MLK Day and Modern Gay Men of Color Worth Following

It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Most Americans will probably spend this day sitting at home, perhaps taking in a movie. School kids will get a perfunctory lesson about civil rights. College kids will recover from partying last night.

Here at AfterElton.com we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on King’s legacy by spotlighting some interesting political, cultural and artistic efforts from gay men of color, primarily black men.

But first, a quick note.

The Dr. King you know today is not the Dr. King that was, for better or worse. One of the strangest aspects of King’s legacy is he is now claimed by virtually everyone. Conservatives and leftists, white men and black women, and, yes, GLBT folk of all stripes, have all said they are the true descendents of King’s political philosophy.

Clearly, some groups can make a better claim than others.

Still, rather than decide the best way to honor King. I decided to merely pick a few things that, in my personal opinion, are worthy of recognition. The point isn’t to be comprehensive (that’s impossible). The point is to spotlight what might otherwise go unrecognized.

As always: I can’t do it alone! Please use the comments to make your own suggestions on books, plays, movies, political groups, charities, etc. you think best honor Dr. King and the political movement he helped spearhead.

Political Organizations

Few would deny the Human Rights Campaign is the organization gay people first think of when they consider donating to a political cause. Yet over the past few years, bloggers and individuals have grown increasingly disenchanted with the organization, as federal legislation on a variety of issues has either died or stalled.

There are a number of other groups individuals can support, some of whom arguably come closer King’s political ideal.

One such group is Queers for Economic Justice, a non-profit activist organization committed to equality for poor and working class LGBT people, including people of color, trans individuals, homeless youth, to name a few.

New York-based QEJ’s major initiative this year is advocating for better housing conditions for the LGBT homeless in the city, particularly youth. QEJ is trying to institute non-discrimination and anti-violence laws within the shelter system. Last year QEJ contributed to research on low-income LGBT people and coordinated with national groups like the Equality Federation to organize for healthcare reform. The group, located in midtown, also provides a safe space for various community groups to meet, organize and commune.

For former executive director Kenyon Farrow, QEJ’s mission honors Dr. King’s commitment to economic equality, his critiques of capitalism and his stance against war and imperialism (QEJ opposes DADT's repeal). The HRC, in his view, is often too focused on the concerns of the middle and upper class.

“We need to revisit the totality of King’s thinking and the totality of his work,” said Farrow, one of Out magazine’s Out 100 in 2008. “We have to be able to mobilize queer communities that do the kind of community-building and community-organizing that actually changes conditions.”

But there are numerous organizations committed to the kinds of radical reform King espoused. They include but are not limited to: GMHC, ACT UP, The Audre Lorde Project, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, FIERCE, Gender JUST, TGI Justice Project,and Southerners on New Ground. Farrow also highlighted activist work in Newark following the brutal murders a few years back: Newark Essex Pride, African American Office Of Gay Concerns and Newark Pride Alliance.