The Question on the Table

I'm reading Steven Fullwood's book of essays, Funny. Subtitle: On Being Black, Male and a Manhandler.

The chapter "I Don't Care" is interesting to me as it addresses attempts to find affirming pro-gay portions of the Bible (or at least attempts to show that the anti-gay verses don't mean what the religious right says they mean). He says, stop. It doesn't matter. Find your own sense of self worth in yourself, not some religious document.

Okay, as far as that goes. Then this paragraph jumped out at me:

The question on the table directed at any historically oppressed people is 'can you prove to me that you exist?' When white people have asked black people this question, traditionally we have scrambled to answer by talking up our leaders, doctors, lawyers, teacher and all, like it makes any difference. The heart of racism is still alive and beating, and it doesn't matter how many articulate light skinned green eyed professionals momma pushes from her loins, racism cannot be solved with logic, because it is illogical. Black people would do better to spend their time arming themselves with education and love than to defend their right to fucking breathe. Homo folk, take a hint and get with a different program. (Emphasis added).

Whew. That's a powerful paragraph. But I have a problem with it's premise. Is the question on the table really whether a minority exists, or is whether the minority has worth? Is fully human? Or some sort of Other? Paradoxically, it seems to this white, middle aged, middle class gay guy that there's less reason to prove existence as a black person, than as a gay person. The fact of race is firmly established, the fact of being gay as a natural state is constantly challenged. But I digress.

I agree with Fullwood that trying to solve racism -- or homophobia -- with logic is foolish. But I do think identity politics, which I define as people who identify as gay coming forward and saying so, is necessary to get people to drop their homophobic baggage. Otherwise all that's left in the public marketplace of ideas are the stereotypes and images of "gay" that the homophobic right puts forth. I would hate for that to happen in a vacuum.

And I think attempts to refute the radical right's interpretation of the Bible gets at the question I think is on the table, which is are gays part of the human family? I don't need a religious text to tell me that I am. But I don't want my opponent unchecked to use a religious text to tell me I am not.