Black females who engage in vaginal or anal receptive sex are therefore disproportionately impacted as reflected in the HIV rates.

What should not be implied, inferred or hypothesized is that black women are engaging in more risky sex, are more promiscuous or the women engage in more anal receptive sex than other ethnic groups.

Um, it's not clear to me what the rest of your rant was about, with regard to owning 'civil rights' or 'genocide'.

Black females who engage in vaginal or anal receptive sex are therefore disproportionately impacted as reflected in the HIV rates.

What should not be implied, inferred or hypothesized is that black women are engaging in more risky sex, are more promiscuous or the women engage in more anal receptive sex than other ethnic groups.

Um, it's not clear to me what the rest of your rant was about, with regard to owning 'civil rights' or 'genocide'.

It's a real issue.

Wasn't that long ago, in the overall timeline of recorded history, that we, as Black people, could have ANY of our marriages recognized under civil law. Wasn't that long ago at all.

I know how complicated the politics of this is, especially as the white gay powerbrokers perpetuated bigotry and foolishness in their attempt to secure a right they don't now possess in 45 states in the union.

But their problems notwithstanding, we really can't act like the denial of a civil right to ANY of our citizens isn't important.

I don't have to quote the familiar “But I wasn't a (fill in the blank) so I stayed silent” while “they” came for whatever group of people “they” came for.

If we, as BLACK PEOPLE, want to hide behind our religious beliefs in order to deny our GAY brothers and sisters their CIVIL RIGHTS, I call bullshit.

Loudly. Forcefully. Often. Everywhere.

Where are you getting your statistics from?

Because if you don't take it up the ass and you haven't been able to do PERSONAL research about the proportion of Black men who take it up the ass, then I'd have to say that you're talking out of yours.

Just my opinion, of course.

If you could provide some irrefutable evidence, please provide it.

My statement was an IF. It wasn't a statement of fact. It was a mere reflection of much of the rhetoric around HIV in the Black community. It wasn't a dichotomy, either. It was simply a hypothetical.

But the bottom line: it's about fucking time Black people talk openly about gay rights AS civil rights.

Period.

Black people don't own the phrase “civil rights” any more than Jewish people own the word “genocide.”

Period.

You're absolutely right, but the “backbone” of the black church has always been Black Women. The GOP gives a lot of money to sellout preachers, but if Black Women cut-off their support for hateful-hypocritical ministry, then these preachers would be in SERIOUS trouble.

The Gay Marriage issue is so simple, but the realities are complex. It's simple for ANY preacher to commiserate with the plight of black women who yearn for black men. Here's a sample sermon excerpt”
“Where can you find a man that's NOT in jail, GOT an education, NOT a dope dealer, GOT a real job, NOT GOT 5 Children Already, GOT They Own $$$, and most importantly…NOT Gay! Homosexuality is an abomination! All these sissies walking around proud! They going straight to…”

You see this rhetoric is simple. It's cheap to say, but preachers who preach it get mad $$$ in the offering plates FROM the ladies for commiserating about the lack of “marriageable” black men WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY getting $$$ from the GOP for endorsing Republicans who FIGHT gay marriage. IT IS SICK. The type of preaching I described above got George Bush RE-ELECTED in 2004. IT IS SICK. And if you ask me, America has paid (AND IS PAYING) a price for their votes.

That said, I tire of so many always asking and telling blacks that they should understand the fight for marriage and civil rights, why is it that blacks are the only ones who are always asked and then bashed if they don't agree? What about Asians? Native Americans? Latinos? Why always blacks?? After Prop 8 and all the hate I saw on the news that night spewed towards blacks I was disgusted, even those of us who voted against it were being called the n-word as if it were a KKK rally and I googled some gay sites and was appalled at the level of hate, until many in the gay community own up to their own racism, they will never get the black support they need and deserve.

I find this as a smokescreen issue. An issue for some to pimp and push while more serious problems of the Black Community go unchecked.

But, I am more than with you about Black men coming out of the closet. Don't want no man, who doesn't really want a Black woman, messing over a Black woman – used to be emotionally, but now, it can be life threatening.

::

And I say, it's about fucking time.

I would say it's far more important for Black people than it presently appears to you, rikyrah.

Wow, this is deep yo. All this time I thought people were born one way or another, and now you tell me that black homosexuals just imitating saltines. That's deep to me. I wish you would elaborate and bring some articles/links where I could learn more.

Great conversation on a topic made even more relevant by recent decisions in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

As others have noted, though, I'm disappointed that the former mayor is getting so much attention when all the other African-American members of council voted for the legislation.

It's an excellent point Dyson makes in challenging Sophia about the bible's instruction that women should be silent in the church. Sophia is wrong, profoundly so. She takes comfort in being in the “majority”…ha!

Waste of time.

See, this is why I fell out with Dyson to begin with; the time I sat and watched a Black man with a PhD, on national television, defending why Black folks call one another NIGGER.

I was thru with him after that, and really only half-listen to him nowadays.