Don Lemon = benedict
"In a society where black men are rigidly defined by narrow categories, it is refreshing to see a public image of a successful openly gay African American man who is not a stereotype and not on the "down low," that overhyped media frenzy that reduced black men to caricature as dishonest sexual predators. With his announcement now public, Don Lemon is probably the most high profile "mainstream" black gay man alive today, and his simple act of courage will help redefine not only how society sees black gay men, but how we see ourselves. The popular narrative about gay men depicts a community of affluent, educated city dwellers who have come out of the closet and begun to flex their political and economic muscle. But this image doesn't hold up for black gay men, who often lack access to the same resources and support structure available to their white counterparts. Black gay men are more likely to live in conservative, working-class, black communities like Harlem than in gentrified gay ghettoes like Chelsea or West Hollywood or even midtown Atlanta. And we're more likely than white gay men to be involved in and conditioned by our churches. When it comes to homosexuality, the black church practically invented the policy of "don't ask, don't tell." But because we don't talk about homosexuality in our communities, we hide from our own history. We praise James Baldwin for his literary genius, Bayard Rustin for his political skills, and Alvin Ailey for his contribution to dance and choreography, but we rarely acknowledge that these iconic figures in black history were gay. Of the contemporary black gay public figures, it's not difficult to comprehend a black gay basketball player like John Amaechi because he's British, and it's easy to understand a black gay filmmaker like Lee Daniels or a black gay singer like Rahsaan Patterson because they're artists. But it won't be as easy to explain a black gay anchorman who we've trusted to deliver the news to us for years. That's why Don Lemon's decision to come out is so critical to get people to re-examine their stereotypes." - Keith Boykin
No comments:
Post a Comment