White Gay Guys need to take a chill pill

6.6.09

African American Political Pundit Blog:

BY JASMYNE CANNICK

The Problem: Strong feelings of entitlement, refusal to work with others, racism, extreme issues with class, sudden temper tantrums.

The Prescription: Take as needed one chill pill with a large glass of reality.

The gay community needs to take a chill pill … seriously.

Protesting President Barack Obama outside of the Beverly Hilton Hotel during a fundraiser may make the evening news but does very little to persuade public opinion — which is the reason for the passage of Proposition 8 in the first place.

At a time when so many Californians are unemployed and living at or below the poverty line, now would be a good time for gays to show that the fight for marriage is about making life better for all of us, rather than some of us.

California voters are waist deep in the middle of an economic nightmare, and for many blacks, well let’s just say that they’re in danger of drowning. With cuts of health insurance for the poor, less financial help for unemployed single mothers, and the elimination of a state program that provides antiviral drugs for people living with AIDS on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $24.3 billion budget deficit chopping block, some would say that right about now we’ve got bigger fish to fry.

Which is not to say that I’m suggesting that the gay community give up the fight for marriage altogether; after all, I am a lesbian. But what I am saying is that the fight for marriage doesn’t surpass the bread-and-butter issues that are plaguing millions of Californians today.

Using the California Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Proposition 8 as an excuse to go out into the streets and throw temper tantrums isn’t going to evoke any sympathy from black voters who supported Proposition 8. And whether you like it or not, sooner or later the issue of gay marriage will come back to those same black voters and it’s what happens now that is going to make all of the difference in how voters react when they’re faced with it on their ballot again.