Author and New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow did not hold back after learning just how many LGBTQ voters cast their ballots for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Exit surveys conduced by Edison Research for the National Election Pool found that 28%–28%!–of the LGBTQ vote went to Trump. That’s up from 14% in 2016.
“The percentage of LGBT voting for Trump doubled from 2016. DOUBLED!!!” Blow tweeted. “This is why LGBT people of color don’t really trust the white gays. Yes, I said what I said. Period.”
Also, the percentage of LGBT voting for Trump doubled from 2016. DOUBLED!!! This is why LGBT people of color don’t really trust the white gays. Yes, I said what I said. Period. pic.twitter.com/4SS4c4z76f
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) November 4, 2020
After receiving backlash for his remarks, Blow, who is bisexual, followed up with another tweet, saying, “And, for you boys — BOYS — who think homophobic slurs hurt me: hahahaha. I’ve been invincible longer than your body has been excreting hormones.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
And, for you boys — BOYS — who think homophobic slurs hurt me: hahahaha. I’ve been invincible longer than your body has been excreting hormones.
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) November 5, 2020
So why did such a large number of LGBTQ people vote for the bigot who has spent the past four years actively working to take away their rights?
Good question!
But a recent study out of the Williams Institute could explain it. It found that 41% of LGB Republicans say they wish they were straight, and 38% of them believe their sexuality is a character flaw.
Whatever the reason, Blow is right. This election has shown us that LGBTQ people still have a lot of work to do when it comes to confronting race and racism within our own community.
Related: 28% of LGBTQ voters went for Trump because, um, we have absolutely NO idea
Cam
Once again, those numbers were exit polls on election day. The majority of Democrats voted prior to election day so that number is very inflated.
Will be interesting to see which one of the Trump’s end up in Jail first.
Liquid Silver
That’s probably not a correct number, but it’s always fun to watch racism and homophobia in action and see no condemnation of it. Carry on sir, carry on. You’re really amusing.
WashDrySpin
Yes you are a bastion of information….just another internet idiot
Liquid Silver
Unlike you who are merely pointing fingers? Yes, you too, are a real treat. 🙂
rickywintour
We all know you wanna have sex with the orange man. But unfortunately your sugar daddy won’t be available because he’ll be in jail when he loses the election. Hopefully you take time to get some therapy for that self hatred.
Liquid Silver
Actually, I voted Biden, but I really don’t like racism in any form. Now, if you have a good argument, great. If not, take the insults and bigotry elsewhere.
Donston
Exit polls in general have always been sketchy, but they matter a lot less this year than any other. And I’m sure Charles is aware of all that. It just seems like Charles was looking for an excuse to go at “white gays”. At the end of the day, white queers are still white. And in general, we need to stop with this “queer unity” stuff. There is so much variety in our non “community” when it comes to politics, sociology, age, race, priorities, economics, identities, “pride”, mental health, etc. I also feel some use the “white gays” stuff to justify their own homophobia, internalized homophobia, non homo superiority, gay shame, self-misandry, straight/overall hetero-leaning worship. So, I also don’t really trust people who harp on “white gays”. While Charles is a professional. He should know better.
barryaksarben
I am a 64 yr old white gay guy and I have always known that there is a very sizable minority of white gays who are as racist as anyone in the deep south. I remember the disgusting way the Brass Connection in Seattle kept poc out by focussing on footwear: sneakers on poc were not good enough and opened toed shoes were not permitted to keep women out but somehow that didnt apply to anyone in drag unless of color. Sad that the racism in our community is as strong as ever just like the general population. I dont care what Donston or others say about it I know the truth and entitled white gays refuse to address their racism
Donston
Mr. Blow took some garage poll results to spark up a conversation about his distrust towards “white gays”. That was irresponsible. We all know that there are “queers” who voted for Trump that are not white gay-identifying dudes. And we all know the numbers themselves are ways off. If they weren’t way off then Trump probably would have easily gotten re-elected. A huge number of Democratic votes were mail-ins, quite a bit more than any other year. If you want to have a conversation about the racism and privilege among “queers” then do so. But pulling out those numbers was indeed irresponsible for a professional journalist.
As a “black queer”, I personally don’t look at “white gays” as anything more than white people. And I don’t really feel like I’m a part of anyone’s “queer community”. Once again, black people who constantly talk about being shocked and appalled that there are racist white queers are often ones obsessed with trying to fit in with them or obsessed with their approval. The “white gay” problem is the “white racist” problem.
Buddyb1962
This is nothing new for Mr. Blow. In several of his pieces for the NYT his bias against Gay men came through loud and clear. He knows that the vast majority of LGBT people are Democrats and that most Democrats voted early or did mail in, but couldn’t resist an opportunity to hate on Gay White men.
WashDrySpin
The truth is the white gay community has always been incredibly racist
Donston
My whole thing is it’s not really news. There are people who happen to be white, “gay” and racist. That’s not recent discovery. Were we expecting that to go away in 2020? There are many “queers” who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the “queer community” or “gays”. That’s also nothing new. I also feel the “white gays” stuff is inherently homophobic since many “queers” who are not gay-identifying are also racist. And of course, there are many racist straight-identifying people. Furthermore, a cute percentage of black people voted for Trump. I personally know a few. Some of those “queers” who voted for Trump aren’t white. And the polls themselves aren’t really to be trusted.
If you’re not gonna get into the nuances or contribute something new to the conversation then you’re just riling people up. But I guess that’s what Twitter exist for.
Liquid Silver
The truth is, everybody is incredibly racist. But it’s fun to watch people point fingers at “the whites” and yell racism. 🙂
radiooutmike
@Donston
Yes. Charles puts too much emphasis on the gay part.
When you say, ‘LGBT voting for Trump doubles and it’s the white gays fault.’ What are you missing, you are missing the racist part.
Say, ‘LGBT voting for Trump doubles and it’s the white racist gays fault.’ What’s the most important word there? Gay? White? Racist? You could cogently argue that white means racist…But still, I think it’d have to be racist.
What’s the most important attribute? Racist. Not gay. Not white.
amanwithanedge
we’re with you Charles Blow!!
Pete56
And so my question to Mr. Blow….as a white gay man…..why did so many Black LBGTQ people vote for
Obama? That is why so many white gays, don’t trust or respect the black gays. Racism goes both ways, Mr. Blow!
WashDrySpin
You are STUPID… you are the embodiment of so much stupid that doorknobs all over are hailing you as their new leader!
rickywintour
Blacks can’t be racist to whites but nice try though. Some of y’all white gays really ain’t shit like Mr. Blow said.
DarkZephyr
@Pete56, the hell? Obama was the most pro-gay president to date. I don’t get your point. And BTW as a white gay I gladly voted for Obama and would do it again if it were possible.
Kangol2
@Pete56, since you have anointed yourself spokesperson for the “white gays,” let me tell you that your comment was absurd. Just to remind you, we have had 46 presidents so far (Biden will be 46), and 45 of the 46 have been White men. Until the 14th Amendment (I’m sure you’ve heard of it), most Black voters could not vote in most states for any presidential candidate, and it took Reconstruction to ensure it, and the Voting Rights Act of 1964 to re-ensure it again. Until the 19th Amendment, Black women could not vote.
Only one president so far in 200+ years has not been a White man: Barack Obama. So it would make sense that African Americans might vote for him even just for symbolic reasons, but the vast majority did so–as did most other voters who were not White, for a variety of reasons. (Only 40% of White voters voted for Obama in 2008; why?) Thus you could ask, why did most Asian American, Latinx, First Nations, mixed race, Arab, etc. voters vote for Obama?
Because he was running against the disastrous record of George W. Bush, one of the worst presidents in the history of the US, until Don the Con slipped into office in 2016!
nathan
NO ONE knows which lgbtq+ people voted for the monster. It is silly, dangerous and divisive to call out one group and blame them. It is enough of a betrayal that that number voted for Trump – and yes that percentage is accurate. It may be that most of them were gay White men – but are we saying that no Black, Asian or Latino men voted for him? We don’t know that. I would certainly never defend racist White men – or any other racist for that matter – my family and I have been victims of racism from White people male and female. But he is wrong to just make assumptions like that.
Liquid Silver
Sure we do. Hate the whites, honey. If you’re darker than lily, hate the whites.
The message is clear but you can watch fools like WashSpinoutBrains defend it to their deaths.
Donston
Ms. Liquid Silver, we’re not gonna do the whole “everyone is at least a bit racist” shit. That game is always about not wanting to recognize disadvantage, justifying your own prejudice, dismissing other people’s claims of contending with prejudice and not wanting to recognize white supremacy. That’s a game you can keep.
Once again, though, I do think Blow’s comments were lame, bitter, shallow and importantly, they were misinformed. I also feel like almost half of the black “queers” obsessed with talking bad about “white gays” stay trying to fit in with “white gays” and stay trying to date a white dude.
Liquid Silver
Miss Donston: Yep, I am, and thanks for the racism. You can keep your little mind games too. His comments are, indeed bitter, shallow, and misinformed.
But most importantly, they are racist. To those saying a “black” person cannot be racist against “white” people…listen to yourselves. The hypocrisy is glaring.
Present some level of intelligent argument and keep the mindless insults, they only show the racism ever more clearly. To date, the only thing I’ve spoken has…not been an insult. But these supposedly “woke” and tolerant ones…they’ve been fast on the draw, now, haven’t they?
Donston
I just love when people respond with a long post, but that response has almost nothing to do with what has been said. Once again, the people obsessed with saying stuff like “everyone is racist” or who stay calling black people racist are people who tend to be playing defense. They’re often trying to justify their racism or racial indifference. They often refuse to acknowledge racial disadvantage and discrimination and systematic oppression. Yes, Blow’s comments are irresponsible, misinformed and even prejudiced. But they are comments that don’t exist in a vacuum. They exist because of years, decades of dealing with and witnessing racism, oppression, tokenism and sociological snubbing. That’s what makes comments like yours come off basic and defensive. Like Mr. Blow, you also aren’t interested in nuance.
Liquid Silver
I’m barely reading your answers. Sure, there’s systemic racism. It cuts both wasy, you just refuse to acknowledge that–as you accuse me of doing. It’s a common tactic.
And then you write a novel about it while accusing me of writing a long post. I think we can sum it up as covering some racism against whites. Screw nuance, I really don’t care much about it. The racism from both of you is really, really obvious. Buh-bye, racist.
Milton
This whole artical could have been summed up in one short line ….. Stupid gays voted for Trump.. race could have been left out of it, but hey why not keep working on the division.
jonasalden
Unless of course the irony makes it even more galling. If White gays leave the race IN, then why should Charles Blow leave it OUT? Meaning, despite the bitter irony of one marginalized group voting to marginalize another, they still do. Should that be ignored?
nm4047
wasn’t aware that gay was the exclusivity of white, does that mean the signs held up at rallies by black me this LGBT for Trump were an aberration.
Openminded
So he just assumes that every LGBT vote cast for Trump was by a White gay man or does he give a pass to Black LGBT folks to vote however they want? I’m all for vote your mind, but have no time for racism.
Buddyb1962
This is not the first time that Charles Blow has shown how he feels about Gay men who are White. He wrote a story for the Times that said that anyone who points out the still higher lever of Homophobia in the Black community is using a racist trope. And when some activist started accusing racist white gay men of being responsible for the rising level of HIV for Black.
Exit polls taken in this election are hindered by the fact that most Democrats voted by mail or early voted. The majority of LGBT people are Democrats which means that the exit poll cited in this piece is not a good representation of the LGBT community. But Charles blow has an issue with Gay men who are white, so the exit poll gave him another opportunity to say Gay White men are racist. If Mr. Blow wants to know what a racist looks like, he should look in the mirror.
rickywintour
You white gays really need to brush up on your history and do your homework. Blacks can’t be racist to whites so don’t speak on what you don’t know. I can almost bet your a Trump supporter with that level of intellect you have.
Consider This
Just like many straight folks, some gay folks have carefully observed the rioting and looting and arson, along with the quite significant increase in other violent crimes, over many months during this year. They have decided to lean right instead of left when they vote. Expect that to continue and expand in the future…
Luxury
This “white gays” storyline is overdone and lazy. It’s officially a trope at this point. There are black gay Trump supporters all over the place. Bob the drag queen just interviewed one. A black gay conservative named Rob Smith is rising star on the right. The Washington post did a spotlight on a black gay man who at the time said he was seriously considering voting Trump. There’s an entire black “Blexit” movement going on ffs. I could go on and on. I am also convinced that this “white gays” trope is just a slick new way for “woke” people to express resentment and disdain towards gay people in general. The hypocrisy, double standards, and faux moral superiority when shaming, criticizing, making up special rules for and making prejudicial statements of generalization about “white gays” all over social media and in comment sections is laughable at this point. It’s like many of you have found it a way to bond with each other and leftist white gays who participate in the perpetuation of the “white gays” trope have found it a way (at least in their minds) to escape that very trope. There’s a bit more complexity and nuance when it comes to who people vote for and why than many of you want to acknowledge.
CityguyUSA
I honestly just don’t understand what values they have in common even if it’s 2 people. What did ge do for gay anyone in the first 4 years? Kick the transexuals out of the military which is for “boobs and idiots” although he was overridden. How many being perseccuted in their own countries were turned away at the border tp find solace in a country closer to their own. How many found their gross pay increasing or their net pay? How many have had their bills covered or eere paid hazard pay sobthey could insure that they wouldn’t ve put on the street for not veing able to pay their bills?
jjose712
Curious, there’s a lot of articles telling people to get over the good bunch of latinos who voted for Trump but it’s perfectly ok to blame white gays who vote for him in a way lower percentage
eireapparent
It’s fun when we eat our own. More so for those who wish to see us eaten. Less work on their part.
PsychOpine
Couldn’t agree more. No greater enemy of the LGBTQ community….than the LGBTQ community! But it is fun to read these bitchy ol queens going after each other.
hansniemeijer
In 2016, ALL kinds of people gave their vote to Trump. Sadly, he became the president. In 2020, ALL kinds of people gave their vote to Trump. Happy to see him disappear.
BoomerMyles
Everyone knows the exit polls are skewed to Trump voters as more Dems used early voting and mail in ballots and repubs voted same day when the exit polls were taken.
Oranos
Racism comes from POSITION OF POWER.
When have Black gays have power over anything?? White gays make the rules, White straights make the rules, and the rules suppress Black people, straight OR gay. So, without the “power dynamic,” the most that can be said is that Blacks are prejudiced against gays or straights. Just having a negative attitude based on 400 years of denial of equity is not a subjective feeling: it is a FACT.
If you’re White and gay and you ignore the rights of people of color, you’re a bigot. If you’re in a position to not give them a job, or a position of responsibilitywhen their qualifications equal those of other candidates, THEN you are racist. But you can have an “attitude” towards people of color which lends itself to racism (thinking someone’s skin color makes them “less than” you), while not crossing the line.
Get real: the gay community was called out in 2003 for only hiring white sales floor men at Banana Republic. The pocs were told they “didn’t fit the profile for salesmen.” The pocs filed suit. AND WON. So, apparently the courts agreed. Learn your history before offering an opinion not based on historical – and LEGAL – facts.