• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Are the struggles of Homosexuals equal to that of Black People?

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bjb

Banned
About to write a paper on this - curious what GAF thinks.

Do you think Gays have equally struggled as much as African Americans (past and present)?
 
B

benzy

Member
whipped_slave.png
 
G

Gaborn

Member
I think that it is too inflammatory to compare one group's suffering in terms of value. it is enough to know that both blacks and gays have faced hatred, inequality, and prejudice and that this is unacceptable in society. I don't think you can assign a "value" to suffering though because that gets into infighting between groups which is unnecessary.

edit: So just to clarify, the STRUGGLES are equal because the cause - equal treatment under the law - is the cause of human rights, individuals and different groups have had further to go in different ways but the basic struggle is universal.
 
K

kylej

Banned
Depends how deep you want to get into it. Gay people arguably face more open discrimination today, while blacks continue to face the death grip of poverty and class warfare that runs like an undercurrent through American cities.
 
R

ronito

Member
You can't be a closet black. But it's just too inflamatory to really discuss rationally. Just take it as it is, they're their own thing.
 
B

Blair

Banned
Man you let this topic erupt in a seemingly unrelated thread, you don't just straight up ask it. Learn how to GAF.
 
B

badcrumble

Member
Of course they're not "equal" struggles, but there's no reason to make the comparison in the first place. One might posit that they're both components of a larger overall struggle for basic human dignity, even.
 
S

scar tissue

Banned
Ken Masters said:
no, but in many places in this world if they are outed as being gay they were killed, and in parts of the world today that's still the case
Click to expand...
I was thinking America only.
Also, it's kinda hide to hard the fact that you are black.
Gay people likely had an easier time escaping the country.

Edit: Just saw an interview with a gay person who escaped some islamic country on TV. Horrible stuff, most definitely.
But all in all, I'd still say black people had it worse.
 
H

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
G-Fex said:
Who comes up with such a comparison?
Click to expand...

Any person thinking about how to present the civil rights struggle of gays persuasively on the national stage.

It's not perfectly analogous because you can more easily hide being gay, you can even chose not to act on homosexual urges. Neither of these are reasonable demands to make of gay people, mind you, but it's a difference between sexual orientation and race. For people who still believe homosexuality is a choice, comparing gay rights to civil rights for Blacks won't be very persuasive.
 
E

Epcott

Member
A gay person can more than likely pass as straight, and remain inconspicuous amongst the masses if they try.

A black person is still a black person regardless what they wear, how they act, or what they achieve.

So probably not.


(this OP question is a trap)
 
H

Hylian7

Member
I would probably say no at first glance.

Struggles of black people:

- no right to vote for a long period of time
- enslaved for a long period of time
- not given equal rights for almost ANYTHING for a long period of time
- looked down upon by most of society for a long period of time (similarly to how homosexuals are today)

Struggles of homosexuals:

- no right to marry
- sometimes denied some other rights
- looked down upon by a large portion of society
 
N

Ninja Scooter

Member
No 2 struggles are equal. I don't see the point of making it a "who got fucked worse" competition. But there are similarities to the civil rights struggles of both groups.
 
H

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
badcrumble said:
Of course they're not "equal" struggles, but there's no reason to make the comparison in the first place. One might posit that they're both components of a larger overall struggle for basic human dignity, even.
Click to expand...

I think the comparison is worthwhile though not in terms of "who has it rougher? The phrasing/framing, as you point out, is wrongheaded.
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
benzy said:
whipped_slave.png
Click to expand...

Photos of physical punishment are not a good way to make an argument considering all things

judas-cradle.jpg


But yes, I do think that blacks had it worse on account of not being able to hide in plain sight. Not that it matters a lot.

These days I would say that their struggles are somewhat comparable, if such thing is even possible.

Edit: I fully agree with Ninja Scooter.
 
D

Devolution

Member
Hylian7 said:
I would probably say no at first glance.

Struggles of black people:

- no right to vote for a long period of time
- enslaved for a long period of time
- not given equal rights for almost ANYTHING for a long period of time
- looked down upon by most of society for a long period of time (similarly to how homosexuals are today)

Struggles of homosexuals:

- no right to marry
- sometimes denied some other rights
- looked down upon by a large portion of society
Click to expand...

How many people are going to ignore the fact that homosexuals have been killed for their sexuality?


Tideas said:
are gay people being hung in the US for looking at a straight white male? and have it be okay?
Click to expand...

Matthew Shepard.

Fuck this thread.
 
E

Epcott

Member
Double post? How did that happen?

Hey, I hear animals are another form of slavery! PETA says it's true, I should change my avitar... looks very Uncle Tomish
 
J

JCX

Member
ronito said:
You can't be a closet black. But it's just too inflamatory to really discuss rationally. Just take it as it is, they're their own thing.
Click to expand...

Todd Glass made a good point about that in his most recent WTF episode where he came out publicly. You're family won't disown you for being black, you still have a community, etc.

That said, I don't think there is much worth is declaring one worse than the other. It distracts from the real discussions and actions that should be happening.
 
K

Kusagari

Member
No, but that's getting into an I suffered more war. Did the blacks suffer more? Yeah, sure. But blacks during the civil rights movement are still the most obvious and sensible parable to the modern gay rights movement.
 
S

Salvor.Hardin

Banned
If we're talking about sheer numbers, Blacks have had it way worse. But there are cultures and have been cultures that have treated gay people with more scorn. Because however gay people are able to keep it in the closet, they have for the most part managed to escape such persecution.
 
A

Alfarif

This picture? uhh I can explain really!
There is no need to compare one to the other. The fact that basic human rights are withheld because of religion, skin color, or both, is ridiculous.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Locked
Best sitcoms for actual gender equality?
1
666
Heimdall_Xtreme replied
8K The future (or the past?)
2 3 4
151
5K
marjo replied
Has the internet regressed reporting of news?
Clickbait
30
2K
StueyDuck replied
How do people live in Mexico?
2 3
100
5K
TheDreadLord replied
  • Locked
I'm genuinely tired of The Critical Drinker and other channels of the same ilk, and I think they're only making things worse for an average moviegoer
2 3
148
13K
Faust replied
Top Bottom