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Unmasking our struggle

by Wendy Isaac.

The aim of this article is to provide us with and opportunity to reflect on some of the issues we have since discarded and believed to have been dealt with and hence no longer a priority. Simply, to promote a healthy discussion of homophobia and racism.

“My sexuality and race are both important, because the forces that subjugate me as a lesbian are the same as those which oppress me as a black woman. Sometimes I am more vocal as a lesbian, at other times I am more vocal about my blackness.” Trinidad and Tobago P: Jamaica/Trinidad (QR) Making Black Waves.

For many black lesbians and gay men, an article of this kind is long overdue. Black lesbians and gay men have been put in the position of challenging both homophobia and racism within communities that are meant to provide support, nurturing and love. All too often individual black lesbians and gay men have complained about particular examples of racism or homophobia and have been subjected to personal attack and ridicule. One should be praised for being brave, but instead black lesbians and gay men find themselves fighting on two fronts and being shot by both sides.

It is a common belief that black people are more homophobic than white people. It is also a racist myth. It is based on the belief that black people are less intelligent, cultured and sophisticated. Therefore a racist assumes that black people are more likely to have ignorant prejudices. It is true to say, however, that homophobia is as prevalent in black communities as it is in white communities.

“It is a dirty vicious lie that the Black community is more homophobic. This is racism. Go to any community with a strong religion or faith and see how homophobic they are.” – Femi Otitoju – Making Black Waves

The belief that black people are more homophobic is also a way of letting white people off the hook. Homophobic beliefs are institutionalised. This means that major institutions gear their services to the needs of heterosexuals ignoring the existence of lesbians and gay men. In practice, lesbians and gay men can be failed by the education system, lose their jobs, denied access to public housing, have their needs ignored by the medical profession and be treated unfairly by the legal system. Which group of people is responsible for these injustices? Black people do not have the power to perpetuate the systematic oppression of lesbians and gay men in this country.

Heterosexism, the belief that heterosexuality is normal, natural and therefore superior, prevails in all societies dominated by male supremacy. Heterosexism is also responsible for the belief that the heterosexual family unit is of paramount importance. It follows then that lesbians and gay men are not important because they exist outside of the family. Black lesbians and gay men may have just as many problems relating to their family members as white lesbians and gay men. However the black family in African culture is important because it is probably the first place where a black person learns to deal with racism. Black communities tend to be made up of extended families. Black lesbians and gay men may have more trouble distancing themselves from their own family regardless of how difficult or painful the relationship is. There are several myths that are a barrier between black lesbians and gay men and the rest of the black communities. Religion, for example, is very important to many members of black communities. This is partly due to the racism that black people experience in this country. The celebration of religion allows black people to come together for support and to celebrate their culture. Black people meeting together to celebrate also enjoy social activities that are very important. The teachings of most of the major religions take a fairly neutral stance on same-sex love. However, most religious teachings have been interpreted in patriarchal societies to become quite homophobic.

The testimony of Uzma Tasir illustrates this point. Uzma is a black lesbian born in Pakistan who has had a strict Muslim upbringing. Uzma had her first sexual experience at 14, with another girl of the same age.

“A lot of people don't realise but in an Islamic setting, it is in some ways easy to be gay because the sexes are, for the most part rigidly segregated. Sleeping arrangements at big family gatherings are such that all the girls are pushed in together-thereby creating perfect opportunities for sexual encounters.”

When Uzma was 20 she told her mother “I'm in love with a woman. I've been gay all my life”, her mother told her “that being gay was a white woman's disease”. Uzma agreed to return to Pakistan for a holiday. Once there, her family destroyed both her plane ticket and her passport and told her she would be getting married.

“They told me – Remember this is an Islamic country. If you persist with these feelings, this behaviour, you will get your head chopped.” Pink Paper 3 rd March 1995

There is a belief that “homosexuality is a white disease”. It is not an overstatement to say that many members of the black community think that black lesbians and gay men have “caught” this disease from white people. Thinking that homosexuality is a “white thing” is partially based on the fact that most of the images of lesbians and gay men in the media are white. More positive images of black lesbians and gay men would help, but this problem is not an easy one to solve. The reason why the majority of black lesbians and gay men do not want a public profile is partly to do with the homophobia of black communities. Having public profile can be dangerous for black lesbians and gay men.

Racism in the white lesbian and gay communities

Vocal black lesbians and gay men will always be in the minority in the lesbian and gay community in this country. Despite frequent calls by black lesbians and gay men to have our issues recognised, too often they have been ignored, and if taken into consideration at all, they have been marginalised. This racism is all too apparent in both the political and cultural activities of the lesbian and gay community.

When one first becomes aware of loving your own sex most lesbians and gay men experience the feeling of isolation, of being the “only one”. Black lesbians and gay men are no exception. The next step is to find some other lesbians and gay men to identify with. When black lesbians and gay men turn to the lesbian and gay community, they are often met with racism from their white counterparts. They may be met with white lesbians and gay men who do not understand their cultural background, find them sexually “exotic”, cannot be bothered to spell their names properly and have no understanding of how racism has affected their lives. In extreme cases, they are not made to feel welcome at cultural or political gatherings.

The importance of black unity is apparent through the lessons of history. Dramatic changes in circumstances of black people living under the oppressive systems of colonialism, imperialism and apartheid have only come about when black people have come together and not by the enlightened attitudes of white liberals. In the workplace, black unity is often represented by black workers' group. These are important for black people in the combating of racism they experience at work. Too often, the work life of any black person is marred by the racism they receive from clients, co-workers and managers. This means that often black workers are put in the position of always having to prove that they are worthy of the job. They have to be better than their white counterparts. This is because racist attitudes in white people tell them that black people are stupid, lazy and generally inferior. Since the advent of equal opportunities and affirmative action, many white people assume that black people are only employed because they are black.

For this reason, black workers' groups are just as important to black lesbian and gay people as they are for their heterosexual counterparts. Fighting racism is just as important to black lesbian and gay people as challenging heterosexism. This fact is often misunderstood by white lesbian and gay people who seem to think that black lesbian and gay people have a choice about which oppression they can prioritise.

Recommendations

Many lesbian and gay organisations and groups are not welcoming to black lesbians and gay men. These groups should look whether black lesbians and gay men are represented in all levels of the organisation, as users, volunteers, workers and management members. If black people are not there then they should find out why they are not participating.

Lesbian and gay groups whether, funded or not, should consider:-

  • Setting up consultation programs with black lesbian and gay people;
  • Anti-racist training for management, staff, volunteers and users;
  • Making a public statement about how they incorporate anti-racism within their work;
  • Avoid creating hierarchies of oppression;
  • Ensuring that services are delivered in such a way that black lesbians and gay men feel comfortable about taking up that service;
  • Ensuring that the services and events run by lesbian and gay groups are advertised in the black media;
  • Actively supporting anti-racist campaigns;
  • Challenging racial stereotyping expressed in the lesbian/gay media;
  • Ensuring that publicity materials show the diversity of the lesbian and gay community;
  • Social venues should make it clear that racist language and behaviour will not be tolerated.
 
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