Bash Compactor: Those People (On Stage)

As my age inexorably (yet gracefully) marches into that phase when my general good mood and productivity demands a full eight hours of sleep, I’ve come to rely more and more on a New York staple of the social scene: the after-work, politically-themed, cocktails-included happy-hour.  So it was to my great benefit when my editor approached me to cover the [Big Gay Variety Show,] an April 13 fundraiser with proceeds are all earmarked to support the [New York Civil Liberties Union](http://www.nyclu.org/content/about-nyclu) (a state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union) and its fight for marriage fairness and LGBT rights. 

As I rarely turn down anything with the words ‘big’ and ‘gay’ in its description, I ventured on down to the West Village for the event, held at [(Le) Poisson Rouge].  Correct to its billing, the show was full of variety—comedians, Broadway and television stars, an [Astoria-inspired](http://www.sundaymorningmimosa.com/Welcome.html) Vaudeville act, a new-age [gospel singer](http://www.ourladyj.com/) and even a [magician](http://www.matthewholtzclaw.com/main.html).  If you follow [what I've written in the past](http://www.nypress.com/by-author-436-1.html) (and for your general amusement and edification, I hope you do) then you know I’m not one to comment on artistic performance, per se.  I’m just as likely to think a "sharp F" refers to a painful sexual encounter rather than anything having to do with Beethoven’s Piano Sonata. But politics, that I do know and this event was unfortunately the political equivalent of that aforementioned bad hook-up. 

Upon entering the venue an energetic NYCLU staffer attached a band to my wrist and directed me to the VIP lounge.  Hmmmmm…an exclusive and exclusionary cordoned off space at an event for an organization that states it is an [inalienable right] to be “treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic status.” But as we can all tell from my tone, I’m totally an elitist, so I accepted my exceptionalism and watched with sci-fi nerd boy delight as hipster scruffy [Zachary Quinto](http://www.zacharyquinto.com/) took his nearby seat with [Jesse Tyler Ferguson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Tyler_Ferguson) of Modern Family fame (and who was a featured performer as well).

While the crowd was diverse across ethnicity (class-wise, who knows) the on-stage talent was decidedly not. By my count, only one performer was of color and, yes, pushing an agenda of black and brown people’s representation in the arts may seem a bit pasé in an age when Michelle Obama [headlines events] at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the lack of African-Americans, Latinos and Asians amongst the roster was underscored by the subject matter that those people on stage used as their punch-line: race.

One comedian, [Paul Case], spoke of his longing for a light-skinned boyfriend. Another, the previously referenced sister girl [Gloria Bigelow](http://globigelow.com/), talked about giving a ghetto child the name Crudité.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson gave an oh-so-average vocal performance of an oh-so-tired song about his pubescent love for a boy named “Eduardo.” (Latinos are, of course, the safe race for white Americans to exoticize and fetishize.) The event emcee, the dynamic cabaret performer [Lady Rizzo](http://www.ladyrizoandtheassettes.com/ladyrizo_home.html) had perhaps the most abrasive moment of the night when she hollered: “Where is that handsome black boy?” She was referring to the staffer who was selling tickets for the raffle. Gee, way to create a racially charged environment for an employee who was merely trying to do his damn job!  Of course, the irony here being that I’m sure an ACLU lawyer (or 2,000) has successfully sued a company for much less. 

Maybe I’m too cynical (or maybe I shouldn’t watch every episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race 32 times a week) but there is something staid and played about the intersexed state of identity politics and identity-based humor.  With its roots stretching back to 1917 you would hope the ACLU and its affiliates would have learned to integrate their principles around equality into the content of their events.  And this is not just some knee-jerk politically correct reaction to something I personally found offensive.  If the purpose of the event was to support the NYCLU and its efforts to fight for gay marriage then this event did that effort a disservice. One of the biggest developments on the legislative front of the battle for marriage equality was the ardent support for same-sex marriage by the black political elite of New York, most notably Rev. Al Sharpton, Governor David Paterson and State Senate President Malcolm Smith.  Even though last year the marriage equality bill was defeated in the state Senate it would not have even been taken up for a vote without those leaders. If gay-oriented events continue to unapologetically showcase racism and then hide that bigotry behind a veneer of comedic/artistic expression, on what grounds do we go back to those leaders and ask them to exercise their political capital on issues of importance to the LGBT community?

The NYCLU is an organization worthy of support and the performers who donated their time to raise money for its worthy mission should be commended.  But if philanthropic giving is about some form of sacrifice then asking those performers to lose the intellectually and creatively-lazy reliance on race-based humor—especially given the audience and stated purpose of the event—is a small price to demand of the considerable talent possessed by those on stage. 

[Jamaal Young] is a former political operative with the Democratic National Committee and has served as a policy consultant to a number of organizations on civil rights, education, and community service.