Oct 10, 2008  |  By: BRIAN WATSON  | COMMENTS     

RECENTLY, I WAS asked to attend the second meeting of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV), as a leader in the African-American gay community.

I became involved in the community’s hate crime dialogue when several friends of Tony Hunter asked me to help organize a candlelight vigil to draw attention to the attack. (This occurred prior to Hunter’s death.) I was eager to hear what GLOV organizers, other community leaders and the GLLU had planned to combat the recent rash of suspected hate crimes in the District. 

While the meeting was well attended, I couldn’t help but notice that there were very few people in the audience from my own community, even though Hunter was African American. At the candlelight vigil held this past Sunday in remembrance of Hunter, I noticed the same thing.  While there were more African Americans in attendance at the vigil than that meeting, there was definitely not the support from the black community that there should have been after such a horrible crime.

I personally sent e-mails to many friends and local and national activists I knew, and spoke with print media and TV reporters. I wondered where the other African-American LGBT community members were and what was so important that they couldn’t take time to honor a life that was lost and make a statement to city leaders that this type of violence would not be tolerated. I also wondered where Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier were and why they had not attended the GLOV meeting or the vigil.

I have recently heard of other attacks on gay men, women, and transgender people, but never heard a response from either the mayor or the chief of police. I now hear that the GLLU is down officers and that the officers who are leaving are not being replaced by the chief. When the leaders of GLOV described their organization last week, they mentioned that GLOV had been around in the 1990s, but had taken a sabbatical because the tremendous strides made by the group made its continued existence unnecessary.

I FEEL THAT now is the perfect time to resurrect GLOV. We are in a state of emergency not only because of the recent attacks, but also due to the current administration’s lack of attention to our community. We have members of our community being attacked — even killed — and we don’t hear from the mayor until weeks later. And the chief is scaling back specialized units.

I have never been one to be critical of the mayor or the chief; in fact, I was part of a select group of leaders who met with Chief Lanier her first week on the job and have been an avid supporter. But, when I got a call two weeks ago from a young gay man who had been attacked at the Minnesota Avenue Metro station, I knew there was a problem and that it was time that I got involved. We need GLOV and other organizations like it to step up to make city leaders respond to our community’s issues and concerns. 

But I also must say to my brothers and sisters and other leaders young and old in the African-American LGBT community: It is time for you to step up to the plate as well. We must get out of our complacency and out of the mindset that someone else will fight the battle for us. Now is the time to act!

WE MUST JOIN together across racial and ethnic boundaries to demand education programs and upgraded policing. We need to involve the faith community and particularly the African-American churches in our community. It is time for more than tolerance of the GLBT community, but true acceptance. I want to be able to be out and proud anywhere in the District of Columbia without fear that I will be attacked. I shouldn’t have to live my life in fear.

At the recent vigil for Tony Randolph Hunter I heard over and over again the words, “Enough is enough.” We as a community must make those words a reality. Our political leaders must show us by their presence and words that they really care and will work with us to change the fear that has permeated our community.

I look forward to working toward — and being a part of — the change and to a safer future for the GLBT community in the District of Columbia.