Who are the champions of marriage equality? African Americans, Mormons, Jews, Christians, and the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, of course

The day after the election, many people were jumping all over an exit poll statistic published on CNN that indicated that 70% of African Americans voted yes on Prop 8. In the weeks that followed, commentary on this particular statistic showed up all over the discussion boards. Some same-sex marriage supporters felt that African Americans, who had been subjected to discrimination themselves, should have recognized and rejected discrimination against other minorities. Then there were comments like this on the Facebook group discussions from African Americans who supported Prop 8, and who decided that this poll statistic gave them license to speak for their entire race:

Wondered why so many African Americans voted YES on prop 8? You thought we were going to vote NO because you thought we would somehow relate ourselves to the civil rights movement back in the days? Nope. This just shows that majority of African American agree gay rights movement is NOT a civil rights movement. Dont even try to relate the two. They are not the same. Thanks

I found this "equality for me but no equality for you" attitude incredibly alarming, and sadly, this one exit poll contributed to the many comments on blogs and forums from African Americans who felt that being African American gave them the authority to determine whether the fight for Marriage Equality and gay rights in general was legitimate. I personally didn't know any African American who voted yes on Prop 8, so it was hard for me to believe that this support was so overwhelming. Additionally, African American Clergy leaders had released an open letter to their fellow members about their opposition to Prop 8:

If Jesus’ ethic, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” means anything to us, wouldn’t we want to do the right thing for others that we want done for ourselves? Imagine this scene: when asked on the day of judgment to give an account of how you treated your lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender sisters and brothers on earth, would you be honestly be proud in saying, “Lord, I changed the constitution to block their right, their pride and their dignity to marry?” And how would you feel when Jesus responds to you with the words from Matthew 25:40: “In as much as you’ve done it unto the least of these members of the family, you’ve done it unto me?”

I was seriously wondering, who were these people who thought it was okay to vote to take away a right that our fellow citizens already had? Meanwhile, no one seemed to bring up the fact that Jews overwhelming opposed Prop 8. In a poll of L.A. Jews, 78% opposed Prop 8, 8% supported it, and the rest declined to respond. If I were going to extrapolate any information from this, I would point out that while polls are not always accurate, it is quite significant that any random poll would show that 92% of Jews did not support Prop 8 and 78% outright opposed it. Now if we are going to compare minorities who have suffered from discrimination (and what minority hasn't suffered from discrimination?), I'm not sure which is worse: having your people enslaved for hundreds of years or having 6 million of your people exterminated from the earth? Not to mention that no one group has a monopoly on slavery... slavery still exists. Unfortunately, human trafficking still has a place in this world. I think the point is that you can't compare the experiences of one group to another. So to those who felt it was necessary to comment on the legitimacy of the opinion of a Black person who voted yes on Prop 8 "because they obviously know what discrimination is", how about the legitimacy of the opinions of the overwhelming majority of Jews who voted no on Prop 8? While there was a rift between the beliefs of orthodox Jews and mainstream and progressive Jews, many rabbis were outspoken in summarizing the viewpoint of most of the Jews in our state:

"We Jews have been the brunt of a lot of discrimination throughout our history," said Rabbi Elliot Dorff, rector at American Jewish University (AJU). "To vote now that another group should be discriminated against is not at all respectful of what freedom has meant for us as Jews."

Minority rights carry special resonance for the Jewish nation, said many Proposition 8 critics -- especially in light of the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht last week.

"Jews understand what it means to eliminate rights -- that's what happened to us in Germany," said Rabbi Denise Eger, spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood.

After several weeks of speculation about why African Americans seemed to have so overwhelmingly voted against equality, the Public Policy Institute of California released a study on actual voting data (not poll data) that indicated that the initial poll statistic was seriously overblown and that the number was probably closer to 57%. In summary, it says that it had more to do with socioeconomics and education, not race, and Prop 8's biggest support came from white conservatives, born-again Christians, and low-income voters. According to this study, in groups with higher income and education, Prop 8 failed across all races, including African Americans. In groups with lower income and education, Prop 8 passed across all races.

I was so relieved to hear that support for Prop 8 among any racial group, including African Americans, failed to exceed the 50's, period. The NAACP and other groups have already called for everyone to stop saying that "African Americans passed Prop 8." African Americans supporters of same-sex marriage were able to come out and decry those conclusions based on that flimsy statistic and rightly so. And if I was an LGBT African American, having been subjected to discrimination both as an African Americans and as a LGBT American, and who probably got the worst of it from both sides after the election, this might have provided some consolation. Maybe. (At least some apologies are in order, IMHO.)

What is the lesson to be learned from all this? For those of us fighting for marriage equality for our fellow Americans, one question we should always ask ourselves is "What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do?" Would he have posted comments in the discussion boards decrying all religion? Would he have encouraged any of us to show up at protests with signs that degraded our fellow Mormon and Catholic Americans? Would he have promoted an "equality for me but no equality for you" attitude? I don't think so. I believe Dr. King would have reminded us that LGBT Americans are Mormons, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Black, White, Asian, Latino, young, old... and that all their allies are equally diverse. He would have reminded us that what makes us American is our respect for diversity, and that we should celebrate and cherish what makes us different. He would have reminded us to praise those Mormons who support marriage equality, especially those like Andrew Callahan, the Mormon High Priest who is being excommunicated from the Mormon Church for speaking out against the Mormon Church's role in the Prop 8 campaign. When people like Andrew Callahan sacrifice for those they don't even know, it confirms to me what I know to be true: that this is something worth fighting for and that we are on the right side of history.

For anyone who continues to doubt that this is a civil rights issue, who thinks that Martin Luther King, Jr. would not support LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, I'd like to share some choice words from civil rights leaders who actually fought for civil rights with him, including members of his own family:

"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King, Jr., said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere' ... I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."
- Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader, widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., at 25th anniversary luncheon for Lambda Defense and Education Fund, March 31, 1998

"We are now at such a crossroads over same-sex couples' freedom to marry. It is time to say forthrightly that the government's exclusion of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters from civil marriage officially degrades them and their families. It denies them the basic human right to marry the person they love. It denies them numerous legal protections for their families.

This discrimination is wrong. We cannot keep turning our backs on gay and lesbian Americans. I have fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation. I've heard the reasons for opposing civil marriage for same-sex couples. Cut through the distractions, and they stink of the same fear, hatred, and intolerance I have known in racism and in bigotry."
- John Lewis, civil rights leader, speaker and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, Boston Globe, October 25, 2003

"We have spent most of our lives struggling against the oppression of African-Americans and other groups within our society who are the objects of discrimination and prejudice. And we consider our ministry with and for the GLBT community to be an extension of that life-long commitment."
- Rev. Bob Graetz and his wife Jeannie. Rev. Graetz was the only white minister to march with Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Montgomery Bus Boycott

"We have come a long way. And while the scars and stains of racism remain, the fact is, racial discrimination is no longer legal. However, discrimination under the rule of law still exists. If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you do not have the same rights as other Americans. You cannot marry. And while there has been some progress, thanks to the work this organization [Out & Equal Workplace Advocates] in the workplace, you still face discrimination in the workplace, and in our armed forces. For a nation that prides itself on liberty, justice and equality for all, this it totally unacceptable."
- Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., at the 2006 Out and Equal Workplace Summit in Chicago

"Homophobia is hate, and hate has no place in the beloved community."
- Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King, Jr., August 2003, at the 40th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington

"Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the 'wrong kind of person' for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."
- Mildred Loving, of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court that overturned all state bans on interracial marriage in 1967 and established the right to marry the person of one's choice as a fundamental right, in her statement "Loving for All", which marked the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia

"No parallels between movements for rights is exact. African-Americans are the only Americans who were enslaved for more than two centuries, and people of color carry the badge of who we are on our faces. But we are far from the only people suffering discrimination -- sadly, so do many others. They deserve the law's protection and they deserve civil rights too. Sexual disposition parallels race -- I was born black and I had no choice. I couldn't and wouldn't change if I could. Like race, our sexuality isn't a preference -- it is immutable, unchangeable, and the Constitution protects us against prejudices based on immutable differences."
- Julian Bond, Chairman of the Board of the NAACP, civil rights leader who helped organize student protests at Atlanta University during the Civil Rights Movement, at the 2008 National Conference on LGBT Equality

"I'd be disappointed if we did not approve this resolution. I think it would be consistent with our historic spirit of fairness and justice. But it also would be consistent with the spirit of grace and mercy as the path to peace and that you judge not that you not be judged."
- Andrew Young speaking about a United Church of Christ resolution affirming same-gender marriage equality. Young, a close friend of Dr. King during the civil rights movement, is a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and mayor of Atlanta. UCC Article, July 1, 2005

"Gays and lesbians have a more difficult time than we did. We had our families and our churches on our side. All too often, they have neither."
- Rev. Dr. James Lawson is a distinguished United Methodist pastor who worked side-by-side with Dr. King training the young people who staged the lunch counter sit-ins and the Freedom Rides.

For many people who are ignorant around the history of marriage equality, as you can see, it was the African American leaders of the Civil Rights Movement who lead the way for marriage equality, long before Prop 8 ever came about. I think that the last quote from an African American reverend is so apropos, considering that 1 in 3 teen suicides is of an LGBT teenager, and teens whose parents react negatively to their coming out to them are 8 times more likely to try to commit suicide. For anyone who continues to think that the plight of LGBT Americans cannot be compared to those of other minorities, you are right, at least on that point. Just ask Matthew Shepard, Bobby Griffith, and Anna Wallner.