Activist Gloria Steinem Links “Homosexual Rights” and “Civil Rights” Together

By Scotty Reid

photo by pinguino

Political activist Gloria Steinem recently spoke at East Carolina University and linked a number of causes. Two of the causes linked together sharing common concerns were the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. Most Black civil rights activist would object to linking the gay rights movement to the civil rights movement. They might say that one can hide one’s sexual orientation anytime they choose or the situation warrants it. One cannot easily hide one’s skin color or hair texture. Gay rights activists might say that he/she should not have to hide their sexual orientation.

In cases of employment discrimination, how would a potential employer know your sexual orientation from reviewing your application? Perhaps if your legal name is Joe Smith and you show up to the interview wearing a dress, this might give some clue as to your sexual orientation. However, it would be inappropriate unless applying for a position that requires cross-dressing. When a Black person applies for employment, they are not only subject to discrimination based on skin color but they may also be subjected to cultural biases. A Black person can have the neatest set of cornrows or flawless dreadlocks and because of bias, they are rejected. These are issues Black people deal with daily.

I will concede that if a person’s sexual orientation is discovered by an employer or property owner, it is unacceptable for them to be discriminated against. In matters involving religious institutions, they should hold everyone to the same practices meaning that if they reject someone because of sexual orientation then they should reject people they find engaged in a whole list of other “sins”.

There are similar concerns to a degree between both movements but there are differences as well. Finding common ground is important if the two are to work together on issues they hold in common. On issues of disagreement, the two groups should agreeably diverge from one another. If the gay community wants support from the Black community on certain issues, then it must stop implying that their movement is the same as civil rights movement. Gays are not targeted by law enforcement for traffic stops or because they wear certain clothing of a certain color or live in certain neighborhoods.

In addition, the gay community has to be more visible in supporting Black causes. When you watch a gay rights protest march, you will see a number of Black faces. When you watch a Black protest march against racial injustice or police brutality, you may see some White faces in the crowd but they are not there as representatives of the gay community lending their support. In fact, they may not be gay at all but civil rights activist! There are opportunities for the two groups to work together but like everything, it must involve mutual respect and support.

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