 debate, such fiefdoms threaten the entire movement. The bedrock of fiefdoms is made up of hardened prejudices that create enemies, not allies. "I’m a gay white male and I think African-American churchgoers are ignorant and extremely homophobic," or "I’m a transgender African-American and I think gay white males are all inherently racist."

Thus everything said or done is perceived through this filter and accepted as truth. Us vs. them. It’s dogmatic and shortsighted to continue to think this way. There’s no openness, no space for dialogue. There’s only media-fueled finger-pointing. It’s like that moment when your parent looks at you and says, “You know better.”

We know better.

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Paxton is the former vice-president of development for Forest Whitaker's production company and served as the cochair of Outfest's Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival. She is a television writer, producer, and yoga instructor.

Keywords: Prop 8

Related stories from Advocate.com

2009-07-02: The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
2009-06-20: The Great Undoing?
2009-06-03: The Upside of Prop. 8
2009-05-29: Pastors: No Marriage for Straight People
2009-05-28: Aftermath: Day of Decision

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Eddie
Date posted: 2008-11-20 3:17 PM
Hometown: Los Angeles

Comment:

Amen brother. They didn't think we'd find out what they did, but we found out. Now they resort to calling us racists instead of taking responsibility for what they did. To all the African American gay people - I feel very sorry for them too - IF they are out of the closet. If they are "on the DL" they simply contributed to this problem. The No on 8 campaign was horribly mismanaged though, very few resources were spent in South Central. Does that excuse black homophobia? Not any more than The Bible justifies white racism. Southern whites used religion as an excuse for racism for centuries. Church is not an excuse for taking someone's rights away.

Name: Jay
Date posted: 2008-11-19 9:34 PM
Hometown: LA

Comment:

you know they say that exit poll does not really show how black people voted. i am horrified by the "equality and belief in tolerance" that people have demonstrated towards black GAY people. i know a lot of black people who voted against prop 8, but i'm happy one exit poll has allowed people to call people the "n" word and such. There is no bridge between black people and gay people. it's like feminism and black women. i'm happy you can be ashamed of 10% of the population and not look at the homophobia in all communities. You don't even know how old these people are... You can blame the whole race, when obviously most young people voted progressively and for all people to have equal rights. Wow, of course prop 8 is wrong, but i know that this will not change anyone's mind. it's funny that people say, hey why don't black people support civil rights? well, i never saw a bunch of gay people supporting black issues.... just because you're gay or a woman, you're not a racist?? yeah right...

Name: Derek
Date posted: 2008-11-18 10:01 PM
Hometown: Nashville,TN

Comment:

I agree that bickering between groups of people on opposing sides seems quite ancient and should be left in our sometimes painful history. However, it astonishes me that the gay community, which I happen to be a part of, could not see opposition like this coming when it's so very obvious that within our own community there is division based on race and social class. It's like the big, pink elephant in the room that none of us really talk about but it's there just the same. When we, the Gay community, can come together as a huge united front, then we will see our brothers and sisters all across the world give us the respect that we deserve as citizens and fellow human beings. I think it's long overdue.

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