California is now the second state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage after the California Supreme Court last month held that a ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution.At 5:01 p.m. on June 16, 2008, gay and lesbian couples began getting married in San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities. There were some African American couples among them, especially in Oakland, with its large black population and African American mayor Ron Dellums.
In the Beaux Arts splendor of Oakland's City Hall, dozens of people packed into City Council chambers to watch Dellums perform rituals for 18 same-sex couples. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, served as one of the witnesses to the ceremonies. Each union was greeted by whoops, cheers and prolonged applause after the words, "I proudly pronounce you married under the laws of the state of California."
At a press conferenc, Dellums also offered congratulations to gay and lesbian couples planning to get married. "Marriage is a confirmation of the importance of love and commitment in a healthy society," said Dellums. "It is a fundamental right to which all people are entitled and I am proud that I can officiate the eternal unions of these Oakland couples."
Shidiva Black-White, 44, filled out paper work with her fiancé Sherri Black-White, 53, on a computer at the Alameda County Clerk's Office in Oakland, California so the couple could get married there.
Dellums said Oakland is "one of the most diverse cities in the country and we join in the celebration of this historic day of human rights for all people." The mayor said, "This is not about protest, this is about celebration." Dellums and Lee are part of a cadre of prominent Black elected officials who have come out in favor of marriage equality. Governor David Paterson of New York issued a ruling authorizing his state to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts stood by his daughter as she came out as a lesbian and marched with her in Boston's annual gay pride parade last week.
Massachusetts is the only other state in the nation that allows same-sex marriage.
Alice Huffman, president of the California State Conference of the NAACP, has been described as a "forceful advocate of marriage equality" and the state NAACP filed an amicus brief with the California Supreme Court along with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. NAACP chairman Julian Bond has also been a longtime supporter of marriage equality for gays and lesbians.
Much of the media coverage about Black reaction to the court decision has focused on black opposition to gay marriage, and a recent report by the National Black Justice Coalition, an organization that supports marriage equality for gays and lesbians, found that blacks were more likely than whites (65 percent versus 53 percent) to oppose same-sex marriage.
That mirrors the 3BAAS Media Group poll we took on this site, with 37% of respondents fully supporting gay marriage, 58% ranging from indifference to strongly opposing, and 16% indicating that they were more concerned about the war in Iraq.
But Jasmyne Cannick, an outspoken lesbian and blogger, complained that the opposition only tells part of the story. In a published commentary in the Los Angeles Times, Cannick criticized the paper's coverage of the issue.
"[E]ven though Los Angeles is home to a plethora of respected black clergy that is affirming of lesbians and gays -- including Agape International Spiritual Center's Rev. Michael Beckwith, Rev. Eric Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and civil rights icon Rev. James Lawson -- those voices are almost never chosen to represent the voice of reason and African Americans on gay issues," Cannick wrote.
Much of the media coverage about Black reaction to the court decision has focused on black opposition to gay marriage, and a recent report by the National Black Justice Coalition, an organization that supports marriage equality for gays and lesbians, found that blacks were more likely than whites (65 percent versus 53 percent) to oppose same-sex marriage.
That mirrors the 3BAAS Media Group poll we took on this site, with 37% of respondents fully supporting gay marriage, 58% ranging from indifference to strongly opposing, and 16% indicating that they were more concerned about the war in Iraq.
But Jasmyne Cannick, an outspoken lesbian and blogger, complained that the opposition only tells part of the story. In a published commentary in the Los Angeles Times, Cannick criticized the paper's coverage of the issue.
"[E]ven though Los Angeles is home to a plethora of respected black clergy that is affirming of lesbians and gays -- including Agape International Spiritual Center's Rev. Michael Beckwith, Rev. Eric Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and civil rights icon Rev. James Lawson -- those voices are almost never chosen to represent the voice of reason and African Americans on gay issues," Cannick wrote.