Relations between the LGBT community and Ethnic Minorities

The LGBT community is those who have a non-heterosexual sexual orientation or a non-cisgender gender identity. Communities of People of Color include every group which is not ever or not always considered white Blacks, Asians, Hispanics and Latinos, Natives, Pacific Islanders, Jews, Arabs etc.

Generally speaking, tolerance and diversity are celebrated within LGBT communities as well as communities of people of color. There are many social justice organizations that work on multiple issue platforms to eradicate discrimination based on race, class, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

However, there continue to be reports of racial discrimination within LGBT communities as well as reports of sexual discrimination within communities of color.

Examples of Racism in the LGBT Community

 * According to a 2000 survey conducted of LGBT African-Americans in nine U.S. cities, a third of respondents reported negative experiences in predominantly white LGBT organizations and with white LGBT persons in bars and clubs.




 * In 2005, Les Natali, the owner of a gay bar named Badlands located in San Francisco, was criticized by the city's Human Rights Commission who determined that thirteen instances of racial discrimination by the staff occurred. Examples include refusal for entry by African-Americans, white patrons being served first even though African-Americans were first in line among others. Badlands was picketed by a diverse group of community activists over several weeks to bring attention to the situation and a group, And Castro For All (AC4A) was formed that has continued to promote dialog about racism in LGBT communities.


 * In 2006, there were reports of verbal attacks on gay Latinos by gay whites in The Castro district of San Francisco. John Mendoza, a protest organizer against racism in the Castro, said he was told by a gay white male to "go back to Mexico, you fucking wetback, where you belong". A rally was staged in response.


 * In 2002, three New York City-based groups, the Anti-Violence Project, Audre Lorde Project, and Fierce, participated in in a demonstration against a Chelsea bar to protest a scheduled performance by Chuck Knipp. Knipp is a white comedian who performs Shirley Q. Liquor, a drag queen in blackface. The bar was fined and shut down subsequent to the protest. Commentator Keith Boykin said that Knipp was reinforcing images "that [were] already reflected in the white gay media." Entertainer RuPaul defended Knipp, calling the protest a "witch hunt".


 * Some LGBT media outlets have been criticized for not putting a racially diverse representation of gays and lesbians in their works, like magazines such as The Advocate and gay-themed television series such as Queer as Folk and Will and Grace.


 * The late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe produced a work called The Black Book which many gay, African-American artists have called fetishistic, racist, and demeaning.