A conversation I had with a coworker today, and an opportunity

[MikeE]

Today I was having a conversation with a coworker about the election. He and I have both been big Obama supporters and are both gay. He is also a person of color.

We were both thrilled with the Obama victory and all the gains in the House and Senate. I was telling him how it feels really strange that we are celebrating, but, at the same time, mourning all the anti-gay initiatives. He told me that he felt the same and had a really interesting perspective and told me that he had experienced this feeling a lot.

He feels it when another person of color makes some homophobic comment to him, (how can someone who has suffered discrimination themselves discriminate against someone in their own community). We began discussing how Bayard Rustin was basically used and then thrown under the bus during the Civil Rights movement of the 60's.

He said that he also feels it when a white gay person makes some racist comment,( again, a community that has felt the pain of discrimination being guilty of it themselves), and how basically being a double minority, he faces discrimination in both communities.

I told him how I had nearly gotten into more than one bar fight because I called people out for making racist comments and we both had a good laugh at that, because I'm usually very calm, but I have my moments when I just go off.

I asked how he felt about people calling out the black churches and he felt that they should be called out, as well as the Mormons, Catholics, and anyone else who voted for these horrible initiatives. Just like one group alone didn't get Obama elected, one group alone didn't pass these initiatives.

In any event, my point in this whole long post is this: what we are feeling is a betrayal from people we thought were allies. This is a feeling that is new to many. It is also an opportunity.

It is a reminder to all of us that when we see people making racist comments in the gay community to call them out publicly and loudly. When we see people making homophobic comments, again, call them out loudly and publicly. We cannot tolerate bigotry in minority communities, period.

[PDJane]

1. I agree.....and couldn't have said it better.

Thank you.