South Asian Man’s Black Wife Allegedly Murdered By His Father
Oh my goodness I just heard about a tragic tale about interracial love that ended in murder in Atlanta. When people talk about racial tensions it is usually between people of colour and the majority. Yet the question has to be asked why does the public ignore the racism between communities of colour? For instance in Canada and the United States there is racial tension between the blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and Native American communities.
In the Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana the racial tensions between the blacks and South Asian populations are intense. Just because blacks and South Asians tend to have a darker skin tone doesn’t mean our cultures, histories, languages, values, aren’t different? Why is there this reticence to the racial divide? Can healing take place?
The story goes like this a young South Asian man fell in love with a young African American woman woman at his workplace they have a child together and got married. Abruptly the black wife is brutally murdered. Rumors are swirling in Atlanta that the father of the South Asian man was the mastermind behind the murder here is the link:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h7g2ACI64AF0_VlASOV9yDXgpLTAD91BEP280
Jane Creba, Chantal Dunn, & Reena Virk Three Canadian Teens Murdered But Whiteness Is Valued More
The death of the innocent fifteen year old Jane Creba on Boxing Day December 2005 in downtown Toronto shocked the city . Creba was an innocent bystander walking down Dundas street with her family when she was shot dead by a bullet. Creba’s death was like a electric shock an alarm to white Canadians that anyone can be a victim of violence.
The Jane Creba murder trial also exposes the incendiary racism of the Canadian press exploding like an atomic bomb. Suddenly the poisoned pens dipped in acid, tainted with supremacy was printed in bold black print in newspapers across the nation. The radio talk show hosts shouted at the top of their lungs that gun violence must be stopped. The Jane Creba murder trial is currently taking place in Toronto the typical racist hysteria has emerged once again.
The social constructions of race and gender must be explored and examined. Inside the newsrooms across Canada most of the editors, managing editors, editor in chiefs, are white Canadians. The perspective of the news will be painted from a Eurocentric perspective there will be no equilibrium in relation to how race is framed. The lens is still from a white gaze looking out at the other.
Since Creba was also white there was a heightened sense of urgency by the white Toronto press. Suddenly the attitude shifted that Toronto was gang central and that everyone had to fear for our lives while walking down any Toronto street. People die in Toronto everyday so why was Creba’s death treated as though it was so significant? The reason is because Creba was a white Canadian middle class female and not black. If Jane Creba was a black girl the Toronto media would cover the murder for a brief moment and move on.
Creba’s whiteness galvanized the Canadian press they could kill two birds with one stone. The press manipulated the tragedy and utilized the moment to pathologize Toronto’s black community. Why should I care that Jane Creba died and not about other people that die? I question the real motivation of the Toronto media. I don’t subscribe to just believing everything the news media presents in print, on the radio or on television. I want to scrape beneath the surface. Why should I care that the accused killers are also black?
The Canadian media presents racist and misandrist articles through the radio and television broadcasts that somehow black Canadians we should feel ashamed to be black. Black Canadians we need to rise above this oppression the press presents and look at this case clearly. Obviously it is a tragedy that a young life was lost. However, it also doesn’t give the Toronto media permission to exploit Jane Creba’s death to vent their frustrations and anger and expressing so called racial superiority. The media was once again attempting to demonize black Canadians as a group for the actions of individuals.
Creba’s death was elevated to front page news for weeks because the white Canadian media suddenly realized gun violence has no boundaries in relation to race, gender, or class. Anyone can be a victim of violence and we should be disgusted and angered when any innocent person dies regardless of their race, gender, or social status. When young blacks die there is only apathy. However, since Jane Creba was a white girl the white Canadians viewed Creba’s death differently they felt she could of been their daughter, their next door neighbor, their child’s best friend.
Creba’s whiteness and the pusillanimous nature of the Canadian racism was in full force. Why is there this dissemblance to the hypocrisy of the Toronto media? When people of colour are innocent victims of murder there needs to be the same urgency, the same heightened sense of social importance. It is clear and obvious in Canada the blood of a white Canadian person has more social value then the blood of Canadians of colour.
Creba’s death is a tragedy because she was just a kid someone that clearly didn’t even start to live her life yet or reach her potential. Make no mistake though race and gender are also factors in the Toronto press’s fascination with Jane Creba’s appearance. Creba was an attractive, middle class, young, white female with long blonde hair, thin build, clear white skin, and has a photogenic face. Numerous articles focused on Creba’s beauty. If Creba was considered less attractive by the occidental world’s standards would her life have less social value? If Jane Creba was a fat white girl or a white girl not considered attractive would she of gotten as much press? So because Jane Creba was considered pretty means her death is more horrifying and more important then other people deaths?
Another Toronto teen died a few months after Jane Creba her name is Chantal Dunn.On February 7th 2006 nineteen year old Chantal Dunn the York University student was brutally murdered. Dunn’s car was attacked when she picked up her boyfriend from a basketball game in the parking lot of Northwood Community Centre. Dunn was shot and killed. Dunn was also a black girl and in Toronto black Canadians are viewed as the ultimate other.
The Canadian media consistently presents this perfidious racist lie to the rest of the world that Canada is a utopia paradise and that multiculturalism brings the races together. The fact remains the repugnant stench of Canadian racism thrives like a cancer. Canadians are too pretentious to deal with the truth. The Toronto media briefly reported Dunn’s murder but her death was ignored rather swiftly. After all Chantal Dunn was black and since young blacks die in the city of Toronto her death was just an afterthought.
Black teens dying is considered “trivial” to the Canadian press and “normal”but since Jane Creba was white her death was viewed as a national tragedy and extraordinary. Dunn was a promising scholar the girl had a bright future and clearly was an innocent bystander just like Jane Creba. Why is there this insistence, this reticence, this denial, of Canada’s racism against people of colour? Why was Chantal Dunn’s death not splashed across the Toronto media and treated with the exact same respect as Jane Creba? Dunn’s murderer is still on the loose.
Over a decade ago on November 14th 1997 another Canadian teenager fourteen year old Reena Virk was brutally murdered by white students near Craigflower Bridge in the city of Victoria. Since the main culprits in the murder were white females the press focused only on the fact Virk was savagely murdered by other girls. One boy Walter Glowatski was also one of Virk’s killers.
Suddenly there was a plethora of articles about the rampant dangers of female aggression. The journalists, criminologists, psychologists, and sociologists only focused on the issue of gender. Of course the real issues of the Reena Virk murder relates to racism and xenophobia. The Canadian media seemed more stunned that white females can also be violent, sadistic, murderers. The issue of Canadian racism against South Asians was not an issue at all the press ignored race completely.
There also wasn’t a “racial link” to white supremacy and the refusal of the Canadian press to discuss the rampant racism that still occurs in Canadian high schools against teens of colour. Teens of colour are often bullied by white students across Canadian high schools it is a common occurrence.
Since Virk was South Asian she was viewed as “the other” dismissed by the apathetic and racist Canadian society as being from “a different culture” and ultimately as inferior. The quandary is the Reena Virk murder case is a perfect example of the intersection of Canadian racism and sexism against women of colour. The Canadian press marginalized Virk’s murder to only the issue of gender because this was considered more sensationalistic.
The more controversial and explosive issue of Canadian racism was not explored most likely due to politics, avarice, but also indifference. If a racial reverse occurred and Virk was white and the killers were people of colour the attitude, venom, blood thirsty prejudices of the Canadian press would explode like a grenade.
Whiteness in Canada is viewed as superior and the Canadian media have no interest in turning the mirror and forcing white Canadian society to look at cracked reflection of their own racial prejudices. What would be the point of the Canadian press to make whites examine the truth? Virk’s murder was also framed through the lens of gender because the press deemed it as an anomaly a way to excuse the killers because they are a part of white Canadian society. Reena Virk’s killers could of been one of their neighbors, or children’s friends. The focus on gender was a tactic to create a distance a parallel dimension and refusal to explore the issue of white supremacy and Canadian racism.
There is also the factor of the classic white female victimhood that permeated in this sad tragedy. The press painted the white girl Kelly Ellard as a victim. Of course, white females can’t be violent killers. The Canadian press was attempting to rationalize the murder by creating another explanation for the heinous crime. It is not surprising this pernicious racist perspective was consistently presented by the mainstream Canadian media.
The insistence and refusal to acknowledge Reena Virk wasn’t just killed because she was an outsider or a loner but also because she was South Asian is rooted in white cultural domination. People of colour in Canada don’t own the top newspapers but people of colour can utilize critical media literacy and be cognizant of the fact the press has their own biases and views. The issue of racism between white Canadians against the South Asian community in British Columbia was buried beneath the surface.
Since the murderers were under age the pathetic Young Offenders Act was under increasing scrutiny and rightfully so. Between April and May 1998 six girls pleaded guilty and were convicted of assault. The Reena Virk murder case was a painful ordeal for Virk’s parents. It has taken many years but there was finally justice for Reena Virk. Kelly Ellard was found guilty of second degree murder. First Kelly Ellard claimed self defense she went through two trials but finally in the third murder trial she was given an automatic life sentence. Walter Glowatski the only male involved in the murder was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, in July 2006 after nine years in prison Glowatski was granted temporary passes by the National Parole Board.
Black Gay Teenager Brutally Murdered While Wearing A Dress
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.
It is Official Gloria Steinem Is A Racist Bigot And A Misandrist
Feminist scholar Gloria Steinem’s racist and misandrist opinion piece she wrote on January 8th 2008 for the New York Times speaks volumes about the kind of person she is. I want to vomit right on Gloria Steinem’s face. Steinem makes the inaccurate racist and sexist argument that black men have it easier in society then all women. Steinem states that gender is a more destructive form of discrimination then race.
Steinem refuses to acknowledge her analysis is not only flawed it is also racist and misandrist. White women have social power in the United States due to being white. It is easy for a rich white heterosexual American feminist such as Gloria Steinem to ignore the social, economic, and political realities of racism. I wish Steinem and I can trade places and she will see how hard black men have it in this racist and sexist anti black male society.
It is obvious that Gloria Steinem doesn’t live in the real world she lives in some delusional alternative universe. Steinem states that black men got the vote before all women in the United States. It is true that black men were able to vote before women in America. However, Steinem argument is deleterious because she ignores the fact black men we encounter racism and gender discrimination because we are black and male. Steinem’s tactic is to create tension in the black community. Steniem wants black women to support Hillary Clinton but Hillary Clinton is no sister to black women that’s for sure. When are white feminists going to acknowledge the friction between black women and white women? Just because black men are male we absolutely do not have more privilege in society then white women.
However, black men are discriminated in many ways in the United States after receiving the right to vote due to gender and race. Black men encounter racism and sexism in terms of employment discrimination, police brutality, racism in the judicial system, housing, access to quality health care, and education. Black men we have been murdered and brutalized just for being black and male for centuries.
Steinem of course ignores the racism of the suffrage movement against black women and other women of colour because this would weaken her argument. White feminists such as Gloria Steinem obviously don’t get it. Black feminists and other feminists of colour have argued for decades that race, gender, sexuality, and class, are inextricably linked. We cannot divorce ourselves and choose one over the other it simply doesn’t work. Black people and other people of colour we encounter discrimination on many different levels.
Steinem is playing the typical game white liberals play very well and it is called the divide and conquer strategy. White liberals such as Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, along with Gloria Steinem know Barack Obama is a serious threat. Steinem attempts to frame the argument of placing race against gender. The Clintons are using Steinem to acquire more black female votes and trying to create division in the black race.
Black feminists organizations such as the Combahee River Collective have spoken out against the pathetic racist game that some white feminists have played for decades. The Combahee River Collective have stated in their work that black women cannot divorce themselves from the black race. Another black feminist Audre Lorde wrote about the fallacy of the “global sisterhood” in her groundbreaking book “Sister Outsider”. Lorde wrote about the fact some white feminists only want to exploit and use black people and black women when it serves their racist self interests.
Hillary Clinton wants as much support and votes as possible. Since Steinem is considered one of the leaders of the mainstream white female feminist movement, the Clintons are using Steinem to attempt to split the black vote along gender lines. What has the mainstream feminist movement ever done for black women other then to marginalize and patronize black women? It is the reason black feminism was created because black women and people that are black feminists understand mainstream white feminism doesn’t work for us. What has Hillary Clinton ever done for black females? As Janet Jackson said in her hit 1986 song “what have you done for me lately?”
Some white feminists concentrate only on gender discrimination since they have white skin privilege. Some white women refuse to acknowledge the fact that men of colour we also encounter incredible amount of oppression in society due to race and gender. People of colour we have to deal with multiple forms of oppression. We cannot ignore gender but must also not ignore race as well.
Steinem of course ignores the power of white skin privilege because this is what so called white liberal feminists such as Steinem do very well. Steinem wants black women to support Hillary Clinton because she is female. If some black females want to vote for Hillary Clinton this is their choice. However, my argument is Steinem is trying to create a gender battle between black men and black women. Steinem’s perspective is women regardless of race should support Hillary Clinton due to gender. My question is why? What about Hillary Clinton’s politics? Clinton is a classic centralist and a flip flopper. Clinton supported the war in Iraq.
There is also a history of racism in the mainstream feminist movement against blacks. Steinem like some white liberal feminists ignore the incredible amount of racial discrimination in society against black people. Some white feminists also like to ignore the fact they contribute to racism against black people. Gloria Steinem’s essay in the New York Times is a perfect example of exploiting the public sphere to spread her anti black male bigotry. Feminists of colour for decades have written and spoken up about the hypocrisy and racism of the mainstream feminist movement.
Although Hillary Clinton is a female she is still white and a part of the white American majority. Senator Clinton still has the power of white skin privilege to assist her and help her. Gloria Steinem fails too acknowledge this fact. Last time I checked the majority of the American population are white Americans. Whiteness has a lot of currency in the United States and to ignore the social and political power of whiteness is to ignore the power of race and racism.
Steinem knows that some black women will be voting for Senator Obama and not all black women or black people will be voting for Senator Clinton. Steinem can support Hillary Clinton if she wants to that’s her choice. However, I resent the racist subversive message Steinem is saying that black men got it easier then white women in society. I find Steinem’s analysis is full of bigotry and prejudice.
Why doesn’t Gloria Steinem complain about white female celebrities such as Barbra Streisand supporting Hillary Clinton? Why doesn’t Steinem focus on the NOW Organization? There are plenty of white women in the United States that are going to support Hillary Clinton just because she is a white female. Why doesn’t Steinem focus on this side of the argument? The so called white liberals in the United States have a fear of Senator Obama but that’s their problem and not his. I also question why black Americans would even bother supporting Hillary Clinton in the first place? What the hell has Hillary Clinton done for black people? Black Americans and other people of colour in the United States are in a unique position their votes can actually influence this election. I suggest black people and other people of colour pay close attention to the dirty politics of Hillary Clinton and her supporters.
Next, Hillary and Bill Clinton have the old black civil rights guard trying to tear down Senator Obama. Once again the divide and conquer strategy the Clintons and their supporters are attempting to use again this time in blackface. I believe the old black civil rights guard time has passed. There is a new black generation that wants change . Just because Andrew Young and the old black civil rights guard are also black people doesn’t mean other black people have to agree with them. We agree to disagree I don’t trust the Clintons. The Clintons are ignorant about the concerns of the younger black generation and Senator Obama is indeed cognizant of the issues young blacks are worried about. Young black people aren’t going to worry about the old goats such as Andrew Young. The Clintons have the old black civil rights leaders doing their dirty work for them. Andrew Young and the other culprits have made bullshit statements that the Clintons are more black then Obama. Give me a break.
Some white feminists also have the racist and sexist attitude that only women encounter discrimination due to gender. White women benefit from affirmative action more then black males. Black men we encounter so much racism and sexism in society and that’s a fact.
The United States also has a history of anti black male racism and sexism. Black men have been lynched in the American South for decades prior to the civil rights movement. Black men we still encounter racism and sexism in the year 2008. We must not ignore history. The racist American Jim Crow system created proscriptions to demonize, humiliate, and emasculate, black men and black male sexuality. Thousands of innocent black men were brutally murdered for just being black and male. Next, racist police officers and the racist anti black judicial system also has incarcerated innocent black men. Why doesn’t Gloria Steinem discuss this issue?
White female sexuality for centuries since the days of slavery has been placed on a pedestal as being pristine and true womanhood. Interracial relationships between white women and black men are still considered taboo in North America. Thousands of black men were unfairly discriminated against accused of daring to look at or talk to white women and were lynched. The racism and sexism against black men continues. Black male sexuality is still a taboo in society.
Does anyone remember Emmett Till? Emmett Till was a young black teenager in the year 1955 was accused of whistling at a white woman. Black men have had to live for decades in fear of being murdered for false allegations of daring to speak at, talk to, or even look at a white woman. Next, racist white men dragged Emmett Till out of his mother’s house and he was brutally and savagely killed. I wonder if Gloria Steinem thinks Emmett Till had it easier in society due to being black and male? There is also a history of white Americans gathering at the lynchings of thousands of black men as though it was a festive party and a form of entertainment.
Fast forward to the year 2006 Michael Sandy a young black gay man was lured online by four white men for a sexual encounter. Sandy did not know he was going to be attacked due to being black and male. Sandy was savagely beaten by the four young white men and as Sandy ran for his life he was struck by a car and he died five days later. Where was the mainstream American media when Michael Sandy died? Why wasn’t Sandy discussed on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC? Why was the mainstream silent?
Why didn’t anyone care? When the white gay male Matthew Shepard died ten years ago it was front page news. When Michael Sandy died in October 2006 his death was considered an afterthought and irrelevant due to the fact he was black and male. The white gay press ignored Sandy’s death it was proof of the intersection of violence against black men and that race, gender, and sexuality affects black males. The blood of a black person is considered inferior to the blood of a white person in North America. Oops I forgot Sandy was a young gay black man. The mainstream USA press and white American gay media outlets were apathetic to Sandy’s death. If Sandy was white they would care but because Sandy was black they ignored his death.
The word sexism is not a female only domain and some feminists act as though they also cannot be racist and sexist. Black men we have also been discriminated against in terms of our gender. Black men we also encounter sexism in society that is misandrist and anti black male. Some feminists act as though just because black men are males we have it so much easier then women and this is total illogical argument. I guess that’s the reason why millions of black men encounter violence from the police force in major and small North American cities. I also guess the reason there is a disproportionate amount of racism in the judicial system against black men that we don’t face sexism either.
Steinem is a typical white feminist racist bigot. Steinem says Barack Obama doesn’t have the political experience to be the President of the United States. Why doesn’t Steinem just be honest she doesn’t want a black man to challenge Hillary Clinton. Some white feminists use the code of “experience” to conceal their racist anti black male prejudices. What experience does Hillary Clinton have other then being Bill Clinton’s sidekick?
When will it ever be right for Senator Obama to run for the United States presidency? Should Senator Obama wait two, five, ten, or twenty years to run? When will it ever be the right time? For some white liberals and feminists such as Gloria Steinem the real honest answer is never. Some white Democrats resent Senator Obama because he actually is acquiring a lot of support and they believe he is taking away votes from Clinton.
The Democratic party also has racist bigots that don’t mind black people being “behind” whites but don’t want “blacks” in leadership roles. Black people are tired of being in the back row and want to engage in the political process. The Clintons racist tactics proves they are no friends of the black community. Steinem, The Clintons, and their supporters are trying to do everything in their power to destroy Senator Obama.
Next time Gloria Steinem wants to discuss and compare the discrimination white women and black men encounter perhaps she should look at all sides of the argument. The divide and conquer strategy white liberals such as Steinem are attempting to play will not work this time.
Link to Combahee River Collective Statement: http://www.buffalostate.edu/orgs/rspms/combahee.html
Link about Emmett Till death: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
Link about Michael Sandy’s brutal death: http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/crime/20061024/4/2007
NPR Link about Michael Sandy Violent Death: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6367593
Violence Against Women Of Colour Does Premier Dalton McGunity Care?
Is the Ontario Government apathetic to our concerns about violence against women of colour? On Monday Aqsa Parvez a sixteen year old girl was murdered. We just cannot dismiss this violent murder and say its just Muslim community internal politics. As a society the murder of a young woman affects all of us. We must not remain silent to violence against women of colour. Just because Aqsa Parvez was from a different culture does not mean we should be apathetic to the concerns of Muslim women. We are all human beings here. Doesn’t anyone care?
The media reports have focused on the private sphere of the Canadian Muslim community and have ignored the public sphere. Everyone is walking on egg shells. Everyone doesn’t want to appear as though we are offending the Muslim Canadian community. However, nobody can justify violence against women and say it is about “honoring” the family.
I have read numerous articles about apologists stating that “religion” was not a factor in Aqsa Parvez’s death. How can people just blatantly lie and say this? “Religion” may not have been the “only” factor in Aqsa Parvez’s death. However, “religion” is a convenient tool that misogynists utilize to control women. It is obvious to me that patriarchy and misogyny are the root issues here. Why are we so afraid to speak the truth?
My dear readers what are we going to about this? It is a vicious cycle we can all play the blame game. Religion cannot be used as an excuse to conceal male domination and misogyny. We live in a world that is racist, sexist, and anti woman. Male violence is pernicious, vile, abhorrent, and totally unacceptable. However, the question has to be asked where was the social safety net? Aqsa’s high school knew she was having problems at home and didn’t do enough to help her.
Where are the services the programs for women of colour that are victims of domestic violence? The province of Ontario is a rich province we cannot cry poverty. What are we going to do about this? Another young woman’s life is gone and a family is shattered. Why are we silent about the concerns of women of colour? Domestic violence is still a taboo in society we just don’t want to talk about it. Women of colour are even more marginalized then white women due to race and gender. Are domestic violence shelters equipped to deal with the racial, cultural, social, religious, political issues women of colour encounter? You have to wonder? I understand that domestic violence is a serious issue and that money isn’t the solution. However, the more funds available could of helped Aqsa Parvez.
I think the Ontario government should be doing more to reach out to women of colour that are in distress. If you want to make your voices heard contact Premier Dalton McGuinty. You can contact Premier McGuinty either by e-mail, fax, telephone, or write a letter. If people speak up the government must listen. We must shatter the silence about domestic violence in society. If we are united against misogyny and male domination we can make the world a better place.
Dalton McGuinty Main Legislative Building, Room 281,
Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M7A 1A1
416-325-1941
Fax: 416- 325-3745
Michael Sandy Murder Trial Why Are Gay Men Silent About The Dangers Of Cruising?
About a year ago on October 8th 2006 a young black gay man Michael Sandy went to the parking lot of Plumb Beach in Brooklyn to hook up for a sexual encounter. Sandy had chatted online with another man for sex. However, Michael Sandy didn’t make it out alive that night. Sandy was lured into Plumb Beach for a sexual encounter but he was brutally beaten and robbed by four young white men. Sandy tried to flee his attackers he stumbled into traffic was hit by a car and died five days later.
Could you imagine if a racial reverse occurred? The white American media, the white gay mafia, the top white news networks would be on the case. The white heterosexual and gay media would be salivating and bloodthirsty there would be a new opportunity to pounce once again on the black community. One of the current themes in the mainstream media this year is that all black people are homophobic.
The white media would be attempting to make a “racial link” between the so called rampant black “homophobia” and “violence against white gays”. It is this apathetic racist attitude of society that’s so chilling yet so real. Yet here you have the Michael Sandy case a young black man that was brutally murdered by four young white men and it barely made the news!
Michael Sandy’s murder isn’t the first or last black gay person to be a victim of violence due to being black and gay. Sandy’s death has not received much media attention as Matthew Shepard for one reason. Sandy was black and Shepard was white. In America the blood of a white person has more social value then the blood of a black person. Sandy and Shepard were both victims of violence. However, in white gay America Sandy’s death was of no value or importance for “white gay rights” to advance the white gay agenda.
When Matthew Shepard died almost a decade ago the white gay and heterosexual communities raised the public awareness about gay bashing and homophobia. However, when Michael Sandy died there was only indifference. Sure, the mainstream gay American media wrote a couple articles about Sandy’s tragic death but there wasn’t the same urgency nor did the white American gay media take a stand. Michael Sandy although gay wasn’t “one” of “them” due to race.
Sandy wasn’t a member of the New York City white gay community he was an “outsider” since he was a black gay man. Michael Sandy’s death also exposes another issue and that’s the racism of the mainstream American gay community and the homophobia and hypocrisy of the heterosexual black community.
No Al Sharpton, no Jesse Jackson, no Andrew Young, no Tavis Smiley, it is clear that the black straight activists don’t care when black gay men are murdered. No CNN, no cover story on Newsweek, no CNN, no NBC, no ABC, no CBS. The black heterosexual activists quickly organized and marched for the Jena six though. The Jena six wasn’t just front page news in America it was global news the BBC in the United Kingdom and Le Monde in France were on that case.
However, anything to deal with black gay people well that’s just off limits. Black gay people we are still viewed as the scum of the earth. Even though Michael Sandy was a member of the black community being gay in the black community means you’re “different”. Black gay people are still viewed as people with no morals and considered a disgrace to the mainstream black community.
Its the silence that speaks volumes about the homophobia that still exists within the black North American communities. Of course, black gay people are indeed helping ourselves to improve our own lives. Black gay activists have been vocal about the Michael Sandy tragedy. There is only so much black gay activists can do. Its exhausting to constantly deal with the racism of the mainstream white gay community and the homophobia of heterosexual blacks. Its just disconcerting that the black heterosexual community is deaf and mute on this issue.
Its frustrating, annoying, and heterosexist, but the black straight media really don’t give a damn about black gays and lesbians. Michael Sandy should be discussed on every single black radio station across North America yet he’s hardly mentioned if at all. I did notice BET.COM have a brief blog entry about Michael Sandy’s trial and the usual discussions about morality emerged. Its frustrating because here you have a young black gay man that was brutally killed and the focus of the discussion for straight blacks on BET.COM is about morality? I screamed at the top of my lungs. Its like being black and gay there is a constant tug of war people on both sides of the racial, cultural divide cannot be counted on.
The African American gay community in America did make their voices heard about the Michael Sandy’s murder. Black gay people we have to realize we have to help ourselves not just in times of crisis but all the time. The black heterosexual community does not care for black gays and lesbians. The mainstream white gay community only “wants” black gay support when it serves their self interests due to sexual orientation while ignoring race. Black gays and lesbians we cannot ignore race because it is inextricably linked to our identities. Since white gays still possess white skin privilege they have a choice to think about sexual orientation and race we do not have that choice.
Michael Sandy could of been me, he could of been any of my friends, he could of been someone that I knew. The Michael Sandy tragedy strikes a chord in me because I know what it feels like to have my hormones take over and not think things through completely. All men think about sex and there is nothing wrong with that. Michael Sandy had a sex drive like any other living breathing male. Michael Sandy took a risk a risk he thought he could handle. How was Michael Sandy supposed to know he was going to be attacked? He didn’t? Michael Sandy thought the sexual encounter would be like any other a thrill, a rush of excitement. Michael Sandy’s death is a chilling reminder to young gay black men that there are men out there that are evil and prey on gay black male sexuality that wish to exploit and destroy us.
According to news reports the good news is that three out of the four men have been convicted of a hate crime but not of first degree murder. The first attacker he was convicted of manslaughter and robbery as a hate crime, one man did confess he admitted his guilt to robbery as a hate crime, and another man was convicted of manslaughter and robbery as a hate crime. The fourth man is still awaiting trial.
Plumb Beach’s parking lot in Brooklyn in New York City is still a cruising ground for men that have sex with other men a year later despite the risks. Plumb Beach is far away from the gay epicenter of downtown Manhattan. Men sit in their cars in the parking lot at night waiting for other men to approach them and then they leave the park for a sexual encounter.
The Michael Sandy case pulls the covers off of an issue a lot of gay men do not want to discuss and that’s the potential dangers of cruising for sex. Why is the issue of the entrenched racism against black gay and lesbian people ignored by the media? The mainstream media are attempting to ignore a clear fact that “racism” along with homophobia was a factor in this tragedy.
The Michael Sandy murder case is an opportunity to form a dialogue about the barriers that gay men of colour or closeted men of colour experience. Where are the support networks for young black gay men and other gay men of colour? Although it has been mentioned that Michael Sandy was a young black gay man the media have focused on the issue of “homosexuality,” “gay bashing”, and ignored the issue of systematic “racism”. The question remains why? Black gay people we cannot separate ourselves from our blackness or our sexual orientation, we encounter multiple layers of oppression.
Race is a factor here because there is an intersection of racism and homophobia that makes black gay men vulnerable. The media have focused on the “gay bashing” of Michael Sandy yet it must be pointed out Sandy’s attackers were young white males. It is indeed possible Sandy’s attackers targeted him not just because he was gay but also because he was black and they wanted to kill a young black gay man.
The Michael Sandy trial has not received much attention in the African American heterosexual media although the New York City press have covered the story. It is disconcerting that the larger heterosexual black community are not cognizant of the sheer violence that young black gay and lesbian people can encounter. Black gay people we face racism, sexism, and homophobia. I wish stronger ties could be forged between the black heterosexual and black gay and lesbian communities. For some young gay men of colour cruising is considered a more viable option to explore sexuality then going to the gay epicenter and not encountering the racism in the white gay epicenter.
Every gay man regardless of race has cruised. Everybody has done it and the gay men that claim to have never cruised for sexual encounters are either lying or never done it yet. Whether its going to a bar, going to a party, going to a bathhouse, going to a park at night, or looking online its still cruising. It must be hard for straight people to understand” why gay men “cruise” for sex.
In Toronto there was a horrible tragedy recently although for slightly different circumstances. A seventy two year old white gay man named Harley Walker died after meeting up with a man he met online. Walker met up with another man online for a sexual encounter not at a public parking lot but at his residence in downtown Toronto. A violent struggle took place yet the killer transported Walker’s body to Northern Ontario and dumped it there. Recently the remains of Mr. Walker have been found. Mr. Walker’s death highlights another issue and that’s the safety of gays cruising for sex as well.
Should Sandy and Mr. Walker had been more cautious? Perhaps? But hindsight isn’t always 20/20. Both men believed they were safe. Sandy knew Plumb Beach was a gay cruising ground in Brooklyn. Walker believed his own residence was a safe place for a sexual encounter. Both males were cognizant of the dangers of cruising and thought they would be safe.
In North America gay men have much more freedom and rights compared to men from other countries. However there are still powerful invisible social stigmas attached to male homosexuality. Male homosexuality is still viewed as decadent behavior in society’s eyes. Although gay rights have improved tremendously homophobia also exists. For closeted men also known as men that have sex with men going to a gay bathhouse is not an option or a gay bar because they could be potentially “seen” in public. There is a fear for these men that people will find out about them. Another issue is the danger for gay men is gay men are vulnerable to “gay bashers” that know where gay men go cruising for sex and seek to exploit, rob, murder, or attack gay men.
Sandy and Walker were openly gay men they were cognizant of the gay scenes in their respective cities and yet still they were both vulnerable to male violence. The issue of male violence is another issue some gay men don’t want to discuss about because some view it as threatening our manhood. It is true gay men can be victims of violence by other men. In society the belief is that men we can take care of ourselves and are not vulnerable to male violence but this is not true. Heterosexual men can be potential perpetrators and gay bash and even murder gay men. Male violence is an issue gay men need to discuss and form a dialogue on more often.
The internet has become a vital and important tool for gay men, married, bisexual men, men that have girlfriends that don’t consider themselves gay to meet other men for sexual encounters. Cruising is still a part of the ” gay underground” it still remains hidden to straight eyes.Perhaps this is one of the attractions gay men have to “cruising” because “cruising” is also a scavenger hunt, a journey, a chase, a way to explore sexuality without the fear of the heterosexual society’s piercing eyes of contempt and judgement.
Being a gay male in North America is still taboo to a certain extent. There are anti discrimination laws that protect gays but there is still the belief in North America that to be a gay male you are not living the “right” kind of life. For some closeted men they internalize this kind of homophobia they don’t feel comfortable with the larger gay community that is very white and has other barriers such as racism. Not every man regardless of whether he is in or out of the closet wants to go cruising at the usual gay social centers such as a bar or a bathhouse. Not every gay or closeted man is out to family, friends or even to themselves. It is important to identify that some of the men that cruise for sex do not identify themselves as gay.
Some straight people may believe this sounds illogical. How can men have sex with other men and not be gay? In straight society’s minds if men are making the decision to cruise for sex travelling to places known for where gay male sex takes place they view these men as gay. However, in the minds of the closeted men they don’t identify as gay or even as bisexual they view this sexual activity as just as something they want to do. Unless you live in specific gay neighborhoods men cannot approach another men in public say at a bookstore, supermarket, or at a movie theatre, or on the street for a date.
The public sphere is still very heterosexist it is where straight people do not have internal social barriers. For example straight men don’t think to themselves being “heterosexual” is “not okay” there is no internal social barrier. Straight people can meet straight people just about anywhere they want. Its also the reason closeted gay men like the United States Senator Larry Craig will cruise for sex in an airport washroom. It is also the reason some men take drastic steps to meeting in public parking lots, cruising in parks, cruising in public washrooms for sexual encounters. Society forces gay men to “cruise” I believe. Now my view is it is unacceptable to cruise for sex in a public washroom because its a public space. However, cruising in public washrooms does take place because closeted men feel compelled to do this due to society’s homophobia and that’s what’s being lost in all the news reports.
The heterosexual media still have the homophobic attitude that “cruising” is “wrong”. There is no “wrong” or “right” here. There are always going to be gay men that cruise in public or private spheres. Cruising exists because gay men feel compelled to take action to explore sexuality and to meet in social spaces gay males “think” other gay men are due to society’s entrenched homophobia. If society was a truly “open” and “accepting” of male homosexuality perhaps gay men wouldn’t feel the need to cruise but that day hasn’t come yet. Michael Sandy and Harley Walker’s deaths are a wake up call to the North American gay communities that more education needs to take place more needs to be done to reach gay men and explain or discuss and have a forum about cruising. Why is cruising our dirty secret? Why is it in the closet? Just about every gay man cruises in his own way whether he chooses to admit it or not? Maybe if the gay male community was more focused on working together instead of trying to present an image of compulsory heterosexuality more action could take place.
Links to information about Michael Sandy and murder trial: http://gothamist.com/2007/10/12/jurors_argue_bu.php
http://www.baynewsbrooklyn.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=18911369&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=552847&rfi=6
http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18907024&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
Link to Harley Walker story: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/211221
Why are we silent about the hypocrisy and prejudices of the Toronto Media?
Close your eyes and repeat the words “guns and violence” now say this three times over and what images emerges in your mind? Be honest. If you live in the greater Toronto area be honest again. Remember I don’t know who you are my dear readers. What are the images that emerges in your mind? Yes murders do take place in the greater Toronto area and the recent murder of an innocent eleven young boy Ephraim Brown shocked the city. Whenever violence occurs in Toronto we always say the same line over and over “its the parents fault, its the kids fault, its society’s fault.” The media doesn’t do much better. We repeat the cycle over and over. How can we break it? Is it even possible to? Have we all become apathetic to the constant news about death?
Often lost in the cyclone of newspaper reports, radio, and television broadcasts is the misandry and racism of the greater Toronto media. There needs to be more positive male influences for young boys yet society doesn’t seem to give a damn. The Ontario government certainly isn’t doing enough to provide employment for young people or encourage young men to become teachers or social workers often these jobs are filled by women. And just so the feminists don’t come breathing down my throat. I never said female teachers or female social workers do not work hard or try their best. I am saying there needs to be more male teachers, more male social workers, and more male guidance counsellors. Young boys need positive male influences in their lives. A young boy sometimes will listen to an older male that is nice, caring, and actually has empathy for a child and demonstrates to the child that he cares.
For the Toronto media the black community is the “out” group we are on their constant hit list. We are the mainstream media’s target audience. I really hope people pay attention to the race of the people writing the negative anti black articles. And sometimes newspapers willl hire their “token” black writers as the “voices of reason.” Often these “token” black writers will not “rock the boat” and do what their editors tell them to do. They will provide the standard “lecture” when they are actually a part of the “system” and a part of the problem. I mean I understand that blacks in the Toronto media have to cover their own asses they got bills to pay and families to feed. However, I don’t see the black journalists in Canada take the kind of risks that the African Americans do. The African Americans will challenge their white or Asian editors or if an African American is an editor they sometimes even rock the boat. In Canada you never see that take place.
In fact, the Toronto media does a great job stereotyping young blacks and building up the appetites of racists and then unloading the racism in print, on the radio, and TV. I am not denying that violence and crime is not a problem with the GTA black community. However, crime is not just confined to blacks. White people commit crimes and so do Asians and Aboriginals. Where is the balance in the news coverage? Oops I forgot blacks don’t run Toronto mainstream news.
Black Canadian feminist Dionne Brand wrote two excellent non fiction books about racism in Toronto. Brand’s work moves beyond the fear that the mainstream press attempts to create with their articles, radio broadcasts, and TV news stories. Brand studies the news and I learned so much never to just take the news at face value.
The first book by Dionne Brand I read was called ”Bread Out of Stone” it was published in the year 1994. “Bread Out of Stone” really assisted me to thinking about the news and to pay careful attention to how the news is “framed”.
In the year 2001 Brand’s second non fiction book ”A Map to the door of No Return” was published. Dionne Brand is one of the few black Canadian scholars that I believe speaks the raw truth she is unrelenting. Brand also challenges the black community. Brand does not let all sections of the black community get off the hook. So often the work of some black intellectuals its always black society against the world. Brand focuses on the internal politics within the private sphere of the black community as well.
We cannot just blame the mainstream for everything we have agency over our own lives. Brand writes a lot about “othering” and “framing” her work is so important. Everyone should read these two books in relation to thinking about the Canadian media. I really don’t buy the Toronto newspapers these days. I mean why should I?
How many times do I have to see the faces of young black men plastered on the cover of the newspapers depicted as monsters? Usually the skin tone of the black man is darkened to make the black man appear more “sinister.” How many times do the editors of the big Canadian newspapers play up these racist stereotypes? Its typical but should not go unchallenged.
In Brand’s second non fiction book “A Map to the door of no return” she writes about her disgust with the black Canadian newspapers and I agree. I once thought that the black Toronto newspapers had all the answers to provide an alternative perspective to the racist garbage that the mainstream papers dish out. The Toronto black newspapers “claim” to serve a purpose for us to vent or discuss our own concerns about the pernicious racism in the Canadian media. However, now I am not even sure about the black community newspapers anymore such as Share and Pride? Sometimes I think these “papers” do such a disservice. Every single damn week some black “elder” in Share and Pride complains about black youth.
Meanwhile, we have the hurricane of blame continuing. You have the mainstream media saying black parents don’t give a shit about their kids. Yet they ignore the white kids in the suburbs that are getting high on drugs, stealing cars, having babies out of wedlock, and getting into trouble with the law. Next, you have the black community newspapers with their weekly editorials saying that young black people we don’t give a shit about our own lives. When someone is constantly complaining in your ear about something what do you do? Most people tune that person out. I also notice in the black community newspapers you never read articles WRITTEN by people under 30 or under 35.
I am tired of hearing and reading about these “uppity blacks” with their Masters and Doctorate degrees that have broken into the white academia and now have lost their fight for activism. Often some of these “uppity blacks” form an alliance with the oppressor and chip in with the mainstream media to broadcast their own racist prejudices about black youth. Its the old tired “look at me syndrome.” Yes I am looking at you. You are an old goat and you are now siding with the white man because you feel “privileged” because you got “status”, “money”, and “power.” I am so tired of reading about these motherfuckers in the black community newspapers that I tune these papers out. I mean what purpose do these papers serve anymore other then promoting their own brand of misandry and deleterious biases against young black men?
I do NOT believe blacks commit all the crimes in the GTA nor do I subscribe to the typical sensationalistic articles published by the so called “liberal or conservative media” . Has anyone noticed that in the Canadian media there are never any articles or news shows on exactly how the news is put together? Do people actually think “ what” the media tells us is the “only” news out there. The media “only” reports whatever they believe will elicit the kind of reponses or kinds of “collective thinking” that will drive up TV ratings, radio ratings, and newspaper sales. Right now in Canada every few months the sweet spot for the Canadian media is to dig up or come up with anything negative about the GTA black community.
People need to know in Vancouver there is a lot of crime going on down there on the west coast. The out community in Vancouver isn’t blacks because our populations are too low. South Asians are the out community in Vancouver. The gun crime in Vancouver is indeed a very serious issue given the fact the 2010 Winter Olympics is just around the corner. In the Western provinces the First Nations people are the “out” group. And in Montreal the French speaking blacks and Arabs/muslims are the “out” group over there. Every section of Canada has their scapegoats.
Look at the Canadian news rooms from radio, TV, or print you will notice very few blacks. Black Canadians along with Aboriginals are treated as though we are the bottom of the Canadian social hierachy. Whenever, the majority wants to promote “diversity” they will hire Asian reporters and journalists in the news room before they will hire blacks. Has anyone ever questioned why? The news is socially constructed but of course you will never read that in print, on the radio, or on the evening news.
When I use the word “socially constructed” I mean there are actually racist people in powerful positions with their own anti black prejudices that look and seek out stories to stereotype black people. The only times the Canadian media ever writes anything positive about black Canadians is in relation to sports and entertainment. There is more to the black Canadian experience then being a basketball player, track athlete, singer, or rapper. I am not knocking the young blacks that excel in these various forms of entertainment and sports. I am simply saying more diversity is needed.
Another point to consider is why does the actions of some individuals in Greater Toronto black community affect us as a “whole”? Are all white Canadian men pedophiles like Peter Whitmore? Whitmore has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing young boys. Do the Canadian reporters for the various newspapers, radio outlets, TV stations, create “race specific” news stating that because Whitmore is a “white male” his race had a role in him becoming a pedophile? Should we now fear all young white men? Are all young white males child molesters?
The pig farmer Robert Pickton is accused of raping and murdering prostitutes in British Columbia. Are all white males rapists that kill innocent women? Again has the Canadian media ever been ”race specific” with Pickton? Why doesn’t the Canadian newspapers “link the race” of Robert Pickton to the alleged crimes he committed and write articles about that? Whenever a white person kills, rapes, or commits a horrible crime the criminal is viewed as an individual. Yet with people of colour and especially black people the media wants the entire “group” or community to feel “guilty”. I have to question this kind of subconscious racist mesages the media is sending. I am tired of feeling “guilty” for people that have no sense of value for another person’s life. I am tired of feeling like I should take responsibility for the actions of a few black men that have no respect or regard for anybody not even themselves. There are amazing positive black men within the black community doing good yet you hardly ever hear about them. I think black people we have to free ourselves from the mixed messages the media is sending us. However, I am not advocating not caring because we should indeed care about black youth of course we should. I am just saying think have critical media literacy when you read the newspaper just remember that its “socially constructed”.
The news you read in the newspaper, watch on TV, and listen to on the radio is “socially constructed” it is created. It didn’t just come out of nowhere. The news is created by non blacks in editorial meetings. The editors will sit at a table with the writers, producers, or story editors and decide which stories will have enough juice to shock the public. The media knows the formula that the best way to shock the public is of course to discriminate against black people and to lower our self esteem and “attempt” to make us feel bad about ourselves. Everyone knows if you want to make more money go after the blacks.
Dionne Brand’s work and other black activists work are important because knowledge is power. When you read something that makes sense you learn something. Brand’s work acts as a catalyst for change it helped me to try to stop feeling so “guilty” or care what the mainstream thinks. I used to listen to certain Toronto radio talk show programs. I now tune that shit out. I mean why should I listen to some rich white females or white males complaining on the public airwaves about how hard they got it? I won’t mention the names of the Toronto radio programs because I definitely do not want to promote them on my blog.
I think black activist organizations are a great source of fighting this supremacy and reading the works of black writers is also very helpful. I think that’s a great place to help with making change take place. When you read the newspaper go to the websites of the various papers that you read. Look at the names of the editors, look for pictures, look to see who the editor in chief is, the publisher, the managing editors, the people in charge. You will notice NONE of them are black and it isn’t by SURPRISE EITHER. The Canadian media isn’t just run by whites now Asian Canadians also hold powerful positions at certain top newspapers. Why don’t blacks have top media positions just like in the United States? It certainly isn’t due to the lack of skill or talent. Canadians are more hypocritical about racism then Americans. I personally believe the “system” wants to keep “blacks” out of the “top” positions. Because if black people were in the top media positions in Canada the news you see, hear, or read would be VERY DIFFERENT.
Some Asian Canadians also have their own racist prejudices and biases against black people. Some Asians also are saying blacks play the “race card” as well yet they don’t acknowledge or even admit the “system” treats different races differently. Some Asians want to deny the contributions black people have made during and after the civil rights movement. The question has to be asked who fought hard against employment discirmination? Where do you think affirmative action emerged from? Who do you think FOUGHT HARD for affirmative action? Who do you think benefits from affirmative action NOW? It isn’t just blacks. It wasn’t Asians that fought hard for it! It was BLACK PEOPLE yet other racial groups are the first to put down blacks and side with whites. Is anyone surprised? Some Asians believe since they are not at the “bottom” of the social hierachy they have a “right” to discrimate against blacks as well. You will never see a black person be the editor in chief or as a top editor at mainstream Canadian newspaper or media outlet. You will in the United States but not here that’s never going to happen.
And if you think other people of colour don’t have their own racist prejudices against black Canadians think again. Aileen Siu the Ontario government employee is an Asian woman and she attempted to justify her racist “ghetto dude” comment. The Evon Reid incident was a perfect example of some Asians Anti black prejudices. Aileen Siu still has her job. As expected the Toronto media swept the issue under the rug. If a black person had made a racist statement that person would of been fired on the spot. Canadians always try to put down America and say America is so racist. At least in America there is an open dialogue about racism and Americans of all races are more cognizant of it. Americans aren’t afraid to discuss racism while Canadians have a pathetic attitude and just attempt to hide from the obvious truth.
