Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Cannick Views: A Message to the LGBT Leadership
by Jasmyne Cannick
2005-01-05

This article shared 2798 times since Wed Jan 5, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


So now we know that we have at most, four more years with President Bush as America's leader. We also know that the issue of gay marriage played a pivotal role in his re-election. OK, let's get over it, re-group and get back out there.

America's LGBT leadership, whether they like it or not, before attempting to the move the marriage agenda forward again, had better bring people of color to the table from day one. We cannot and will not be the after thought when organizations need to publicly display diversity. From the messaging to the strategic mobilization of the LGBT community, we need to be there.

I don't ever want to see a white gay man stand before a camera again and equate his struggle to the Black civil-rights movement. It doesn't help the thousands of Black gays who are also trying to message to the African-American community around this issue and only further divides our community with Blacks seeing gay as a white issue. When you talk about messaging to communities of color, in particular the Black community, that message would be better received coming from an African-American same-gender-loving person to the Black community.

The executive leaders of our LGBT organizations need to take a closer look at the diversity within their own organizations for 2005. It's not enough to have programs headed by people of color for people of color. People of color need to be on the communications team and the development team as well. The reason that most gay organizations can't penetrate the Black press is because you don't have a Black person on your communications team pitching the Black press. Why don't African-Americans donate to your organization? Well, part of the reason is that you don't have African-Americans on your development team. The other reason is that Blacks don't typically feel that these national gay organizations have their community's best interest at heart. This all goes to say that there is work that needs to be done.

Now I know this is going to be hard for some to swallow. Why? Because the gay leadership seems to think that what works for the white community will work for all communities. Not so. These organizations are going to have to invest in people of color to have a winning strategy. This includes the same salary, benefits and support that you give your other team members.

Having worked for one of the largest and well-funded gay organizations, I can tell you first hand the feeling of isolation within an organization when you are the token Black hired only to work with the Black community. Aside from my position, my views, opinions and ideas in other areas of the organization were not needed. Consequently, this organization does not have any credibility in the Black gay community today and is still scratching their heads trying to figure out why.

At the end of the day, Blacks played the most powerful role in the 2004 election and most of the gay organizations were unable to message to the African-American community around the issue of gay marriage. Thank God for the National Black Justice Coalition, an ad hoc coalition of Black LGBT leaders who came together this year to message directly to the African-American community on this issue.

America's gay leadership is going to have to develop a whole new approach to addressing marriage equality. What I learned as well as many other Black same-gender-loving persons is that we cannot even begin to address marriage equality until we first address Black sexuality and homophobia. I think a lot of Black gays jumped aboard the marriage train because our voices were excluded from the conversation in the beginning, Black pastors were being used by right-wing conservatives to message to the Black community, and because we do want the right to marry. In the end, a couple of things happened in 2004. First, Black gays were represented more in the media this year, including Black media, than ever before. What that means is that we were visible in our own community, which is a huge accomplishment. Next, more Black LGBT persons mobilized around this issue than ever before. Again, I feel this is because our community was being used to win votes for the GOP and it was so blatant that even those of us that are not active had to get out there.

Diversity means more than just having people of color on your Web site and over people of color programs. It means having the influence and perspectives of people of color at every level in your organization and movement. That way we can tell you what works and doesn't work in our communities both gay and at-large. The LGBT community cannot push forward without gays of color and together we need to develop a strategy that works towards addressing LGBT issues in all communities.

Cannick has appeared on numerous media programs, including Black Entertainment Television News, the Tavis Smiley Show, Fox News and the Bev Smith Show. Cannick, 27, is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, a board member of the National Black Justice Coalition, Los Angeles Black Gay Pride and co-producer of the new cable series Noah's Arc, America's First Black Gay Series. She lives in Los Angeles and can be reached via www.jasmynecannick.com .


This article shared 2798 times since Wed Jan 5, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

VIEWS Mike Johnson: The smiling face of Christian tyranny 2024-02-14
- Mike Johnson wants to rewrite the constitution to make the United States a Christian nation. James Michael Johnson, Republican from Louisiana's Fourth District, is the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was ...


Gay News

VIEWS Parents, not legislators, should be making decisions about medical options for children 2024-02-06
By Jeffery M. Leving - No matter the medical issue, when it comes to kids, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said something last December that every lawmaker in the country should realize when it comes to medical decisions for children. "Were House ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Sundance items, Green Day, 'Wednesday,' Queerties, 'The Wiz' 2024-01-26
- At the Sundance Film Festival, Jodie Foster told Variety that the $1.4-billion success of Barbie helps confirm that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. She said, "With a big success ...


Gay News

VIEWS Is the Pope Catholic? Francis faces opposition in steps toward LGBTQ+ inclusivity 2024-01-02
- The recent change in Vatican policy allowing priests to bless same-gender couples has provoked an unprecedented backlash against Pope Francis and his openness to LGBTQ+ people—a backlash that some fear might devolve into a schism in ...


Gay News

Bring Chicago Home: Guess who's saying no again 2023-12-04
Commentary by Bob Palmer and Mark Swartz - Chicago is ushering in an era of change with a new progressive mayor with a vision to invest in communities long ignored and a significant increase in like-minded city council members. We are excited to see ...


Gay News

Pope Francis's community of transwomen 2023-11-28
- It's a rare opportunity to meet the pope. It's even rarer if you're a transgender Catholic. However, on Nov. 19, in Torvaianica, Italy, a community of transwomen, many of them sex workers, were welcomed and seated ...


Gay News

Banning the Banning of Books: Illinois and California lead the way 2023-10-26
- In June, at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation banning book bans in Illinois public libraries. This legislation, initiated by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, passed the Illinois House and ...


Gay News

OPINION Renewing state's Invest in Kids program is investing in anti-LGBTQ+ hate 2023-10-23
- In February 2020, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield warned transgender students in the Diocese's educational system that they "may be expelled from the school" if they live their lives authentically. Lansing Christian School ...


Gay News

Gilbert Baker Foundation reacts to death of shop owner who flew the rainbow flag 2023-08-29
--From a press release - In response to the murder of Laura Ann Carleton over flying the Rainbow flag in her shop in California, the Gilbert Baker Foundation released the statement below. Facebook refused to post the statement as it did not "...meet their standards." ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT U.S. higher education under siege; freedom of inquiry and speech at risk 2023-07-03
- The Covid pandemic threw a harsh spotlight on higher education in America, exposing forces eating away at the foundations of college and university learning, calling into question the traditional purposes of such education in our post-modern, ...


Gay News

Guest essay by Florida mom Nicole Pejovich: What's Happening to Florida's Public Schools? 2023-06-19
Related video below - A queer Florida parent answers questions about recent laws, how Floridians are coping, and how you can help Books pulled from school library shelves by the dozens. All evidence of inclusivity stripped from classrooms. The politically ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT For divorced parents, transgender children's health can present tricky dilemmas 2023-06-12
- Over the last few months, issues impacting individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary are getting a lot of attention in the media and among some politicians. Sadly, because it's become a political issue; a lot ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT War in the 21st Century: mercenaries, private military companies, private armies 2023-05-20
- In 2022, $407 billion of the Pentagon budget—representing half of that year's funding —were obligated to private contractors, of which a significant number were Private Military Companies (PMCs) involved in ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT Telling the world about my mental health disorders 2023-05-04
- Over the years, coming out as a lesbian hasn't been that hard for me—because I was always too busy hiding something else. Confessing queerness can be a breeze compared to revealing mental illness. But I decline ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT German bishops endorse blessings of same-sex couples: Ancient rituals retturn 2023-03-31
- This March, at a national meeting of leaders of the German Catholic Church (referred to as a synod), a document titled Blessing Ceremonies for Couples who Love Each Other" received overwhelming support: 176 votes in favor, ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.