Discrimination

To the Editors of The Crimson:

We would like to respond to Karl Lampley's letter printed in the April 24 issue, in which he adamantly decried comparisons of Black and gay discrimination, on the basis that they are "very different things."

Lampley's argument, first and foremost, insults the intelligence of those in the Harvard communtity who are socially and politically sensitive to discrimination issues. We strongly doubt that a person stating that Black and gay discrimination are similar is drawing an explicit, literal analogy--such an effort would be inane.

Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and heterosexuals who support gay/bisexual rights are not presupposing that oppression suffered because of homo/bisexuality is exactly the same as oppression suffered because of skin color. Rather we point out that the bigots who prefer we keep our sexuality "behind closed doors" are close cousins of the bigots who prefer that different racial and ethnic groups stay on their respective "sides of the town."

The issue is not, "Hey, we guys are as or more oppressed than you Blacks," but that our communities both routinely experience blatant as well as subtle forms of discrimination and marginalization within our society. It may be a generalization that does not appeal to Lampley, but then again, he makes a few unappreciated and incorrect assumptions of his own.

For starters, his definition of gay discrimination issues as "centering around morality and sexuality" is only half right. Thanks, but no thanks for the inclusion of morality. Heterosexists are the only folks who ever question whether gays, lesbians and bisexuals are right or wrong, natural or unnatural, forgiven or damned to hell, in our acceptance and proclamation of our sexualities.

Thus, we question the motivation for his heated assertion, "gays gain a lot in repeating the analogy (that Black and gay discrimination is the same)...it is not the morality of Blacks that is in question..." Perhaps a little homophobia in the mix? Moreover, his comment that "they (gays, lesbians and bisexuals) believe it (comparing Black and gay discrimination) gives legitimacy to their claims," is quite assuming. Mr. Lampley, we do not recall when you asked what "we" think.

In saying that "Black struggle in America has historical basis and implication," he also infers that there is no history of gay/lesbian/bisexual oppression. Certainly, the "coming out" of individuals through the gay rights movement of the past 20 or so years has given the most visibility in American history to the most number of gays, lesbians and bisexuals who live in our society. Yet, that does not mean that we only began dropping onto the planet in 1969 after the Stonewall protest.

Moreover, if he really would like to compare the kinds of violence that result from systematic cultural oppression, he should know that hate crime violence against homosexual and bisexual people (of all races), statistically, is the number one form of hate crime violence in America today.

And the ongoing discrimination against PWAs (People With AIDS) and HIV-positive individuals of all racial, economic and sexual backgrounds, mainly due to homophobic aggression and ignorance, is probably the best example of institutionalized and insidious sacrifice of American health in our nation's history. (The number of infected individuals rapidly is surpassing or already may have surpassed the amount of citizens killed in all of our country's domestic and foreign wars combined.)

Furthermore, Lampley's notion that "gays represent mainstream America in that they have gained economic freedom and affluence" is purely laughable in the grossness of its generalization. Sexuality cuts across all economic lines. But if he really wants to discuss class issues, then at least he should acknowledge the glaring role of gender in the acquisition of wealth and affluence in our society.

Lesbians and bisexual women (as well as heterosexual women), even white ones, still make approximately 62 cents to the heterosexual and homosexual, Black and white, male dollar.

Finally, we could not stop wondering if Mr. Lampley had ever bounced any of his ideas about Black and gay discrimination off of any Black gay men, Black lesbians or Black bisexuals? It appeared as if he had not done so. Though it seems obvious that they could best evaluate the comparisons of Black and gay discrimination, based upon their actual experience as Black non-heterosexuals within Black communities, gay communities and within American society as a whole.

In any case, we hope that Mr. Lampley, since he meant "no disrespect to gays" but does not care that "together we (oppressed groups) stand, divided we fall," will please step aside. Those of us who think that pluralist efforts against any and all kinds of discrimination is not such a terrible thing would like to pass by. L. Tracee Whitely '88   Divinity School staff   Carol DeFeciani   FAS-Music Department staff