Since I’ve been here at Back2Stonewall I’ve discussed the more infrastructural issues like race that continue to stagnate the process of meeting challenges within the LGBT community. I’ve admitted once before and I’ll say again that despite our progress and understanding in regards to race, we still have a ways to go. Yes racism and homophobia exists within ALL communities. We have to talk about it or it won’t change.
And then I stumbled upon this. An article about writer Colin Flaherty and his new written series White Girl Bleed a Lot: The return of racial violence to America and how the media ignore it. You can already tell from the title that Flaherty wanted to be controversial, Was it to incite thought? No, because he seems to egocentric and pretentious to exude a possible point. Flaherty asserts that there’s an epidemic of “black mobs” causing destruction and violence within the gay community as well as the Jewish and Asian Communities. Flaherty continues saying that this goes unnoticed within the community/media and that overall, the media and community is turning a blind eye to it:
“Black antipathy toward gay people featured in the work of the most popular black hip hop performers.”
“after my article appeared, a lot of people pointed out that many of the gay victims of black mob violence are black.”
And even more jarring statements, where he even admits that such gregarious conclusions in which the majority of these “black mobs” are attacking other African Americans who are gay, he then says he doesn’t provide justifications of his opinion:
“I don’t do the ‘because.’ That would require mind reading. Or it would require the predators to issue a press release or carry signs that say they hate gay people, But isn’t it strange that for all the hundreds of universities that have professors and students of black history and gay studies, that almost none of them write about it? Ten years ago, they could have gotten away with saying ‘this is not true.’ But today, with YouTube and Google, the truth is easy to find; the dots are easy to connect. What is not easy is finding people with the courage to do it.”
I’m not questioning whether these incidents happened but I am questioning what these incidents mean. Quite honestly, not much angers me or frustrates me more than willful ignorance and this “book” is the epitome of that. I’m disgusted that this man is a so-called winning journalist when he just reeks of douchebag and makes such UNFOUNDED and INCORRECT information. Flaherty fails at this intent to incite such outrage from thee public because he says he’s reporting of crimes against LGBT while damning the entire African American community and to me, comes off as a racist.
As a multiracial gay man I know we have so much to do and discuss. We have so many more milestones to reach and challenges to face within the community. But this counterproductive, insulting, and vilifying has to stop and be called out. Communication is needed to foster change and siting differences we observe that prevent that. But all Flaherty seems to do is stereotype an entire group with murky scenarios of mobs, clearly missing his own prejudices.
This Us vs Them mentality does more damages to our fight for equality than those that oppose us. To make such irresponsible claims that stereotypes and stigmatizes a community that witnesses and experiences the same type of disparity is a disgrace. Flaherty even admitted when confronted about the unstable justification he provides. Look, I will always welcome debate no matter how differing we are in opinion to each other. But not this. This kind of generalizations is absolute bullshit.
So rather than admit to the problem so we can try to do something about it, you’d rather pretend that it doesn’t exist and ignore it.
You know, sticking your head in the sand doesn’t make things go away, and because you go to some ivory tower school and stick to your cloistered neighborhood you believe if you don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Or if it’s not politically correct, it doesn’t exist.
Blacks are the most sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent group in America today. But people like you like to call it racist when someone brings up the facts.
Banner, either you’re trolling or you truly believe what you’re saying and quite honestly I don’t know which one is worse. Who said anything about ignoring the problem? The sad thing is that Flaherty (nor you) could provide any satiable proof on the matter. Just more blanket hate filled asinine rhetoric also known as bullshit. Ironically, what’s even more sad is that you don’t even appear to realize how racist your anger fueled rant comes off. Further, you don’t even provide any in-depth thought of causation or prevention of this perceived issue. And I’m gay too so does this mean that my African American half hates my gay side? I don’t think so. No, I more than think, I know it isn’t true. What a paradox we’ve seemed to have stumbled upon. Nope, it’s not that, this is just plain ignorance. But I’m a fair guy so please enlighten me on this because I’m intrigued. Show me this data/research/reports in support of your disposition. Can’t find any? Or better yet find the data/research that shows any race is homophobic or that any race can be racist and try to construe it to prove you right… is that the plan? I hope whatever anger you have that some day you get insight than the entire race you just stereotyped.
So, Sly: If a black mob attacks you and beats the shit out of you is it because YOU are black or YOU are gay? Or is it because of both? Does it matter? Why? There is no question that black youth is infected with the disease of hatred and violence. Do you see any mobs of Swedish-American teens attacking anyone? First let’s deal with facts, and then we can deal with causation. By the way, I am a white guy in a 20 year relationship with a black guy. There are areas of town we will not go together. They are not “white” areas. By the way, my partner is 6′ 8″ tall, weighs 240 lb, and neither of is is effeminate by any stretch of the imagination.
What the hell even is this comment? You think just because you announce that you’re dating an African American it negates my point. You having an African American partner does not buy you a golden ticket out of having racist and stereotyping ideology. Sorry but no, it doesn’t. And despite that, it sounds more like you have your own biases about this issue than you are willing to admit because you still haven’t provided any information on this “black mob” that’s targeting only gay men. And we’re not talking about Sweden, London, or anywhere else but here in America.
Who you gonna believe? Sly, or your lyin eyes? I was on a bus in Oakland once when a Black man told a gay white man not to sit next to him. He then proceeded to threaten and berate him in the foulest of language. Mind you, this black man was not homeless, nor a substance abuser, nor mentally ill, just a hater of gays. Being a daily user of public transit, I have seen (and been) the victim of dozens of racist incidents, all but 3 of them perpetrated by blacks against whites and asians. That is if you count black girls screaming “You speak english bitch? Then say excuse me!” in 90 year old chinese ladies’ faces or black teen males telling all the chinese people on the bus that they smell like dogs “Cuz y’all eat dogs”, or, must be related “Cuz y’all look alike,” to be racist. Their second favorite words are “faggot ass” which probably means the same as their first favorites “bitch ass.” I am pretty sure they mean “gay” and not in an admiring way. Either way, Sly, sir, you must not get out much or you are oblivious. I have a friend who was oblivious when she rode the bus, she would totally miss fights that would happen a few feet away from her. She thought this crazy woman on the bus, a beautiful, but evil, black homophobe who would imitate and mock her gay male co-workers, whom she despised, on the bus for us all to enjoy, was a nice lady. Other people would not even get on a bus this woman was on. Maybe you are like my friend.
I’m sorry that you’ve had bad experiences but other than that, your argument is really ignorant and lacks clarity to what point you failed to make. More importantly, it is pretty obvious that from this description you just gave you have some prejudice of your own, especially when you refer to my own experiences as inaccurate. Plus your verbiage is so angry and quite frankly vile. Any kind of discrimination is wrong but damning an entire race as homophobic is just as problematic.
I hate to criticise you on your usage of the english language, but it is you who are “pretentious,” as in using “big” words to try and sound more learned than you are. The way you use pretentious to describe mr flaherty is not a correct usage of the word. He is not pointing out black on gay attacks to make himself look smarter or better than he is. As for my supposedly using “vile verbiage” I was quoting some black people verbatum. That makes them guilty of vileness, not I. Saying that some blacks are racist or homophobic is not racist or homophobic. As for being “ignorant” ?? Ignorant of what exactly? Of the behavior of inner-city blacks on public streets, in schools and on public transit? I has me suspicions I know wayyyy…. more about it than you. I was going to Oakland schools when you were just a twinkle in your father’s eyes. In any case, You go on ahead and say what you want in reply to me, I will not be visiting your blog again. Calling people racist and ignorant and immediately dismissing everything they say does not an argument win. The game is not worth the candle
You obviously don’ t understand the distinctions between actual real life actions and other people reporting on those actions. Merely noticing (even if it is screaming, spitting and punching you in your face) bad behavior on the part of some blacks, homophobic, racist, or otherwise, is not allowed in Sly’s world. It’s racist, or somehow, in your bizarre view, ignorant. Well, you can’t change facts by parsing words. As for harboring prejudices, let us be honest, who does not?
I would laugh at this comment if it weren’t so painfully lacking in substance. And big words? Pretentious and verbiage are big words? Sure it is for someone in the 8th grade that may be the case but we’re all adults here. I know why you’re so upset, because I didn’t find that your argument was valid in the first comment (I feel the same way about the second one by the way). You see, both you and Flaherty pointed out accounts of homophobia but both you and Flaherty have failed to provide, real accounts of these “black mobs” and even Flaherty himself admits that he ignored that fact pf said mobs questioned. And I love how now you’re saying “some blacks” as opposed to your first comment that implied all African Americans that way. That act alone proves how harrowing a generalization about any group, regardless or race, gender, sexuality, or any other quantifier stagnate any productive discussion of varying issues.
Here’s a black mob on gay beating for you. Poor guy.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-beating-20121227,0,5920128.story
Here is another, the internet is rife with them, just check out ‘World Star Hip Hop’ or youtube. You mad bro? http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/02/06/no-faots-in-jack-city-alleged-atlanta-street-gang-records-savage-hate-crime
“You mad bro”…really? You use a disparaging phrase derived from racial insensitivity and can’t see how I come to the conclusion that you have nothing substantially worthwhile to say? Sounds like you’re the one who’s mad. And you still didn’t prove anything. Normally I’d say keep trying but what’s the point in that? You invalidated any claim you could make with the “bro” comment. And let me guess what the response is that you’re formulating while reading the previous sentence, it probably has some other racially insensitive jargon or a rebuttal about me using my race to get a heads up on the debate. There I saved both you and me some of our precious time. Have a good life.