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Black, Gay Communities Collide Over Gay Marriage

Malcon Allen waves a gay pride flag as supporters of same-sex marriage rally in California.
David McNew
/
Getty Images
Malcon Allen waves a gay pride flag as supporters of same-sex marriage rally in California.

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.

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.

Watch video of this roundtable conversation on our blog.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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