OPEN LETTER TO THE QUEER COMMUNITY IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY
FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA; FIGHT RACISM.
California has suffered a devastating loss in the passage of Proposition 8. Queer* folks and their families and friends are deeply hurt. Queer people have been dehumanized; our basic civil rights have been denied. For decades we Queer folk have collectively suffered name calling, ostracism, ridicule, assaults, murders, loss of jobs, housing, friends, families and children. We are sick at heart and tired to death of homophobia.
Some of us are worried that our marriages will not remain valid; others are wondering if we should have been married when we had the chance. Others – including our many straight allies — mourn the loss of our basic human right to choose to marry the one we love in our own time and season.
We are very angry that homophobia, heterosexism, transphobia, prejudice and bigotry have triumphed in California, and throughout the country.
In the midst of all these feelings, some people have made the mistake of putting the blame on the African American community. A small minority in the queer community has resorted to name calling, scapegoating and what is called horizontal hostility, and is engaging in racial slurs and blatant racist attacks on message boards, blogs, and in the streets.
It is critical to understand that those in power are dedicated to keeping us divided. Those of us who are not in the dominant groups are supposed to fight and therefore be robbed of the will, the spirit and the energy to dismantle the interlocking systems of oppression.
Justice minded people MUST understand that there are no separate struggles against oppression. There is not an African American community void of Queers. Likewise, there is no Queer community without African Americans. By excluding communities of color from the queer community, many fail to see how this silences and makes invisible their queer brothers and sisters of color who suffer because of both racism and homophobia. It is dangerous to ignore the MANY African Americans here and throughout the country who spoke out AGAINST Proposition 8. Let us not forget the great debt all of us owe today to our courageous brothers and sisters who fought before us for their civil rights, and in doing so, taught all the rest of us how it’s done.
In the Democratic primary, we were set up to “choose” between being against sexism and misogyny, OR being against racism and religious bigotry. Let’s refuse to choose. Let’s stand united against ALL slurs, ALL name calling, ALL prejudice and ALL oppression.
We call on the queer white community in Humboldt County to engage in examination and reflection. Why so many pickets and demonstrations at the Mormon Church and not the Catholic Church? Why so much anger directed against African American evangelicals and not against European American evangelicals? Is it safer to attack the Mormons because they are not a mainstream religion? Is it easier to attack African Americans because of the deep wells of racism still present in whites?
Proposition 8 won because of the big money donated by established religious groups (Catholic, Protestant and Mormon). It won because the campaign relied on big lies repeated again and again. They stirred up and exploited deeply ingrained myths that queer people are a threat to children. They won because they were more effective in engaging and reaching out to communities of faith and of color than the No ON 8 folks were. Prop 8 won because the local and statewide media dropped the ball in exposing their horrendous lies. Prop 8 won because politicians like the Governor have spoken out NOW, after our defeat, not before the election when it might have helped.
We call on the queer community in Humboldt County to remember our community’s tradition of tolerance and action on behalf of social justice. Humboldt County voted 60% in favor of our rights.
We call on all queers and allies to speak out against racism as well as homophobia, and to remember that queers come in all colors, all genders, all faiths, all ages and all abilities. Let’s not compound our defeat. Let’s not make it worse by falling into the oppressor’s trap. None of us are free until we all are
Note: We’ve reclaimed the word queer to mean the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, trans and questioning people. Allies have also signed this letter.
Nora Wynne, Teacher; Janet Winston, Associate Professor of English, H.S.U.; Tim’m T. West, Visiting Lecturer, Ethnic Studies, H.S.U. \ “http://www.reddirt.biz” ; Jesse Urban, Women’s Studies and Multicultural Queer Studies, H.S.U.; Jamila Tharp, National Board Member, Marriage Equality USA; Patrick Swartz, business owner; Emily Sommerman, Psychology Department, H.S.U.; Stanley Smith-Hanes, Chapter Co-Leader, Marriage Equality USA; Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence – Eureka; Justin Pabalate, Co-Chair, Humboldt Pride; Tonya Netjes, Activist/student/lover; Melinda Myers, business owner; Maria Melnik; Susan G. S. McGee, Lecturer, H.S.U.; Coordinator, Pride Parents; Judith Mayer; Karen L. March, physician; Cole Machado, Board Member, Humboldt Pride; Director, Join the Impact – Humboldt; Todd Larsen, Queer Humboldt ; Jesi Gremore, student/activist/dyke; Sue Hilton, Judith Louise, Barbara Dilworth and Sally Hewitt, The L-Word Newsletter, http://lword.mamajudy.com; Rebecca Marie Hall, Marriage and Family Therapist; Harmony Groves, Arcata; Aila Gilbride-Read; Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence -Eureka; Mira Friedman, Health Educator, H.S.U.; Jeff Corral-Ribordy, pediatrician; Maria Corral-Ribordy; Joe Cornish, (ret.) Public High School Teacher; Mary I. Bockover, Philosophy Department, H.S.U.; Kim Berry, Program Leader, Women’s Studies, H.S.U.; Christina Accomando, Co-Director, Multicultural Queer Studies Program, H.S.U.Program, H.S.U.
Impact Humboldt 