So let me try to contextualize the comments that Dan Savage has just made about the data suggesting that Prop 8's success was cemented by a whopping 70% of African-Americans voting for Proposition 8 in California. Generally, I disagree with Davage on just about everything. He's incredibly conservative when it comes to sex, despite penning a nationally syndicated column on the topic, and generally his analysis sucks.

But I have to give some credit here for Savage daring to attack the way that "white gay men" categorically have been framed as racist sexist assholes by a reactionary feminist/queer/anti-racist movement that has spent a great deal of time attacking LGBT organizations for their lack of diversity and/or racist/sexist policy positions (see Judith Halberstam's essay, "Shame and White Gay Masculinity," for a perfect example of this). Now, I want to be clear: These folks often have a point. Our LGBT organizations often do lack diversity, and at times some may in fact be contributing to racist/sexist policy efforts. But to blame that lack of diversity simply on racist individuals within the organization, I think, is misguided and misses the important historical ways that sexual identity constructions have varied for white folks and non-white folks (that is to say, white folks may be much more ready to join a self-titled "Gay" organization than others). I get especially upset when I'm sitting in a room full of folks of color and this argument get's lazily brought up. Seriously I've been in meetings with over 50% folks of color and someone (usually white) will angrily complain that "There are no people of color here!" Um... right. Even in a room with 1/3 folks of color, I think that's a disingenuous accusation; it outright erases the importance of those folks' presence.

But I digress. So Dan Savage wants to say -- based on this Prop 8 data -- essentially, "eff you" for spending so much time blaming "white gay men" for their racism and sexism, while being wholly uncritical of the homophobia that exists within African-American communities. And I think he's exactly right. I think that some critical self-reflection on race and racial diversity in our movements is a worthwhile effort. But unfortunately I see that too often as spiraling into a cycle of white guilt that paralyzes organizations and movements. That should not be the goal, yet I've seen it happen time and time again. Because it requires such politically charged and emotional discussions, moving past an accusation of racism or sexism (founded or not) can be incredibly difficult.

But while self-reflection is key, working with other communities of color that have homophobic views has got to be on our agenda. I think we've often resorted to a kind of "moral relativism" argument in regards to this -- along with a kind of discomfort with missionary-style norm-reshaping efforts. But c'mon. That's what LGBT activism has always been about. Going into communities you aren't a part of and asking for change.

I understand Savage's pent-up frustration over often what seem like lazy and/or mean-spirited attacks on "white gay men" uniformly. How many stigmatized minorities exist for which it's seen as perfectly acceptable to rub their reputations through the mud? Imagine substituting "Jewish" for all the claims that are made in these circles about "white gay men!" (in fact, this idea comes from a friend of mine, who suggested doing just that with every reference to "white gay man" in the Halberstam article previously mentioned -- try it and you'll see the point).

Anywho, I'm wandering. These are thoughts I've been brooding over for many years now. I expect that not everyone agrees with me here -- and I encourage you to respond critically. I used to be one of those feminist/queer/anti-racist angry activists, so I'm certainly open to the lines of criticism that get made there. Without further ado, here's Savage's comments:

African American voters in California voted overwhelmingly for Prop 8, writing anti-gay discrimination into California’s constitution and banning same-sex marriage in that state. Seventy percent of African American voters approved Prop 8, according to exit polls, compared to 53% of Latino voters, 49% of white voters, 49% of Asian voters.

I’m not sure what to do with this. I’m thrilled that we’ve just elected our first African-American president. I wept last night. I wept reading the papers this morning. But I can’t help but feeling hurt that the love and support aren’t mutual.

I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think they’re scum—are a bigger problem for African Americans, gay and straight, than the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans are for gay Americans, whatever their color.

This will get my name scratched of the invite list of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is famous for its anti-racist-training seminars, but whatever. Finally, I’m searching for some exit poll data from California. I’ll eat my shorts if gay and lesbian voters went for McCain at anything approaching the rate that black voters went for Prop 8.

UPDATE: Angie has just posted in the comments this very helpful analysis (from DailyKos user shanikka) of the Prop 8 data and California census data to argue that there is just no way that Blacks' 70% support for Prop 8 was a deciding factor in the measure passing. They equate it to scapegoating, which indeed it very may well be. Tony in the comments also points out that it eclipses the vast financial support given by Mormons and other predominantly white religious organizations. So it sounds like we can put this to rest for good.