Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

I am going to be completely honest ... in considering the issue of same-sex marriage equality, the notion of race has never been prominent in my mind. Religion, most definitely; many, if not most, arguments against same-sex marriage are based on some aspect of religion. But race? Not something I'd ever thought about.

Fortunately, I've been enlightened, even if the enlightening was both surprising and a little disappointing. It turns out that many black Americans are less likely to support same-sex marriage than their white or hispanic counterparts. According to an article posted on The Huffington Post, entitled Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage:

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"Last April, as the successful push for same-sex marriage in New York picked up speed, a survey of state voters by the Siena College Research Institute found that 62 percent of white voters and 54 percent of Latino voters favored it. Only 46 percent of black voters did.

And in Maryland, which is almost certain to debate same-sex marriage next year, a recent poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies depicted a split among the state’s residents, with 48 percent in favor and 49 opposed. Among black Marylanders, though, support fell to 41 percent and opposition rose to 59."

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I won't claim to understand the complex dynamics underlying the feelings of these - or any - same-sex marriage opponents. That said, I do wish to enlighten you with what I have read:

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"Like Burns, many African-Americans who oppose same-sex marriage do so on religious grounds. “This is a community composed of many Biblical literalists,” Bond said in a recent phone interview, adding that they put a “wrong and wrong-headed” emphasis on certain Biblical references to homosexuality.

But it’s also important to recognize that people lobbying for gay rights have at times given African-Americans pause by appropriating “civil rights” language and arguments in too broad a manner.

Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, noted the existence of phrases like “gay is the new black” and said that attempts to equate the persecution of gay and black Americans can be “deeply offensive.”

African-Americans were enslaved. And during their brutal struggle for justice, they couldn’t make a secret of what set them apart from others, said Henderson, who supports same-sex marriage, during a phone interview Friday.

When gay men and lesbians glide over such details, he said, it feels “inherently disrespectful to the black experience in this country.” "

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In response to the clear lack of support for same-sex marriage amongst black Americans, an organization known as the Human Rights Campaign (H.R.C.) has launched a new effort, called "Americans for Marriage Equality". To date, the H.R.C. has posted three videos - all of which feature prominent black Americans. The key message is simple: Marriage is ... LOVE, FAMILY, COMMITMENT.







You can view the entire article by clicking this link: The Huffington Post: Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

- Candice