Nov 07, 2008  |  By: REBECCA ARMENDARIZ  | COMMENTS     

Black lesbian activist Sheila Alexander-Reid, founder of D.C. based Women in the Life, is struggling to put her thoughts into words on the morning of Nov. 5.

“I am so incredibly exhausted,” she says.

Reid is speechless for other reasons, too. She cannot believe that the U.S. has elected a black man to its highest office.

Carlene Cheatam, a lesbian activist and one of the original organizers of D.C. Black Pride, said that on election night, she was “totally filled.”

Though she had never really thought about whether she’d see a black president in her lifetime, she said she “knew he would win.”

“The impact that he has on people here and around the world, I think, is amazing, and I’m grateful to be here today,” she says.

Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, a black gay group, said he had faith the American people would eventually support a black president, but didn’t believe it would happen this soon.

Earline Budd, longtime transgender rights activist and former executive director of Transgender Health Empowerment Inc., said that as an HIV-positive transgender woman, Obama’s presidency means health services that are important and vital to her life will not be eliminated and will be given more consideration.

Budd worked to get transgender people in D.C. registered to vote in time for the election. A lot of her clients, she said, were voting for the first time.

And she admits that she never thought she’d see this day.

These longtime gay and black activists professed their belief that the administration of president-elect Barack Obama will be the best in history on gay rights.

Robinson said that with a new, progressive Congress and an energized liberal movement in America, the gay community will see advancements in hate crimes legislation, employment discrimination protections and an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Robinson also believes that access to comprehensive health care under President Obama will go a long way in combating the AIDS epidemic.

“We will be able to look back at the Obama era as one in which our community really turned the corner on equality,” he says.

Cheatam said that an Obama presidency will be one of inclusion.

“We will be in the American community supporting him,” she says. “Too often we as a community … are waiting to see what somebody’s going to do for us. We now have a situation where we work with him and he works with us.”

But the election also highlighted the gulf between the black civil rights movement and the gay rights struggle. While the U.S. has elected its first African-American president, ballot measures to ban gay marriage in Arizona, Florida and California all passed. Voters also passed a gay adoption ban in Arkansas.

According to the Los Angeles Times, exit polls in California showed that an overwhelming majority of black voters supported Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to ban gay marriage in the state.

Cheatam said that homophobia remains a problem in the black community.

“The predominantly white gay and lesbian community [in California] did not put enough focus on going into the black community,” she says. “I know they did some, I know they spoke to some ministers, but you really need to establish a relationship because the community is homophobic.”

But Robinson thinks differently.

“I believe that it probably says less about what black people think about gay people and more about how black people perceive marriage,” he says.

Robinson says religion plays a large role in shaping attitudes about issues like marriage among black Americans.

“If you look at the community as far as its support for other efforts, such as ending discrimination in employment or protecting us from hate crimes, we won’t see anywhere near those numbers [against gay marriage],” he says.

Cheatham said she thinks it will take more time to change attitudes toward gays.

Earline Budd, trong>Carlene Cheatam and trong>Sheila Alexander-Reid (Blade file photos)

“Generationally, things will change, just like how after generations it was the young people who helped elect Obama, who happens to be black,” she says. “Black people are seeing gay and lesbian and transgender people in more environments now.”

“What we have to do is educate, educate, educate people on acceptance and understanding of our communities and our views,” Budd says.

But for this week at least, many are content to celebrate Obama’s victory.

“Barack Obama’s victory has shown all of us that whatever you set your sights on, have great faith and a good heart, and you will find success,” Reid says. “It’s easy to be skeptical and pessimistic. It takes great courage to believe in yourself and in others.”