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decision to wear “rose-colored glasses.” “I
don’t feel prejudice because I’m black or
because I’m gay, because I don’t give any
one that power. The energy I have is for
the positive stuff I’m doing; I’m not going
to waste it being angry or on alert.”
Under the spotlight:
Queer racism
r ' j P I here is no question that with
60,000 African Americans in
Oregon, to be black and queer in
Portland is to be a statistical
anomaly. Because of this, Hedgmon says
one of two things happen: “My general
experience has been either I’m ignored or
spotlighted.”
Atoe agrees. “In terms of racism, Port
land is a funny town,” she says. “Because
there aren’t that many people of color, peo
ple meet it with more of a curiosity. I get a
well-meaning, tokenizing attitude. Port
land is kind of a liberal town, but that’s
part of the problem. White people want
diversity and multiculturalism, and the way
they seek out people of color for their own
purposes is not always welcomed.”
Does a Black History Month feature
article on Portland’s queer African Amer
ican community foil into this trap? W hile
the
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Andre Pruitt has faced multiple forms of discrimination
Defamation encourages journalists to fea
because of his race and sexual orientation
ture black queers in their Black History
Osa Atoe, a queer student o f social sciences at Portland
Month coverage, it also chastens, “Black
State University, says that sometimes it’s not so much about
LG BT people don’t have to just represent
not being embraced, as just not being noticed at all. “The
black LG B T issues.” One interviewee for
archetype of queer people is white,” she says. “Because Port
this article diplomatically opined that Just
land is a white town, it’s harder for people o f color to be
Out would be well-advised to incorporate
identified as queer.”
more queer black voices in articles
To illustrate her point, Atoe recounts an episode when she
throughout the year, as opposed to within
was walking around Portland and saw
a single issue.
two black women— clearly a lesbian cou
Unfortunately, tok- Osa Atoe says she often senses a tokenizing attitude from liberal white Portlanders
ple— holding hands. After they passed
enizing people of color
by, Atoe says she overheard a nearby
is not the only form of racism plaguing the
Hedgmon concurs. “Just because you’re oppressed doesn’t
pedestrian whisper to her friend, “Oh,
larger queer community. “Gay people justify
mean you can’t be an oppressor.”
they must be sisters.”
their racism,” according to Pruitt. “We call
Cecil Prescod, a board member of Love Makes a Family and
M.L. Hedgmon, a Portland resident
it ‘preference.’ Lcx>k in the want ads, the
a minister at Ainsworth United Church of Christ, says he’s seen
and student of feminist studies at Universi
dating columns— [white men] don’t want to
widespread racism within the queer community. “I struggle with
ty of Minnesota, has had the experience of
date black men. They say quite a bit: ‘I
that more than homophobia within the African American com
going to places where lesbians gather and
won't date men of color. I want a gay white
munity,” he laments. “Racism is often manifested in terms of
not being recognized as one. “It sometimes
male.’ Same thing with the lesbian column.
language. I was in a restaurant and the waiter was queer. [He
doesn’t occur to people. Even if you’re
[White queers) hide behind ‘it’s my prefer
had a] great personality...and in his attempt to be friendly he
—A ndre P ruitt
there because you’re a lesbian sometimes
ence’ and won’t kx)k at the fact that it’s
said, with a thick Southern accent, that his family had planta
people say, ‘Oh I never thought about it.’ ”
based in racism.”
tions and owned 60 souls.”
Kevin Cook, well-known performer (aka Poison Waters)
This denial often stems from the belief within the queer
Trying to find a date is no simple matter either, according to
and active member o f organizations like Camp Starlight, Pea-
community that one can’t be a racist if one is queer. “Both
Pruitt. “I’ve noticed that if you’re a black man who has an opin
ctx:k Productions and the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court,
lesbians and gay m en...w e justify our oppression of other
ion and you’re tall, people are scared of you. They follow their
doesn’t deny the existence of racism and homophobia but
people because we feel like we’re an oppressed organization,
doesn’t allow them to affect his daily life. He says he made the
too,” says Pruitt.
Continued on Page 26
“Ify o u can’t
stand alone, be
quiet because
you w ill not be
embraced by the
gay com m unity”
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