Friday, July 3, 2009

National Black Justice Coalition's Jason W. Bartlett speaks on Obama's intentions towards the LGBT community


Here's an interesting essay from Jason W. Bartlett, NBJC Deputy Director, as well as a Connecticut State Representative.

O
bama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights
President Obama made powerful, significant statements at the June 29th LGBT Stonewall reception, but I fear that the most telling words have been lost by the mass media.

Obama’s words relate to the intersection of sexuality and race, and they foretell the difficulty in moving the agenda forward—a mission the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) was founded upon and been advocating ever since our inception five years ago.



Many gay and lesbian people wonder how it can be that a Black President has not moved more quickly on LGBT rights. They ask out loud how it can be that President Obama does not see gay rights as the next frontier in our nation’s civil rights struggle. What many of my white gay brothers and sisters need to realize is that Obama absolutely understands the intellectual argument that equates advancing gay rights to America’s civil rights struggles.

He said as much in his speech. But he is a President whose constituency—and I do not mean white, Middle America, but his constituency of Black Americans—does not stand with him or follow his argument on civil rights encompassing LGBT rights.


Obama’s enlightened perspective on the gay rights struggle is seen in his admonishment to himself: “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.”
This understanding of the LGBT disinclination towards patience—just as Black civil rights heroes could wait for justice no longer—was neither welcomed nor accepted by many in the Black community.

The initial reaction to this argument was demonstrated by the popular radio personality Tom Joyner, who immediately took offense to the comparison the morning after Obama’s speech. During the debate on marriage equality on the Connecticut House floor, I personally heard murmurs and invective from an African American colleague who bemoaned the mention of civil rights heroes and struggles as the case was made for marriage equality.

Some people take offense personally that white gays and lesbians would take inspiration from civil rights icons, as many have a feeling of ownership and personal attachment to the civil rights struggle and its philosophy.


Are these feeling legitimate? Or do they point to a wider incidence of homophobia in our Black community? President Obama noted in his remarks that that we need to open the hearts and minds of those that don’t fully embrace their “gay brothers and sisters.” He goes on to say that he has “...spoken about these issues not only in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences—in front of
African American church members...”

This statement is telling and provocative. It demonstrates that President Obama is clearly aware that a disproportionate number of African Americans are not ready to embrace gay rights. Who is willing to bridge this divide to make the demographic shifts necessary for politicians, the media and the country to move progressively on LGBT rights?
NBJC believes that President Obama is ready to do the hard lifting and we are prepared to assist him in this effort.

We are also willing to challenge the homophobia that exists in our community. For example, we will be working with the
NAACP at their centennial convention and encouraging their members to recognize that one of their own, Bayard Rustin—a leader and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington—was a gay Black man. This is something the NAACP has yet to do. In addition, we call on our white gay brothers and sisters—just as President Obama did—to recognize that they have work of their own to do in communicating with communities of color.

All too often, Black LGBT people extend our hand to work with our white colleagues, as we did in California on Proposition Eight, and all too often our white brothers and sisters stay frozen in a black/white construct that is still too separate and unwelcoming.


Many don’t recognize that this is the next battle. We believe President Obama will move the agenda forward, and NBJC will be just as diligent as other LGBT leaders in prompting our President towards action. We also look to
Michelle Obama. She was at the reception as well, and many of us noted her presence and facial expressions that told it all; Michelle may be our fiercest ally. It is the responsibility of all of us—Obama, Black leaders and White LGBT leaders working together—to persuade the President’s closest and most loyal constituency, communities of color, towards real progress.

3 comments:

J. Clarence said...

I don't think the President is that concerned with what Black people think on gay issues to the extent Bartlett is eluding to.

Politically I think it's safe to assume even if President O came out tomorrow for marriage equality Black people would still overwhelmingly vote for him again in 2012, or at the very least gay rights won't be the issue that turns him away from the President.

Other than that I completely agree with what Bartlett is saying

Anonymous said...

This is nonsense. To the extent that there is any coherence in Bartlett’s assertions he appears to suggest that President Obama is moving slowly on LGBT civil rights because “his constituency of Black Americans—does not stand with him or follow his argument on civil rights encompassing LGBT rights.”

Bartlett proffers no evidence to support this specious claim other than citing an objection from Tom Joyner with the specifics about Joyner’s supposed objection. He also offers as evidence a statement (which he did not provide) from a unnamed African American member of the CT state legislature.

To add insult to injury Bartlett suggests that a “disproportionate number of African Americans are not ready to embrace gay rights.” Again he provides no evidence or facts to back up his assertion. Rather he quotes President Obama’s mention of his speaking out against homophobia to Black church goers.

NBJC should know better than most that to equate the opinions of the Black church as those of the larger Black community is a flawed thesis. Moreover, the evidence I have seen suggest that it is only on the issue of marriage that African American support for LGBT rights is proportionally out of step with the American public as a whole.

Bartlett decries that fact that and “all too often our white brothers and sisters stay frozen in a black/white construct that is still too separate and unwelcoming.” How ironic, when his entire commentary is frozen in a black/white divide.

Finally Bartlett asks that we rely on the First Lady Michelle Obama’s facial expressions as evidence of her support for LGBT rights.

I hope NBJC and Bartlett will provide us with more enlighten analysis in the future. If they have real facts, quotes and data to support their assertions I for one would like to see them make that available otherwise this veiled attempt at self-promotion is shamelessly transparent.

kayman said...

Anonymous, do you even know what you are talking about?

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.