African Americans and LGBTQ Views.

General Questions
#1

Something I have wondered for a while now.

What are African American views surrounding LGBT rights?

I know I did hear a while back that they are less likely to support same sex marriage. But this was a while back. And let’s face it, few people did back then. Even Hillary Clinton didn’t (she supported gay unions at first–I digress).

So that doesn’t tell you everything.

I know African Americans are more likely to be religious. But as I may have said before, religion seems to have a positive effect in their lives. It makes them more caring and compassionate. So I guess that doesn’t prove or establish anything either.

Also, it may depend where you are. I live in Detroit. And African Americans in the actual city limits seem to be less likely to support gay rights. But let’s face it, they also typically have better things to worry about anyways. In the suburbs of Detroit, it might be a different story. I at least have found more acceptance in the suburbs, I think.

Also, I have ask this next one. About 20 years ago, Cleveland, OH had a vote on an amendment to the city charter that would outlaw any gay rights provisions. And it passed. I know from what I have heard, Cleveland city politics is dominated by the Democrats. So what role did the African American population play in the passage of this clearly homophobic charter amendment? I just had to ask.

Thank you in advance to all who reply:).

:):):slight_smile:

#2

The majority of my coworkers are black. I did not not know until I was in my current position about the “gay agenda”. From what I have been told by my coworkers is that it is a common idea in the black community, even only a couple of them seem to believe it at all. We have a somewhat closeted gay black coworker in another department, he is not shunned at all even by the people who are generally intolerant of homosexuality. Some of the most heated debates I have seen are between one pro LGBT coworker and another who has the opposing view that its sinful and also puts gay people in a category of child molesters. Another coworker believes that it takes away your manhood to be with another man sexually. We had a transexual white person that one of my coworkers was really good friends with, no one seemed to care about the trans status. None of my coworkers have had much problem with lesbianism, some of them seem to have a preference for bi curious women.

Their personal views run the gamut, the biggest difference I can see is that there is more of a tolerance for the expression of the entire range of views than there would be around any group of white people I’ve ever been around; there isn’t the notion of “oh my god you can’t say that” among the coworkers I’m around. There’s sort of a running joke that we would all be fired if HR listened to any of our conversations for more than 10 minutes.

#3

According to a 2015 Gallup poll:
“In absolute terms, the latest poll shows the greatest support for same-sex unions among young adults aged 18 to 29 (78 percent), Democrats (76 percent support), Hispanics (72 percent), and people who live in the West (68 percent). It records the lowest absolute support among African-Americans (49 percent), Southerners (48 percent), those aged 65 or older (47 percent), and Republicans (37 percent). The only other group that did not register majority support for gay marriage in the latest Gallup survey was the cohort of people who attend church at least weekly (also only 37 percent).”

#4

^^This.

The majority of my co-workers are black as well. One black woman in my office is a lesbian, but she is against “transgenderism” and thinks “men should be men and women should be women.” She also openly criticizes men who have boyfriends or who do sexual acts with each other.

Despite the disagreements, everyone gets along with each other for the most part.

Human beings, no matter their political beliefs or persuasions, are much more civil with each other in real life than they are online.

#5

Keep in mind that most Dopers, and therefore most co-workers of Dopers, are in white-collar jobs, and that therefore our co-workers are not necessarily a representative slice of the population, or of the black population.

#6

In 2008, CA had a ballot measure (Proposition 8) which was against same-sex marriage. African-American voters helped the measure pass, possibly due to the timing of someone else who was on the ballot:

The National Election Pool poll showed that support for Proposition 8 was strong amongst African American voters, interviewed in the exit poll with 70% in favor, more than any other racial group. Their support was considered crucial to the proposition’s passing, since African Americans made up an unusually larger percentage of voters that year, due to the presence of Barack Obama on the ballot.

I think it has been inferred that the AA community is not a big supporter of LGBTQ rights.

#7

ever see ice-ts character talk about what most arfican americans think of the lgtbq on law and order svu?
"you can be a child raping drug dealing serial murdering gang banger on death row and eventually the community will forgive you but if your male and say “im gay” and almost almost everyone will forget you exist and will speak about you like you were dead and buried "
And ive heard similar real life statements … and seen it myself ……

#8

My job could not get any more blue collar. Probably very few blue collar people of any race would find the people here very welcoming, which could play a part in why this board is mostly a white collar echo chamber.

#9

It is not too uncommon for people to use examples of black civil right movement in their arguments for LGBTQ rights. I’ve known black people that take umbrage being to compared to LGBTQ in any way, as if being black and LGBTQ are the same thing (which they’re not).

#10

I know an African American man who is as liberal as they come, even worked on Hillary’s campaign. And he is absolutely convinced that the homosexual agenda in part includes a nefarious attempt to recruit children into being gay.

#11

Moderating

Since this is GQ, let’s keep to factual responses like these which are based on data. Anecdotes and your personal opinions (like almost all of the other responses) are not relevant to this discussion.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

#12

It would be interesting to see how Kevin Hart being pushed out of hosting the Oscars based on past homophobic routines is playing on Black Twitter.

#13

[Moderating]

As I said, this is not relevant to General Questions. Please confine your replies to factual information.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

#14

I’m trying to find more recent data from Gallup (mentioned above) but I’m not seeing any. Here’s a link to old numbers, similar to those mentioned above: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/182978/religion-race-sex-marriage.aspx

Pew data here: http://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/

Lots of links here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia_in_ethnic_minority_communities#Homophobia_in_the_Black_community
Caveat: I’ve vetted a grand total of zero.

It looks like most of the polls are about marriage specifically, not general “LGBTQ Views” per the OP.
It looks like the answer is changing quickly year-to-year, so old data are likely to be off. The Pew data have 51% supporting same-sex marriage in 2017, up from 26% in 2007.

#15

I apologize. I totally neglected to note that this was in GQ. Also, my composing of my first post overlapped with your first note; I just didn’t want you to think that I was deliberately defying you.

#16

No problem. I know it can take a few minutes to compose and submit a post.

In any case, there is a thread in Cafe Society where Kevin Hart’s situation is being discussed.