[BronzDragon]

Originally Posted by novaseeker

This is the challenge I think. While the African American community could rally around the charismatic figure of Dr. King, and the genuine and real tradition of black american spirituality, GLBT people don't really have that rallying "center".

» Thom says: ☛ I think the problem lies within history. The African diaspora in America has had over two centuries of practice with having their identity shredded and their communities manipulated, so they have experience and coping mechanics in place. The glbtq as an identity has only emerged over the last century or so. This also leads us to another problem: while both gays and Africans find themselves in ghettoes, one does not see a lot of gay bashing by police and politicians that work within the ghettoes, where Africans often find themselves being pulled over for driving in the wrong neighborhood (even if they live there), or simply for driving while black. So, there are daily events that happen in the African community almost anywhere they live that remind them that Emancipation is still a dream to fight for; where many Queers are still more concerned about whether their hair is right or their shoes will look good with that kilt.

It would take something akin to what led up to the Stonewall riots to get the community together for anything like a “March on Washington.” Politicians are clever, though, and learn from their mistakes. They may still write us off, but they still find a way to make us feel like they want us.