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C ommunities W ithin C ommunities
Portland's gay men of color are between a homophobic rock and a racist hard place
by Rafael M. Diaz and Colleen Hoff
ommitted to building gay community
and to opening new avenues of com­
munication among gay and bisexual
men in Portland, the staff of Cascade
AIDS Project’s Speak to Your Broth­
ers Project is eager to hear the views and experi­
ences of men who might feel “on the fringes”—
outsiders among their own gay brothers. During
the early stages of the program, its designers spent
a great deal of time talking to gay men of color in
Portland. They sought out Asians and Pacific Is­
landers, Native Americans, African Americans,
and Latinos—all colors of the gay rainbow com­
munity. Above all, the project organizers wanted
to understand the experiences gay men of color
have with the potential barriers to full participation
in the greater gay community. This article ad­
dresses some concerns gay men of color have and
suggests means to help create pathways towards an
all-inclusive gay and bisexual men’s community.
The majority of gay men of color interviewed
voiced the perception that Portland’s gay commu­
nity is tom along race, class, and ethnic bound­
aries. More often than not, men of color talked
about the gay community as “them” rather than
“us.” They recounted multiple instances of exclu­
sion, rejection, stereotyping, tokenism, and blatant
racism, experienced as they tried to find them­
selves and their community as gay men of color.
Many of them felt a deeper sense of welcome and
belonging within their own nongay ethnic commu­
nities. Unfortunately, many also felt forced to lead
closeted lives, for the sake of respect and inclusion
within their communities of origin. Personal sto­
ries of gay men of color reveal a life between a
homophobic rock (community of origin) and a
racist hard place (gay community).
It is naive and unrealistic to think that the larger
gay community, by virtue of its queemess, is
exempt from the prejudices and racism of the
wider society in which we live. Thus, the task is not
to condemn, criticize, and yell “racism,” but rather
to examine personal attitudes. By recognizing and
analyzing the patterns that oppress and isolate
people, the larger gay and bisexual men’s commu­
nities may be able to open healing pathways to­
wards greater communication, inclusion, and cel­
ebration. The more European American gay men
work through and take action against the legacy of
(institutionalized and sometimes unconscious) rac­
ism in our country, the more brotherhood and
diversity will shine in the gay community.
T O G E T H
WE
WILL
BUILD
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How do gay men of color experience racism
in the larger gay community?
Beyond blatant and open acts of racial dis­
crimination, that unfortunately still occur within
the gay community, racism is experienced in four
K eys to S urvival
Continued from previous page
with experimental substances.
When examining data on HIV disease pro­
gression, or when looking at the continuing toll
of AIDS, one should put this information in the
perspective of access to treatment. To give an
idea of how little of the potentially useful thera­
pies have been accessed to date, consider the
following:
Chinese medical treatment of HIV (herbs and
acupuncture) has been generally available for
the past five years in the United States. It is
estimated that today only about .6,000 HIV-
infected indiyjdual$ participate in any substan-
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indirect yet harmful and divisive ways:
Objectification. Gay and bisexual men of color
expressed the concern that often they are not seen
as individual persons, but rather as generalized
members of a minority or ethnic group. When they
are approached by European American men who
eroticize ethnicity as “passionate, dark and ex­
otic,” gay men of color feel they are treated as
objects, rather than as equal partners for friend­
ship, intimacy and fun.
Misunderstanding. Bisexual and gay men of
color said that very few men from the European
American gay men’s community seem to under­
stand their experiences of racism. Things are often
forgotten or misunderstood by European Ameri­
can men who simply want men of color to “join in
and party.” The white gay community often for­
gets, overlooks, or does not understand that the
experience of gay men of color includes:
• An identity development as members of both
racial and sexual minority groups;
• A close relationship to family and an adher­
ence to culturally valued practices;
• Social and financial risks taken by coming out
within an ethnic community;
• Daily struggles associated with racial or eth­
nic minority status such as violence, substance
abuse, joblessness, immigration and or language
barriers, to name a few.
Invisibility and exclusion. Gay and bisexual
men of color often feel excluded from actual input
and participation in political and social organiza­
tions within the larger gay community. Their con­
cerns are rarely voiced in the mainstream queer
press. Their faces and values are seldom repre­
sented in media images of successful, attractive,
“in” gay men.
Tokenism. Even worse than denial of participa­
tion is the experience of being the “token” gay or
bisexual man of color in gay groups, events or
organizations. Gay men of color are often placed in
such positions by well-intentioned but unaware
groups and organizations. Rather than seriously
examining the personal and institutional barriers to
participation within their organization, predomi­
nantly white groups often try to solve their exclu­
sionary problems by including a token person of
color.
tial Chinese medical program (0.6 percent of
those infected) and many (if not most) of these
individuals utilize a minimal treatment program
(e.g., only herbs or only acupuncture, low-dos­
age therapy, or infrequent treatments). In the
state of Oregon, where ITM’s work with Chinese
medical therapy has had a major impact, it is
estimated that only 3 percent of those with HIV
infection are receiving substantial Chinese medi­
cal care.
Recent studies strongly suggest that nutri­
tional substances, such as beta carotene and I-
camitine, are helpful in enhancing immune func­
tions and countering some symptoms of HIV
infection (such as weight loss), yet this fact is
virtually unknown by the majority of medical
doctors and such spbstaqce$are u&ed by very few
individuals.
Since a large portion of the one million in­
fected individuals do not know they are infected,
they are not pursuing any treatment. Many others
do not know how—or are otherwise unable— to
access potentially useful treatments, whether drug
therapies or alternatives, because of lack of edu­
cation, insufficient financial resources, or be­
cause they live in an area where services are not
provided.
In direct consequence to the situation that has
existed and persists, many individuals become
unduly depressed about their condition. Depres­
sion is a stress that can negatively impact both the
immune system and survival, as well as reducing
the impetus to pursue effective treatment. When
longterm survivors of the group infected by
What can be done about this racism and
discrimination?
Recognizing that the issues of racism and
discrimination are deeply rooted in the fabric of
our society and within our political and economic
structures, here are a few suggestions of possible
concrete pathways for greater inclusion within
the gay men’s community.
Personal and institutional self-observation.
Individuals and institutions must examine them­
selves and ask how racism has affected them.
Each person must ask, “How does racism operate
in my views of the world? In my business prac­
tices? My cruising activities? My interpersonal
relations?” Awareness is not sufficient, but it is
certainly a necessary first step. Read, share, and
discuss this article with your friends and members
of organizations to which you belong.
Speak with—and listen to—your gay and bi­
sexual brothers o f color. Take time to listen, in
reading and in conversations, to the experiences
of gay men of color. If you do not know a gay man
of color in your community with whom you can
have a serious conversation about these issues,
you might be actively participating in the prob­
lem.
Promote and support organizations fo r bi­
sexual and gay men ofcolor. For gay men of color,
a first step towards further inclusion might be the
opportunity to talk to one another, to share com­
mon experiences. This will help gay men of color
support one another in facing dual struggles against
homophobia and racism in the coming out pro­
cess. Opportunities for gay and bisexual men of
color to communicate and organize around goals
and specific needs are very important.
Inclusion fo r the benefit o f all. Efforts to
integrate gay men of color based on the idea "The
gay white community has a good thing and gay
men of color should have it too” do not work! This
attitude fosters a sense of superiority that is con­
descending and insulting to gay men of color.
Rather, further efforts for inclusion must be based
on the conviction that diversity means enrichment
for the whole community. Without the perspec­
tives, values, experiences, beauty and talents of
gay men of color, the entire gay community
would be poorer and duller. If sincerely em­
braced, this type of inclusion will bring gay and
bisexual men of color closer in an equal and
respectful brotherhood.
Colleen H off and Rafael M. Diaz work with the
Center fo r AIDS Prevention Studies in San
Francisco, Calif. H off works closely with the
Speak to Your Brothers Project, and Diaz is an
advisor fo r the program.
HIV early in the epidemic (and thus most at risk)
were asked about their ability to overcome the
debilitating aspects of the disease, the first thing
mentioned was almost always “a positive atti­
tude.” Having a positive view about their ability
to survive has led these individuals to seek out and
get the help they need, and to pursue healthful
activities. This remains the key to staying healthy
with HIV.
Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD., is the director of
the Institute fo r Traditional Medicine and
Preventive Health Care in Portland. This
article is the preface to a technical book, The
Key Link, published by ITM about treatment of
HIV with Chinese medicine
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