In
society today, lgbtq issues are very taboo subjects and are rarely mentioned in
one’s everyday life unless you define with this community. Sometimes even
identifying with this community can seem harder if you are a different race besides
Caucasian. In this blog post, I will be referring to a news article that is
part of a series of articles and videos entitled “I’m From Driftwood”. I will
also use two other articles, one written by Martin F Manalansan IV and one
written by Barbara Smith that reiterate the idea and struggles of identifying
as an ethnic minority as well as identifying with the gay community.
In
the article written by Barbara Smith called “Homophobia: Why Bring It Up?” she
mentions some assumptions that people often have about homosexuality. One of
them being that “gay means gay white men with large discretionary incomes.” She
goes on to explain how this assumption “undermines consciousness of how
identities and issues overlap” (Smith 101). In a news article entitled “Black
LGBTQ Stories: Are Black Gay Men Just Special Guests in a White Gay World?” a
man by the name of Stephen Winters is interviewed and he talks about this same
issue. He describes from his own view how one’s life is affected if they
identify as a black male and gay. Stephen Winters is of Jamaican and
Czechoslovakian decent. He begins to describe how society judges you on race
(skin color specifically) especially when it comes to law enforcement. Winters
doesn’t want to be know as the black, gay male of his group. He stated “It was
a journey within myself that I went through this week, when I was trying to
figure out, as someone who is perceived as gay and perceived as black...
without pissing myself off, because I don't want to be the black guy” (Manske).
The fact that he feels uncomfortable within himself to claim these two identities
as his own shows the struggle that many people with his same problem face. As
mentioned in Smith’s article that people usually assume that gay means gay,
white male, Winters states these feelings as well. His exact words are “in that
context, "gay" meant "white," and everybody else was kind
of visiting” (Manske). People who are of different ethnicities in the lgbtq
community might feel out casted not only in the “heterosexual community” but
also within the lgbtq community because of their race. This statement seems to
hold true for other ethnicities also. In the article “Searching for Community:
Filipino Gay Men in New York City,” Manalansan talks about a range of topics
including how Filipinos who identify as gay and Filipino adjust to societies in
both the Philippines and America (mainly America). The article states, “A
majority of informants [interviewees/subjects of this article], mostly
immigrants, felt that Philippine society was relatively tolerant of
homosexuality. Some informants reported very good responses from families when
they did “come out”” (Manalansan 276). A supportive family dynamic in the lgbtq
community is usually a desired outcome for most people that do “come out.” The
fact that these informants explain Philippine society as lenient towards
Filipino’s gay society shows the differences that occur within different
cultures. These informants also explain how their society isn’t really able to
relate to other societies such as gay Asian society seeing as they identify as
Asian/Pacific Islander. This ties in with the interview with Winters because he
felt as though he didn’t relate or blend in well with other gay people who were
not of his ethnicity and seemed to feel discriminated against because of this.
In
all three articles, they mention instances where they feel that they don’t fit
in not only because of their sexual orientation but also because of their
ethnicity. In the article written by Barbara Smith, she tells a story of how
being black and gay allowed for discrimination from not only Caucasians and heterosexuals
but also heterosexual African-Americans as well. The interview with Winters
also mentions Winters's personal encounter with discrimination at a gay club. These
events validate the feelings that the people in these articles have about
American society. It seems hard not only to adjust to both identities
separately but to deal with both identities at the same time is adversity in
itself.
Manalansan
IV, Martin F. "Searching for Community: Filipino Gay Men in New
York City" GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. Routledge Chapman
Hall, 1993.
Manske, Nathan. "Black LGBTQ Stories: Are Black Gay Men
Just Special Guests in a White Gay World?” from I’m from Driftwood Huffington
Post 6 Feb 2012.
Smith, Barbara. "Homophobia: Why Bring it Up?" The
Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. ed Henry Ablelove et al New York & London:
Routledge, 1993.
Actual Link to
News Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-manske/black-gay-men_b_1255861.html
I agree with your analysis of the predicaments faced by LGBTQ racial minorities. There exist hierarchies even amongst marginalized communities. Those who identify with a number of marginalized groups, such non-heterosexual, non-white, non- disabled and etc, often find themselves more disadvantaged then those who belong to just one or fewer marginalized groups. In the context of race and sexuality, those who are of different ethnicities in the LGBTQ community might feel out casted not only in the “heterosexual community” but also within the LGBTQ community because of their race. Being African-American and gay, for instance, can allow for discrimination from not only Caucasians and heterosexuals but also from heterosexual African-Americans as well. This pecking order of discrimination perhaps streams from how our social system of power “rewards and encourages some individual s and activities, whiling punishing and suppressing others” (Rubin 17).An illustration of how this system of power promotes discrimination across ethnic borders is depicted in an article called “Gay bashing- a rite of passage.” In this article, Van Der Meer states that many of the ‘gay bashers’ he had interviewed, many of whom were ethnically diverse, considered “themselves to have acted on behalf of, or with the approval of, society” (Van Der Meer 156). These ‘bashers’ felt their act of violence or suppressing of the homosexual community was a “service to the community” and were “surprised and resentful about the fact that they had been arrested” (Van Der Meer 156). As long as there is a preconceived notion that there are such things as “good” and “bad” or “better” and “worse” sexualities and race, there will always be discrimination amongst and within communities.
ReplyDeleteThe LGBTQ group is meant to encompass all peoples and create a safe space for those people of varying sexual and gender identities. However, as the blog post states, just as there is much Heteronormativity in modern society, there is much white-normativity in the gay community. The typical gays are often pictured to be white-middle or upper class. It is important to understand how intersectionality can cause even more difficulties for LGBTQ people. Race is still a huge factor in discrimination and biased in America and that can continue in the queer community. LGBTQ members come from all walks of life including racial minorities. If one feels “alone” in the world because they are gay, imagine how it feels to be gay AND a person of color. The number of people you can relate to, as being both queer and people of color, is often very small. Also certain ethnicities have stronger prejudice against queers than others: Coming out as a black gay man in a predominately black community is very different then coming out as a white gay man in a predominately white community. But, in the Philippine society, Filipino gay men said “they did not have the same kind of issues such as coming out or homophobia” (Manalansan, 276) because the country is much more accepting of homosexuality. I feel it is important for gay organizations to address the race issue and find way to bring the LGBTQ community together including people of all ethnicities and backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteManalansan IV, Martin F. "Searching for Community: Filipino Gay Men in New York City" GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. Routledge Chapman Hall, 1993.
Chlowe McCormick
Race and ethnicity have shown play a role in discrimination in the LGBTQ community. For this reason, I agree with this person that ethnic minorities face a greater degree of struggles than their white counterparts. In Moraga’s article it says, “We discussed the limitations of ‘Queer Nation,’ whose leather-jacketed, shave-headed white radicals and accompanying anglo-centricity were an ‘alien-nation’ to most lesbians and gay men of color.” (Moraga 94.) Already mentioned in the blog, Smith says, “Gay means gay white men with large discretionary incomes.” Comparisons between people of color and whites have always been made; the struggle due to race exists well beyond the boarders of the LGBTQ community. White has been seen as the superior race causing others to be seen as inferior. This alone is what gives a gay white man unseen privilege’s over gay men of color. They may both be part of the community but society would easily accept a gay white man versus a gay black man.
ReplyDeleteThis sometimes leads to black men being afraid let it be known that they are gay. In Barnshaw and Letukas’s article it says, “The down low has purportedly emerged as a social phenomenon among men who have sex with men, but identify as ‘heterosexual’ or ‘straight.’” These men are on the down low because it may be seen as easier to keep a secret instead of facing societies unaccepting attitudes. This is especially evident in the lives of men of color. “…Same sex behavior brought about the desire to reject a homosexual identity and maintain a façade of heterosexuality within Black culture…” (page 82.)