gay rights

Gays Are the New Niggers: 40 years after the Stonewall riots, what Bayard Rustin means for American democracy

Those who declare “Gay is the New Black” want to link the gay rights movement to the civil rights movement. Yet the slogan is full of internal contradictions and historical incongruities. Comparing the experiences of black folks and gay folks in the U.S. has outraged intellectuals, religious leaders, and politicians inside the black community.

It has outraged, for instance, Rev. Irene Monroe. She identifies three cardinal sins of whiteness plaguing the gay-marriage movement:

During recent weeks five U.S. states, plus the Washington DC city council, have dramatically legalized gay marriages. New Hampshire is expected to become the sixth state this week, and New York's state senate is currently debating the issue, with strong support from both the state assembly and the governor. Political leaders, community activists, and educators from across the political spectrum are discussing this hot topic around the nation.

I was among many Americans who were not pleased to see the prominent role given to evangelical mega-pastor Rick Warren in President Barack Obama's inauguration yesterday. As a counterbalance to Warren's opening (which many agreed was well-done, in retrospect) the great Dr. Joseph Lowery was called on to close the ceremony, and he offered an energetic prayer that drew upon "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" (a.k.a. "The Negro National Anthem," or "The Black national Anthem" as we called it when I was in college) as well as calling out slogans from the civil rights movement and quoting The Bible.

But there was another gesture, perhaps a specific response to Rev. Warren's strong advocacy of Proposition 8 (which banned gay marriage in California). The openly-gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was invited to open the inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial which the Obamas attended on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to technical and logistical issues very few attendees could hear his words, and those watching at home never even saw his face. But fortunately, many are still sharing his message by posting his prayer on the Internet, and I'm happy to join in and pass it on...