In DC, blacks were crucial to gay marriage debate

[Blue_Tires]

WASHINGTON – Gay and lesbian couples will soon be able to marry in Washington, but the debate over same-sex marriage has sounded different here, with references to interracial marriage and Martin Luther King.

Over the past year, both sides have courted the support of Washington's black community, a majority of the city's 600,000 residents and one traditionally perceived as opposed to same-sex marriage.

"In D.C., outreach to African-Americans wasn't part of the campaign. It was the campaign," said Michael Crawford, the leader of a pro-same-sex union group, D.C. For Marriage.

Crawford, who is black, said other residents weren't ignored, but his group and others weighed the city's racial makeup in planning their message. That made the debate here different than in other places that have considered gay marriage — places like California, where about 7 percent of residents are black, or Maine, where 1 percent are. Voters in both states struck down gay marriage laws.

In Washington, gay couples are expected to be able to apply for marriage licenses beginning Wednesday — but opponents are still challenging it in court.

To speak to voters in D.C., supporters drew parallels to Martin Luther King Jr.'s advocacy for equal rights. They said same-sex marriage bans would one day seem as ridiculous as the interracial marriage bans overturned by the Supreme Court in 1967. Opponents, meanwhile, ran an anti-gay marriage ad on the radio station of Howard University, a historically black college. And both sides worked hard to curry favor with black leaders and churches.

"What's been different here is how aggressively they've come after religious leaders, how aggressively they have talked up the race issue, or I should say the civil rights issue," said Bishop Harry Jackson, a black pastor who has led opposition to the measure.

Getting black voters' support for gay marriage wasn't necessarily easy. A widely used exit poll conducted for The Associated Press during the 2008 election found 70 percent of black California voters approved of a measure banning gay marriage, compared with 49 percent of white voters. A poll in Florida, where residents voted on a similar issue that year, had comparable support from black voters, who make up about 16 percent of the state's population.

Black supporters of gay marriage in Washington disputed those numbers and argued that black voters were unfairly blamed for pushing the California measure to success. Opponents have argued the numbers were true and relevant, suggesting that D.C. voters would certainly reject gay marriage if given the opportunity.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_dc_gay_marriage_blacks

[Number23]

1. Great read. So glad to see that the outreach worked in DC

"They said same-sex marriage bans would one day seem as ridiculous as the interracial marriage bans overturned by the Supreme Court in 1967."

Could not agree more. The issue of gay marriage has always seemed to have a natural comparison with the issue of interracial marriage, imo.

"A widely used exit poll conducted for The Associated Press during the 2008 election found 70 percent of black California voters approved of a measure banning gay marriage, compared with 49 percent of white voters."

Notice how the key words are "widely used" not necessarily "widely accurate."

Thanks for posting, Blue_Tires. Nice to see a different news perspective on this site re: black folks and gay marriage. It's all too rare around here.

[kwassa]

2. but this was voted in by the City Council, not the voters

The mostly-black council voted in favor of it. DC has been a socially liberal place, but this is a tougher issue for some. If it was actually put to a public vote the results might have been different.

The TV news showed two happy couples anticipating marriage tonight, one couple male, one female. Both couples were black.

[Brewman_Jax]

3. Rights should never be put to a referendum

As stated above, lawmakers, not voters, passed this.

I'm glad they noted the black population percentages of some of the states that didn't pass same-gender marriage and how a fraction of the population got the majority of the blame when the same-gender marriage votes didn't pass.

[Number23]

4. I absolutely agree, but I think it's interesting (and fabulously ironic)

that in 90% black DC that this was not even put to a vote. The lawmakers did the right thing and I hope that this catches on in other places.

"But lawmakers, not voters, legalized gay marriage in Washington, and the measure always had the support of black D.C. Council members."

This is a really important piece from the story. It was in states that are 80-99% white that elected officials opted to put this issue before the public who of course shot it down. After seeing so much blame heaped on our community regarding this issue (and some are STILL trying to heap blame), it would seem to me the moral of the story is, if people in this country want equal rights then maybe they should move to areas with majority black populations with lots and lots of black elected officials. Like I said, it's really quite ironic. :)

[Brewman_Jax]

5. Just a minor point

the black population of DC is about 55%. DC is like a lot of urban areas where black people have a simple majority in population, but do not have the economic and business control.

I caught how they made a note to say that the Mayor of DC is bi-racial, as if that means that he isn't really black and racism is magically over. :eyes:

[Number23]

6. Oh, I know. There was a bit of facetiousness in my post

:) I used to live in DC (kwassa and I have shared horror stories about the snow). But I do think that in DC, blacks do have quite a bit of power, unlike many urban areas.

And I also recognize that a small number of lily white places like Iowa and Connecticut also allow gay marriage. :) I just think it's fabulous that majority black DC did the right thing, bypassed all of the foolishness and didn't even put this issue up to a public vote when far too many people have IMMEDIATELY looked to minority communities to lay the blame when these measures have failed, which many of them have.