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Monday, March 29, 2010
The men of Morehouse College and Safe Space, the official campus gay organization made history last week by hosting the first ever P.R.I.D.E. Week on campus. Internet and TV personality B. Scott headlined Out and In The Spotlight: a panel discussion that also featured longtime activist Cleo Monago,Tahji Iman and Reva Iman before a capacity crowd.
In one of the best moments of the panel B. Scott takes on Morehouse's controversial dress code that made national news last year and respectfully disagreed with Monago who seemed to be in favor of the dress code. The exchange begins around the 4:30 mark.
P.R.I.D.E. Week also featured LGBT movie screenings, HIV testing, an Equality Ball, and the return of LGBT Christian organization Soulforce's Equality RIde.
Get into video of the panel discussion below via Drama Dupree. Photos courtesy of WhatsTheT.com.
1 Comments:
This seemed like it was a very good seminar, something I would have loved to attend.
It's unfortunate there's this seemingly unending friction between masculine identifying vs. feminine identifying men which translates into internalized oppression of our gay black men into believing there can only be ONE way to get acknowledged as a "proper" black man in America.
It is my belief (to paraphrase with B. Scott‘s comment) that YOU define your OWN manhood and without compromise.
Has there been oppression of black people as a whole? YES!
Have Black Men been stripped of their natural African identity during slave times? YES!
Has there been a steady increase of Black men who are unable to find their niche and/or identity in today’s society? YES!
However; this does NOT mean (nor should it be a factor in casting blame) that black men who are biologically gay are not “real” men; nor should they be equated to as “failures” within the black community simply because they identify with personality traits that is not “in step“ with mass black appeal.
The “Feminization of the Black Male” theory or line of argument along with the internalized oppression that psychologically represses black gay men in my opinion is part of the (if not THE) main reason (s) why there isn’t a consistent bond amongst black men within the GLBT community. This “theory” also contributes to a large amount of the homophobia that is rampant outside AND INSIDE the Black Gay community. The cliques and/or groups we as gay men divide ourselves into has perpetuated the very type division that was forced upon on our ancestral families when they first arrived to America - (which has become) the generational manifestation of inflicting pain & rejection upon ourselves.
We as black gay men have got to do a better job of uplifting our own and creating the atmosphere where we welcome and accept each other and ourselves AS WHO WE ARE… No more, no less. The continual struggle over what a “real” black man should be (or at least viewed in a socially accepted way) does nothing but continue the strife that keeps us from becoming better and cohesive as a community. Whether a Brotha is masculine identifying, feminine identifying, or in between; they are a MAN regardless. How he accepts and affirms himself shouldn’t be subjected to a litmus test on what should or shouldn’t be appropriate to a so called; “Black Standard”.
March 30, 2010 9:54 AM
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