The New Republic

Wonders never cease. A substantial majority (81%) of Jews support gay marriage, while a majority of African Americans oppose it. Yet, the basis for African American opposition is found, not in "their" book, but in "our" book. A wise man (well, a funny man) suggested that we should all agree to let Gentiles interpret "their" book and Jews interpret "our" book, and avoid all this confusion about what God had in mind when He wrote (or should I say edited) those books.

- rayward

May 15, 2012 at 8:18am

I premise these thoughts with a comment that they are based solely on anecdotal evidence, though I do seem to recall some social science research to back them up. But it is possible that black homophobia (especially in regards to gay men, if not lesbians) is different in one fundamental respect from more generalized white, Christian homophobia. While both are based on fidelity to the same Biblical sources, a major factor in black homophobia is the belief that gay black men choose to remove themselves from the black gene pool and turn their backs on their role to the black community as husbands to black women and fathers to black children. Given the relative scarcity of black men of marriagable age and economic means to black women, and the resulting high proportion of single black mothers or otherwise unmarried black women, the perceived choice of black gay men is viewed as a selfish rejection of their duty to their community. In this sense, what socially conservative black pastors and parishoners want is for black gay men to re-commit to their communities by marrying black women, having children with them and staying on as husbands and fathers. This would go hand-in-hand with suppressing their homosexuality through faith, prayer and community involvement. To the extent that this proves impossible, it seems (again, anecdotally) that some black religious leaders are more willing to tolerate a black gay man to lead a secret (or semi-secret) gay life on the "down-low" while remaining an active community member, husband and father then they would permit such a gay man to divorce his wife and leave her and his family for another man. Given the black community's distaste for homosexuality, it would be axiomatic that this would also result in the gay black man leaving his community as well. This is in contrast to the homophobia of whites, and especially that of white evangelical Christians, which is largely focused on homosexuality's perceived contribution to a culture of generalized sexual promiscuity. White homophobes generalize about homosexuality's threat to traditional social structures, such as marriage or child-rearing, but do not generally raise concerns about how the presence of gay men becomes a threat to the continued viability of the white community or the responsibility of gay men to their faith and families. To the extent that some statements to this effect slip the lips of anti-gay marriage proponents (as recently happened with the wife of the sponsor of the North Carolina Proposition One), they are quickly swept under the rug and minimized by the proponents. And, in any event, it doesn't seem that opposition to gay marriage among whites generally reflects this sort of anachronistic desire to preserve the "white race". But it does seem -- again, based on anecdotal evidence -- that there is a corresponding desire to preserve the black community, and to give black women husbands and black children fathers, in black homophobia. This is obviously a sensitive topic, and I would encourage John McWhorter to evaluate it himself and for other commentators to consider it, for what it's worth. And, if there is real evidence that such attitudes do not widely exist in the black community, it would be very helpful to see it.

- wildboy

May 15, 2012 at 10:49am

Wilgboy. With all due respect, I think those theories on blab and white bases for homophobia are as suspect as that of the female citizen of Cathage,TX, in the movie "Bernie" who opines that Bernie may be gay because he wore open-toed sandals as a kid.

- drofnats1

May 15, 2012 at 12:35pm

Wildboy. With all due respect, I think those theories on black and white bases for homophobia are as suspect as the one held by a female citizen of Cathage,TX, in the movie "Bernie" who opines that Bernie may be gay because he wore open-toed sandals as a kid.

- drofnats1

May 15, 2012 at 12:37pm

wildboy, You have a good unconscious explanation of why blacks resent gay black men (who are removing themselves from the gene pool), but in my ten years in the inner city in Detroit, I found the main reason to be simpler. Black men are held to a high standard of masculinity in our general culture and an even higher one in black culture. I've seen black men bragging about the number of women they've impregnated. I don't think a dwindling gene pool is a conscious concern in the black community. But a Good Man who's faithful and caring is prized. And the number of these men is increasing, as more blacks enter the middle class. But they have to be heterosexual. A black woman's pride in "her man" necessitates him being straight. There are exceptions to this, of course. I knew a bisexual black gentleman (and a gentleman he was) who was a great family man, so his wife tolerated his homosexual dalliances. But she gently scolded him in public when he acted too feminine. The most feminine gay men I've seen have been black. And I'm not sure, but I think there's a higher percentage of black men who are gay than white men. They have a higher standard to live up to, and some of them feel inadequate. Black "girl-boys," as they're called in the community, are sometimes rebelling against that silly standard. And, of course, many black, male preachers are indoctrinating the community against homosexuality (while sometimes stepping out on their wives to prove their masculinity). Cultural norms, especially religious ones, often damage a culture more than they uphold it. You can bet when you see a black male preacher on TV bad-mouthing homosexuality, that he's been terrified by the occasional image of male homosexuality that has crossed his mind. "Gay panic" is more common in a community that is held to higher masculinity standards.

- magboy47.

May 15, 2012 at 2:13pm

magboy, there is much truth in what you wrote. Additionally, there is a deep-seated fear of black male sexuality in American culture, stretching back to the time of slavery. As a result, there is a long tradition of emasculating black males -- physically, legally and metaphorically. Just look at the old stereotypes: the Uncle Tom; the lazy, shuffling, pop-eyed minstrel; and, conversely, the cast-iron skillet wielding mammy. With this emasculation already eating at the foundations of black masculinity, black male homosexuality is perceived as an even bigger threat than it is in the wider American culture.

- zardoz67

May 15, 2012 at 2:50pm

You're right, zardoz.

- magboy47.

May 15, 2012 at 3:29pm

Introductory question: when McWhorter says it's good that Obama stopped dissimulating, an elegant word, is he saying that Obama practiced deception and dishonesty?

- basman

May 15, 2012 at 4:09pm

Just read the piece. Yes he is: ...was always just as ugly as it was unnecessary—plus, for someone of his demographic and biography, it was more than a little fake... I agree with McWhorter on this and it's good to see him quietly and sensibly making the point.

- basman

May 15, 2012 at 4:14pm

Wildboy, with all due and genuine respect, that's a lot of words saying a lot of speculative not very much, and that's unusual for you.

- basman

May 15, 2012 at 4:21pm

basman, I agree with you. Given Obama's general attitudes and background as a latte-sipping, intellectual, liberal-minded fellow, it is extremely likely he supported gay marriage for a long time. No one spends that much time "evolving" on a such a clear-cut issue. Normally, when someone changes an opinion, they go from thinking one way, to being undecided, to then thinking the other way. If you say you're "evolving," that means you're over the undecided phase, and you already know the change is happening and inevitable. You are in effect admitting that you are already convinced but don't want to say it.

- MICRM

May 15, 2012 at 9:24pm

There have been numerous occasions in which someone has told me that they are beginning to see the merits of my argument about some issue, but are not quite there yet. You can call that "undecided" or "evolving," but it is not implausible to me that someone's thinking could be in a transitional phase, without their ultimate position being "inevitable." In any event,. let's assume that Obama has known for a while that he supports gay marriage but has waited unitl now to say so. So what? How would that distiinguish him from other governmental leaders? Is the President of the United States supposed to reveal his personal thinking about any and all issues regardless of the consequences? Dhurtado

- NR143296

May 15, 2012 at 9:51pm

"And, if there is real evidence that such attitudes do not widely exist in the black community, it would be very helpful to see it." The usual protocol in intellectual discourse is that someone making an assertion bears the burden of producing evidence to support the assertion. It does not cut it to make assertions based on anectdotal personal observations, and then challenge others to produce evidence that refutes the assertion. In any event, McWhorter's analysis is eminently shallow. His ultimate conclusion is that "black religious communities—like so many others—harbor a simple revulsion at the notion of homosexuality." So, if blacks are more likely to harbor a "simple revulsion at the notion of homosexuality" because they are more likely to be religious, then the answer has nothing to do with black culture beyond the fact that blacks are more likely than whites to be religious. I don't find that to be difficult to understand at all. Dhurtado

- NR143296

May 15, 2012 at 10:26pm

I don't know if I blame Obama here, and I'm mildly conservative. I'm glad he did this and understand that reality isn't ideal. He's aligned his party, to my chagrin, with the future and also done the right thing. Who cares if he's always believed that gays should have equal rights? Democracy is about marketing, and a young half-black guy with a lefty academic past and the middle name "Hussein" has to rein it in a little if he's going to be president. Criticize homophones - and take the opportunity to show that prejudice is regrettable but natural and maybe explain that white people aren't the villains of history because they, alas, are also human, but why not just give Obama the props he deserves and move on?

- travis

May 16, 2012 at 8:58am

homophobes*

- travis

May 16, 2012 at 9:01am

And he HAS always believed, and said so, that gay people should have equal rights, including the right to "civil unions," which would afford gay couples all of the legal rights that go with marriage. He stopped short, or at least purported to stop short, at calling such civil unions "marriage." It is not implausible to me that he genuinely had reservations about that. But as others have said, even if he did not, so what? Dhurtado

- NR143296

May 16, 2012 at 9:38am

The bigger news on the street is the fact that Jay-Z just came out in support of gay marriage and essentially said he had Obama's back. That will have a larger impact on moving the goal posts within the black community regarding gay marriage and subsequently acceptance of gays & lesbians in general. When the more prominent business and political leaders within the black community come out on the pro-gay marriage side of the issue, I suspect a growing number of the black community will feel comfortable enough to say they support gay marriage and equal rights in public and not have to equivocate or hide it or keep it on the "down low".

- singlspeed

May 16, 2012 at 2:41pm