RENWL

What a striking irony it is that today the black political caucus is now the establishment—–better known as THE MAN. That term used to be reserved exclusively for white politicians and employers—white folks in power. No more.

It didn’t slip past us that Rick Jacobs of Courage Campaign played moderator tonight for that $100 a pop Liberty Hill event featuring assembly speaker Karen Bass and speaker-elect John Perez.

We suppose that’s why Miss Bass can openly support an African American political candidate who has made it very clear to one and all that he is against gays getting married—–LGBT civil rights.  And obviously supposed mavericks and leaders for LGBT equality such as Rick Jacobs are going to keep their mouths shut, smile and like it.  There will be no emails from Courage Campaign imploring that you sign a petition on the matter you can bet your bottom dollar on that. We’ve long been observant of Courage Campaign’s growing love affair with Bass’s  Community Coalition organization here in South Los Angeles.  Now it all makes sense.

We have completely and emphatically lost all respect for Rick Jacobs. We wanna make that clear just in case you missed it in our tone.

We are disgusted, appalled and outraged that Rick Jacobs and his sorry ass excuse for an organization dares to endorse marriage equality and any other pretext of socially progressive politics while continuing the practice of business as usual with the black politicians and leaders in the African American community who openly and brazenly endorse and support those African American political candidates who are publicly against equality and full civil rights for all.

We are quite clear that a majority if not all of our African American peers and LGBT leadership in the African American community may not have any issue whatsoever in the duality and less than integrious recent display of Rick Jacobs politics. That’s their business and God knows we love ‘em and bless ‘em and would never criticize their decisions in terms of what they think best for the direction of their organizations and relationships with others outside of the African American community

WE DO however have grave issue with Rick Jacob’s politics and are frankly stunned at the bold face and arrogant hypocrisy of it all. While we would expect nothing less from the likes of EQCA aka Geoff Kors, we truly thought regardless of our disagreement in opinion with Jacobs at times— from the second we met him felt that Rick Jacobs was in fact a courageous and daring leader who would stand in the face of homophobia and opposition to the civil rights of all no matter the direction from which it came. In other words, we believed in him to do and be the right thing no matter the cost.

We have found this not to be so. There is no “courage” in Courage Campaign. Except when it comes to frivolous attention getting law suits, one-upmanship jabs at EQCA and bogus  protests aimed at President Obama  because politically speaking, Obama’s the easiest target there is. But exhibiting a set a of balls in the face of black politicians and their continued endorsement and approval of religious homophobia embedded into community and state politics?

What a joke.

Due to the fact that Jacobs—-previously a “fearless advocate” for LGBT civil rights—-at least when it comes to the civil rights concerns of gays outside of the African American community—has said absolutely NOTHING in response to assembly speaker Karen Bass, Mark Ridley-Scott and Senator Curran Price’s support of Long Beach City Council 9th District candidate and black church minister Steven Neal—a man who is on record as saying he is against gay marriage aka equal civil rights for all Americans, we have no choice but to sever all ties and any association with Courage Campaign effective immediately.

RENWL is also withdrawing its participation and support of the Courage Campaign event State of Our Union: Being Black/Black LGBT in the Obama Era on Thursday, February 18, at Lucy Florence Cultural Center in Leimert Park.

We will notify all parties affected.

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