It was recently discovered that the National Organization for Marriage has been using, since 2009, a set of tactics to oppose gay marriage which includes turning black and latino voters against gays. Documents obtained from the group outline a strategy of "interrupting the race analogy", or trying to prevent gays rights from being related to civil rights. Here are a few key lines from the documents:
"But we also need to accomplish a sophisticated cultural objective: interrupt the attempt to equate gay with black, and sexual orientation with race"
"The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots."
These tactics are nothing new. Those in power have long sought to set different oppressed groups against each other by suggesting they have competing interests. This was done to keep labor unions from forming by stoking differences between poor black and white workers for decades. Furthermore, these tactics obfuscate the source of oppression. NOM is attempting to make blacks sees gays as oppressors and for gays to see black folks as bigots. Instead, it's important to realize that the real problem in the equation is oppressive religion.
In reality, black people and gay people could both greatly benefit from a coalition style civil rights campaign.
This is a pitiful attempt to further broaden divisive attitudes that already exist on this issue between the two groups. I hope that people are conscience enough to think for themselves and see how they are being used today, to oppress another group/class of people.
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