A letter from The Brothas Group: Whites Only pools are not to be tolerated

From The Brothas Group:

Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.

When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club's leader said the "kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."1

A "Whites Only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act.2 Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.

Please join us in doing exactly that, and please email your friends and family and invite them to do the same. Your signature will also be used to call on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment to do both, here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=2175-158623

Something for opponents of gay marriage to think about

Found this cartoon by Kevin Siers of the Charlotte Observer somewhere in my internet travels a few days ago and, as a mixed-race gay man, I have to say that the message is powerful and absolutely right on.

Keep in mind that the arguments against gay marriage that are making the rounds today are the same arguments (from the same kinds of people) that they used to try to justify preventing people of different races from marrying only a few decades ago (Loving v. Virginia (1967)).

Is Biden racist?

I hear that Obama's veep candidate Joe Biden is pretty GLBT friendly but I'm very concerned over his apparent racist tendencies. Not cool at all.

Here's what he had to say about Obama back when he was still in the presidential race:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."

And here he is making what he obviously feels is some kind of a joke about Indian people:


Granted, we've all heard worse but there's still something troubling about his statements. Is he racist, or just insensitive? I don't know but I do wonder how someone who says such things can possibly be a good leader for a multi-cultural nation like ours.