Gay Marriage Civil Rights Supportive Neighborhoods in San Francisco

November 14th 2008 in activism, gay culture

At least, now gay San Franciscans and those who believe in equality for all know where to spend our money and where to give or to withdraw our business. Check out the below image from the San Francisco Chronicle.

There are a few ways to go about using this information. Two ways that come to mind are:

choose to shop or live only in the areas that voted against Proposition 8 and for equality for all, using the powers of boycotting and isolating to induce change
choose to shop or live in the areas that vote for Proposition 8 and against equality for all and demonstrate how it is to live with gay people or those who believe in equality for all people

It seems to me that the first option is the most effective in the immediate future, with the second option requiring a long-term commitment to change and the willingness to knowingly live among those who deny their own bigotry. Good luck with that last one…that’s the reason that I moved away from the Deep South in 1973.

I agree with Monroe’s comment over at huffingtonpost.com, that “the blame should rightly be placed on the shoulders of our government. To have framed our civil rights as a ballot question for a popular vote was both wrong-hearted and wrong-headed. If my enslaved ancestors had waited for their slaveholders to free them predicated on a ballot vote we all wouldn’t be living in the America we know today. And Barack Obama would not be our president-elect.”

PROFILE Storyteller, musician, thinker, creative, and technopagan. Think of me as a hillbilly with a PhD, which is a fact.

RELATED IDEAS

2 comments to...
“Gay Marriage Civil Rights Supportive Neighborhoods in San Francisco”

dooley

wrote on November 17th, 2008

Very interesting map Jim. I’d hate to say but race looks like it played a big part. From what I’ve been hearing is that about 70 percent of African American’s voted for prop 8? I don’t think I’d be shopping or moving to any of those blue areas probably mostly in part of the crime rate factor. I don’t think I’d be protesting around there either. There are a few pockets out in the Sunset near where I live. Looks like around Noriega. There is a group of stores there on Noriega by the Safeway. About a 3-4 block stretch. I’ll stay away.

James

wrote on November 17th, 2008

I think all people are responsible for their vote and behavior and on that we agree. It does seem, however, that the real culprit in this huge act of religious bigotry has to be laid at the feet of the Christian religion, which is historically conservative in matters of sex, sexuality, sex education, and gender identity: usually avoiding or minimizing the need for dialogue, education, and inquiry into such matters. This keeps Christians woefully lagging behind in current understanding of the human condition, especially regarding gay people. Given the enormity of this religion’s influence, it follows that the African-American community would be a part of the larger homophobia and sex-negativity found in the Christian religion. Having said that, it appears that some African-Americans fail to see the associations between civil rights for all and the historic civil rights movement of the 20th century, feeling that they own the matter; naturally, this is not the case. Civil rights are for everyone and civil rights activism and movements are the property of all human societies.

I’m willing to bet that if class and education levels were factored in, African-Americans that are better educated and middle-class probably leaned toward No on Proposition 8. It seems to me that this is really a matter of the failure of the No on 8 campaign to adequately saturate television with gay and lesbian couples’ faces and families, as well as that we were trying to elect President-elect Obama, which split our resources. As well, the No on 8 campaign’s allying and working with African-American and Latino organizations wasn’t adequate.

So, to me, it is the narrow Christian worldview, lack of education, and lack of a properly funded and executed No on 8 campaign that led to H8’s passage. However, the vote was really close and I think the California Supreme Court will annul the proposition, as it is a constitutional revision, which is not permitted through popular initiatives.

Name:

Email Address:

won't be displayed

Website URL:

Your Comment:

Online Chat with a Live Anti-Civil Rights Mormon

I just discovered that the Mormons have a live online chat. So, being the activist that I am, I logged in and politely (yes, with civility) asked “Beth” why the estimated $23 million that the Mormons gave to pass Proposition H8 in California was not used to feed the hungry, clothe and house the homeless, [...]

Online Chat with a Live Anti-Civil Rights MormonPrevious Entry

Welcome, Folks, to Jimboland Jots

Hey - thanks for signing up! We have several new subscribers in the past week and more coming - this is simply fab. You are very welcome to be a part of this experimental creative venture, Jimboland Jots. Please comment, look around, provide feedback, and what-not. Let’s explode the creative blogosphere from the gay, queer, [...]

Welcome, Folks, to Jimboland JotsNext Entry