The American Nightmare: Three Times Higher Poverty Rates for Black LGBT Couples than White Counterparts

 By: C.D. Kirven, Contributing Writer & LGBT Activist

  “Take this job and shove it!” collage art by C.D. Kirven

“Like so many families in America, communities of color are facing a stubborn job market, tighter budgets, and increased health care costs. The fact is that the Republican’s “Pledge to America” will make their situation worse,” said Tony Carrk (Policy Analyst of Center for American Progress Action Fund) regarding newly released U.S. Census data on the recession’s adverse impacts on communities of color.  In a study conducted by Queers for Economic Justice, Black LGBT people are three times more likely to live in poverty than their White same-sex counterparts or Black heterosexual couples. The report also states 12% of Black LGBT people have an annual household income of less than 15 thousand dollars. The LGBT communities of color are facing historic racially based economic hardships that are in stark contrast from the 1990s.  In “This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, economists Carmen Reinhart argues that the aftermath of systematic banking crisis involve pronounced contraction in economic activity and puts significant strains on government resources.  But, mainstream media’s unprecedented Tea party coverage gives the anti-government group a national platform to promote their pro-corporation agenda. Tea baggers believe that increasing government’s share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will inflict permanent damage on the private sector economy.  Even though economists estimate the private sector added 75,000 minimum wage jobs while continuing to outsource middle-class jobs to foreign countries.

“If we look at changes in unemployment rates by demographics, we’ve seen that they grow faster among minorities,” said Christian Weller, fellow at Center for American Progress (CAP). In 2009, nearly 24 million (African Americans and Latinos) went without any healthcare coverage. The National Women’s law report show unemployment rates among women at the highest in 25 years, women saw a 62 percent cut in non-farm jobs.  The Labor Department reports indicate unemployment rates among African Americans are currently at 16.1% while Latinos are at 12.4 totaling close to 6 million people. The data reveals the economic impacts of racial injustice and the need for immediate legislative action in order to avoid huge minority poverty increases. According to national population samples, around 7% of Americans identify as LGBT and nine in ten LGBT consumers claim workplace policies play a role in their consideration of brands. This proves the LGBT community feels workplace equality is critically important. There is a desperate need for more research in order to determine what’s at the source of the National Center Lesbian Rights (NCLR) report showing annual household income disparities of Black same-sex couples around $24,000 less than White same-sex couples.  Experts conclude that stimulating the economy should not just focus only on small businesses or on existing infrastructures that have already left minorities behind. Nearly 90 percent of people in the U.S. believe that gay and lesbians workers should have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts but 39 percent of all LGBT workers reported experiencing some sort of workplace discrimination or harassment.

There are no champagne wishes or caviar dreams for the LGBT community of color. If the LGBT community wants full equality, we have to stop living on separate sides of our community.  LGBT people of color do not have the money or power to broker productive conversations about socioeconomic disparities. The multi-million LGBT non-profit organizations and leaders will need to go into LGBT communities of color and partner on issues of mutual self-interest that will benefit our community as a whole. Studies have shown that there are negative social phenomena resulting from these disparities like shorter life expectancies, higher disease rates, increased depression and higher prison populations. We have to begin collective bargaining for LGBT equality because we need each other to accomplish pro-equality gates and to elect candidates that support pro-LGBT legislation. We must attack injustice as a community of people instead of a group of well funded activists. LGBT women of color are most adversely impacted by the recession’s unforgiving wrath and are underrepresented as part of LGBT leadership. Let’s put the mid-term elections behind us and join forces to tare down the walls of injustice and push forward past partisan politics to make LGBT civil rights a reality instead of an unattainable dream.

Activist - C.D. Kirven is a Lambda Literary nominated Author of the book – “What Goes Around Comes Back Around”, Board member of DFW Pride Movement, Artist – Her artwork was shown at Butch Voices Conference in Oakland, CA, Art in December 2009 issue of Curve magazine.  C. D. Kirven created the first GLBT cell phone documentary about same sex intimate partner abuse. She has an online clothing line at www.zazzle.com/cdkirven & is editing her online reality show about her life called: “SOULPRINT”.  Ms. Kirven is currently working on a lesbian rights manifesto book, her second fiction book “The Glass Closet” & a documentary.  Contact @ cdkirven@aol.com, http://cdkirven.blogspot.com or www.myspace.com/chastitykirven

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Letter to The Congressional Black Caucus

The Sanctuary Project Veterans, a grassroots organization, writes to the Congressional Black Caucus asking them to break their silence and to come out in support of Women of Color impacted by Don't Ask Don't Tell. Interesting Read.

“Obama, Obama” said, the little white boy; as he pumped his fist in the air as to give the Black Power salute. I was stunned and startled at the hope that little boy had in this Senator from Illinois. I stood outside the voting poll, shivering in the cold Southern California weather, shaking my head thinking, I have just seen everything. I never thought I would see the day when a 3 year old white kid would cheer for a black man to become president.  It was a scary time for me. I had hope and faith in Black America, but I had doubts in White America. Would White America look past his skin color and look at the character of the man? Would White America judge him qualified for the job based on his education and experience, or would they become color-blinded in vote based on race? 

Even though President Barrack Obama has been in office for two years, it is still a surreal experience. I never thought in my lifetime, a Black man would rule the most powerful nation in the world. What does that say about the American people?  From that day in November 2008, my life took on a new meaning. I don’t know what effect President Obama winning the election had on me, but my outlook on life has never been the same since that night. I knew if this can happen, then anything is possible in this world. It gave me hope in humanity. It gave me hope in life. It gave me hope for a new world.  

However, lately, my hope is weathering the storm; since President Obama’s time in office. This is a time of rejuvenation for America; a time of creating a new sense of Pride in our values and beliefs. President Obama took on the hurricane American economy with people demanding an instant magical solution. The American people voted on hope. The American people trusted in President Obama’s words. They believed him and still do, but are beginning to get weary of his power and ability to keep his promises. Yes, we live in the Information Age, and due to generational social transformation our values have begun to take on a new meaning. With all these cultural revolutions stamping our way of life-one thing remains the same, “your word”. An American euphemism meaning; you make an oath, a vow to perform an action, a task for someone. These are not meaningless words-along with making this statement comes’ a responsibility to fulfill your promise.  

The African-American women of the United States Armed Forces have waited for 2 years for President Obama to fulfill his promise to them. You made a promise; you gave “your word”, Our Black women are the largest population impacted by the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. Many Black women come from low-income families and have few opportunities to attend college. Many will end-up working low-paying jobs. Unfortunately, many will become a statistic. We live in America, a cruel society that will not pay a Black woman a living wage. Many Black women enlist into the military, because it affords them the opportunity for social mobility, an education, a job with benefits, and the prestige of being an American heroine. Sadly, enlisting in the United States Armed Forces is becoming a lost opportunity for Black women. Black women on an average of 2 per day are fired by The Department of Defense, because of whom they love. I am still waiting for the Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. words to become true, where we will live in a nation in which” the content of character and not whom we love” become the motto for being a solider in the American military.   

I call upon the Congressional Black Caucus to break your silence. I call upon the Congressional Black Caucus to support Women of Color in the Armed Forces. I call upon the Congressional Black Caucus to meet with The Sanctuary Project Veterans, www.sanctuaryproject.org, a national activist outreach ministry headquartered at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, California, www.pilgrimucc.org.  Together, we can create the opportunity to address the human rights issue of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the impact on the African-American community. The Women of Color Servicemembers, veterans, and their families deserve no less.

Currently, Women of Color are not represented by the LGBT community and its negotiations with The Department of Defense and The White House.  The recent meeting between LGBT leaders and the White House Council failed to address Women of Color. This is unacceptable. I call upon you to rectify this omission.

Evelyn Thomas

Founder/Executive Director

The Sanctuary Project Veterans