Gay the New Black?

Now I have heard everything, The Gay Presidential Debates? Why the Gay Presidential Debate? There are a lot of black folks who cringed when moderator Margaret Carlson compared the gay rights movement to the black civil rights movement.

Pam of Pam's House Blend get's the Gay Presidential Debates. She says, "Never in the history of American politics have presidential candidates been brought together to debate ?gay? issues. Pretty exciting stuff." More HERE. But everyone is not in agreement. The Gay Patriot has asked "Did you react so ferociously when the Blacks had their own special rights debate?" .... Why is everyone claiming this is a “first” presidential Gay Debate? More HERE

Even BET is asking questons to black viewers wondering if the Presidential Debate should focus on gay issues. On the other hand groups like The National Black Justice Coalition feel that America finally spoke up. If America spoke up there is black and white disagreement who won the Gay Presidential Debate. As an example E.J. Graff, of The Nation has a lot to say about what Democratic presidential candidates talk about when they talk about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues? Regarding the Gay Debate he says, Edwards hit it out of the park. Hillary got smartly on base, to wild--even excessive--cheers. Obama struck out. Check out his article HERE. While others were not impressed like Media Matters, that wrote, "They came, they saw, they pandered."

Yet the whole Gay Debate issue is taking another turn in black communities. As an eample, some in the black community asked even before the debate started if the “gay debate,” focusing solely on LGBT issues would likely ignore issues specific to the black gay community. More HERE Now after the debate black bloggers like Jasmyne Cannick see a lot of it as Pomp and Circumstance, she writes, " I think it’s great that Obama has addressed this issue outside of gay forums and within the Black community specifically Black churches, but I am not sure how effective he can really be in those forums when he himself Read More HERE.

Both Skepitical Brotha and Stereohyped are blogging about this issue as is Keith Boykin who says, "We've had a black debate, a labor debate, a CNN debate, an MSNBC debate, an Iowa debate, a New Hampshire debate, and even a YouTube debate. Next month Univision, the fifth most watched network in America, is sponsoring a Hispanic debate that they plan to simulcast into the Spanish language for their viewers. Only Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and John McCain have agreed to participate in that one. But tonight, Logo, the gay channel owned by Viacom, is sponsoring a gay debate with all the Democratic candidates. Is this too many debates?