Former WashBlade editor Chris Crain on Lane Hudson’s Civil Rights Act amendment strategy:

The fact is that the significance of such legislation would be largely symbolic. No one is marching in the street because we’re refused rooms at hotels, service in restaurants and lunch counters or seats at the front of the bus. Has anyone ever seen a “queer-only” water fountain?

It’s amazing to me that Crain would accept and perpetuate this “you didn’t suffer what we suffered” argument propped up by anti-gay, Religious Right African-Americans (and crazy queer black folks like Jasmyne Cannick).

Some are taking Crain to task in his comment threads. I wholeheartedly agree with this one:

OMG, you must be joking. You not seriously buying into this pernicious argument that civil rights is function of how much some group has suffered? OK, I admit, African Americans had it worse that we did. I get it. That doesn’t mean my issue isn’t a valid civil rights issue.

There might not be “queers-only” water fountains, and city governments might not be spraying my children down with firehouses, and my ancestors might not have been slaves, but that doesn’t mean the discrimination I face is any less unequal and un-American.

There are straights-only jobs. There are straights-only homes and hotels. There have been attempts to create straights-only counties. There are straights-only schools. There are straights-only youth services. There is a straights-only military, and a straights-only, government-sponsored institution of marriage.

I could go on. There are many American straights-only institutions — all propped up by arguments that suggest that just because you haven’t suffered enough, you can’t have equality. That sounds awfully similar to Mike Hukabee’s statements:

Amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is certainly one way to grant sweeping equality to LGBT Americans. But there are other ways to achieve the same thing, without having to give into the “you haven’t suffered enough” argument. Repealing DADT and DOMA, passing ENDA and hate crimes, taking away the Boy Scouts’ Congressional Charter, etc. — this and more can be done to achieve equality now. Marriage can come later (I like Crain’s idea of a federal civil unions bill — it’d be a huge step forward). Basic inequalities like job discrimination and military service will do wonders to speed up America’s journey to fulfilling its ideals of equality and justice for all.

I’m tired of people telling me I can’t be granted full, first-class citizenship and equality just because I’m not black. I’m sorry if that sounds racist — it’s not, I promise. My suffering is different — not less than, not more than — just different, and it hurts and pains in different ways. But I still deserve equality. Dammit, I’m tired of waiting in line.