Building Coalitions

by Brian Leubitz

In the aftermath of Prop 8, our community was stunned, and looking for reasons why we had lost. Unfortunately, many turned to bad exit polling data, and came to the conclusion that in some way, small or large, the African-American community was at fault. But that is the complete opposite of the message we should have taken. Instead of blaming one group or another, we should be looking at why we didn’t get a majority of African-American support.

When better exit polls came out, African-Americans supported Prop 8 at a slightly higher rate than the general public, about 57% or so. Certainly cultural and religious norms play a big role. Homosexuality can still be a big taboo, and sermoned against in the churches. But, our bigger problem was our community’s complete failure to reach out. We assumed that because they generally voted in a progressive way, they would vote with us on this issue. But when you assume votes, you lose votes. You must always ask a person for their support; it should never be assumed. Rev. Eric Lee in Los Angeles and others around the state did a good job from where they were, but the general outreach from the campaign itself left much to be desired.

And that’s why we in California should be looking at the Washington, D.C. marriage campaign. No, it wasn’t an election, but they worked extremely hard to connect with the community, a majority of which is African-American:

“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. …

Even without a public vote, however, supporters and opponents held rallies and testified before the council. Mayor Adrian Fenty, who is bi-racial, signed the bill in a church in December with his parents looking on, saying they married when some places barred interracial marriage.

It wasn’t the only time a church played a central role in discussion of the measure. Jackson, who led opposition to the measure, came to council meetings and court hearings wearing a black suit and clerical collar. His group drew up a list of religious leaders opposing the measure. Supporters countered with their own list and a group of religious leaders co-chaired by the Rev. Dennis Wiley, co-pastor with his wife of the 500-member Covenant Baptist Church in the city. Wiley said clergy’s support was crucial because congregants often look to the church for guidance when it comes to gay marriage. (AP)

Marriage licenses are expected to begin tomorrow, but the opponents of marriage equality are still challenging the action in court.

I bring this up not because I’m pessimistic about the courts, which perhaps I am a little bit, but because, at some point, we have to plan on fighting another fight at the ballot. Even if this makes breakneck speed to the Supreme Court, expecting a ruling by November 2012 seems a bit optimistic. And yes, despite the ridiculous amount of evidence, there is a chance that we lose this case.

And, even if we win the case, and we never have to wage another ballot fight on this issue again, we still need to build a better coalition. In some small way, we would need to sell a court victory to the public. Reassure them that the sky won’t fall down upon us and all that. (Last time I checked, the sky is still above the Netherlands.)

And of course, marriage equality is a big issue, but not the only issue. As a community we must look beyond our own narrow walls, and look to help our partners who have helped us throughout this fight. If we work with others on their goals of social justice, we will find that the help reciprocated. But we can’t just expect, we must ask.