"Rich, White, and Gay"

"Rich, White, Gay"
http://www.riotfolk.org/music/31/09%20Rich,%20White,%20and%20Gay.m4a

The HRC made news this fall when they went against the rest of the LGBTQ community supporting the ENDA legislation, and making it very clear about how supportive they are of the trans community, and everyone else who is at all gender non-conforming. Anyway I'm always on the lookout for queer media which looks critically at the HRC, and calls attention to the queerphobic policies supported by the mainstream gay community. I recently was introduced to the music of Adhamh Roland who is part of the Riot Folk collective ( http://www.riotfolk.org/member.php?id=5 ) and fell in love with his song "Rich, White, and Gay" which speaks to a lot of the issues many of us have with contemporary gay rights ideologies and especially the HRC.

The song moves away from simply being a bashing of the HRC and instead explores other problems within the community, and the ways in which trans folks, sex workers, youth, poor folks, folks of color, differently abled folks etc. are marginalized and silenced in an effort for the "normal" gays and lesbians to gain political and social power, leaving everyone else behind fighting over metaphorical scraps. From a media perspective the "it’s queers who equate true equality with straight privilege like shows on t.v. " line was especially powerful as it addressed the ways in which simply being on TV isn't enough if those representations are still based in oppression, stereotypes, and fail to account for the true diversity of our community, and fail to recognize that true equality is more than simplistic mediated representation.

Roland's song brings to attention some really important issues that the queer community in the States really needs to be paying attention to, as far as whose values and needs are being represented by the gay mainstream.


Lyrics:

Rich, White, and Gay
while mainstream gays and lesbians are prioritizing things like marriage and adoption, the rest of the community is left to fend for ourselves against racism, classism, transphobia, ablism and more. queer liberation means liberation for all, while gay assimilation means just that—assimilation. this song was inspired by the anthology, that’s revolting: queer strategies on resisting assimilation.
capo 3rd fret

well, what do you see of the gay mainstream?
queer eye, queer folk—it’s queer t.v.
and you say ‘oh my goodness look how far we’ve come’
but that all depends on where you’re coming from

chorus:
‘cause when you say ‘we’
i think i know what you mean
it’s that rich, white, gay and lesbian
so called community

it’s the folks who wanna end housing discrimination
but ban youth shelters in the name of beautification
who think their partners should have health coverage to share
but don’t give a damn ‘bout universal health care
who fight in the courts for tougher hate crimes
but think the racist system is working just fine
‘cause it’s o.k. to haul off to jail the homeless and the youth
people of color, trannys, sex workers too
as long as it’s not people like you
then you can maintain you’re agenda
that benefits the few

it’s a gay mainstream that votes anti-poor
as long as civil unions are accounted for
they don’t seem to see their obvious connections
between race, class, ability, and gender expression
they don’t think of the black drag queens that battled for us all
hurlin’ high heels at the cops outside of stonewall
when they vote to put more pigs on the streets
and never hear about the people that they beat

‘cause the human rights campaign is sponsored by nike and coors
who violate everybody’s rights but yours
they claim to advocate for queers and trannys
and then don’t write them into nondiscrimination policies
they even endorsed a republican candidate
thanks h.r.c. for bein’ my advocate

it’s the log cabins, the don’t ask don’t tell
it’s consumerisms choice demographic to sell
it’s climbin’ up the ladder leavin’ everyone behind
it’s the best pecking order capitalism can find
it’s the upwardly mobile that want to marry
it’s the strict butch/femme dichotomy
it’s queers who equate true equality
with straight privilege like shows on t.v.
as long as the butt of the jokes are still based on misogyny
and the lead roles are straight in reality
it’s a slap in the face to kioshi (web link)
and every other liberation warrior since the sixties
and anyone ever arrested on your street
cuz they might lower the value of your property

last chorus
when you say we
i think i know what you mean
it’s that rich, white, gay and lesbian so called....
well it’s not the trannys, it’s not the dykes
it’s not anyone who’s not white
it’s not the whores, not the fags
not asians, latinas, natives, or blacks
it’s not the homeless, the deaf or blind
it’s not fake cocks or chests that bind
it’s not the fat folks, or the freaks
or any combination of any sort of identity

except that rich, white, gay
that rich, white, and gay
that rich, white, gay ...
...and sometimes lesbian
so called community