Radical Response to Prop 8
Before the vote on Prop 8 many LGBT people who were not on the marriage equality bandwagon. The thinking for many was that marriage only benefits queers wealthy enough to not worry about daily survival, and that focusing on marriage detracts from other issues affecting queers. Just before Prop 8 I didn't hear any radical critiques of marriage from within the LGBT community. This isn't surpising considering the way the battle of 8 was fought was very much homophobic right wingers versus us.
Although there are divisive elements in our community post Prop 8 ,and large segments of the community that are not represented, I think fallout around Prop 8 has the potential to unite us in ways I don't think we've ever been united. (Woody, if you're reading this please give me your take on this.) So i was suprised to recieve an email from a radical queer recently about how marriage won't address issues that are pressing to many low income queers and queer people of color. In general I share all these concerns and analysis. An advancement of LGBT rights isn't going to address systemic racism or how problematic social security disability income is that many positive guys rely on. But it really doesn't fly for me to throw the baby out with the bathwater on this one.
Unlike employment discrimination or hate crimes protection, marriage really puts an emphasis on queer relationships; that is, it more directly forces people to confront their homophobia. Have a problem with gays but want to be "PC"? Sure, vote for sexual orientation to be added to the hate crimes bill and even employment discrimination protections, as long as "they" are in some other place like San Francisco. Sounds kinda like, I don't have a problem with (insert group of people) as long as they don't live in my neighborhood. By directly forcing people to directly deal with queer relationships I think the marriage equality movement has something unique and very beneficial to add to the push for LGBT equality. So long as we're not divisive at least.
Although there are divisive elements in our community post Prop 8 ,and large segments of the community that are not represented, I think fallout around Prop 8 has the potential to unite us in ways I don't think we've ever been united. (Woody, if you're reading this please give me your take on this.) So i was suprised to recieve an email from a radical queer recently about how marriage won't address issues that are pressing to many low income queers and queer people of color. In general I share all these concerns and analysis. An advancement of LGBT rights isn't going to address systemic racism or how problematic social security disability income is that many positive guys rely on. But it really doesn't fly for me to throw the baby out with the bathwater on this one.
Unlike employment discrimination or hate crimes protection, marriage really puts an emphasis on queer relationships; that is, it more directly forces people to confront their homophobia. Have a problem with gays but want to be "PC"? Sure, vote for sexual orientation to be added to the hate crimes bill and even employment discrimination protections, as long as "they" are in some other place like San Francisco. Sounds kinda like, I don't have a problem with (insert group of people) as long as they don't live in my neighborhood. By directly forcing people to directly deal with queer relationships I think the marriage equality movement has something unique and very beneficial to add to the push for LGBT equality. So long as we're not divisive at least.