Last week BET aired a “Stop Bullying” special on weekday video show 106 & Park. They had the requisite experts. The requisite teens. The requisite mothers. All in all, it was a decent start for the Viacom-owned network to continue the conversation about bullying to a majority black audience, which, like LGBTs at large, often get ignored by mainstream media outlets. That’s changing, and it’s efforts like this special that are helping. And while I didn’t find anything useful to come out of the mouths of these experts, I do appreciate BET giving a voice to kids who deal with being ostracized and harassed by classmates.
Is any of this groundbreaking stuff to Queerty readers? No, but that’s not the point. Bullying thrives when it’s ignored. Bullying is confronted when we challenge it. And that starts with having a conversation — here, on national television — about the causes and effects.
Seeing young people, like in the video below, talk about how bullying has changed with technology can help clue parents into what happens when they hand their kid a cell phone.
Here, famous folks like Jamie Foxx discuss what they went through as kids, though the clip moves so quickly and offers little in the way of substance that it’s just a way for BET to include the celebrity angle.
And one the bravest faces of childhood bullying is Sirdeaner Walker, whose 11-year-old boy Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover hung himself after being taunted with anti-LGBT bullying. This is the woman who can speak directly to other moms and dads about what happens when schools fail to protect their children.
But my favorite part of the special was hearing from actual teens, who face teasing for how they dress, act, and look every day. But these aren’t just sob stories. They are veritable It Gets Better videos, showing how these tweens and teens are turning a shitty situation into one worth living for.
And then, ugh, we hear from one young man who says his parents contacted the school about his bullying, and it only made things worse.
Is a BET special going to immediately keep kids safe in and out of school? Of course not. But what BET and other youth-focused media are experts at doing is branding and influence. And what this show did was move the needle just a bit more towards branding bullying as uncool — the most serious of offenses when you’re a kid trying to fit in. And if anything gets impressionable youth to change their behavior, it’s telling them that Facebook harassment, verbal abuse, and shoving classmates to the ground doesn’t up their social standing. It makes them look like douchebags.
Davey Wavey's Vagina Monologue
No comments about all black people being homophobic yet? Weird.
Lamar
@Davey Wavey’s Vagina Monologue: Second that
Lucas
For once I can say this:
Good article Queerty
Jason
Yes, most black people are homophobic. It comes from black culture and the black church, spanning back decades and decades. There. It’s been said.
Jeffree
Good on BET for addressing the topic. The more voices speaking out against bullying, the better. Great commentary, JD.
I wish I’d seen this. I’m sure my aunt “tivo’d” it so I’ll catch it next time I’m there. Perhaps Univision will try to so something similar….
— — — — —
Ah yes, when “Jason” isn’t ranting about bisexual double standards he switches into race-baiting. As usual, he has no facts, no analysis, no ability to engage in reality-testing. Living such a hate-filled life seems so sad.
The other "Jason"
@ Jeffree – I’ve only posted to this site about a handful of times. Perhaps you have me confused with another Jason? I’ll change my name to reflect that.
Anyway, the facts and analysis are pretty clear. Homophobia is a part of American black culture and intellectual thought, dating back to at least the 1960s. Current polls reflect that blacks still remain the most strongly opposed to civil rights for GLBT. If you have studied black liberation rhetoric, and the importance of the black church, you would see that.
I could go on and on. Don’t attack me just because I said the obvious.
Jeffree
@The Other Jason:
Sorry if I mistook you for someone else.
That happens when a name is common.
He is a very frequent flyer here and his vocab/syntax match yours very closely
Your data however don’t take into account that religiosity is a better predictor than self-identified race of voting patterns on social issues. Social conservatism is more tied to religiosity than race, so equivalently religious people of different races will tend to vote more similarly than will a mixed group of a single race/ethnicity.
The other "Jason"
@ Jeffree – I agree, but there is a highly-correlating relationship between race, religion, and conservatism when it comes to blacks and this particular issue, which is what I was trying to imply. Of course blacks are NOT inherently homophobic and anti-gay because of race, which would be absurd. But they tend to be very religious for the reasons I gave – the black conservative church has always been a part of black culture, and it is greatly associated with black identity.
Black Pegasus
BET??
I stop watching that shit after they canceled BET News and got rid of Donnie Simpson..lol
The only people who continually watch that shit are the same ones who visit Media-Fake-Out every damn day hitting the refresh button.
Classy Black Homosexuals don’t do BET!!
*Oh wait, I did watch “The Game” the other night over there.
That’s my shiitt! lol*
Jeffree
@The 0ther Jason:
Okay, I see where you’re coming from.
Time for me to get back to work–only six more hours left !
afrolito
Both Jason’s are morons, making blanket statements about a group they know nothing about.
Bravo to BET for doing this special.
James
Why do people who are not black feel that they can speak on the black culture
The other "Jason"
How can any of you assume I’m not black?
It’s funny – because the black community is being criticized, the automatic assumption is that the person doing the criticizing must not be black.
Furthermore, the opposition doesn’t offer any arguments. It’s just “don’t speak about my culture” and “don’t make blanket statements about a group you know nothing about.” That doesn’t hold any value. Sorry. If I am wrong, show me where I’m wrong and an “idiot.” Or are you too ignorant to even competently address the issues I raised? Probably.
jason
Viacom and BET are two very sexist and homophobic organizations whose dedication to pro-gay issues is questionable at best and disingenuous at worst. They are both vile. BET is like the heterosexual boys’ club for sleazy blacks who spend most of their waking hours uttering the word “faggot” and talking about bashing gay guys.
Message to Viacom and BET: you are almost too repulsive for words. We in the GLBT community aren’t falling for your token gestures. Fuck off, both of you.
afrolito
When you make sweeping generalizations about an entire group of people, based on assumptions and stereotypes, then you are a MORON.
You say we should show you where you were wrong, but why don’t you show us where you were right? There is no monolithic “black culture”, so your fundamental premise doesn’t even make sense. There are millions of black people all across America, who come from a myriad of backgrounds, and cultural experiences. We are not all tied to “the black church”.
Are all white people the same? Are Italians from Brooklyn, just like Mormons from Utah? or Irish families from Boston? Of course not.
Are you black? I doubt it, but even if you were, your statements would still be invalid…and sad.
Kev C
Most blacks are homophobic. I can personally attest to this fact. And I’m beginning to think most white people are born with rose-colored glasses, selective hearing and auto-denial syndrome.
I disagree with Dr. Jeff that most victims of bullying become bullies themselves.
afrolito
@Kev C: “Most blacks are homophobic. I can personally attest to this fact”. I guess you personally know, and have interacted with every single black person in America. When did we meet again? The morons usually stand out.
Kev C
@afrolito: Afrolito, have you ever heard of statistics?
I assume you’re black. Are you openly gay living in a black community? Or are you closeted/DL gay living in a black community? Or are you openly gay living in a mostly white community? My guess would be the latter. Am I right?
The other "Jason"
@ Afrolito – You just completely FAILED at answering my question. Instead of addressing my post in a rational, thoughtful manner, you, as expected couldn’t even deliver an appropriate, respectful rebuttal. I am not surprised in the slightest, since I know I’m right. My guess is, you probably know it, too.
@ Kev C – Yes, he is clearly black. No doubt about that. And there’s no doubt that he probably finds the white community more accepting of his homosexuality. But don’t expect him to admit that. He is clearly on some sort of black rampage and has something against white people.
afrolito
Nice try Jason/Other Jason:)The only FAIL in this thread, is you and your psychotic alter spreading your usual nonsense. Everything in my last post completely shit over your ridiculous, and unsubstantiated claims. I love how you are completely unable to refute one thing I said, but instead cling to your own bullshit.
Btw, how exactly am I part of a “black rampage against white people”? Where up your ass did you pull that from? Once again, your attempts at deflection from the actual topic are completely transparent.
The other Jason is the same moron as the other one.:)
afrolito
@Kev C: I’m black and openly gay…so what? I also live in New York City and work in Fashion….again so what? None of that has anything to do with your ridiculously ignorant, and sweeping generalization that: “Most blacks are homophobic. I can personally attest to this fact.”
When racist state matter of factly that blacks are mentally inferior, can you personally attest to that fact too? Homophobia isn’t something particular to black people. Intelligent people know that.
Kev C
@afrolito: So let me assert that I’m more knowledgable about the subject of black homophobia than Afrolito. And I’m confident that all measures of social levels of homophobia, whether hate-crime statistics, voting trends, polling data, homophobic language frequency, etc., will show what I know to be a fact. Most blacks are overtly homophobic.
The other "Jason"
Keep up your black rampage. You only prove that you have something against white people.
I never expressed anything negative toward black people, nor did I make any “sweeping generalizations based on assumptions and stereotypes.” I only stated what is clearly evident in history, and what is still evident today. Whether you like it or not, there is a history of homophobia in American black culture and paradigms of gender among blacks. Since I have actually researched these issues, I am speaking with an authority that you clearly do not possess. Instead, all you can do is fling out insults and detract from the topic because you have shown yourself to be an incompetent, petulant child when it comes to *adult* discussions such as these. You’re boring, uninformed, and juvenile. But, again, I am not surprised.
I really don’t care about what you think, I was just trying to give you the benefit of the doubt and actually tried to create dialogue. However, your own hatred for whites, and your own clearly in denial, or simply childishly ignorant perspective on black culture and history, reveal that you are someone that needs to get some help through either an education or medication. I’d also suggest some counseling. Ideally, someone as far gone as you should probably seek all three.
Good luck.
The other "Jason"
Kev C, there’s no getting through to black people like him. It’s like talking to a 7 year old.
afrolito
@Kev C: “So let me assert that I’m more knowledgable about the subject of black homophobia than Afrolito.” LMAO!…Based on what again? It’s nice that you feel confident in your epic stupidity though.
afrolito
@No. 23 · The other “Jason”
Oh Puhleeze JASON. You’re so full of shit, it’s not even funny. You’re an expert in black homophobia? An expert? LMFAO! Your racism dressed up in stereotypes, wouldn’t get you pass the door of a community college. You know absolutely NOTHING about black people, or the myriad of cultures we come from. There is no uniform black culture, but you wouldn’t know that, since racists always have limited vision.
And your race baiting is sooo tired and cliche. Racists ALWAYS try to derail the topic, when they fail the logic test.:)
Kev C
@afrolito: Based on the facts of my life, which I’ve stated often. But you’re the one talking so answer these questions: How often do you live around, or talk to non-gay blacks? As a gay man, do you feel safer in a majority-black neighborhood, or a minority-black neighborhood? Of all the times you’ve been called a faggot or gay bashed, were the perpetrators black or non-black?
The other "Jason"
@afrolito: Afrolito, the ignorant black child who somehow got access to his grandma’s computer so that he can play grown-ups.
Please, continue. I’m enjoying this too much for you to stop now. Say something else. I’m waiting for it.
jason
Afrolito,
I don’t care about you asinine asides. It’s like water off a duck’s back…quack, quack.
I’m even more convinced now than I’ve ever been regarding black homophobia. Black culture is extremely homophobic, no doubt about it. Black churches are replete with homophobic sermons and black congregations rolling their eyes and making strange noises akin to a hive of bees in a state of rapture. Black culture is weird, basically.
Of course, there are some exceptionally nice black people. On an individual level, blacks can be wonderful and accepting. I’d be glad to have them as my neighbors. I’d have them as my neighbors in a New York minute.
afrolito
@Kev C:
The facts of your particular life and experience are just that….YOUR LIFE AND EXPERIENCE. They have no bearing on my life, or the lives of any other black person. Get it? It’s really not that complicated.
Your questions are stupid,and pointless. What you want to hear are answers that fit your own biased conclusion. Perhaps you were gay bashed or called a fag by blacks in the ghetto, and that’s really sad….but ignorance and homophobia exist everywhere.
afrolito
LMAO @ the two Jasons struggling to carve out a single identity, yet trapped in one racist body. Dumb and dumber.:)
Kev C
@afrolito: The facts and experiences of my life are the facts and experiences of many people lives, and are proven by statistic after statitisc, fact after fact. The majority of blacks are homophobic. Those are the facts .. dude.
kayla
I’m a biracial immigrant to the United States, born to a white British father and a black mom from the West Indies, and will give my two cents on the issue of black homophobia in the United States. Yes, black people are statistically more homophobic than other ethnic groups…at least according to all the statical data. But frankly I believe that this homophobia is a lesser symptom of a much greater problem, the utter dysfunction of large swaths of black america— A lack of education, cyclical poverty (which often leads people into the path of religious charlatans spewing hatred for profit), glorification of violence as embodied by that vile channel otherwise known as Black Entertainment Television. I wouldn’t wish BET on my worst enemy…can you imagine being fed the poison that BET offers up from a young age?? Anyhow, I digress…In parts of Appalachia, where the population is overwhelmingly white, you will also find rampant homophobia. What these Appalachians have in common with Urban blacks isn’t ethnic but sociological; the same pathologies of cyclical poverty leading people to seek religion as a comfort, lack of education and a glorification of violence as a way to show masculine bonafides, etc. So we can conclude that black Americans aren’t disproportionately homophobic because they’re black, but because they are disproportionately affected by poverty, religiosity and a lack of education…
However, I find that on this website every time a black person is mentioned, we end up having the same conversation over and over again…it’s rather tiring..YES, black people are statistically more homophobic than whites, However, millions of blacks are not homophobic and millions of whites are. Furthermore, white homophobes are much more equipped, because of their greater wealth and political influence to hold the progression of equality back. Moral of the story — all homophobia is bad and should be condemned…or some such thing…I need sleep…
kayla
@jason: You will find that there are millions of white Americans who partake in the same religious expressions that you ridicule…Go to any white Pentecostal church and you will see people shouting, jumping up, writhing on the floor, speaking in tongues etc. etc. etc. This kind of religiosity is not confined to black churches…Furthermore, I’m black (or half black) as well as all my maternal relatives and we somehow, miracle of all miracles, have managed, hitherto, to go to church and keep our praying to faint whispers, seeing that we’re boring Anglicans and all…I think you might be a bigot…
James
First to The Other Jason,Jason and Kev C.For the same reason you think most black people are homophobic,that is the reason I know they are not.My life has tough me that.I am a black gay man here in Chicago with a black family ,black friends,I live in a all black area and the people I know are not homophobic.Now I can tell you when I go to boys town here in chicago I have been called nigger and asked what I’m I doing around here.I am not saying that all black people are not homophobic but I reject your statements that black people are the most homophobic people on the planet.I would also like Kev C to provide a link to the statistics that say black people are more homophobic than other ethnic groups.
kayla
typo “statistical” not “statical” sorry! lo siento! desolee!
kayla
@James: James, with all due respect, you can’t be serious? All evidence points to the fact that YES, indeed there is unfortunately greater homophobia in large segments of the black community. However, this should not be a reason to justify racism, as I’ve pointed out above, race isn’t the reason for the homophobia…
Luxury
THE SAME OLD QUEERTY MOVIE, THE SAME OLD CAST OF QUEERTY CHARACTERS…
When I first stumbled upon this site, I used to think it was cool, like a Huffington Post for the LGBT community. I have such contempt for Queerty now. It’s full of old, jealous, bitter, racist,and delusional queens who prowl the Internet all day with no human to human contact. The ignorance that flows throughout this site is unbearable.
When Maggie Gallagher is all over T.V. spreading her homophobic nonsense, or Tony Perkins for that matter, no one ever talks about “White Homophobia”, which they shouldn’t.
When Rick Warren or Pat Robertson or Steve Anderson (among many others) are out there spreading hate against gays in the name of Christ, no one ever uses the term “Homophobia in the White Church”, and they shouldn’t.
When all of these churches and protesters and “family values” groups (whom are 99.9% white) are invading people’s funerals claiming that “fags” are the root of all evil, the reason for 911, the reason for the shooting in Arizona, AIDS is God’s cure for fags. Nobody ever makes a claim that “most white people are homophobic” which they shouldn’t.
Ever seen that show that Oprah did in Williamson, West Virginia 25 years ago, or the follow up show that she did recently or the behind the scenes special of that show where the producers interviewed people on the street of Williamson, and nobody’s view had changed on Gays or AIDS. Not a lot of Black people skipping around Williamson then or now, but nobody ever made a claim that somehow White people are more homophobic than any other group of people and they shouldn’t have.
My question is why do black people not get the same fairness, or the same benefit of the doubt.
Some of you have a lot of living to do, and you can start by stepping away from the PC and interacting with real people instead boxing yourself up in your own little world and creating these extreme generalized and blanketed views of people outside of it. Grow up. This is getting fucking old.
and FYI.. you don’t have to be black to disagree with this whole black people and homophobia nonsense.. Morons!
The other "Jason"
@kayla: Kayla, you’ve more or less repeated what I said at the beginning, so thank you. You’ve gone into greater depth than I was willing at the time when you brought up education and poverty…and aren’t blacks the least educated and the most impoverished? So, all things considered, it would make sense that they are the most homophobic.
I find the accusations of “racism” rather amusing, since, with the possible exception of the other Jason, there isn’t any racism in this thread. The people who holler “racism” at the mention of anything condemning or critiquing blacks are usually the ones who have something to hide, or are usually just too incompetent to deal with these issues in an objective way.
Anyway, the consensus seems to be that, yes, most blacks are anti-gay and homophobic. Does that mean that the homophobia of whites, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, etc., doesn’t matter? Of course not. But given the particular history of blacks in this country, it is a shame that they would be so willing to discriminate against GLBT, especially using the same religion that once oppressed them in slavery.
kayla
@Luxury: It is a fact that a majority of blacks, when given a chance to vote, vote against gay rights. It is also a fact that when blacks are polled about gay marriage and other gay issues, the majority express anti-gay views. Fortunately, just as younger whites are less homophobic than their elders, younger blacks are also less homophobic than their elders… and these unfortunate aforementioned facts should not be a reason to pre-judge individual black Americans or assume what their stance on gay issues would be. We should all take heed of MLK’s advice…I remember after prop 8 passed and many white gays were blasting black voters, how unfortunate it was that not one of them stopped to thanked or even consider the black voters who voted in favor of equality, it was as if those people didn’t exist…
The other "Jason"
@Luxury: These are easy questions and concerns to answer:
Whites are the majority in this country. They comprise the majority of every sub-group in this country, such as LGBT. The gay rights movement was started primarily by white people, and hasn’t changed much in terms of ethnic and racial visibility. It’s still primarily white-washed.
Likewise, much of the opposition is all white, as well, although there are many other races/ethnicities, such as blacks, prominently involved in that opposition.
The problem with the situation is that there isn’t sufficient, if any, prominent black support for GLBT. In fact, the vast majority of blacks condemn the GLBT struggle and do not want the gay rights movement aligned with the black rights movement. Most blacks want to own the concept of Civil Rights for themselves and exclude GLBT, so yes, that kind of opposition is going to paint a picture of the black community that is unfavorable and unacceptable to GLBT.
Add to the fact that blacks are among the most poorly educated people in the country, and the most religious, and that their history is one of slavery and discrimination that they are more than willing to impose on another minority, and you have a big, heaping pile of bigotry that is obvious to anyone in its implications for blacks.
Also, most of the black culture that is transported and accepted in the mainstream is indeed homophobic and anti-gay. The same cannot be said for whites, since they are the majority and cannot be characterized in the same way as blacks.
Luxury
@kayla:
With all due respect, Kayla.. voting statistics wasn’t the point of my post, and if that’s the case than Whites or any other group for that matter don’t have a voting record to brag about. If they did, the voters in states like Maine, South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, and Utah (just to name a few, all with a miniscule black population) wouldn’t have rejected gay marriage and some down right baned it all together.. voting statistics isn’t my basis.
Kev C
Some black gays are in denial about the amount of homophobia within the black community. Even Kanye West has acknowledged the amount of homophobia in rap music, which is probably why he’s got some credibility in the gay community. Because he’s not BSing like Afrolito, who can’t even answer my questions because he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Anyone who knows anything knows it’s not safe to be openly gay or look gay anywhere near blacks. And I have to say it because I care about the safety of gays. I wouldn’t wish the things that happened to me upon anyone.
kayla
@Luxury: Stating that blacks are disproportionately homophobic, doesn’t negate the fact that there are millions upon millions of white homophobes. Each fact isn’t mutually exclusive. Of course numerically speaking there are millions more white homophobes in the United States than there are black homophobes, simply because the majority of the American populace is white (And all evidence points to the fact that white homophobia is much more detrimental to the equality movement than black homophobia). But when you look within each racial group you find that a larger percentage of blacks are homophobic…
Unfortunately, one can and must look at the sick culture that pervades much of black America… For instance, I as an immigrant, find it fascinating that blacks choose to denigrate themselves by adopting the word “nigger” as a term of endearment. I think that this phenomenon is not found among any other black population in the world (as far as I know). As I stated above, my mother is West Indian and I have visited my relatives in the Caribbean, they do not use racist words as a term of endearment….Perhaps it was Jim Crow…I truly do not know.
kayla
@Kev C: Wow, it’s not safe to be gay anywhere near blacks? I assure you, you would be quite safe in the presence of myself, my mother and brother, who is serving bravely in Afghanistan as we speak…What an horrific statement…
Kev C
@kayla: Why is it horrible? Let me say it again. If you look stereotypically gay, if you display signs of open gayness, and you are in a black neighborhood, or area with groups of blacks, you should be prepared to deal with their homophobia, including name-calling, threats, intimidation and violence. A word to the wise .. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Luxury
@Kev C: “Anyone who knows anything knows it’s not safe to be openly gay or look gay anywhere near blacks. And I have to say it because I care about the safety of gays. I wouldn’t wish the things that happened to me upon anyone.”
That statement speaks volumes.. I see now…
kayla
@Kev C: I expect the same can be said for parts of the South or Appalachia…But you said “near blacks”…You didn’t say some blacks, or some rural blacks, or some inner city blacks..you made a very generalized accusation that blacks (as in all blacks) would somehow be unsafe…and I’m sorry to sound all cliche but that’s the definition of racism….Making a generalized statement, without any exceptions, about a race of people…Are you saying that of all the millions of blacks living in the United States, none of us are safe to be in the presence of? And what of gay blacks? Unmitigated, unqualified generalizations are for the lazy…
Jeffree
The focus on “black homophobia” by so many non-Black people is such a convenient way to ignore that there are still MANY more white homophobes.
Look at white (proportional) over-representation in Congress and most state gov’ts,, plus corporate boards, etc., AND add in the faces you see in charge of organizations such as NOM, Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, FRC, NARTH, etc.
That says to me that the vast majority of people trying to legislatively prevent me from equal human rights are white.
Arguing about statistics that indicate that a Black person is more likely to be against “LGB rights” misses the point, because those sentiments don’t translate into sufficient political power to say that we can blame Black people for DOMA, the lack of progress on ENDA or samesex marriage.
Maggie Gallagher and her followers, for example, have a greater role in my attaining full human rights as a gay person than does the pastor of a predominantly Black church. FRC’s viewpoints and actions concerning my rights to adopt have more pull than any African-American lobbying group.
Kev C
@kayla: Incidents of homophobia can and do occur in any community of any race. It’s most likely to occur in black communities than with lower income whites, southern whites, urban irish catholic and italian whites, all who score high as homophobic. By my estimation and in my experience, about 3 times more homophobic than the second most homophobic groups. And I’m very knowledgable of the subject, unlike you. You’re the one tossing out generalizations of whites without even knowing which are homophobic. Appalachia? Not really. And why? Probably because you’ve never actually experienced homophobia from whites.
kayla
@Kev C: Three times more homophobic…What metric did you use to come to that conclusion?? No, I’ve never encountered homophobia…but then again, I’m not gay…so that might have something to do with it…I am half black, however, and in all honesty…I’ve never encountered real face to face racism either (cowards on the internet don’t count)…but maybe I’m just incapable of detecting such base attitudes…I’m way too busy to care anyways…
Isaac
Kayla and Luxury have added a lot of great points to this conversation. So BET attempts to attack bullying, and we have people who fall back on the cliched criticism of “the black community is homophobic.” Well, whether or not you like BET, at least they’re trying to tackle this issue within this “community.” I really don’t see the point of bringing this up, especially with this article, other than to somehow make yourself feel better that your “community” is not as homophobic as the black community. As others have already mentioned, whether or not the black community is as homophobic as other racial groups really doesn’t mean much unless they have the power to actually affect the civil rights of the gay community. From what I’ve seen, the overwhelming majority of black elected officials with any real power to affect the civil rights of gays have voted in our favor. All except one member of the Congressional Black Caucus voted for the repeal of DODT and President Obama signed the bill into law. If you look at the national level, black elected officials have overwhelmingly supported gay rights, and the black “community” is unlikely to vote these people out of office because of their “homophobia.” Can we say the same for other groups?
tjr101
I have read Kev C’s comments throughout the thread and have yet to see a single link he’s provided to substantiate his points.
How ironic we have this discussion about black homophobia at a time in history when there is a black man in the WH that has done more for LGBT rights than all of his predecessors.
Kev C
@kayla: If you’re not gay, maybe you should listen instead of talking about homophobia, since you obviousy don’t know anything about it.
As yet no one has answered my questions at #27.
jason
You only have to listen to black music to understand how homophobic black culture is. BET is a piece of trash designed to enable homophobic black culture.
CONVERSATION CHAMBER
@afrolito: “LMAO @ the two Jasons struggling to carve out a single identity, yet trapped in one racist body. Dumb and dumber.:)”
Basically. I’m always amused at how awful Jason’s sock-puppetry attempts are. He doesn’t even try to make it seem believable that there might actually be someone else with the same ignorant POV posting in close proximity. Posting racist, misogynist, anti-bisexual rhetoric under the name “Jason,” and following it up with more of the same idiocy ten minutes later; cloaking it under the pseudonym of ‘The Other “Jason”‘ is PURE comedy.
Just because your parents are brother and sister, don’t assume everyone else is as stupid as you are, okay? Your wannabe alter-ego has totally failed you, Corky. Still, a troll is a troll, and even if I have seen better ones, Queerty needs to ban your IP address. If they did, we wouldn’t see “Jason,” “the Other “Jason,” and probably a few other names who’ve posted on this entry.
And to anyone else reading this blog who is named Jason and isn’t a court jester bigot/cunt…please, do not tag your name as “Jason” if you decide to post. It’s a tainted name here.
Isaac
@Kev C:
Isaac
@Kev C: I can’t recall being called faggot and I’ve never been gay bashed. I have had some white people make certain negative assumptions about me and even call me names because I’m black. Do I fault all white people because of that? No. What if I had been gay bashed and the perpetrator had blond hair? Should I go around being nervous around all people with blond hair because I think people with blond hair are more likely to bash me in the future? You see—anecdotal evidence shouldn’t be used to make sweeping generalizations about anyone. I live and work in a multicultural world. I cannot hold prejudices against people of different nationalities, races, or sexual orientations, or else I wouldn’t be able to operate. I make judgments on a case by case basis. There are people of all demographic subsets who are good and bad. If you feel like you have to limit your exposure to people of other nationalities, races, sexualities, etc. because you’ve been hurt in the past by one and you’re generalizing to the whole group, then I feel sorry for you, because you’re missing out on the great perspectives that each group can bring to your life.
Kev C
@Isaac: You’ve never been called a faggot? Are you gay? I was just called a faggot 10 minutes ago by a group of white boys. I’ve been called a faggot 1000’s of times by 1000’s of people in my life. Literally 1000’s of people. Most of them .. about 70% of them .. black. I’ve lived in many places. Visited many places. Met lots of people. But according to someone who has never been called a faggot in their entire fucking life, they think they know a thing about homophobia? Uh huh.
Heather
“Yes, most people are homophobic. It comes from culture and the church, spanning back decades and decades. There. It’s been said.”
Fixed
Isaac
@Kev C: As I said, I don’t recall. I could’ve been called that at some point in the past. If it did happen, it wasn’t eventful enough in my life for me to remember. Yes, I am gay. If this type of thing occurs often, then maybe it would be good for you to try to find to an environment that is more positive and not so toxic. I know that it’s easy for me to say this. I grew up on a farm in Kentucky in a semi-rural area. People are highly religious and, no-doubt many are homophobic. I planned my “escape” at an early age. I now live in Chicago via Boston, in an inclusive environment. I’m out at work and with friends—I’ve taken straight coworkers to gay bars. My relationship with my religious parents, who I am out to, but who aren’t accepting, is at a sort of détente. I have worked in my life to surround myself with supportive people of all nationalities, races, and sexualities. Those individuals who aren’t accepting, I limit contact. To cultivate a supportive environment for oneself is a life-long goal.
The other "Jason"
None of these contributions, unfortunately, take away from the fact that blacks are the most homophobic and uneducated portion of the US. There is a direct correlation there. All the beating around the bush and name-calling on this topic won’t change that.
Dex
The other “Jason,” you are like a 3-legged Jackass; someone needs to put you out of your misery.
Heather
“None of these contributions, unfortunately, take away from the fact that blacks are the most homophobic and uneducated portion of the US.”
Do you have anything to back this besides your own bigoted intuition?
The other "Jason"
@Heather – Did you actually read all the responses here? It has been confirmed by the majority that yes, most blacks are homophobic, and a simple search on statistics between blacks and gay rights would do you good. Be quiet you pointless woman.
@Dex – Whatever. Stop whining.
Heather
@Jason- If the opinion of the majority=fact, than us queers are clearly inferior by all measures…look how the marriage votes have fallen. I shutter to think what other truths this mythical majority will enlighten us too. Maybe the majority should fly my plane or fix my plumbing, since they’re such experts on everything!
Your saying something *twice* doesn’t make it true. Once again, I challenge you to prove that blacks are, per capita, more homophobic than whites. Even aside from distinctions when it comes to considering breadth/depth/gravity of homophobic views held. The Catholic Church and Westboro Baptist alone make for pretty unmatchable adversaries when it comes to size vs. severity of homophobic followers.
Oh, and PS- throwing in an added dose of misogyny by calling me a “pointless woman” doesn’t further your point, unless your point is that you *heart* bigotry!
Isaac
I’d like to think that most people, when confronted with facts and reason, can be swayed from a prejudiced viewpoint. Unfortunately there are some people, no matter how much arguing one does, who will not be swayed from their belief. It’s like a religion to some—one cannot rationalize a prejudiced and judgmental belief. It’s like the racist that will ALWAYS see a minority being less qualified, no matter how much education, experience, or success they have, or the homophobe that will NEVER view a gay relationship as equal to their own. When challenged on it, they lash out at those who attempt to persuade them otherwise. They cloak their irrational views in a harsh judgment of others, becoming overly critical of some groups, while conveniently neglecting to aim the critical lens at their own.
The other "Jason"
@Heather:
Who said anything about the majority being “experts” on anything? These are simply gay individuals who have contributed to this story and have backed up their positions with facts, or have clearly directed the naysayers to look up and research the facts for themselves. But these naysayers, such as yourself, aren’t willing to do that. Instead, you just want to throw tantrums rather than face reality. It’s laughable.
RESEARCH. Blacks as a collective minority continue to vote overwhelmingly against gay rights. There are statistics and reports to back this up. Mainstream black culture promotes homophobia and there are not many positive, inclusive images of GLBT in black culture.
I’ve said all of this and then some. I’m not going to waste my time repeating these things.
And yes, to repeat, be quiet you incredibly pointless woman.
@Isaac:
In post #67, you basically just described your own and the other black’s orientation to this issue on this story. Only a small few blacks actually came forward and admitted that YES, blacks ARE more homophobic collectively than other races/ethnicities. The rest, like you, sit there and try to detract and deflect from the reality of the situation. No one here has given a free pass to whites or any other segment of the community for their homophobia (I for one previously mentioned white homophobia and how white-washed the GLBT movement is), but people like you insist on not even addressing the ills and prejudices of YOUR community. What, is the black community completely off limits and untouchable? PLEASE. None of your bs-ing in post #67 is going to change the fact that blacks are consistently more homophobic and anti-gay than other groups. Deal with it and move on. YOU are the one who is showing bias because you and several others in this thread refuse to accept the reality of the homophobia in your community. Your whole perspective is a joke. You need to work on that.
Isaac
Look, the black “community” has a lot of soul-searching to do with respect to homophobia, lack of education attainment, crime, and a lot of other problems that plague it. I think that high levels of homophobia are due to the high levels of religiosity within the black community. The black church, which used to be a bulwark of civil rights and culture for the black community, has failed to keep up with the times and address the issues such as AIDS and the cohesion of the black family. I think Obama was right when he said that when people are down, they become bitter and cling to “guns or religion.” I think that there are external pressures that have resulted in this malaise as well as internal problems.
My statement in #67 was PURPOSEFULLY made general enough to apply to anyone who simply criticizes rather than offer solutions to problems, including homophobic blacks. Given the attempt that we’re seeing BET make to try to solve this problem within the black community, your criticizing it in this context like telling someone who’s already in rehab that they have a drug problem. I find those that are so quick to disparage the black community within the context of a POSTIVE article suspicious. What is your point in doing this? The fact they they’re addressing bullying demonstrates that they recognize that there is a problem that needs fixing. Is it to make you feel better in some way? Is it to prove that you’re not as messed up as that other guy?
While we’re pointing fingers at one another, I see the black community as a “canary in the coalmine.” Some of the pathologies that are plaguing this community are spreading to others. We may point and criticize right now, but if we don’t address these issues now, we may have to deal with them within other communities later.
Tori
@The other “Jason” You made sense until you start talking about black rage.What the hell is that ? Is it any different than white rage? If so please explain. Also your constant use of black as an insult speaks volumes about you.
LittleBigBoi
The phrase ‘statistically black people are more homophobic” reoccurs in the comments several times. Is this based on a published study? What tangible data is this idea rooted in?
Kev C
@LittleBigBoi: You know when your zipper is down and everyone knows it but nobody tells? And then someone decides to say, hey, your zipper is down. And you check to see realize it is? Same thing.
Curtis
Why is it that a story that is about BET doing a good thing gets turned into “black people are the most homophobic people on earth”.
Isaac
@Curtis: Because we have people who seem to not be able to see beyond their own prejudices to see when people are trying to progress, and recognize it for what it is. They’d rather tear them down and point out their faults rather than congratulate them for trying to do better.
Kev C
@Isaac: What if the KKK held a MLK day parade? Would you congratulate them for trying to do better?
Isaac
@Kev C: So is BET the KKK now, or is it all black people? Do you realize how offensive and just plain silly that comparison is? Here is what I would do–I wouldn’t permanently scorn a person who was an avowed racist, say someone who used to be in the KKK or was a skinhead, but who realized how backward they were being, and decided to disavow their racism and their racist beliefs. If they began to speak out against the person they used to be, I think that person would DESERVE congratulations on evolving out of a life of negativity and regressive behavior.
If you don’t believe that people can change, and support them when and if they do, how do you expect ANYONE to evolve into a better person? Isn’t progress on civil rights for gays, or any oppressed minority, founded on the principle that people can evolve in their biases and prejudices? Isn’t that the reason that we’re asked to come out of the closet–so that if our family, neighbor, or coworker sees someone they know who is gay, that maybe they will change the negative views that they have towards gays? If we can’t and don’t expect people to change their views, then we should give up now, because everything we’ve been fighting for over the years has been pointless.
Kev C
@Isaac: How is the comparison offensive or silly? Is the treatment of blacks at the hands of the KKK any different than the treatment of queers at the hands of blacks? Not from my experiences, and not from my observations of how others like me are treated. The fact that you seem to want to ignore the suffering of gays at the hands of blacks is offensive.
How can a group change for the better when they deny what they’ve done? I don’t see any acknowledgement in these videos at all. How can a group change for the better when they continue hating? The question is hypothetical because the KKK still hate blacks and (most) blacks still hate gays.
Kev C
The -original- question is hypothetical, is what I meant to say.
Tori
@Kev C: You clearly have hang ups with black people. That’s the real issue here.
Kev C
@Tori: Pre-judge much?
Curtis
Yeah Kev C seems to hate black people it’s not even worth arguing with him about.It’s sad is what it is .He must look in the minor and want to kill himself
jason
Black people came with a script which says that prejudice leads to discrimination and enslavement. Therefore, they should know better than to pre-judge others.
If blacks don’t understand the irony of discriminating in a prejudicial manner, they truly don’t deserve civil rights.
Kev C
@Curtis: Here’s what I think. People like Curtis or Afrolito are more concerned about their racial identity than their sexual identity. Would fight to defend their race but not their sexuality. Their connection to their race is more important to them than their connection to their gayness. If they saw a gay being bashed by a black, they’d stick up for the black or even join them in bashing the gay. And they would toss every gay under a bus if they could just be on BET.
SBC19
Here’s what I think. Kev C’s dad should have worn a condom the night he was conceived.
Curtis
Kev C…..I’m both black and gay.I care about both,can you say the same?
Adam
KevC actually does have a point. I’ve noticed this plenty of times with black gays. I was just chatting with a black gay man on MLK day and he was going on and on about how racial equality needs to happen and that he loves all races, and how there’s still so much racism in the world. I then asked him if he believed in gay rights (naturally, as a gay man) and his answer was that he doesn’t support marriage equality or gay adoption, and that he doesn’t identify with or support the gay community. So, he was basically all for racial equality and passionate about it and all that jazz, but he didn’t give two shits about gay equality or the gay community.
Other times, I’ve read blogs written by gay blacks, specifically on reactions to Prop 8 and how blacks voted overwhelmingly in favor of it. And the black gays and lesbians were defending the black community voting that way! It’s unbelievable. So, yes, there is some accuracy to what KevC is saying.
Tori
@Adam: So that automatically means that all black people feel this way?
Kev C
@Curtis: How often are you called the N* word by whites? How often are you threatened or beaten by whites for being black? Is it common? Does it happen often? How often? ]
When gays are treated as well as blacks, then I’ll care.
Jazzy
LOL! Reading these comments is like watching monkeys throw feces at each other and then proceed to proclaim that his/her shit is the better smelling and lists reasons why. It seems to me the only mature person in this is Kayla who doesn’t merely speak only from their photo album of ‘life experience’ nor their high horse of intellectualism.
True, Other Jason provides a truly compelling argument his bias only serves to harm his argument. “Bias you say Other Jason? Why yes…” Other Jason again makes a compelling argument but he believes pointing to factual evidence somehow makes him an authority as evidenced when he took particular delight at deriding Afrolito for his being “right.” Which is also why many posters have accused him of being a bigot and a racist.
This tone of authority along with this delight at being right is very similar behavior to that of a bigot who is “obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.” Granted his opinions are heavily supported but they are still just that… opinions. The accusations of racism come from his laser focus on homophobia in relation to black people only rather than homophobia as a whole. Anyone can take Other Jason’s argument and replace black with latino, since here in the US latino people show very similar views to blacks when it comes to issues regarding homosexuality/bisexuality right down to the large role religion plays in both cultures.
Sure black people tend to be more open when it comes to the things they approve and don’t approve of combined with the fact that history has seen the majority of black people become socially conservative; it is still unfair to confuse a correlation with a causation and say “they are that way because…” and “these are the ‘facts’ that support my argument.”
This is not merely a black vs. white, black vs. gay, or black vs. white & gay issue (as many people see it from both side unfortunately. However keeping with the trend you all started there is at least a few truths:
1) the populace of white people in the US far outweighs the populace of black people in this country and all the other populaces for that matter.
2) white people are in the majority so there will be significantly more white homophobes than homophobes of other races/ethnicity. There will also be more white homo/bisexuals.
Therefore even if all black people in this country were homophobic and voted against all issues dealing with homo/bisexuals the impact would be no greater than a ripple in the ocean when compared to the impact and combined efforts of white homophobes. That’s not to say white homophobes are better or worse, there’s just more of them which is why it is unfair to constantly point the finger at black people just as it would if I pointed the finger at white homophobes.
This finger pointing only serves to accuse black people who aren’t homophobic of being so as well as isolating homo/bisexual black people who fall by the wayside due to this polarization of being a “fag” on one side and a “bigot” on the other. The discussion here shouldn’t be which groups has the most, most historic, most tragic, or most inherent homophobes but rather how can we deal with them using information like Other Jason’s to make it more personal and personable to different groups who though seemingly having the same negative thoughts, don’t view the issue the same way. (And honestly I merely meant to make a comment and got way to involved).
jason
James,
I didn’t say all black people were homophobic. Individually, some black people can be more open-minded and gay-friendly than some white people.
I said black culture is homophobic. This means that the prevailing cultural imperative – ie the forces that compel a group of people towards a belief system or philosophy – pushes black people towards the homophobic end of the spectrum. This is because the most admired institutions within the black community include the church, which is doctrine-based.