Queerness in the Black Community: The African-American Attitude Towards Homosexuality
Posted on October 27, 2011 by missnyss52
My archival project will analyze and examine queerness in the Black community with a focus on the general African-American attitude towards homosexuality. While discussing and analyzing certain readings for class, the topic of queerness with regard to race came up. Unfortunately our conversations were not that invasive therefore we never fully got the chance to fully investigate the matter. My archival project will attempt to investigate where the negative attitude towards queers and queerness originates.
I found that there are three main issues that reside in the black communities attitude towards homosexuality.
First, there is the issue concerning the influence of the Black Church. A majority of Black ministers view homosexuality as going against the teachings of the Bible and immoral. While there are a few ministers that have a positive or more open view of homosexuality, most do not accept it within the institution of the church. Second is the importance placed on masculinity within the Black community. Masculinity, or machismo, is highly valued in the Black community as an indication of the male sex role. A large percentage of Black males see homosexuality as a threat to their masculinity. According to gay men, straight males are very insecure in their masculinity and assume that being gay automatically makes them less of a man and detracts from their maleness. Third is the issue concerning the affect of homosexuality on the structure of the Black family. The family holds an important role in the community. Among members of the Black community there is the contention that homosexuality is detrimental to family life.
I chose to investigate the Black community and media because of how highly discouraged and unacceptable it is in this specific community to be anything but straight, especially among the males. Black masculinity has developed hypersensitive attitudes towards homosexuality. It is generally (and perhaps wrongly) accepted that a man cannot be gay and at the same time still be masculine. I would like to first and foremost know where black hyper masculinity originated. Are there other reason for such dislike and disgust of queerness in the Black community? How does the media portray queer black males, if at all? Will this attitude towards queerness ever change? Where do you find black queers? Is it becoming more acceptable to be black and queer?
I plan to search for things to put in my archive in books, images, newspaper articles, magazine articles, movies, interviews, songs, posters, and other items I find pertaining to my topic of choice.
Romney, Thomas. “Black Homophobia.” Blacklight. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. .
Posted on October 27, 2011 by missnyss52
My archival project will analyze and examine queerness in the Black community with a focus on the general African-American attitude towards homosexuality. While discussing and analyzing certain readings for class, the topic of queerness with regard to race came up. Unfortunately our conversations were not that invasive therefore we never fully got the chance to fully investigate the matter. My archival project will attempt to investigate where the negative attitude towards queers and queerness originates.
I found that there are three main issues that reside in the black communities attitude towards homosexuality.
First, there is the issue concerning the influence of the Black Church. A majority of Black ministers view homosexuality as going against the teachings of the Bible and immoral. While there are a few ministers that have a positive or more open view of homosexuality, most do not accept it within the institution of the church. Second is the importance placed on masculinity within the Black community. Masculinity, or machismo, is highly valued in the Black community as an indication of the male sex role. A large percentage of Black males see homosexuality as a threat to their masculinity. According to gay men, straight males are very insecure in their masculinity and assume that being gay automatically makes them less of a man and detracts from their maleness. Third is the issue concerning the affect of homosexuality on the structure of the Black family. The family holds an important role in the community. Among members of the Black community there is the contention that homosexuality is detrimental to family life.
I chose to investigate the Black community and media because of how highly discouraged and unacceptable it is in this specific community to be anything but straight, especially among the males. Black masculinity has developed hypersensitive attitudes towards homosexuality. It is generally (and perhaps wrongly) accepted that a man cannot be gay and at the same time still be masculine. I would like to first and foremost know where black hyper masculinity originated. Are there other reason for such dislike and disgust of queerness in the Black community? How does the media portray queer black males, if at all? Will this attitude towards queerness ever change? Where do you find black queers? Is it becoming more acceptable to be black and queer?
I plan to search for things to put in my archive in books, images, newspaper articles, magazine articles, movies, interviews, songs, posters, and other items I find pertaining to my topic of choice.
Romney, Thomas. “Black Homophobia.” Blacklight. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. .
