Grit TV: Why Prop 8 Won

I highly recommend this episode of Grit TV for insights on the recent defeat for same-sex marriage rights in California via the passage of Proposition 8. The election results have produced a lot of anger and heat, and the conversation here manages to bring some light to what is a much more complex issue than is shown in most media or activism. Laura Flanders interviews Richard Kim, associate editor for The Nation; activist/author Jewelle Gomez; the Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, author of Gods, Gays, and Guns; and Alexander Robinson, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition about the passage of Proposition 8 and what it implies for both gay communities and communities of color. In the sudden outburst of rage and hurt following the election, the response of many in queer communities is to scapegoat black voters, even though they made up only 9% of the total electorate. One of the interesting points that Kim makes at the very beginning of the interview is that the No on 8 campaign only started buying ads in "ethnic" media a week before the election itself, whereas the Yes on 8 activists had been placing ads for at least six weeks before that. He also brings a nuanced view to the reason behind the reasons that people had for voting for Prop. 8, rather than just attributing it to blind, unreasoning hatred. Well worth watching, if you have thirty minutes to spare. (h/t to Kerwin Kay for the link.)