3 years ago when I moved to South Florida for this news gig there was a lot about LGBTQ I had to learn in South Florida. This may be the gayest place on planet earth but frequently it can be infuriating. That’s a different commentary. My friends know, I always make a joke. Today I have the race on my mind and it’s no joke. It’s an old American phenomenon that seems to have become worse. Black Lives Matter, trans exclusion in sports and health care, now the attack on our LGBTQ students. The way “they”... you know... Tucker, Sean, and Laura, the gang of 3 at Fox news figured out how to solve it all. It’s called DON’T SAY GAY and get your crony allies like Governor Ronnie to be enforcement of the erasure of our community. Does LGBTQ+ support our black community? Our lesbian community? Our Latin community? Don’t even get me started on support for Trans. I’m hearing anecdotal examples of racism even at our Wilton Queer shows, bars, and more. When I moved here I learned a phrase that Richard Gray from Visit Lauderdale. We are a Majority-Minority Community. Meaning Latinos, black, women, and other traditionally marginalized minorities make up the majority of the population. Great. Riiggghhhht. But what does that have to do with White Men? And white gay men? This weekend I had such an odd experience. First, It’s Black History Month. Are you hearing much about the Black LGBTQ experience this month? This gay white guy isn’t. So imagine how happy I was when Jameer Baptiste and others formed support for Afro Pride and a fundraising Cookout at Pride Center last Saturday. Sounds great until there was conflict and the parties involved separated. Leadership at Afro Pride set up a counter cook-out just two miles away. Two LGBTQ Black events at the exact same time. Competing with each other. It seems our differences are not just between the L’s and G’s or the T’s but amongst our own groups. Like black. I went to both events. And had another unique experience. I was a white gay guy in a black LGBTQ world. And frankly was welcomed warmly. In both places. But I realized, Al, this is exactly what the Black LGBTQ community experienced 365 days a year on Wilton Drive. It made me realize, we have just as far to go in our own LGBTQ South Florida community as we do in Minneapolis or Brunswick, Georgia. And racism is not just a straight thing. That same day I went to a birthday party for my friend Tony Lima. He is Cuban American and all 16 at dinner were Latino. Except me. First, I’m honored. But second, I was keenly aware of how much Spanish was being spoken, which I don’t speak. We joked about White privilege and the Latino/Latina LGBTQ experience. Again, for the third time in just a single day. I was the minority. My experience was not their experience. My norms were largely different than my Latino friends. This show has my name on it. A white privileged gay male. I am not part of the majority-minority South Florida community. My point? The white experience in LGBTQ is no better than in the straight community. Identity culture is real. Identity politics is dangerous. For a brief time on Saturday, I was the minority. The difference is that Sunday morning I woke up White. And male. Saturday reminds me I can do better. We can all do better. And if we want to endure what we are watching from our friends at Fox News, and in Tallahassee. We must do better.
The Gay Guru View’, I Always Make A Joke, Racism Is No Joke
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