Monthly Archives: October 2013
When A White House Internship Isn’t Enough: On Successful Black Gay Men Who Still Seek Straight Validation
From the time I was a child, I have always known fiercely driven, hard working black gay men–college professors, attorneys, community leaders etc. Because of this, once I came to terms with the fact that I was gay, I never … Continue reading
Sexual/Romantic Attraction Does Not an Ally Make
Chubby chasers, “tranny” chasers, white people who fetishize a specific non-white racial or ethnic group and several others. These are all pretty robust subcultures that consist of people who express exclusive or primary romantic interest in members of a marginalized … Continue reading
How Respectability Impedes Effective Activism
As a gay black man, it is not uncommon for me to be in spaces where people refer to themselves as activists and/or advocates. To be clear, I come in contact with people–in real life and on social media–who are doing meaningful … Continue reading
“Oooh On The TLC Tip” : How Three Women Revolutionized The Music Industry
With the premiere of the TLC biopic happening Monday, the girls and VH1 have been doing MASSIVE promotion. As someone who has been almost a life long TLC fan, I have really been reflecting on what the group has meant … Continue reading
On Black Gay Men and Respectability
Since the end of the civil war and slavery, African Americans have been marked with the politics of respectability—meaning that, in order to shield ourselves from racism we must always be on our “best” behavior. This mindset gave way to … Continue reading
On The Expectations of Poor People To Be Super Human
With the recent government shut down, there has been a renewed interest from conservatives in the lives and practices of those who receive any and all forms of government aid. A recent addition to these attacks has been people who … Continue reading
On the “Respect My Religion” Argument
The first amendment to the U.S. constitution guarantees us freedom of religion. No one can dispute that the words are there. However, I think many people are not clear on what this concept means. What it does mean is that … Continue reading
On The Recent Slut Shaming of Rihanna and Miley Cyrus
So anyone who knows me personally knows that I am very vocal about NOT being a fan of either Miley Cyrus or Rihanna. However, the recent slut shaming and body policing that both women have received has a gotten MAJOR … Continue reading
My problem with Marriage as a “Positive Portrayal of Blackness”
When my friends and family members get married to people that they are truly in love with, I congratulate them. I attend weddings. I write heartfelt messages under engagement announcements and all that good shit. I think that when people … Continue reading
On “Militant” Black People Embracing the GOP
Now let me be perfectly clear. By no means do I think that every black person has to be a Democrat or that black people should not be allowed to criticize a black president. There have been things–the preachy tone … Continue reading
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