Gay Pride 2003

By Keith Boykin, in sexuality
Friday, June 27 2003, 10:01AM

This weekend marks Gay Pride in New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta and numerous other cities. After the Supreme Court's decision yesterday and the Canadian ruling on gay marriage last week, there is much to celebrate.

These are times of change in the world, and especially in North America. The pro-gay marriage decision in Canada and the Supreme Court's sodomy decision in the U.S. came as welcome surprises for Gay Pride Month.

But with every silver lining, there is a cloud looming somewhere. In this case, the Bush Administration chose to de-recognize Gay Pride Month after years of formal recognition during the Clinton Administration.

To make matters worse, the Bush Justice Department essentially barred the Department of Justice gay employee organization from commemorating the month with a celebration at the building. What else should we expect from a right-wing Attorney General who begins each morning's meetings with a (presumably Christian) prayer? "God give me the strength to smite the sodomites and afflict the abortionists and assail the affirmative actionists."

Despite the hostility from the current leadership in Washington, the gay and lesbian community moves forward. The Democratic presidential candidates are eagerly vying for LGBT support. Television and film screen writers fill their story lines with gay themes and plots. Churches are appointing openly gay bishops and ministers. And gays and lesbians are coming out everyday on the job, in the church, in the workplace.

Things are moving a lot more slowly in the black LGBT community, but there are still some signs of encouragement. Glossy magazines like Venus and Arise that cater to black gays and lesbians have become consistent, reliable sources of news and features about our community. More and more black gays, bisexuals and lesbians are coming out in their communities and on their jobs. The black gay pride movement has grown larger than ever. Social opportunities for black gay men and lesbians have increased dramatically. And word is out that Gay Men of African Descent of New York has chosen a new executive director.

At the same time, a small but vocal group of black so-called "ex-gays" have launched a movement recently to terrorize the black LGBT community with false claims that homosexuality is wrong and can be healed. That group will be stopped once we develop the strength to know who we are, to celebrate our pride in our identity, and to educate and mentor others to be strong as well.

We're not nearly as "out" as our white counterparts, and we're nowhere near as politically active, but perhaps we can use our well honed party organizational skills and our strength in numbers to empower us to keep moving on. I've met hundreds of talented, successful, well-educated and well-paid black gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the past few years. And I've met just as many committed, thoughtful, hardworking, sacrificing black LGBT activists during this time.

For a long time, the people with the consciousness lacked access to capital and the people with capital lacked consciousness. That equation can change as we begin to marry these two groups of people and create a well-informed, well-financed, politically empowered community of action.

Gay pride need not mean white gay pride anymore. As more people of color become more involved in our own communities, we will have many more victories of our own to celebrate. In the meantime, we take heart in the knowledge that we have come along way from years past. We've come way too far to turn back now. We remember what it was like not too long ago, and we won't go back again.

Comments (8) reveal