No matter how much pseudo-intellectuals may try to urge it, debates based on controversial topics have never been tranquil. People, especially when arguing a point that they believe so deeply in, are not prone to be phlegmatic. Religion and politics are never encouraged to be discussed in the workplace, simply because beliefs like those are fairly unshakable, and a disagreement between two passionate people could lead to a colossal rift.
Unlike the workplace, social media doesn’t have such boundaries. Instead, contention is actually encouraged, and the people involved may feel more comfortable in being contentious because there are rarely any negative effects that come with ranting on a twitter feed, in comparison to speaking with one’s employer.
Recently, Nipsey Hussle—an American rapper from Los Angeles—posted a picture on Instagram, showcasing a group of Black male children in suits. Underneath the picture, Nipsey captioned, “They gone feed us every image of our men and boys but this one. No hyper violent…No homo sexual…No abandoners….JUS STRONG BLAC MEN AND YOUNG Men.”
Despite the 50,000 people who liked the picture, therefore agreeing with the statement, backlash ensued. Many people criticized the rapper’s choice to lump homosexuals with abandoners and hyper-violent men. In response to the controversy, Nipsey tweeted, “I ain’t gotta be politically correct . . . u ain’t gone piss on my head and tell me it’s raining . . . I see Whas going on. Y’all should too.”
I ain’t gotta be politically correct becuae I ain’t standing on Nobody else’s platform…I believe in LOVE and acceptance but u ain’t gone piss on my head and tell me it’s raining….NONE. I see Whas going on. Y’all should too. #VictoryLap 2.16.18 tho ?
— THA GREAT (@NipseyHussle) January 8, 2018
This dissension exposes a softer side of homophobia in the Black community. Nipsey Hussle believes that the media only shows the negative stereotypes of being a Black man in America. These stereotypes include being the “runaway father,” the “woman-abuser,” the “sexual deviant.” These stereotypes derive from the blatant racism of America in Reconstruction when moviemakers depicted Black men as either rapists or lazy jokers.
Unfortunately, for these people, another aspect of negative media coverage happens to be the flamboyant homosexual man. Because homosexuality is considered detrimental to the Black community, these people resent the representation that so many have fought so hard to procure. Having gay couples on television will make their children gay, they believe—despite gay people of today growing up with nothing but heterosexual representation, as well as the fact that homosexual characters in modern television are never given starring roles.
The most prominent argument against homosexuality in the Black community, however, is the one taken by pseudo-intellectual Black men, the ones who claim to fight for “Black Power” and against White Supremacy. According to Dr. Wesley Muhammad, a minister of the Nation of Islam, “The whole phenomenon of Black homosexuality today is a spawn of the White man’s science.” In order to destroy Black families, they believe that White people are somehow forcing homosexuality onto Black men, through the media or other nefarious sources. According to them, White men are threatened by a Black man’s masculinity, and so making Black men effeminate will . . . lesson the White man’s fear?
Truthfully, none of this makes an ounce of sense, and attempting to decipher their beliefs is extremely exhausting. It is important to note that sexuality is not determined by anything; people are born gay, just like how people are born straight. Homosexuality has been around for thousands and thousands of years, way before America was forged and way before the colonial concept of racism and homophobia was even created. The western import of Christianity gave way to homophobia in African and African-American culture because same-sex relationships in Africa were quite normalized before White colonizers decided to ruin everything.
In order to fully be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement, one must understand that all Black lives matter, including queer Black lives. Trying to distance the Black gay community from the Black community will not only cripple the movement but fatally damage the revolution for equal rights and equal opportunity. 75% of Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Americans killed since 2010 were Black Trans-Women, and four Black lesbians were murdered just last week. When villainizing the Queer Black community, you also vitalize the violence against that sector of the community.
It’s 2018. Gay representation is meager enough, but Black gay representation is extremely scanty. Attempting to argue against wannabe-prophets and pseudo-intellectuals is tiring. Please, instead of pretending to care about the upliftment of the Black community, just admit that you’re homophobic so that we can deal with you accordingly.
