Thursday, July 16, 2009

The black community is phony and hypocritical when it comes to lgbt issues

A columnist by the name of Wendi C. Thomas wrote an absolutely stunning piece on how the black church treats lgbts of color.

There are so many things about it that I like. But the main thing is how she exposes a fact that is well-known in African-American circles:

The hypocrisy is that the black church has always been home to gay men and women. Yet while largely ignoring sexuality in all its other forms, the church often delivers messages of shame to gay people, who endure it while they sit in the pews and sing in the choirs.

The secrecy demands that in a traditional black church, gay people must hide. The rumors of prominent black Christians who are gay are rampant, but only one -- singer Donnie McClurkin -- acknowledges having had sex with men.

"It's not so much that the black church doesn't want gay men, they don't want openly gay men," said Devon Berry, who is black and gay.

"They don't want you in there being proud of who you are."


Thomas is right. Lgbts of color attend non-affirming black churches. And it's not as if all of us are deep in the closet. Some of our mannerisms have made us the butt of whispering campaigns by proper church ladies and gentlemen; the same folks who would give us holy hell if we came out and openly declared ourselves so as to relieve their doubts and answer their questions.

That part of Thomas's piece touches on something that is not really focused on when it comes to lgbts in the black community in general. African-Americans know that lgbts of color exist. Many heterosexual blacks consider themselves as good friends of lgbts of color. And they claim to have no problem with us . . . as long as we know our place.

Heterosexual African-Americans can criticize lgbts. Pastors in their pulpits can raise holy hell about lgbts. But if we lgbts of color wanted to start a discussion about our lives, then look out! It has the same effect of a bomb going off.

It reminds me of a statement from an acquaintence of mine: "If you are going to be gay, then be gay. Just don't get in my face about it."

Well I'm not going to tell you my rebuttal to her (it was so good that I smoked two cigarettes after speaking my peace), but unfortunately her comments are indicative of how lgbts of color are seen.

If you are an open lgbt of color, you are not supposed to be a leader in the black community.

You are not supposed to demand that organizations such as the NAACP and the Urban League look to you as a legitimate segment of the black community.

You are not supposed to be able to talk about your partner/boyfriend when speaking to some of your black friends.

Generally you are not supposed to do or say anything that demands that you be treated like a human being and have your orientation acknowledged or respected in the black community.

Here is what you are supposed to do:

You are supposed to say nothing when you hear whispering about your sexual orientation. To openly say that you are gay ruins "good gossip."

You are supposed to be weak-livered and sexually promiscuous because as an lgbt, you have no concept of morality. Now if you were straight and sexually promiscuous, you would be given an exemption because "it's in your nature to cheat."

You are supposed to laugh or say nothing when you see images of lgbts disrespected on black-oriented networks and television shows.

Basically you are to watch yourself get disrespected and minimize and say nothing because to acknowledge your humanity is really hurting the African-American community.

Does this remind you of the inferiority that white racists placed on black people?

I know some folks may give me hell for what I wrote but I don't care. I am proud of my heritage as a BLACK man and a GAY man.

But damn, my fellow African-Americans can be a real drag.

The rest of Wendi Thomas's piece is here. It should be required reading for many in the black community.




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11 comments:

Mawm said...

I believe the homophobia in the black community is what keeps the Dems from actually moving on pro-lgbt legislation. The Dems would rather put off the LGBTs instead of risk a blacklash from conservative Blacks who voted for Obama 9-1. The white evangelicals mostly vote Republican although I think Obama got a lot of them too. I don't think we will really see any movement from Obama or the Dems on LGBT issues for these reasons, because they feel we(LGBT) don't have anywhere to go politically.
Thanks for writing this, because when I write the same thing, I get called a racist.

BlackTsunami said...

Homophobia and inaction by those lgbts of color who can do something are two unfortunate reasons. When more lgbts of color come out and demand what it ours, then we can get somewhere

and thank you for your compliment. ;p

Nakhone said...

I appreciate your willingness to call the African-American community out on its hypocrisy and phoniness when it comes to LGBT issues. I'm so glad to know there's black gays that are not house homos and will give the black community free pass and free reign in its shameless discrimination against gays.

Anonymous said...

I have no problem with lgbt's but I do have a problem with gay marriage and I do have a problem with lgbt talking about pastors. If u don't like what their preaching about then don't go. WE ALL HAVE FREE WILL!!! Nobody is forcing u to go and nobody is forcing u to give offering. Another issue that I have is lgbt's think that everybody is supposed to accept their lifestyle and not everybody feels that way. Not everybody want their children around that kind of lifestyle nor learning it n school. If u r comfortable in your own skin than it shouldnt matter not unless u have low self-esteem issues what people think. The only person u have to answer to is GOD not man. We know u exist but it doesnt mean we have to change the pricipals and laws on which this land was founded on. Lastly the difference btwn slavery and lgbt's is the fact that our people were RAPED,MURDERED,KIDNAPPED,AND HAD NO RIGHTS unlike lgbt's. So don't belittle and compare yourselves to slavery. One other thing u expect everybody to embrace your lifestyle and expect President Obama to put u as top priority when there r so many other issues he need to focus on first like HEALTH CARE, WAR, APARTHEID,RACIAL PROFILING AND JOBS.

BlackTsunami said...

Read your post and you will understand how insulting it is. Your words are a perfect example of what lgbts have to deal with.

Allow me to break it down if you don't get it:

1. No one is asking you to accept anything, except for the fact that certain concepts do not belong to you based on your heterosexuality. Such as the right to love and raise families. Lgbts have families too my friend.

2. If you want to compare, there are plenty of cases in which lgbts have been raped, kidnapped and murdered solely based on their orientation. However, to use such things to put yourself on a pedestal above another group of discriminated people does nothing but enhance the qualities of superiority that leads a group of people to think that it's perfectly fine to rape, kidnap and murder members of another group solely based on their differences.

mykelb said...

Jesus is a mythological creature and religion is a farce played on weak minded people.

Harry834 said...

For writing this post, this blog, and speaking back to commentors like Anonymous, I thank you Black Tsunami.

Matt said...

If "anonymous" is so confident in his/her own sexuality/own skin/etc. then openly homosexual people shouldn't offend him/her so deeply. Consider your own logic. You clearly have a problem with LGBT people. You're essentially advocating "separate but equal." That whole issue was settled TO YOUR BENEFIT, a half century ago.

PS I like how two of your six "important Obama worthy items" deal with minority rights, yet you're arguing against civil rights here. And to be real, Obama doesn't have very much direct input on whether or not LGBTs win the right to marry. Right now it's tied up in the Judicial system and hopefully after that, laws will be changed nationally via legislation. I don't expect Obama to focus very much attention on this at all, mostly because he doesn't have the power to. I guess he could veto a new law if he was feeling like a jerk.

Will Kohl said...

Great post. And I applaud your courage and honesty.

In reply to Mawn and his comment about the Dems. The LGBT powers that be (aka Gay Inc) itself will not push to have an LGBT added to the Civil Rights admendemt for the same reason.

knowitall-not said...

Good article. It should be required reading for anybody of any ethnicity and not just the African-American community.

CLASSY COWBOY said...

Anonymous First I appreciate you commenting even though you say you don't have a "problem" with LGBT's you do.But you were respectful.
I am surprised BlackTsunami or others did not call you on it!
A "lifestyle" is a chosen way of life in which a person chooses to live such as a Vegetarian,a nudest,a hippie,a christian,or a chap wearing bearded biker packing a gun!
Being born gay is no more a choice than being born black,white,brown or purple!
But don't believe me! Read books titled "The Big Picture" and "Gay Straight and the Reason Why".
Education is key when ignorance fails to open the eyes, mind and heart!