Homophobia Isn’t Just at Black Schools

I have been really impressed with the efforts by black gay students and community leaders to fight homophobia at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). However, I have been really dissapointed with the lack of attention being paid to black gay college students at predominantly white institutions.

There has been an incredible amount of dialogue about the lack of safety for black gay students on the campuses of HBCUs. These conversations have taken the form of panels, conferences, news articles, news conferences, editorials, protests, and town hall meetings. This is important work. However, I think the ultimate goal of black gay community leaders and concerned folks should not begin an end with how to make the campuses of Historical Black Colleges and Universities safe for black gay college students. Rather, the conversation should be how we can make each college campus safe for black gay college students.

Black and Gay at Morehouse

Consumed with the excessive workload that is collegiate life, I force myself to take a break from the rigor of assignments and compose this promised entry. I am a student at Morehouse College, and balance is idealistically the goal of all Morehouse Men.

Slightly two years ago, the poison of homophobia struck Morehouse brutally and surprisingly when one student attacked another for looking at him in the shower. We are still recovering from the wound. Keith asked me to write an update to give a glimpse into the social intricacies of the institution. While I write this as a mere personal reflection, I trust that many of my Morehouse brothers, both current students and alumni alike, will soon pass upon this article.

Know Your Power…Know Your Path

I was thrilled when Keith Boykin asked me to write an article on my “experience” as a black gay male. I knew exactly what message I wanted this article to communicate: my struggle to find my sense of self-worth (power) while battling the effects of my upbringing, and how this affected my chosen life’s path.

I recently attended a World AIDS Day event at the University of Pennsylvania after hearing that Keith Boykin was the featured speaker. As a young, up-and-coming, motivational teacher/writer and owner of Malcolm-Jamal Media, a media/entertainment development firm in its infancy, I went to the event hoping to gain from Keith some insight on his impressive work in advocacy. Thus, I was humbled at the opportunity he gave me to tell my story.

My Fire Shall Bring Life

I am not a religious person, but as I sat last night in contemplation of the theme of my first World AIDS Day event, “This Fire Shall Bring Life,” I recalled a line from a song we used to sing in church – “…I shall come forth as pure gold.” My next thought was, “He’s not ready; he’s not on his knees yet…”

Seeing me from “up there,” I see everything in my life that is right and everything in my life I yearn to be right. Everything that is ugly about me shines before me bright like the sun and there is no escaping my fire. I have to go through to get where I want to be.

Black and Gay at An HBCU

As a black gay college student at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, I have had a number of experiences in my advocacy for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students. Challenging and rewarding are two words that best describe my experiences as a black gay college student attending a historically black college.

Unfortunately, the challenges sometimes outweigh the rewards because there are several obstacles that hinder awareness and tolerance. Individual intolerance of anything queer and perceived misconceptions of gay and lesbian students contribute to this problem. Some faculty and students are very homophobic and the manifestation of homophobia is prevalent in some classroom discussions and lectures. Outside of the classroom, some students blatantly make anti-gay and homophobic remarks.

Gay Pride at A Black High School

My story begins August 16, 2004. It was my first day back to high school after leaving Anytown, a youth leadership institute that teaches teens to break down barriers of oppression. Anytown helps us identify oppression in others and ourselves, particularly around issues of racism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism. This information inspired me to address homophobia and heterosexism at my school, Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri. I knew it would be a difficult task. In a predominantly black, heterosexual high school, homosexuality is basically forbidden.