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Hope not hate: Obama and Prop 8
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“Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”
— Senator Barack Obama
Senator Barack Obama’s historic campaign for President of the United States will bring record numbers of voters to the polls on November 4, 2008. Recent media attention has examined how this enthusiasm might translate into support for old-school culture war ballot initiatives that would eliminate rights for same-sex couples in states like Florida and California. On the eve of the possible election of the nation’s first African American president—a victory won by a diverse group of civil rights activists—it is possible that some African Americans may use this election as an opportunity to actively participate in restricting the civil rights of others. A New York Times article asked this question: “Could Senator Barack Obama’s popularity among black voters hurt gay couples in California who want to marry?” California’s Proposition 8 would rewrite the state’s constitution to eliminate marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. California’s State Supreme Court, the majority of which is composed of Republican appointed justices, recently defended these rights in a May 2008 court ruling. Over 11,000 same sex couples have been married since the court legalized same-sex marriage.
While there is some support for Proposition 8 in the Black community, there are a number of African Americans who recognize that this legislation is, as Obama states, “divisive and discriminatory.”
James Rucker, co-founder of ColorOfChange.org, wrote this in a recent message to ColorOfChange.org members: “Proposition 8 on California's ballot would write language into our state's constitution that, instead of protecting rights, takes them away from people because of the gender of the person they love, the person with whom they want to be in life-partnership.” He adds that since white voters are split on the ballot, “organizers behind the initiative are courting Black ministers and individuals in hopes of securing a victory through our votes. I don't believe they sufficiently appreciate or respect our history--and the folks who have been with us in our struggles are not the people backing this proposition.” Rucker asks each of us to think carefully about playing a role in restricting rights to other citizens.
Alice Huffman, President of the California State NAACP, has received hate mail for her opposition to Proposition 8. In a recent interview for the California Report, Huffman says, “We’ve always had gays and lesbians in our midst. Our best musicians, all the clergy will let them teach the choir, play the piano and then get up on Sunday morning and talk about them like they’re an animal instead of a person.”
Ron Buckmire, the board president of Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition—a gay rights group in Los Angeles, says this in the New York Times: “ ‘Gay people are black and black people are gay. And if you are voting conservative on an antigay ballot measure, you are hurting the black community.’”
Support for Proposition 8 contrasts sharply with the ideals that inform Presidential Democratic Nominee Barack Obama’s platform on LGBT rights, as noted in the open letter to LGBT voters posted on his official website. The theme of his statement on LGBT rights echoes the theme of his candidacy: inclusion not exclusion. Hope not hate.
It is an odd contradiction that those who support Obama would also support an exclusionary proposition that is fundamentally opposed to the spirit of his campaign. For nearly two years, Barack Obama has fought to appeal to the “the best of the human spirit.” When you are at the polls tomorrow ask yourself if your vote reflects the spirit of his historic candidacy. Vote No on 8.
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