Black, Gay Communities Collide Over Gay Marriage

The controversy over California's gay marriage ban, known as Prop 8, has spilled into the streets.

Protests have snaked their way through Los Angeles and across the country.

But in some places, the fight for gay rights has turned into an public indictment of African-Americans who voted in favor of the ban. Some neighborhoods have become hotbeds for racial tension.

Farai Chideya moderates a conversation about race and sexual identity, the proposition's impact on American politics, and the future of coalition building between blacks and gays.

Click here to listen to the interview, which aired November 13th.

She speaks with Gary Gates, distinguished professor from the Charles R. Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public policy at University of California Los Angeles; Patrick Sammon, President of the Log Cabin Republicans; and Ron Buckmire, Board President of the Barbara Jordan/ Bayard Rustin Coalition.

Related NPR Stories:

Calif. Gay-Marriage Backers Go To Court Over Ban

California's Prop. 8 Passes, Passions Flare

Geoffrey Gardner

Tags: california prop 8 | gay black community | gay black tension | gay marriage | gay rights | prop 8 | prop eight

4:21 PM ET | 11-13-2008 | permalink

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