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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2004)
26 • february 20.2004 Divided Loyalties? Continued from Page 25 Acceptance in small circles “I think homopho bia exists in every com II this said, many queer African Americans feel munity,” Prescod says. embraced by the black community in Portland. “One way homophobia Nicole Browning, a returning student of women’s is manifested [in the studies and health education at PSU who brims black community] is in with positivity, says: “Homosexuality may not be condoned, terms of religion. There isn’t more homo but you’ll be accepted. I think black people as a group tend to be accepting of everyone. Black people will always phobia in the hlack acknowledge each other; there’s always a community.” She community, but it’s J feels this is particularly true of hlack women, who “have manifested more in religious beliefs. For the African American community here, there’s a higher church attendance.” ' v -v ^ V -V i * ' :j In a primer on v ; _ ... yàr^/ « ' V1' ' * .* . i l homophobia in 1 - *’"■ '% T '-'' %ï ; ■ African American communities, GLAAD / 4 - h ' ‘: ï states: “Coming out d. •' can mean isolation . w' •, - J i:4/v from [family and ■ • Z church]. In many r . cases, a silence exists ;**ar T around sexual orienta v - * :«?*£ T ËÉÉ tion— the idea that ' y one can he gay as long as that person does not talk about it in order to keep subtle fear. The [image] of a tall black man is that his or her place within the he’s going to be harmful. All the stereotypes come family, the church and the in their head; they don’t want to have [anything] to community.” do with you.’’ Pruitt speaks from experience: He is very tall, To wit, Hedgmon says, “I very built, very outspoken, very attractive— think the homophobia [with physically arresting in every conceivable way. He in the black community] is —M.L. Hedgmon more also happens to he sensitive, thoughtful and about being accepted intelligent. “Then all of a sudden, they always within the mainstream com come hack and say: ‘Oh, wow, you’re really nice. Oh, wow, munity.” She imagines some of her black peers saying: “If you you’re not threatening at all. Yeah, let’s go out now.’ ” But at can’t be white, at least be heterosexual, dammit. We haven’t that point, it’s often too late as far as Pruitt is concerned. gotten equality as far as race, and they’re never going to give it to us now.” Aside from the loss of his teaching job, Pruitt says he has been discriminated against far more for being black than for Hedgmon continues: “There’s a lot of fear that we’re not being gay. Consequently, his race has become something that going to be accepted. The homophobia [in the black communi drives his identity more than his sexual orientation. From ty] is: ‘You can’t be a lesbian because only white people are les Pruitt’s vantage point, white gay men can assimilate into main bians and gay. You’re buying into that.’ It becomes, ‘You’re not stream culture in a way that he can’t. “If they keep their mouths really black for me.’ ” shut, no one ever knows they’re gay,’’ says Pruitt. “I don’t even Cook adds: “There are a lot of black people in the closet. have a chance to open up my mouth and say that I’m gay before When they go to the gay bars it’s a one-time thing this they’ve already decided to judge me.” month. I think it has to do with homophobia within the Pniitt adds: “Gay issues are white issues. What gtxxl does gay hlack community." marriage do for me when people will [still] judge me for the According to Gxik, many of the gay hlack men who will color of my skin?” talk to him at a club won’t speak to him anywhere else. He says this kind of internalized homophobia is one of the reasons behind the high number of HIV infections in the hlack male Threatened by difference population. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention reported that young black gay and bisexual men were being infected with HIV at rates five times higher than white rescod, Pruitt and Atoe agree that they encounter gay men. Says Gxik, “If you’re not comfortable talking to a gay racism in the queer community more often than Cecil Prescod notes that religious beliefs can be a source of man in public, you’re certainly not going to walk into a clinic homophobia within the African American communi homophobia in the black community and ask for an HIV test.” ty. But the homophobia does exist. J “Ju s t because you ’re op p ressed doesn 't mean y o u c a n ’t be an o p p re sso r” D avid W. O wens ^ Elise Campbell, gri , abr P. 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