Recently on her Facebook page, Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, brought up something that she thought would make for good conversation. You know, what other dim witted “white supremacists” like her would consider decent intellectual fodder for sociological debate. This bitch asked: “Why is it socially acceptable, as a form of entertainment, for men to put on dresses, make-up and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.), but it is not socially acceptable for the same kind of entertainment purposes, for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans?” Are you fucking kidding me right now Mary fucking Cheney? Check out below Rupaul’s video answer to this obviously very out of touch question which shows those people who claim racism is over in America a hard truth.
She further asked, “Shouldn’t both be OK or neither?” Well Ms. Cheney, the quick and right answer to that is no, just because one is socially acceptable as a means of entertainment, does not mean the other should be. And the fact that you would even ask that question shows not only how out of touch you are with today’s culture, it also begs the question of why does it even matter to you in the first place? Are you subliminally telling us that you want to walk around in black face to entertain your lesbian friends at your LGBT parties and it be okay?
Allow me give to give your privileged ass a quick lesson on the plight of black people in America. This country has kept black people from sitting at the symbolic dinner table and having a slice of the proverbial pie since its inception. If black people aren’t slaves or marginalized then we are regarded with “benign neglect,” which is actually the term used by one of Nixon’s advisors as a way to deal with black Americans. This means that any and all issues that particularly affect our community is not particularly addressed. The first “don’t ask don’t tell” policy was engineered for the black community. Any legislative policy the government engineers to address black people is in actuality created to help minorities. Minorities can be disabled people, women, another ethnic group or the LGBT community.
What this has done is forced black people to feel like the only way to escape social disenfranchisement is to align with these groups in order to have our needs addressed. The thing that I really don’t get about her feministic charged rant, is how she has not been able to connect the fact that black people have aligned themselves with the feminist’s, agenda (and other agendas) in order to be able to their issues recognized. The truth is that Feminists and lesbians have used the civil rights model as a blueprint and the black presence to further their agenda.
Ms. Cheney, how dare you question whether it is okay for white folks to parade around as black folks. Most men who dress in drag do so because they like it and because they believe in it. If you want to wear black face, you are saying to me and the rest of us that you are doing it because you believe in the meaning of that horrible practice. Oh, you don’t know the meaning, well why the hell are you talking about it anyway?
If you did the research on its history, your ass would not even be asking this question. But because you neglected to Google it, Mary Cheney here is the answer to your question. First gay people have not nor will they ever suffer or sacrifice as much as black people in this country. Quote me on that.
Next, drag, which emerged around the turn of the 20th century, has evolved to an art of expression. It is practiced all over the world from Italy to Brazil. While the feminine characteristics portrayed by drag queens can be exaggerated, they are considered to be paying homage to role models of their youth or women they admire. Furthermore drag kings exist, so there are actually women who dress as men as well. Drag was never intended to mock or exploit women.
The ugly history of blackface on the other hand (which is America’s oldest form of entertainment) was created to exploit, mock and degrade black people. When Al Jolson ran his “love my mammy” routines, he wasn’t paying homage. He was laughing with his white audience at black people. The exaggerated characteristics of black face displayed a discriminated and marginalized people through a distorted lens that black people have to contend with to this very day. With blackface comes painful memories of a time when black people weren’t even considered human beings.
So while Ms. Chaney’s thinly veiled attempt to roll back the hands of time and place black people in a position where white people laughed at us at our expense, we can all see through the nonsense.
And with the fact that the most recent group to emerge as the poster children for equal rights is the gay community, why oh why is Chaney even bringing this subject up? You see the truth is that the black community’s battle in America has been the black community’s battle to fight alone. While the gay community has benefitted from comparing its struggle to that of civil rights movement and have obtained the leadership of black public figures to get same sex marriage laws passed, their agenda is not intended to benefit black people in any form or fashion.
Cheney may feel that because she is a woman and gay, her experience gives her the right to question certain social constructs in America. But her naïve and racist observations should help black people realize that a) gay people can be racists too and there are racists among them; b) any agenda that addresses the needs of black people should be addressed and dealt with by black people alone. These other “minority” groups are not going to put money on the table or their behinds on the line when it matters and c) other groups need fight their own battles and focus on what is impacting them in particular.
Mary Cheney needs to think before she speaks and get an understanding of the real people in the real world that has to deal with real jackasses like her.
When does the fuckery end?
Editor’s Note: Mary Cheney wrote this on her private facebook page this past Thursday, January 29, 2015. Some of Cheney’s posts appear to only be visible to those who are in her Facebook network. CNN obtained this copy.