AngryGayBlackCanadianman

Prior to the emergence of Noah’s Arc there was a paucity of positive representations of black gay men on mainstream television. The only images of Black gay men on television were snap queens, sex objects, or freaky drag queens. Carter Heywood on ABC’s Spin City shattered the negativity about black gay men in pop culture.

The character Carter was also important in relation to race because finally an openly gay man was a main character on television. Far too often whenever a character is gay on television its always a white person. In North America gayness equals whiteness and gay black men are displaced due to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Finally, the writers and producers of Spin City got it right. Carter was a well adjusted young black man he wasn’t on the down low, he also wasn’t confused or conflicted about his homosexuality.

I am currently on the hunt for Spin City on DVD ASAP! I have to have my Carter fix! I remember when I was struggling with my sexual orientation in the 1990s I was lost and confused. In the 1990s the vast majority of the gay male characters on television were not black I simply couldn’t relate. One evening I was watching a new television show in 1997 Spin City on ABC. I recall Michael J. Fox from the 1980s sitcom Family Ties he was the star of the show.

The character I was most fascinated by was Michael Boatman’s character the openly gay black man Carter Heywood. Carter was a revelation because he wasn’t confused about his homosexuality, he also was comfortable with his blackness. I love Carter! The writers also allowed Carter to have romantic relationships with other men. Carter’s love life was an important part of the storyline.

I felt so connected to the Carter character because he was negotiating being a black man and also dealing with his sexual orientation. Sometimes Spin City focused on the politics that gay black men endure in our lives. Spin City wasn’t afraid to deal with polemical topics such as race, sexual orientation, and homophobia.

Carter also wasn’t just an asexual sidekick like Jack on Will & Grace on NBC. Carter was a confident openly gay black man a rarity on North American television. I never liked Will and Grace because I felt there was a reticence to dealing with male homosexuality in an honest manner. Will and Jack I believe were neutered they were asexual while Grace got all the men.Jack and Will were just effeminate caricatures.

I also was impressed that Carter wasn’t effeminate, he didn’t dress like a bizarre drag queen, or some other offensive gay male stereotype. Carter liked sports he loved basketball, baseball, football he was masculine and sensitive at the same time.

One aspect of Spin City I loved was that Carter’s best friend was a white heterosexual ladies man Stuart. Stuart didn’t care that Carter was gay in fact Stuart and Carter eventually move in together but were platonic friends. I love the fact that the writers of Spin City explored the fact that gay men and heterosexual men can be friends. The straight man doesn’t have to worry that the gay man might hit on him. In fact, Stuart genuinely cared for Carter very much he was Carter’s best friend. It was so hilarious because Stuart hated Carter’s suicidal dog Rags. Another joke on Spin City was that Stuart and Carter were a couple even though Stuart was straight. In fact, there was one episode that explored the possibility that Stuart had romantic feelings for Carter. Carter was accepted by his male peers he was one of the guys. Carter emerged as one of the breakthrough characters on Spin City.

Unfortunately, Michael J Fox had to leave Spin City due to a diagnosis of Parkinson disease in the year 2000. ABC hired has beens actors Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear to help the show. However, ABC also fired some of my favorite actors on the show such as Victoria Dillard, Connie Britton, and Alexander Chaplin. The chemistry and magic was gone. The spark that made Spin City so witty and exciting was gone the show just wasn’t the same and I tuned out. The former 1980s TV stars Sheen and Locklear ruined Spin City and the series was canceled in 2002.

I was disappointed that the producers fired some prominent characters from the show and the writers didn’t make the characters Carter and Stewart have more prominent roles on the program. Stuart and Carter was shoved to the background. Spin City shifted to Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear’s characters storylines and it just made me want to vomit. I felt Sheen and Locklear had bad comic timing both actors ultimately destroyed the credibility of the series. I still have fond memories of Spin City but I refuse to watch episodes with Sheen and Locklear. I just feel Sheen and Locklear are not funny. I miss Carter but he will always live in my memories of Spin City.

One of the reasons I started writing this blog is because I want to provide an alternative perspective to the Eurocentric mainstream gay culture. I definitely am not a spokesperson for black gay people so please don’t think that I am. I am simply one gay black man providing my perspective and views about the world. I am no leader or expert. I am a controversial, assertive, and outspoken man.

I used to visit mainstream gay blogs only feeling empty, very bored, restless, and yearning for more. I decided I had to start my own blog to claim my space and let my voice be heard. I don’t subscribe to just going with the flow I am an independent thinker. I also wasn’t impressed with the pernicious racism on some of the mainstream gay blogs. I decided instead of just complaining about life I’m going to take action. I want to make a difference in my own way. I know I cannot save the world but I can provide my perspective and arguments on my own blog.

On my blog I have the control nobody can censor me. I was thinking to myself the other day who are my heroes? The black gay and lesbians that inspire me are too many. I decided today I am going to salute a few of the incredible black gays and lesbians that have made a difference in this world.

I remember during my undergraduate days one very important course I learned a lot from was introduction to Women’s Studies. I love Introduction to Women’s Studies because I learned about different forms of feminism. Feminism is not against men in fact feminism is in concert in fighting various forms of oppression such as homophobia, class privilege, racism, health care racism, and institutionalized discrimination and many more.

I recall reading about the black lesbian feminist group the Combahee River Collective and and intrigued with their work. One of the founding members of the Combahee River Collective was Barbara Smith. The Combahee River Collective is a very important black feminist organization. Barbara Smith is also one of the editors of the groundbreaking book “All The Women Are White All The Blacks Are Men But Some Of Us Are Brave”.

“All The Women Are White All The Blacks Are Men But Some Of Us Are Brave” was published in the year 1982 this book is still very relevant. Recent racist comments by white heterosexual mainstream feminists such as Geraldine Ferraro and Gloria Steinem highlight the racial and cultural divide. The Combahee River Collective state black women cannot divorce themselves from the black race and just think about gender. Barbara Smith, Gloria T Hull, and other black feminists state race, gender, class, sexual orientation are inextricably linked.

I think the book “All The Women Are White All The Blacks Are Men But Some Of Us Are Brave” is such an important book especially right now. The media refuses to engage in a dialogue with the public about the racial and cultural divide in the feminist movement.If you read the book you will know the reasons why it does exist.

For example, Naomi Wolf is a mainstream pop culture feminist she’s just a businesswoman. I have read Naomi Wolf’s work in the beginning of her career the “Beauty Myth” is an important book. However, I began to read more of Wolf’s work and realized she is an elitist. Wolf may receive mainstream approval from Oprah but when I listen to Wolf I cringe she is less relevant to feminism these days. Naomi Wolf doesn’t care about black women or about people of colour. I prefer to read the works of bell books, Patricia Hill Collins, and Barbara Smith because their work puts theory into context.

Some white feminists focus only on gender and ignore race and class. Some white feminists refuse to acknowledge their role in discriminating against people of colour, their white skin privilege, and benefiting from the marriage market to powerful white heterosexual men.

Essex Hemphill is very important to me. I recall during my undergraduate days I read his incisive and incendiary book “Ceremonies”. Hemphill opened my eyes to the hidden oppression black gay men endure in North America. Although I am not African American I am a black gay man. I was able to feel Hemphill’s pain when he discussed the hypocrisy of the black heterosexual community about homophobia. Hemphill also discussed a very important issue the ways in which black gay men are treated as sex objects by a hostile and very racist white gay male community. Television shows such as Queer As Folk are a perfect example of this bigotry. On Queer As Folk the only time black men are on the program is during an intense sex scene. Black gay men are depicted as bodies and not as three dimensional and complex people. Queer As Folk is such a disservice but I am not surprised by the deleterious racism and sexism against black men on that program.

Audre Lorde is another black lesbian activist I love! Lorde’s book “Sister Outsider” is a black feminist classic. Lorde highlights the issue of the “Mythical Norm” which is the white, thin, Christian, heterosexual male. “The Mythical Norm” has the ultimate power in society and the white Republican party and the white Christian right are perfect examples of this. Lorde also wrote about the fallacy of the “Global Sisterhood” in feminism. Lorde says that feminism needs to be real about racism within the movement.

Patrik Ian Polk may be young but his incredible television show “Noah’s Arc” is so important to me. Ian Polk took the initiative and transformed pop culture. Thank goodness for Noah’s Arc and thank goodness black gay men we are no longer on the sidelines or in the back row we are in the front row! The issues that are important to black gay culture emerge and thank goodness for that! Black gay men we are no longer in the shadows in pop culture. Patrik Ian Polk has a huge role in demonstrating black gay men we fall in love, we have friends, jobs, careers, families, difficulties, just like everyone else.

Finally I was able to see people that looked like me that are black and gay fall in love. Black gay love is so important and Noah’s Arc is a groundbreaking television program. I wish Noah’s Arc was able to reach a larger black heterosexual audience though. Why isn’t Noah’s Arc on BET or MTV? Viacom is the parent company for BET and MTV so I don’t see why Noah’s Arc can’t be returned to television. For a very long time I have yearned to see black gay men in love with each other.

Patrik Ian Polk’s television show Noah’s Arc shatters a lot of cultural, racial, and social barriers. The program does not ignore gay racism which is rampant in the North American gay communities. Black gay men we are presented as comfortable with our sexual orientation and our racial identity. We are not depicted as licentious sex objects but as real people. On Noah’s Arc the black gay men are cognizant of the black issues. Some black straight people think just because black gay men we are gay we lose our blackness and that is false. Noah’s Arc also explored issues important to the black gay community. I can’t wait for the Noah’s Arc movie to come out this year!!!

Langston Hughes is also a gay black hero but he was reticent about his homosexuality due to the pernicious homophobia of the black heterosexual community. Hughes poetry has dealt with homoerotic themes. The poems such as joy, desire, cafe 3am, waterfront streets, tell me, young sailor all deal with homoeroticism. The writer Faith Berry also wrote a biography on Hughes and discusses the fact Hughes loved black men and he had a Jamaican lover. Arnold Rampersad also wrote two memoirs about Langston Hughes and he admits Hughes was indeed a homosexual. Hughes is a major inspiration to me because he was a black gay male writer he also believed in black activism and human rights.

Lorraine Hansberry is a black lesbian icon and she was an amazing playwright. The heterosexual black media always discuss Hansberry’s play “A Raisin In The Sun” refusing to acknowledge Hansberry was also a black lesbian. Hansberry also concealed her lesbianism during her lifetime she encountered multiple layers of oppression. Black women encounter racism, sexism, and also homophobia. Hansberry wrote for the lesbian publication “The Ladder” in the 1950s. Hansberry is known for her electrifying play “A Raisin In the Sun” yet the public doesn’t know she was also a black lesbian.

I was talking to my friend on the phone the other day and he was watching You Tube. My friend was laughing at the Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell kiss during an award show. I should point out we are both gay men. My friend urged me to watch the clip. I have to admit I laughed as well. I looked at the audience in the clip there were also laughing. Cohen and Ferrell are rolling around on the ground kissing but it was meant for shock value.

I began to question myself and wonder why is the clip funny? Why was I laughing as well? Am I homophobic too? Was the joke funny because it was just two comedians making a joke or is there a more deeper and subversive issue taking place here? Is society trying to say two men cannot have a loving, passionate, relationship with each other?

After all would the audience laugh if two attractive women were kissing? Would the audience have been so shocked? Was the audience really laughing at the kiss or was the audience laughing in attempt to hide their own fear and prejudices about male homosexuality?

Here is another clip from the gay storyline on the American soap opera As The World Turns. For the past six months Luke and Noah have been in an intense and passionate gay romance. Luke and Noah have only kissed two times in the past six months. The heterosexual couples on As The World Turns get to have sex so why can’t Luke and Noah? Everyone knows Luke and Noah are gay so were is the passion? The kiss between Noah and Luke although very short demonstrates the passion between them. You are not supposed to laugh when Luke and Noah kiss you are supposed to yearn that their relationship works and that their love survives and thrives. Fans of the show As The World Turns are upset at CBS because they believe homophobia is the real reason Luke and Noah haven’t been allowed to kiss more often.

Here is a third clip from the lesbian drama the L Word. The scene is from the first season of the L Word a passionate and erotic kiss between Jenny and Marina. You can tell from their body language that Jenny and Marina are yearning for each other. I know some people don’t like Jenny but I love Jenny! I kind of wish Marina was on the show more often. Marina was such a mysterious and amazing character. I thought the kiss here was very important it was the first time Jenny and Marina acknowledged they are sexually attracted to each other. The L Word is on Showtime in America and that’s a cable station so there is more freedom to explore lesbianism, love, passionate sex, breaking up, making up, and all that jazz.

One topic a lot of gay men don’t want to discuss is the issue around bisexual men entering the gay male social sphere. There is indeed some friction between gay men and bisexual men due to mistrust. Some gays men believe the bisexual men are just in denial about their true sexual orientation. I believe male bisexuality does exist. Even some heterosexual women have a distrust for bisexual men they don’t believe a man can truly be bisexual.

I believe sexuality is fluid and a continuum there is no on or off switch. I am sure there are men that are sexually attracted to both sexes and are not “confused”. Women wonder why some men that have sex with men get married but society is part to blame. Maybe some of these men that marry women truly are bisexual and they want to have children and also form relationships with the opposite sex?

Even in Canada despite the social barriers around male homosexuality breaking down an invisible barrier still exists. The message the mainstream society sends about male homosexuality is that it is still immoral and wrong. Same Sex Marriage may be legal in Canada but for some gay men gay marriage is simply not an option. Even for bisexual men they may not be interested in gay marriage either.

I never jumped on the whole gay marriage bandwagon I have zero interest. I believe the mainstream media always attempted to find the most boring oatmeal gay couples that conformed to compulsory heterosexuality. I recall the news reports about the gay couples that lived in the picturesque houses, windswept streets, with green manicured lawns, antique furniture, and the little miniature toy dog running around the house. The message was a Hallmark card screaming “we are just like everyone else”.

Is this really true though? Are gay people just like heterosexual people? Of course in some aspects gays and straights are similar we are human beings that all want love and compassion.

However, I always felt that society still has a distrust for male homosexuality there is a dirty residue that exists. Maybe I don’t want to be like Bill and Bob and live in downtown Toronto in my huge house and live the oatmeal raisin bread life mimicking heterosexuality. Maybe I want to be the dirty slut and whore that lives life on my own terms that sends a fuck you salute to society.

Gay marriage in Canada has of course provided benefits for gay couples and more equilibrium between heterosexuals and homosexual couples in Canada. The reasons gay people want to get married are indeed legitimate for financial and also ethical concerns. The issue of spousal benefits, wills, even visiting a partner in the hospital are important to gay couples. There is also the social affirmation that a gay marriage and relationship is not inferior, abhorrent, or deleterious it is based on real love. I do believe if gay couples want to marry they deserve the right to. However, the whole hysteria around gay marriage never interested me at all. Perhaps it is due to my age? I don’t know? I do know that a marriage is a contract it isn’t just about “love”.

I honestly can’t say if I am ever going to get married or not. I don’t know if I would want to marry another man anyway.  Isn’t love enough? I believe Same Sex marriage has become too political and the love aspect has been diminished. A marriage shouldn’t be about politics. I haven’t met anyone yet that I truly believe I would want to marry anyway. I’ve had a few relationships that never became anything serious. The last guy I went out with a few years ago he was twice my age that’s a long story. I’m not getting into today. Anyway, Marriage is not just a piece of paper it is an agreement to honor your partner with love and devotion.

A few days ago I was on the internet and I noticed a lot of ads on a gay male website posted by married men. The interesting issue about married men is some of these guys believe declaring that they are married is a badge of honor. The married label is a way for these men to state they aren’t really “gay”. My opinion is if I know a man is married I don’t want to meet or talk to him. I always ask the men I am interested in if they are married or not. I always ask because I want to know this is my personal choice. It isn’t about being noble or anything it is just a way for me to figure out what my options are. I am just not interested in all that drama and baggage. Why should I deal with a man that wants his cake and eat it to?

However, for some gay men they appear to get a rush a real sexual charge knowing a man is “married”. I think for some gay men have the ideology they can “pleasure” a married man better then his wife can. Some gay men have the fantasy that they are better lovers then the heterosexual spouse and eventually the married man will leave his wife for his gay lover. However, it rarely happens because most married men never leave their wives. Who wants to be the other lover? Why would anyone want to be the other man on the side? An alternative argument is that the married men on the gay websites are being honest to a certain extent because they are letting gay men know they are indeed not single.

I think it is a false sense of sincerity though. I squirm when I watch television and I see these married men attempt to rationalize why they cruise on gay websites. Why lie to a gay man and claim you aren’t married when you really are? Why marry a woman and lie to her? Why waste a woman’s time? I can understand why women are angry and pissed when they find out their husbands are cruising online on gay websites. All the wife needs to do is check the history section on the computer and she can easily find out exactly where her husband has been surfing the internet anyway. I honestly believe if a woman thinks her man is gay chances are he probably is. If you have that gut instinct that feeling that your man isn’t tell you the truth you just know. Also, a confrontation is necessary and check to see if the guy becomes visibly nervous.

A seventeen year old black gay teenager Simmie Williams Jr was brutally murdered in Fort Lauderdale Florida on February 23nd 2008 at 12:45 am. Williams was minding his own business walking down the street and was gunned down. Williams was shot to death while wearing a dress. Williams mother knew her son was gay and loved her son. Williams was planning to obtain his GED and apply to culinary school.

This is such a tragic and disgusting act of violence against a young gay person. Where is the outrage? There have been rumours that Williams may have been a male prostitute. Witnesses say they heard Williams in a heated argument with two men and homophobic slurs were hurled at him. However, there is absolutely no concrete evidence to prove Williams was a prostitute.

The LGBT Democratic Caucus plan a vigil and rally today at 4:30pm at 1000 Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale to call attention to violence against gays and lesbians in Florida. Williams death underscores the dangers that black gay teens encounter in a world that is heterosexist, homophobic, racist, and also against people that don’t conform to society’s rigid gender roles. Black gay teens encounter a quandary due to their age, race, and sexual orientation that heterosexual teenagers do not. Straight teens can meet at school, at the local library, at the mall, in the public sphere. Black gay youth also encounter homophobia from heterosexual blacks and racism from a hostile mainstream white gay community. Where do gay black teens turn when the gay community rejects them?

Since homophobia and racism is so entrenched in North America black gay teens encounter more barriers that haven’t broken down fast enough. Black gay teens often have a difficult time negotiating between the public and private sphere. High schools across the United States have developed gay and straight alliances to help alleviate this dilemma.

However the quandary is some homophobic people utilize religion as a weapon. Gays and lesbians have to fight in court against heterosexist organizations in order to have safe spaces available for gay teens. Gay and straight alliances are imperative because most gay social spaces in North America are reserved for adults. The gay bars, clubs, and bathhouses in America bar anyone under the age of consent. Gay teens don’t have access to the gay epicenter.

Williams death highlights another issue did he have access to counseling or social network programs? Some cities and towns in North America do not have gay and lesbian youth centers or programs for gay youth. Fort Lauderdale is considered a gay tourist city. However, were specific programs available for black gay youth? The question remains where do gay teens turn to when when they may feel isolated, alienated, confused, depressed, or seeking attention and want to make friends?

The internet is a new tool on the information superhighway for gay teens to connect with each other. However, the internet can also be a dangerous place for teenagers since sadistic pedophiles surf the net looking for impressionable youth . Transgendered youth encounter even more barriers including transphobia from the gay community and heterosexual society.

One argument is that Williams could of been more cautious walking around in public in a dress. However, Williams was only seventeen years old and unlike heterosexual teenagers gay teens encounter the crushing force of homophobia from a hostile society. Another point to consider is perhaps Williams was comfortable enough with himself that he had the courage to wear a dress in the public sphere. Also, the United States is a democracy and people should have the freedom to dress anyway they want without judgment, prejudice, or the threat of potential violence.

Monday afternoon my friend suggested I borrow his DVD copy of the film “My Beautiful Laundrette”. I was hesitant at first because I thought the film was going to be another classic white savior movie. I notice a theme in a lot of interracial films that the person of colour always needs empowerment from the white person. Some interracial films present the false notion that interracial relationships are fighting racism. However, some interracial relationships are based on racism because of the racist assumptions once race has about another.

Whiteness is depicted as better in many interracial movies and as superior to communities of colour. The subversive vein of racism is in order for people of colour to have better lives we need white partners.

The person of colour’s family life is often framed as originating from an oppressive culture and the European culture is presented as the only solution. White culture is depicted as open minded and perfect. “My Beautiful Laundrette” challenges this racist notion that communities of colour are always oppressive. It is so wonderful to actually see the reverse in “My Beautiful Laundrette”.

In “My Beautiful Laundrette” the South Asian families are actually just as prejudiced as the white British people. The main Pakistani family in the film view lower class white people as inferior and lazy unwilling to work hard to move up the social ladder. I am happy to announce that “My Beautiful Laundrette” is definitely a forward thinking kind of movie.

The film is about a young Pakistani man Omar he lives with his father on welfare in 1980s London. The movie is set in Margaret Thatcher’s England where the racial tensions between the white British community and South Asians are intense. Omar dreams of a better life his father is an alcoholic and his mother is deceased. Omar’s uncle Nasser introduces Omar to a new life and his ambition grows he wants the capitalist dream of material wealth. Omar believes money will give him happiness.

Omar first starts out washing cars but persuades his Uncle Nasser to let him run his own laundrette. One evening Omar meets up with an old friend Johnny a young white British man. Johnny is unemployed, unhappy, and homeless. Johnny hangs out with a bunch of street punks that get involved in crimes, use drugs and are disillusioned about life in London. The young white men are upset that their lives aren’t better and make South Asians the targets and scapegoats for their own unhappiness.

The South Asian community in London are working hard to rise in British society. The young street punks feel left behind and have a sense of entitlement due to the fact they are British.

Omar needs another Uncle Salim he is the villain in the film he gets Omar involved in dirty deeds and is emotionally abusive to Omar. Omar persuades Johnny to help him fix up the Laundrette and gives Johnny a job. Johnny’s self esteem grows he now has a purpose in life and he is conflicted about hanging out with his punk friends that are miserable, racist, and anti social. Omar and Johnny’s feelings for each other grow and they fall in love.

The aspect of the movie I loved the most is  the gay romance is not viewed as a social problem. It is still so rare to see a movie about a South Asian gay man that is the star of the film and being gay is not a source of conflict. “My Beautiful Laundrette” just presents male homosexuality as a part of life. Omar just happens to be gay he doesn’t make a big deal about it and neither should the audience. Gordon Warnecke gives a confident and strong performance as the protagonist Omar. Daniel Day Lewis shines as Omar’s lover Johnny.

The gay romance is tame by twenty first century standards there are a few romantic kisses to illustrate Omar and Johnny are lovers. I love the fact that Omar and Johnny have intimacy to their relationship. Far too often gay movies either conceal the gay romance or are too explicit that it destroys a film. “My Beautiful Laundrette” has a balance that is so charming and cute. Omar and Johnny have a sweet tenderness to their relationship you can tell they are in love just by the way they gently hug or look intensely at each other.

I believe “My Beautiful Laundrette” is indeed superior to other so called big budget gay films that have been released in the last few years. My perspective is if “My Beautiful Laundrette” was made in North America the whole movie would of been worse to treat homosexuality as a social issue. It is simply incredible that “My Beautiful Laundrette” was released in 1985 because the movie is so current and so real.

The main themes about the movie deal with cultural clashes between the South Asian immigrants and white Anglo Saxon population, identity politics, and also class. Class is a main theme in the movie. Omar begins to rise in the class system and starts to become a bit arrogant as well.

Meanwhile Uncle Nasser is having an affair with a white woman Rachel and his daughter Tania and his wife know about this. Tania is depressed she doesn’t want to live in a patriarchal family and she wishes she had more to do with her life.My only criticism of the film is I think the Tania character should of had more screen time the issue of sexism and misogyny was explored to a certain extent. I wanted to know more why Tania was so unhappy and I wished her character was more developed. I feel Tania is just a plot device in the film but maybe this was in the intention of the screenwriter.

Tania confronts Rachel at the opening of the Laundrette and Rachel dumps uncle Nasser. I think Tania is a catalyst for change in the film. Johnny’s friends attack him in the third act of the movie because they feel he is betraying them by trying to become a productive citizen. Uncle Salim is also attacked by the street punks. Tania leaves her family and moves on with her life she wants Johnny to go with her. Johnny refuses Tania’s advances and says he loves Omar and he will not leave him.

Uncle Nasser confronts his fears that his ephemeral relationship with Rachel was doomed because he is so unhappy with his marriage. Omar’s father wants Omar to attend college. Omar and Johnny make it out in the end and remain a couple. I absolutely love this fact that neither Omar or Johnny died.

I cringe every single time a gay movie is released and one of the protagonists has to die. Of course in real life relationships don’t always work and this has to be explored on film. However, in cinema there is a predilection that gay romances are doomed because the subliminal message is gay romance is inferior to heterosexual love. I recommend “My Beautiful Laundrette” to anyone willing to give a movie a chance that deals with gay love in a funny, clever, intelligent, and serious manner.

I can honestly say I will no longer watch America’s Next Top Model. I am disgusted with the hypocrisy, homophobia, double standards, racism, misandry, and sexism of the program. Tyra Banks preaches to young black women to love themselves. How can anyone like Tyra Banks she so plastic and fake?

On Tyra’s talk show and ANTM we see Tyra prancing around with her fake contact lenses, and shoulder length weaves.I am not suggesting black women cannot wear weaves or perm their hair. Black women have a right to style their hair anyway they want. I guess for some females they want to try new hairstyles and that’s fair.Nobody wants to wear the same hairstyle all the damn time that’s boring and sometimes change is a good thing. After all, white women and other women of colour wear hair extensions, braids, and weaves too.

However, has anyone ever seen Tyra without her long weave? When have we ever seen girlfriend rock an afro, or twists, or braids? Can you imagine Tyra Banks without her Eurocentric appearance? Tyra has a European appearance with her light skin, contacts, and long weave is the image of blackness Hollywood says is palatable.

Would Tyra be popular with whites and blacks if she actually tried to not look and act so white? Its a fair question. Could it be if Tyra didn’t have her fake weave and rocked an afro the TV ratings would drop? If Tyra had a more Afrocentric appearance would this shock and turn off black and white television viewers and CW Network executives?

In the summer of 2007 a white Glamour Magazine editor made a racist and sexist statement at an industry meeting , she said she didn’t like seeing black women with natural hairstyles. You know black women that don’t wear hair extensions, perms, weaves, and straight hair. The white female executive from Glamour Magazine said braids, twists, and afros are a “no no” in a corporate environment.

Recently, Glamour Magazine had a damage control session in a closed meeting with a group of black women. Glamour Magazine clearly has a very good public relations team because they want the controversy to disappear. However, my dear readers we cannot let the Glamour Magazine episode vanish. We must pay attention to the messages society is transmitting through culture, hair, and language. We are all lectured in some way to conform to the representation of whiteness.

Trya Banks is following the same philosophy she is a pretentious hypocrite. Tyra preaches to young black women about loving themselves yet she embraces and conforms to the image of whiteness. Whiteness is the only representation that sells in the American fashion industry. Black women are encouraged through racist imagery such advertisements, magazines, television, product placements, and black celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles and Tyra Banks to act and look white.

Doesn’t anyone wonder why Tyra always wears the same long blonde or brown weave? Why does Beyonce wear the same blonde lace front wig all the damn time? Whiteness is the only acceptable image on television and the closer black women are to whiteness the more palatable they become. Whiteness is also the global standard of beauty that everyone is judged against. My perspective is that Tyra is actually a very negative influence on young black women. Is it okay for black women to be black on TV? Can black women ever be presented as being nice, intelligent, caring, young women that are not termagants?

I remember when Tyra admonished Danielle during one cycle about her country accent. Tyra’s attitude was disgusting, pernicious, and disgraceful. I understand the fact that Tyra is supposed to give the girls advice. I just have this feeling that Tyra was cognizant of the fact white America was “watching her”.

The great African American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois created the term “double consciousness” and the term was included in his powerful collection of essays called “The Souls Of Black Folk”. Its amazing that Du Bois analogy was created over one hundred years ago and it is still valid and makes perfect sense. Du Bois analogy refers to the fact black people we are conscious that we live in separate spheres. Tyra was criticizing Danielle because America’s Next Top Model is in the public domain on television for the world to watch. Tyra didn’t want a dark skinned black girl with a country accent to “mess up” her product.

Tyra wanted Danielle to not only speak “proper English” she also wanted Danielle to “act white” to not upset the white television audience. Black people we are well aware of the fact the white lens is constantly watching us. Blacks we become “perceptive” of the white gaze and in many ways we have to conform to function in society. Now why couldn’t Danielle speak with her country accent? Was Danielle’s accent really too hard to understand? Or was it because Tyra didn’t want to be reminded of “blackness” and she didn’t want her “brand” to be “tainted” and viewed as “too black”?

Tyra Banks has an image of being “colourless” she’s the light skinned young “colourless” black woman that white North America loves. Tyra’s kind of black but not too black she’s tries her best to be as boring as oatmeal. Tyra’s not political either she’s not really interested in black issues, she chooses to ignore race because she wants to make money.

Tyra is “aware” that the Eurocentric lens was paying close attention to the way she interacts with the black girls. Trya tries too hard to be “hands off” with the black girls she reminds me of Oprah. Tyra has no respect for other black women. Oprah has changed she used to be about black women’s issues but now Oprah is basically a white woman. Oprah is a shrewd business woman she has to be as white as possible in order to obtain white female acceptance. Its a a tricky balance the game Tyra and Oprah are playing they have to “act white” yet also distance themselves from black women’s issues. If you’ve been paying attention to both Tyra and Oprah’s shows they rarely discuss important issues that relates specifically to black women. Both Tyra and Oprah will lie to the public and say they are all about reaching “all women”.

People need to realize Oprah and Tyra’s gimmick is to use the word “all women” they really should just be honest and say they want to reach the “white female demographic.” Audre Lorde wrote in her groundbreaking book “Sister Outsider” there is no “global sisterhood” between white women and black women.

I mean why can’t they just be honest? Oprah and Tyra cannot appear to be “too black”. I mean can you imagine? Its like give me a break please. The only women Oprah and Tyra are interested in reaching are the white middle and upper class women with disposable income. Just be real ladies we undestand its just “business.”

Has anyone ever watched the Oprah show lately? Tyra’s talk show is very similar she’s copying the Oprah blueprint by acting so white. Notice in the audience you see a sea of white faces on both Tyra and Oprah’s television shows. Has anyone ever wondered why? Its all due to market research and “branding” the product. Oprah and Tyra will lie and say that its just a coincidence that so many white women are in the show’s audience. I’m not buying that for a second. Oprah is a shrewd businesswoman and Oprah knows the more white women in the audience the more likely white women will tune in to watch. It just makes practical business sense.

Tyra and Oprah realize their target audience is white women and not black women. Yet the black media consistently present Oprah and Tyra as “groundbreaking” black females when they both conform to the representation of whiteness. Tyra and Oprah will never do anything to “upset” the white female demographic because they want to make as much money as possible off of white women. Oprah and Tyra have to sell products, advertising space, and to continue to generate revenue through the white female demographic. Tyra is never going to “rock the boat” and upset the white girls. Tyra may criticize the white girls but she is never ever cruel to them. The way Tyra bashes and admonishes the black girls I sense Tyra has internalized racism issues. Maybe Tyra hates being black? Maybe the problem is really Tyra?

I think Tyra is just jealous of the black girls because they are more attractive. Maybe Tyra just hates dark skinned black women? After all, does anyone remember the episode of Tyra’s show and Naomi Campbell was on? Tyra acted like a scared kitten. Tyra wasn’t just preaching to Danielle to speak with a so called “proper” American accent. Tyra was screeching at Danielle to conform to white middle class American standards of respectability. Make no mistake Tyra wasn’t just telling Danielle she had to speak “proper” to succeed in modelling. Tyra was letting Danielle know that she was embarrassing her and her “brand” in front of the white American audience. Isn’t being black good enough? Shouldn’t Tyra have told Danielle that blackness is beautiful? Tyra has a clear disgust for any image of blackness. Tyra runs in the opposite direction of anything relating to black culture. Tyra is a termagant, I don’t know how people can stand her? Tyra is hardest on all the black girls because she knows white viewers will complain and say that she’s “favouring” the blacks.

Tyra also has an intense hatred for other black women its so obvious. Tyra has lashed out at Bree, Danielle, and this season Ebony. I can honestly say Bree, Danielle, and Ebony are more beautiful on the inside and out then the so called supermodel Tyra Banks. When Ebony said she didn’t want to be on the program anymore Tyra called Ebony “a quitter”. Tyra was shocked that a contestant actually told her that her TV show was whack. Maybe, just maybe, the reason Ebony wanted to leave the show was because she couldn’t handle being around Tyra Banks since she’s such a mean spirited vindictive person. Ebony actually arrived at her own decision that she didn’t want to be a model. Did you see Ebony run out the room? Girlfriend, ran like the wind to get away from the Medusa Tyra Banks.

Another thing I resent about America’s Next Top Model is the way the show deals with homosexuality. Homosexuality is a freak side show on America’s Next Top Model its a total joke. I remember there was a beautiful lesbian on the program her name was Kim and the lesbophobia on the show was incredible. I recall Jay Manuel telling Kim to be more “feminine” I wanted to smack him.

The part of the program I find most offensive is way the gay men of colour are framed. Gay men of colour on America’s Next Top Model are the “fairy godmothers”. Jay Manuel and Miss Jay sprinkle their “fairy wisdom” on the naive young heterosexual girls on how to be a model. So basically you have two gay black men telling women how to act more “feminine”. Isn’t that kind of sexist and homophobic? Why didn’t Tyra hire female consultants to teach the girls on how to act like a model? Wouldn’t that make more sense? The gay men teaching the girls to twirl and move their hips on the runway may seem like “entertainment” but its actually an abhorrent form of homophobia. I think the reason Jay Manuel and Miss Jay were hired was because they are the humour segment of the show. People are privately laughing in their homes “look at those two black fags.” Let’s be honest and real here we know what people say behind closed doors.

I am disgusted with the stereotypes of gay men of colour because we are so marginalized. Yes, I am cognizant of the fact gay men are involved in the fashion industry. However, not every gay man talks with a lisp, twirls around, and walks with a limp wrist.

A good friend of mine we have a constant joke because I don’t care about fashion. I mean obviously I wear men’s clothing its important for a man to have a positive image of himself . The way a man will dress says a lot about a man’s personality and self image. I just feel like the image of gay black men on television is very negative. The last positive image of a black gay male on mainstream television was Carter on Spin City. I loved Carter because I could identify with him. Carter was definitely gay but he wasn’t a stereotype he wasn’t a queen. Carter dressed in men’s clothing, he liked sports, and he also liked guys.

My friend says I am different in a way compared to some gay men because I have absolutely no interest in fashion. I don’t read fashion magazines to find out the latest trends in men’s fashion. I don’t pluck my eyebrows, I don’t wear makeup, or lipstick, I don’t wear nail polish. I understand that there are drag queens they are an integral part of the queer black family. A lot of drag queens are involved with charity work and other community programs to support the gay black community.

I am not suggesting that black gay men cannot perform in drag if they want to. If this is Miss Jay’s real personality then that’s his personal business. I am only arguing why does this fairy godmother stereotype have to be the only representation of gay black men on television?

I like to wear nice suits, dress pants, tie, or sweater, or blazer if I am going to attend an important event. I don’t watch Fashion Television, sorry Vogue is not a bible it doesn’t interest me. I am not suggesting there aren’t gay men that are not effeminate because there are. I can even be effervescent at times I can admit that. I am not a macho man either but why does Miss Jay and Jay Manuel have to be so feminine?

However, I am aware of the fact people are actually “laughing” at Miss Jay and Jay Manuel they are the circus clowns. Jay Manuel and Miss Jay are the bizarre entertainment while Tyra Banks is ringmaster of the show. Miss Jay and Jay Manuel also have to be “sassy” and make shocking jokes so all the girls will giggle and laugh. Yet the truth for Miss Jay and Jay Manuel the television audience are “laughing at them” not “with them”. People don’t realize Miss Jay and Jay Manuel are caricatures. Perhaps Miss Jay and Jay Manuel are cognizant of this? I guess all those queens care about is cashing their next pay cheque?

I also think there is a subversive element of homophobia to the program. Miss Jay and Jay Manuel are extreme stereotypes of gay men of colour. Its the pathetic, homophobic, racist, and sexist imagery of gay black men that sells. Is it necessary for Miss Jay and Jay Manuel to be such cardboard cut out stereotypes? Miss Jay prances around in women’s makeup, wears women’s clothing, and high heeled shoes. Miss Jay looks like a complete joke.

One argument is that this is just the way Miss Jay true personality. However, in the eyes of the black community and mainstream society people think “all” gay black men act like this. I find the homophobic imagery of Miss Jay sashaying across the catwalk and twirling around a bit unsettling.

The real issue I have with Miss Jay and Jay Manuel is that there is no diversity. I am not just focusing on America’s Top Model my argument is also about television in general. Where are the regular gay black men that I can recognize? Where are the gay black men that wear regular men’s clothing you know like the rest of us? I think this is the reason I miss Noah’s Arc so much. Why isn’t Noah’s Arc on the CW Network? The CW Network is the only TV channel that broadcast black television anyways.

I cannot believe Jay Manuel is a Canadian! Jay Manuel has to be one of the worst exports from Toronto Canada ever he has such a bad negative attitude. Jay Manuel always acts so bitchy and he’s very vindictive and mean spirited. I don’t like the image he presents on television. I don’t know if the writers of America’s Next Top Model tell Jay Manuel to act like this but he’s ugly on the inside and out.

Gay men of colour we are stereotyped as limp wristed sissies that wear women clothing or bitchy queens like Jay Manuel. Sorry, not all gay men of colour act like Miss Jay or Jay Manuel. No I am not a stone cold butch. I am not some S&M daddy but I like to wear baseball caps, I watch sports, I drink beer, and I don’t wear women’s clothing. Where are the gay black men that are not hairdressers, fashion stylists, effeminate photographers, or limp wristed queens? I guess for television rating the CW Network feels the need to marginalize gay men of colour and reduce us to sexist, misandrist, and racist stereotypes.

Jay Manuel I guess is the antidote to Miss Jay, he’s supposed to be the more butch gay man of colour. I just find Jay Manuel to be even more vulgar and worse then Miss Jay. Miss Jay seems to really care about the girls he wants them to succeed. Perhaps this is just a writing device? Maybe its just a gimmick the “hook” to attract an audience to see the next outrageous thing the two gay men will do next?

The reality television writers have to give Jay Manuel and Miss Jay distinctive personalities for the program to attract viewers. I guess for the CW Network they cannot have two gay men of colour that are actually “nice” people. Nice gay men are not entertaining for television. One gay black man has to be the stereotypical fag and the other has to be the annoying bitchy sea hag.

Jay Manuel comes across as a shrew no wonder the girls cry on the show because he’s such a blood thirsty monster. I just think America’s Top Model is such a disservice to black women and gay black men. Why are black women and black gay men stereotyped to the extreme on America’s Next Top Model?

Tyra is the executive producer of the program she has no excuses. Tyra claims she’s involved with the development and production of the show. Tyra and the CW Network will do anything to make money. I guess all Tyra Banks cares about is stereotyping black women as having haughty attitudes, and gay black men we are all limp wristed bitchy queens. The bottom line is America’s Next Top Model is a ratings winner for the CW Network. It appears Tyra has no real love for the black community she doesn’t care about the negative stereotypes, representations, and images that are broadcast. All Tyra Banks cares about is acquiring TV ratings, keeping her show on the air, and raking in more revenue.

Is Canada a utopia paradise and the battle for gay rights are over? African Canadian scholar Wesley Crichlow shatters this misconception with his groundbreaking Buller Men and Batty Bwoys. My perspective is Crichlow was unfairly criticized for not conducting “enough” research for his book when it was first published a few years ago.

Crichlow made the first step he wrote the book. Its often easy for some gay black men to attack Crichlow. Yet the question has to be asked what are other gay black men doing to advance the rights of gay black Canadian men? Its pretty easy to hide in the closet or live in a glass closet in the ivory towers of universities and colleges isn’t it? It is very easy for gay black professors to write books about the black community but never discuss their own homosexuality in the public sphere? I am so sick of these gay black cowards that roam free in the white gay community yet are suddenly silent about black community politics. Wesley Crichlow is no coward he is a real man and he is a brave black gay Canadian man for writing his book.

Crichlow’s book is a building block it is a step in the right direction. The mainstream and black communities are apathetic to the concerns of gay black Canadian men. Crichlow’s book finally provides some context into the reasons why this occurs.

Crichlow is a black gay Canadian activist he fought for black gay rights in the city of Toronto for almost two decades. Although Crichlow has moved from Toronto he once owned a bookstore called “A Different Booklist”. “A Different Booklist” is still open today on Bathurst street in Toronto and is a very important store because its core focus is about providing a platform for black writers. Black Canadian writers we still encounter a patronizing, elitist, and racist Canadian publishing industry.

The title of the book Buller Men and Batty Bwoys refers to the Caribbean slang for “gay men”. A Buller Man or a Batty Bwoy is basically a man that engages in anal sex. The root term is offensive and derogatory because it stereotypes and reduces gay black men into sex objects and brands us as just being interested in sex.

Crichlow provides an account about his childhood growing up in Trinidad and how he struggled with his sexuality. He also discusses how he attempted to fit into the mainstream Canadian gay community and he encountered gay racism. Crichlow moved to Canada from his native Trinidad as a teenager in the year 1981.

The autobiographical elements in the book are a fascinating insight into Crichlow’s life and the misconceptions people have about Canada. I wish Crichlow had expanded more on this section of the book. I was curious I wanted to know more about the real Wesley Crichlow? For instance, although white Canadian homosexuals are being praised for fighting for “gay rights” there remains an eerie silence about the prejudice and bigotry of racism gay people of colour in Canada. For instance, some gay people of colour will not participate in Toronto’s annual Gay Pride event because they view the focus is too white and Eurocentric.

The Canadian homosexual press usually ignore gay people of colour, rarely ever have any black gay artists on the cover of their magazine unless its black history month or it relates to sex. Crichlow’s book explores the issue that in Canada to be “gay” essentially means to be “white.”

Another issue Crichlow explores is the binary concept of how black Canadian gay men are consistently framed. Black gay men are viewed as the “entertainment” whether its for “sex” or for a “drag performance”. Young black gay men are stereotyped as overlty muscular, dark skinned sex whores for advertisments for “gay male events”. Often these young black men have extremely big black penises or gay black men are stereotyped as the freaky drag queen in a bright fright blonde wig such as Ru Paul. Where does this leave the regular gay black man that isn’t a stud or a drag queen?

Crichlow book is powerful because the reader learns that gay black men we are multi dimensional people with complex lives. Crichlow also explores the fact for many black Canadian gay men to be “gay” is not the focus our “lives”. We struggle with other forms of oppression such as misandry, sexism, and racism. Gay rights is not the only battle gay black Canadian men worry about. We are just trying to survive in a racist, misandrist, and anti black male Canadian society. We have more concerns to deal with then just being gay.

Crichlow’s book “Buller men and Batty Bowys” asks the question why are gay black men ignored not just by the mainstream white gay community but also by the heterosexist black and Caribbean culture? Crichlow’s book investigates the issue of “Caribbean culture”. In America black gays are more organized they have their own “black gay communities” in major cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles. In Canada, there is no “black gay community.”

Crichlow’s book explores these “hidden men” by interviewing nineteen black men in Toronto and Halifax. The reader learns of the lengths black Caribbean/Canadian men endure to conceal their homosexuality. Yet unlike African American books published on homosexuality the reader will learn from one interview subject named “Bill” that many black Canadian gay men don’t use the “gay” label. Bill has a woman in Halifax and two children yet he believes sex with men is fine because it’s just his personal business.

Another man Crichlow interviewed “Lennox” he is also from Halifax is upset about the the virulent white gay racism against black gay men in his city. We learn from a young gay black man Neil that he hates the black community for it’s homophobia. According to Neil black people are uncivilized and backwards. However, Laqueisha a transsexual receives love and support from her family despite the homophobia she encounters in the black community in Toronto. Crichlow peels beneath the surface about the social values and customs of the black Caribbean/African families and how black Canadian gay men are often forced to conform to compulsory heterosexuality by marrying women and staying in the closet. For many gay black men in Canada it is not an option to “come out” and to “move” to the mainstream white community because this is also “foreign” and not “home.”

The interviews,and Crichlow’s personal accounts of his history are the core strength of the book. Crichlow says he chose to write the book in the tradition of the “biomythography” just like his heroine the late black lesbian writer Audre Lorde.

Crichlow claims in the conclusion of the book he wants “change” to occur in the black community. Yet how many black people of Caribbean heritage heard about Crichlow’s book? Also, I discern from the academic tone of the book unfortunately, the way Crichlow writes indicates he may have lost his voice. Crichlow’s “audience” is not the “general public” this book appears to be for an academic audience.

Despite, the “academic” narrative though Crichlow succeeds in crafting a book that is very unique specifically because the book deals with gay black Canadian men a population that has consistently been ignored by the racist, misandrist, homophobic, and heterosexist, Canadian society.

It was unfortunate there simply wasn’t enough publicity for this book. Crichlow’s book is a brave attempt to provide some insight into the lives of gay black Canadian men. I was shocked that the University of Toronto press charged such a high price for the book. When I first reviewed Buller Men And Batty Bwoys I was amazed at the price of the book it cost $50 dollars. Nobody is going to pay $50 dollars for a book. I understand the University of Toronto press is an academic and scholar press. My view is this is a complete disservice to the general public to price the book out of the marketplace. And that leads to another question. Who is the reader intended for Crichlow’s book? Was Crichlow’s book intended for the university student, the scholar, or the general person?

Crichlow’s book is strong when he provides an account about his own personal experiences. Some people may yawn and say “not another black gay man coming out book.” My answer is the more the better especially when its about being black and gay outside of the United States. I find too often black Canadians we tie ourselves too much to American culture and society. I enjoyed this book because it related to Canada and the issues taking place right here in this country. However, to be black and gay in Canada you are invisible in so many ways. We are consistently displaced.

Go visit the Canadian libraries or bookstores where are the books about us? Don’t our lives matter? Although gay rights has advanced in Canada there still is the issue of “othering” that often takes place. Black gay Canadian men are viewed as “something else” not “really gay” and certainly not “a part” of the Canadian gay communities.

For instance, the Gay and Lesbian Archives in Toronto is all white there is nothing about the lives and experiences of gay black men in their archives. Go visit the Archives for yourself and you will see exactly what I am saying. Crichlow’s book is important because books are knowledge, power, and a written history. I don’t need the Gay And Lesbian Archives to give me validation that’s for sure.

Crichlow’s book is a written account it is a “part” of black gay Canadian history and that’s crucial. Language is powerful it is a system of expression its a way for voices to be heard. Crichlow is cognizant of the “impetus” to publish this book to advance black gay Canadian studies. Black gay Canadian men we need our own “identity” that is distinct from “African Americans”. Far too often in Canadian bookstores the shelves are stocked with books about black Americans. What does it mean to be gay, black, and Canadian? How do we negotiate between these identities?

Crichlow’s book is not perfect but then what book is? Crichlow should be praised for taking the time, effort, and energy to writing a book about us about black gay Canadian men. Our lives do matter and despite the ideology that Canada is a utopia paradise the covert racism in Canadian societies is very real and ugly. Crichlow’s book is a form of emancipation the book is tangible, real, and so are our lives. Visit your local public library or university library and read this book. I think you will learn something.

         Its Friday night in the city of Toronto and  I’m bored. I decided not to go out tonight its a bit cold and I’m feeling kind of down right now. I decided to search for “The And Show” on youtube. On you tube a few months ago I discovered a wonderful talk show called “The And Show”.   If you would like too watch episodes of “The And Show” simply type the word in the search engine of youtube and you should be able to locate episodes of the program.

             “The And Show” is one of the “good” things about youtube it provides the public with a voice in a different medium then just a blog.  “The And Show” is the only program I can think of at the moment that relates specifically to the young black gay male experience. It was such a smart idea that these guys thought of this show because it does provide a voice for the voiceless.

     ”The And Show” is a youtube program hosted by three young black gay men.  The program is really cool because every single week there is a new episode that can be found on youtube.  The hosts of  the program are Nathan Seven Scott, Nkosi Brown, and Will McNair in New York City. 

     The hosts of the program have an excellent ability to mix up serious talk with humor. Will, Nkosi, and Nathan are so funny! I just love this program! I definitely believe these guys should have a larger medium for this wonderful program they shouldn’t just be on youtube they should be on television because the show is fierce! I think “The And Show” should be on television. I mean why not?

       I love “The And Show” because the episodes discuss many topics that that deal with life in general but also the black community and the black gay community. I feel there is such a void in society for quality programming for for black gay people. Sometimes I don’t even want to turn on the television set or put a DVD into the DVD player. I mean why should I? All there is heterosexual people everywhere talking about their love lives on TV or in the movies. Where is the cultural representation for black gay men? And gay programming, forget about it. I’m not going to watch Queer As Folk, or Six Feet Under where black gay men are once again treated as sex objects or invisible.

         I just wish I could do more? I already had one book published “You Don’t Know Me” but that was two years ago and now its time to move on to something else something bigger. Of course, I’ve had a plethora of articles published on a variety of topics but I would like to do something in a different medium. I am doing my part my play is completed and I have sent it off to a few competitions but I sense at the end of the day I am simply going to have to produce my play myself. I just resent the fact that the lives of young black gay men are so invisible. And I want to “contribute” and have “my say.” I don’t care for the so called ” gay programming” because its got nothing to do with me or my experiences as a black gay man.

                I miss Jared he was a former host of “The And Show”. I want to know where is Jared? Does anybody know? Anyway, the episode of “The And Show” that I have posted deals with religion and homosexuality in the black community. I was raised in a religious household although I no longer consider myself to be a religious person.

      I enjoy the program because I can relate to about being black, gay, and male. I rediscovered the show. Even though “The And Show is in America based in New York City I like the program. The chemistry the three hosts have is wonderful. Its just nice to see young black gay men such as myself that are comfortable with their sexuality just talking about life and not feeling any sense of guilt or shame at all. Its encouraging and even liberating just to see other young black gay men talking about issues that relate to our lives.

        Sometimes in Toronto I do feel lonely and a sense of  emptiness.  The black gay community in the greater Toronto area is very much “underground.” So many black gays in Toronto are deep in the closet or have their own “private” social networks I don’t know about. In America it seems to me black gays are a bit more organized. And I desire and want to connect with other black gay men. I lived in the greater Toronto area all my life and the gay epicenter in Toronto on Church and Wellesley I feel a disconnected from it. Although Toronto is considered a “progressive” Canadian city there are times when I feel like a stranger in the city. There is such a coldness to Toronto that I definitely will most likely leave the city. There has to be more to the world then Toronto?  Given the fact I want to become a writer or at least have a career as a writer can I really have one in the city of Toronto? There simply isn’t a lot to do here. I think I was born in the wrong country.

          Whenever I am feeling down like right now I click on youtube and watch “The And Show.” Its just a lot of fun listening to these three intelligent young black gay men talk about their lives  what it means to be black, gay, and male in America.

  Check out  “The And Show” on youtube tell your friends about it. I definitely believe there should be more programming or simply more art out there about the young black gay male experience. There simply isn’t enough out there right now. Its depressing to be honest this sense of feeling so invisible as though our lives don’t really matter?

           Its times like this that I enjoy watching “The And Show” because its so empowering to actually “see” young black gay men that are not being “mocked” or treated as a “science experiment” on  mainstream heterosexual talk shows or news programs. I love the fact that the three guys are so comfortable with themselves. Its also nice to see that they “sense” the need for “The And Show”. So cheers to Nathan, Will, and Nkosi! I love “The And Show”!

Two years ago a young African American writer Scott Poulson-Bryant wrote an explosive book called “Hung”. It is also excellent that a young black man wrote this book because I can relate to the material he writes about. The title of the book “Hung” has a double meaning it refers to black men being lynched in the south for daring to look or date white women. The word “hung” also refers to the size of a man’s penis.

Poulson-Bryant’s book is brave and bold it opens with a letter to Emmett Till. Emmett Till was a young black boy that was brutally murdered by white Southern men in the year 1955 in the American South. Till was only fourteen years old when he died he was accused by some white Southern men for “whistling” at a white woman. During America’s racial apartheid one of the ways in which white males attempted to control black male sexuality was through killing innocent young black men by lynching them and hanging them in trees. Lynching was also a method in which white males had an affirmation of their male dominance and their own sexuality. White men did not want white women to date or have children with black men.

The white males in the South controlled the white females, black males, and black women sexuality. The hypocrisy here is that it is well known white men brutally raped black women and exploited black female sexuality. The white males were able to assert their male dominance over all women. However, the white males did not want the black men to also have sexual relations with white women.

Black women were also vulnerable because the laws did not protect black women from rape just white women. Black men were emasculated because the legal system did not even allow black men to protect black women from being raped by white men. The legal system discriminated against black men and black women.

During the days of slavery and even into the 20th century it is well known that white men in the American South raped black women and got away with it. Often young black female domestics were raped by their white male employers in the employer’s residence. Black women were treated as inferior to white women since white female sexuality was placed on a pedestal.

Sometimes the penises of young black men were cut off by the lynch mob to symbolize the fear white men had of black male sexuality. Often white Southern people treated lynching black men as a town event. A white mob would cheer and laugh at these hangings some people even brought their children to a lynching. And if you don’t know pick up a history book and learn about the history of lynching and this disgraceful disgusting period in American history.

Poulson-Bryant discuses the sexism of women and the prejudices women also have about the “myth” of the black penis. Poulson-Bryant explores an incident from his own life experience. One year in college Poulson-Bryant met a white girl at a bar and later on they had sex. The white girl was not thrilled that Poulson-Bryant’s penis wasn’t “large” enough. Poulson-Bryant was shocked at the attitude of the white girl and began questioning himself and his manhood.

One of the strongest parts of the book “Hung” is when Poulson-Bryant explores the sexual racism of the gay community and the racist damaging stereotypes of black gay male sexuality. I know from my personal experiences that some white gay men do indeed view black men as sexual fetishes for sex. All you got to do is watch a DVD of “Queer As Folk” or “Six Feet Under” to understand what I am saying. Black men on these white gay TV shows were treated as window dressing characters that could be sexually exploited and placed back into the shadows. And there is more to black gay male sexuality then being a sideshow for white gays that’s for sure.

I remember a white guy I went out with ten years ago when I was barely out of my teens. One day I was over at the ex boyfriend’s apartment and he went to the bathroom. I don’t know why I did it but I saw his diary by his bed and I opened it. I was so disgusted in the diary entry of the former boyfriend of mine he wrote that he loved my “black penis.” Feelings of anger and disgust just washed over me. Am I not a complete person? Or was was this ex boyfriend of mine just interested in me because of a part of my anatomy? Well lets just put it this way the relationship ended very quickly after that. And I am glad it did.

Have I ever had sex with white guys before? Of course I have I’m not going to lie. Have I had sex with black men before? Of course I have. The difference is when I was intimate with black men I didn’t have this “myth” of the “black penis” and I definitely didn’t treat other black men as sex objects. Has the sex sometimes been good and pleasurable? Sure it has. I know men and women are different because I can separate between love and sex. Love is one thing and sex is a totally different issue. Some white gay guys will chase black gay men and vise versa for sex.

I will explain for the straight people that read my blog this next issue. In the gay male community there are “tops” and “bottoms”. If you ever go to a gay dating website the issue of “tops” and “bottoms” is the main issue. Everybody wants to know what “position” you play. Often when I am on gay dating websites I will receive messages from white gay men and sometimes from Asian gay men if I am a “top”. Sometimes I choose not to answer these questions because I find them not only annoying but it also verges on racism. In the gay male community the stereotype is that all black gay men are aggressive, Asian gay men are stereotyped as submissive and yet white gay men don’t get stereotyped because they are the majority.

The “top” is viewed as the more “masculine” male he is the one that penetrates the other male in his anus. The “bottom” is the more submissive male during gay sex that receives the penetration. If you’ve ever watch gay porn you will notice black gay males are often always tall, dark skinned to symbolize the “exotic” factor but also be extremely well “hung.” The white gay males in gay male pornography will be smaller have a smaller penis and will be the “submissive.” The gay male pornography acts out the whole master and slave complex but with a twist. The black gay male is depicted as the sexual “aggressor sexual master” and the white gay male is viewed as the “victim” or “passive” role. The black gay male will always have a deep voice in these gay porn movies and the white gay male will be meek and timid.

Also in the gay community it is well known that some white gay men chase black gay guys because they think all black men have large penises. If you take a look at the glossy mainstream white gay magazines often you will see half naked black men in advertisements for pornography or for contests at gay bars.

However, take a look at the masthead of these same white gay magazines you will never see a black gay man as the editor in chief or a top editor at these publications. Once again white gay males  have the economic, gender, racial, and political power. Even gay porn skin mags that feature black gay men are run by white gay males.

A few years ago when I was younger I used to write for a Toronto gay publication Xtra! It had taken me a while to realize that the so called Toronto gay community was not “my community” it still was a “white” community although gay. The only reason the editor wanted me to write for Xtra! was because he wanted me to write about the “black gay” experience.

Xtra! wasn’t interested in my writings about other issues I was interested in. And my life is more then just my sexuality. I found the gay media limiting to me as a writer. Also in Xtra! you are never going to read many articles about the hypocrisy, double standards, and entrenched racism of the Canadian white gay community that’s for sure.

Scott Poulson-Bryant’s book struck a chord with me because I know how dehumanizing sexual racism in the gay community is. For some reason in the gay male community the subject of sexual racism is taboo and off limits?

Also when I was younger I used to hang out with a bunch of Asian gay males. Often these Asian gay males would complain to me and whine that white gay men weren’t giving them the “attention” they so desperately craved. Now of course, not all Asian gay men want white boyfriends and that’s not what this blog entry is about.

I am writing about a specific experience that I know about. One Asian gay male friend who is now a former friend of mine he also was very upset whenever we went to gay bars that the white gay men would ignore him. I told my so called friend that everyone has a sexual attraction and that there were white gay males interested in Asian gay men. Yet I question why my Asian gay male friend was so upset about “specifically” seeking out white gay guys. Poulson-Bryant effectively writes about the sexual organization of the gay male community is not only Eurocentric its also very racist as well.

In the gay community it is well known that men of colour and especially black gay men are depicted as just sexual objects for white homosexual male desire. Poulson-Bryant discusses a story about a friend of his that went to a gay party that was basically a sex orgy. Poulson-Bryant’s gay friend told him how some white gay men were so excited to perform oral sex on a black man’s penis simply because of the “color”. Bryant crafted the message that the “color is the size and the size is the color.” The only thing that was important to the white gay men at the sexual orgy was that Scott Poulson-Bryant’s friend’s penis was black.

The most important section of “Hung” is when Poulson-Bryant also explores the racism of the pornography industry. I found this section of the book to be one of the most honest readings I’ve ever had about the porn industry. Poulson-Bryant shatters the mystique and the silence about racism in pornography. The racist stereotypes about black male sexuality these manifestations not only exist but are mass produced on DVDs and easy for the eyes to see. I am not saying people should not enjoy porn and I am not a prude. I watch porn like every other gay guy.

I just want people to be more “cognizant” about what they are watching. Some porn I definitely stay clear of if I find it to be dehumanizing and racist. The racist beliefs about black men penises and depicting black men as ” sexual beasts” and “savages” that seek to “conquer”, “rape”, and “ravage” white women is definitely takes place I feel more in “heterosexual interracial porn.”

Details Magazine earlier this year publsihed an article about an interracial sex orgy that had taken place in suburbia at a residence of a white middle class couple. The white wife had a “hunger” for the black penis and the husband “allowed” black men to come into his house and screw his wife. The white husband claimed he didn’t mind his wife “screwing” black men because he knew she would “never” leave him for a black guy. When I read the Details article the writer didn’t even question the underlining homoerotic element. Why would a husband be “cool” with his wife screwing a whole bunch of young black men? I think the white husband got “off” and he was “turned on” by seeing black men have sex with white women. And I think a lot of heterosexual “interracial porn” has a kind of voyeuristic feel to it. You don’t see the white heterosexual men but they are the ones pulling the strings in the background. I also believe some white heterosexual men are “turned on” by black men.

Perhaps the fact that gay porn is between white gay men and black gay men both are male and it cancels out the “intimidation factor” and the “submission factor” is much less. Since gay male interracial porn is male on male I think racism definitely exists but not to the extreme as in heterosexual interracial pornography.

However, the straight interracial porn I have viewed between black men and white women I must admit I find some of it incredibly racist and very offensive. I wonder if the black men that make straight porn with white women understand they are being “used” and I feel in some ways “exploited”. In some interracial porn its all about the black straight men being depicted as a “rapist” or as “marauder” invading white heterosexual male territory and taking “advantage” of their women. The white women in interracial porn are depicted as “sluts” and “whores” that crave the “black penis.” So white women in heterosexual interracial porn don’t come off looking “good” either. I wonder if these young black men and white female entertainers in straight interracial porn understand what the porn video directors are “really” trying to say with the imagery? The porn industry is white male dominated a lot of the “interracial porn” between black men and white women is actually made for white heterosexual men and I find this to be homoerotic and perplexing. It appears to me some white heterosexual men have fascination with the black male penis and black male sexuality although they won’t admit it.

Everyone has seen a porn movie but have you ever paid attention to why there is so much interracial porn films between white women and black men? If you ever visit your local adult video store take a look. In the porn movies black men are of course depicted as sexual monsters with extremely large python like penises. Poulson Bryant asks the question who is this porn really for? I believe there is a homoerotic element to this kind of pornography and that some so called white straight guys are actually sexually attracted to black men. I mean why would a white heterosexual male want to see a black man have sex with a white woman? You can argue the white guy is just staring at the woman but I doubt it. I think some white men have an attraction but also a repulsion to black male sexuality.

Poulson-Bryant interviews the famous black porn star Lexington Steele. Steele is well known in the porn world for his enormous penis and his good looks. However, unlike most porn stars Steele doesn’t feel he is being exploited. Steele has managed to maintain control over his image and his product unlike many other people in the porn industry. Poulson-Bryant examines the reason interracial porn is popular but it is also taboo. Interracial porn porn is still considered “forbidden” and “salacious” and “dirty”.

Poulson-Bryant points out the large number of porn DVDs that are available for purchase at your local video store and the lack of mainstream movies with black heterosexual men having white female love interests. Remember the Super Bowl controversy over the commerical with the white actress Nicolette Sheridan from “Desperate Housewives” and the African American football player Terell Owens? White America had a heart attack. In the commerical Sheridan is in the men’s change room she takes off her towel and leaps into Owens arms. The controversy over the commerical was incredible because whites feared seeing black men and white women together.

If you’ve noticed these movies are rare for a variety of reasons. Poulson-Bryant also investigates another issue and that is the fear the white heterosexual male has of black male sexuality. Interracial marriage in some American states was illegal up to 1967 when the Supreme Court in the famous Loving Vs Virgina stuck down the racist law.

Poulson Bryant also explores the stereotypes that exist about black male sexuality in the media and pop culture especially with hip hop. In many hip hop music videos the black heterosexual rappers have to boast about their sexuality and masculinity because that’s the only power they have in society. In North America white men have political and economic power. I remember in a Caribbean Studies class during my undergraduate days my professor Andrea Davis said at York University black men only have two social markers one is physical strength and the other is sexual prowess. If you notice heterosexual black male rappers such as P Diddy and 50 Cent have to boast about how many women they sleep with because they don’t have any cultural signifiers of power.