to marry or not to marry

A good friend recently responded to a post I wrote for Change.org regarding the complexities of marriage equality, the marriage equality movement and lgbt communities of color. The comment was related to the problems of queer folks of color fighting for marriage as if it were equally as important and/or transformative for us as it might be perceived for white gay men. Below are some thoughts...


I think we tread dangerous waters in looking to marriage as the pinnacle of our rights (or the pinnacle of anything for that matter). The stories of women of color, in particular, should be enough for us to know better than to think it is an institution that supports, affirms and honors self-determination or other forms of liberated consciousness and being.

That said, I think it's important to not overlook the basic benefits that come with marriage, which poor and working class folks of color might not have access to. For instance, hospital visitation rights can be secured through certain legal processes, but these require access to resources and information. Of course, this assumes folks can even get into the hospital for care to begin with.

I agree and have written about the ways in which the LGBT movement seems intent on reinstating the privileges that white gay men lost by virtue of being gay. People of color, then, become the conduits and obstacles to, and occasionally unintentional beneficiaries of what rights (and privileges) are secured.

With all that.. would I get married? Yup.


Here's the post we were originally reacting to:
What the Marriage Equality Movement Means To LGBT People of Color