*Some Thoughts*

“While things have shifted a tad for those of us still on the margins of society, the benefits of the change have befallen only to those who come from or have ascended to the upper tiers of society’s socioeconomic ladder. While race still matters as Cornel West’s bestseller of the same title waxes eloquently about, the daily bite and sting of racism, however, is cushioned by class and social upward mobility that gives the illusion to some that we are now in a post-racial era, especially in light of presidential hopeful Barack Obama.”..Rev. Irene Monroe

If your interested in Rev. Monroe’s full article click over to Bilerico Project. This article “Obama’s Chickens Have Come Home to Roost” can be found here and is entered on this blog as food for thought. Rev. Monroe has been a guest with us and has spoken to our Hartford lgbt community on several occansions  and writes a column for INewsweekly.

 Those in the lgbtq community suffer under this illusion that Rev. Monroe speaks of in the above paragraph. Over the years, over and over we have seen the comfortable class of l & g people lead the movement with their concerns and convince all of us that what they want and need is what we want and need. Our lead organization the Human Rights Campaign cares more about their rich white upper class members than those of us who are working class, trans, or queer. Those of us who just do not fit. As lesbian activist Surina Khan once wrote, “The struggle within the gay and lesbian movement is, in many ways, a struggle between the vision of conditional acceptance and that of actual liberation. It is little wonder that the vision of conditional acceptance for gay and lesbian people is flourishing in the current political climate of punitive intolerance.” But we forget that some have something is some places and some have nothing in many others. Most states do not even have a hate crimes bill let alone any civil rights or anti-discrimination legislation. So lets not labor under the illusion that all is well and people really love us and the last fight is one of marriage for l & G people. And please do not think that I equate my oppression with the oppression of Blacks and Latinos. One can’t. It’s not the same struggle, but it’s one struggle against the oppressor. 

 A interesting thing happened a few years back when I went to the town where I grew up. I was talking to some of the guys I knew (all straight white men) about the new super-market that had just opened. (all these men have the connections to form public policy in the town, sit on boards own large tracks of land, and one is one of the worse slum lords with buildings here in Hartford and in the town.) I remarked that now they had a state of the arts market that they needed a Bradlees or something like that so people would not have to drive 30 miles. I was told in no uncertain terms that they would never allow such a thing to be built as if they did the people from Hartford would then come there to shop. I replied, ” Don’t you think we have places to shop in Hartford.” Fast forward about 5 years. In the middle of the lake are two beautiful islands. One day all through out “wagging tongue” land people were talking that Oprah was coming to town to check out buying the two islands. Oh, how everyone thought that this was just the cats meow. A rich star maybe coming into their midst to live. (they even spruced up the town) Lesson very simple. Rich Oprah was okay. Blacks from Hartford coming to shop was not.  I can just imainge what these same guys think about Obama’s candidacy for president. I am sure they are saying real nasty things, very similar to the racist troll Lyn who has appeared on QWB in the comments section and know that even if there are democrats amongst the group they will all vote for McCain rather than vote for a black man or a woman. I’m glad I have no plans to travel to this town in the near future, glad I fled when I was younger and happy that I only visit on certain occasions.

I just read an article by Michael Eric Dyson that was published in the LA Times. The article “The Prophetic Anger of MLK” can be found by clicking here. Michael Eric Dyson is a professor of Sociology at Georgetown University and the author of 16 books.

I believe in the words of Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and thank him for speaking as he does. For calling it as it really is, for leading us from despair with his righteous prophetic anger. For giving me as a person who is working on my own racism a direction, for helping to open my mind some more. Many of us of my generation in the outsider queer community do not put anything past this government and do believe that the government did have a hand in unleashing the plague of AIDS upon gay community. They certainly kept their mouths shut about it for so long that thousands of our brothers died before that Reagan even opened his mouth and said the word. We used to chant “Ronald Regan you can’t hide we charge you with genocide.” One only has to look around and see both back in history and in the present that we are dealing with a government that will do any thing to keep in power and to silence by untruths and it needed to kill off its enemies. Some of us do certainly believe as Dr. King did that this government is very capable of putting us, Blacks, and anyone else who confronts its policies into camps when and if it decides that that makes good political sense for survival. I too join the chorus of voices decrying the U.S. as a imperialist nation and fully know that the words of Rev. Wright, “politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls are true.” If I were a church person I would definitely want to attend Rev. Wright’s church. I don’t pander to the middle, run to the center or hide my views under a bushel peck. But then again I am not running for president. I don’t think that I would have to worry so much about the fate of my people if the Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr. were running for president as I know the queer community would get a fair deal as would all the world. As I don’t believe that Reverend Wright has a stick in his pocket, a stick like the ones that the democrats carry. The stick that has been used against our people by those who claim to be our friends.

Michael Eric Dyson ends his article with words that ring so true. Words that we as progressives should remember. An idea that has been taught through many revolutions and one that I try hard to remember when ever I hear talk about change, about rights for people. How will this what we are doing affect the poorest amongst us. How will this affect the small the most vulnerable. This idea has surfaced again and again over the years in my communities search for “equality” or liberation has always come to the forefront of my arguments with other members of the lgbt community. Today we face the same thing with the Employment Non-Discrimination Bill and the idea that a non-inclusive one locking out the Trans community is the only one that will pass and be signed into law by the democrat candidates for president. Forgetting that it is the Trans community that needs these protections the most. The Most Vulnerable Amongst Us.  In Dyson’s words it comes together. “As King’s example proves, as we dream,we must remember the poor and vulnerable who live a nightmare. And as we strike out in prophetic anger against injustice, love must cushion even our hardest blows.” I believe that Jesus spoke to this when he said, “What you do to the least amongst us, you also do to me. ” (I am still working hard on the love part.)