Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Rahmana Finney in San Francisco, one of our new and vibrant additions to the Planet Waves staff. Below, she weighs in on Obama, race and Prop. 8. –RA
Dear Friend and Reader,
BETTY DAVIS IS ONE of my all-time favorite singers. She is a beautiful, statuesque, caramel Leo fireball who recorded a number of albums in the 1970s, and then just disappeared into relative obscurity. She dated Jimi Hendrix, was married to Miles Davis (who said she was just too young and wild) and had a kick-ass band backing her up which included members of Sly Stalone’s band and Sylvester doing back-ground vocals.
Sylvester was an openly gay man who could sing his ass off and did so for everyone from Chaka Khan to Luther Vandross, and unfortunately eventually died of AIDS. Betty’s music is just pure FUNK music at its nastiest and sweatiest. One of her most famous tunes is “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up”—a funk classic in the underground community of soul and funk music heads.
She wore lingerie on stage, cursed at the audience, and her album covers are some of the most erotic, sexy things ever made. She was unabashedly wild and free—long before Madonna or Britney, but little is known about her. She wore a big kinky afro and most definitely did not fit the establishment’s acceptance of beauty. But I think looking at her picture, you will agree she is the bomb.
I love Leos; especially Leo women. They are such rebels. They live by a creed that is very popular in the Black community. It is called “I don’t give a fuck.” It can be very handy in life. Very effective when dealing with cut-off utilities, racist bosses and the visual stimulation we are often assaulted by daily in our neighborhoods of crack addicts and gutted buildings. I am thinking of Miss Betty Davis as I celebrate this Leo man we just elected to be the first Black man for President of the United States of America, and simultaneously repealed the right to marriage for the gay community. Ah, bittersweet—one of my favorite words.
It applies to the first and last breath you take and every one in between. Because I toasted last night, as a matter of fact, shed tears, with black people who voted for Obama and Proposition 8, banning marriage for anyone who isn’t straight. Damn it why did it have to be bittersweet? I am amazed that these same black people who are overjoyed at a milestone in the history of this country being set, could be comfortable with such blatant prejudice. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand why people care who other people are fucking. I just don’t get it! And the thought occurs to me: HOMOPHOBIA IS ANOTHER FORM OF SEXISM.
Does anyone feel me on this one? This Leo man we just voted for is tall, dark and handsome, straight and married, and a father. He is not the typical angry stereotype of Black men. He is measured, calm, sophisticated and very political. And he fits into our comfortable categories. He’s not threatening. Why is gay marriage threatening? Why are people so uncomfortable even just imagining two people of the same gender having sex?