Here's a quote from the letter:
>in recent days there has been a tendency to
>assign blame to specific communities, in
>particular, the African American community. The
>fact is, 52 percent of all Californians, the
>vast majority of whom were not African
>Americans, voted against us. In addition, the
>most recent analysis of the exit poll that drove
>much of this speculation determined that it was
>too small to draw any conclusion on the African
>American vote, and further polling shows that
>the margin was much closer than first reported.
http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Community_Letter_Prop_8
An Open Letter to the Community
A diverse group of community leaders issued the following letter Thursday that emphasized the importance of building coalitions and rejecting divisive tactics in the efforts to overturn Proposition 8 and gain full marriage equality in California.
November 13, 2008
Dear Community,
We are on the cusp of a new era as our country has elected its first African-American president, Barack Obama. We hope this unprecedented event will usher in a new chapter in our nation’s history.
This past week has been a difficult time. With the passage of Proposition 8 in California to change the state constitution to eliminate the right to marry, our community has experienced a difficult defeat. We are angry and upset by the passage of Proposition 8 and the betrayal of the promise of equality that has been the hallmark of the Golden State. Yet, we know that this is only a setback innot the end ofour journey toward full equality for the LGBT community.
It is natural to analyze what went wrong. But in recent days there has been a tendency to assign blame to specific communities, in particular, the African American community. The fact is, 52 percent of all Californians, the vast majority of whom were not African Americans, voted against us. In addition, the most recent analysis of the exit poll that drove much of this speculation determined that it was too small to draw any conclusion on the African American vote, and further polling shows that the margin was much closer than first reported. Most importantly, though, none of this discourse changes the outcome of the vote. It only serves to divide our community and hinder our ability to create a stronger and more diverse coalition to help us overturn Proposition 8 and restore full equality and human rights to LGBT people. It also deflects responsibility from the group that is responsible for this miscarriage of justice: The Yes on 8 campaign. They waged a deceitful and immoral campaign that brought about this violation of our human rights and dignity.
We as a community have come so far. Let’s not lose sight of this. Since Proposition 22 passed eight years ago by 22 percentage points, we have made our case to the people of California. We have talked to our families, co-workers and friends about what true equality looks like. In so doing, we have narrowed the gap substantially since that time. And, in the last week, we have continued to move forward with a great wave of non-violent protest and a strong and powerful legal case put together by some of the keenest legal minds, supported by the governor, our senators and many other elected officials in our state. Moreover, we have seen a great national movement growing in support of equal rights for the LGBT community as a result of our actions in California.
We are hopeful the election of Barack Obama signals a new spirit of collaboration among diverse groups of people. There are many allied communitiesstraight, African-American, Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American, white, people of faith, and secular peoplewho are energized to join with us as never before. This is progress! LGBT people are a part of all those communities, and with the support of our straight allies, we know that justice will prevail.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Now is the time to come together as one community working together toward human rights and full equality. We are confident that with our growing coalition we will ultimately win this fight.
Sincerely,
Ron Buckmire Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition
Rea Carey Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Jennifer Chrisler Executive Director, Family Equality Council
Oscar De La O President & CEO, Bienestar
John Duran Member, West Hollywood City Council
Rabbi Denise L. Eger Congregation Kol Ami
Lorri L. Jean CEO, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Kate Kendell Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Geoff Kors Executive Director, Equality California
Francine Ramsey Executive Director, Zuna Institute
Rev. Susan Russell and Rev. Ed Bacon All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena
Rodney Scott President, Christopher Street West/LA Pride
Joe Solmonese President, Human Rights Campaign
Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas Metropolitan Community Church/LA
Vallerie D. Wagner National Black Justice Coalition
Marshall Wong Co-Chair, API EqualityL.A.
<http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-prop8-18-2008nov18,0,2083469.story>http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-prop8-18-2008nov18,0,2083469.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Editorial
Healing the gay/black divide
Gay-rights leaders seek to dampen animosity sparked by Prop. 8's passage.
November 18, 2008
In a letter addressed to "Dear Community," a high-powered coalition of gay-rights leaders is calling for an end to the scapegoating of African Americans for the passage of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California. Nine painful, anger-filled and vitriolic days passed before this request for calm appeared, and although <http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Community_Letter_Prop_8>the letter is sensible and encouraging, words alone will not undo the damage.
Since an election-day exit poll found that 70% of black voters supported Proposition 8, tensions between gays and blacks have exploded on the airwaves, in newspaper columns and on the Internet. The letter, however, notes that blacks make up a small part of the 52% of California voters who supported Proposition 8. Furthermore, it says, a recent analysis of that exit poll determined that it was too small to "draw any conclusions on the African American vote."
Many in the gay community believed, perhaps naively, that shared minority status would create a sense of sympathy between the two groups, and that casting gay marriage as a benchmark in civil rights history would cement that bond. Yet some African Americans were more offended than impressed by the comparison of the right of homosexuals to marry and the right of blacks to vote or to share public accommodations. Then there is the irony of one civil rights dream fulfilled the same night another was deferred. Much has been made of the possibility that a surge in support for Barack Obama helped pass Proposition 8, but according to political analyst Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com, exit polls show that first-time voters, 83% of whom cast ballots for Obama, voted against the measure by 62% to 38%.
This has been a wrenching loss for advocates of same-sex marriage, but it should provide an opportunity to forge allegiances. Black people need to hear how denying gays the right to marry devastates families and diminishes us all. Gays need to know that they will find less "hate" and religious dogma among blacks than they imagine, but also a deep grief over the disintegration of the nuclear black family and fear that gay marriage will further erode it. Efforts are quietly underway in Los Angeles to initiate these conversations. We hope they create a truly broad, communitywide imperative for an end to discrimination and for equal rights for all.