It's just what white gay men do. They never want to rock the boat and risk what privileges they already have, so they let other communities take the risk for them. If someone else's rocking the boat benefits them in any way, they'll jump all over it and claim the others' movement for their own. How else would you get a community that views black people as "uniquely homophobic" falling all over themselves to appropriate the language of the civil rights movement?
5:28 PM
Guest Post from Renee of Womanist Musings
Check out this week's cover of Newsweek.
[Image]
Last
week, Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to state
unequivocal belief of same sex marriage. This is an absolutely historic
thing for Barack Obama to do however, it simply places him on the right
side of history. I don't believe in giving people accolades for doing
what is morally right. There has been the suggestion that because he
did this during an election year that he has risked the possibility of a
second term in office. Despite the loud screaming from republican
troll Mitt Romney and the like, the truth is that majority of Americans
are in favor of same sex marriage, and this number continues to
increase. Being in favor of something when it is politically expedient
to do so, should not be cast as a great risk.
I normally don't comment on U.S. politics, though I stay up to date on
all the issues, but the above image really irritated me. What Barack
Obama did does not make him the gay president, anymore than Bill Clinton
was the first Black president. You don't take on the identity of a
marginalized person simply be attempting to be an ally. Now, to be
clear, I'm not pulling a no homo here, I am talking about the
appropriation of a marginalized identity in order to give the appearance
of being liberal, inclusive and tolerant. A straight man, cannot by
definition be the gay president. He can advocate for GLBT rights and in
fact should do so, but I reject this appropriation.
I have never seen Obama as a true leftist, despite the way that the
American right tries to paint him as the second coming of Karl Marx. He
only appears to be left, because the right is so far out of touch with
reality. The left right continuum in the U.S. is well and truly fucked,
and I believe as an outsider, it's really easy to see.
What are your thoughts on the Newsweek Cover?
posted by Monica Roberts at 12:00 AM on May 16, 2012
"Barack Obama is NOT The First Gay President"
1 Comment -
It's just what white gay men do. They never want to rock the boat and risk what privileges they already have, so they let other communities take the risk for them. If someone else's rocking the boat benefits them in any way, they'll jump all over it and claim the others' movement for their own. How else would you get a community that views black people as "uniquely homophobic" falling all over themselves to appropriate the language of the civil rights movement?
5:28 PM