PRIDE AND PREJUDICE



Homosexuality is a taboo subject for many black people 

 IT’s A WARM, summer evening on the common. The time is nearing 10.00pm. The park and the surrounding area are quiet and serene apart from a small patch - situated close to a disused public lavatory - where gay men, young and old furtively eye each other. Using hand signals and appropriate body language, each recognises want the other desires - physical intimacy or voyeuristic pleasure. Few words are ever spoken.

Many of the men ‘cruising’ this unassuming spot on Clapham Common, south London, come from a society and culture which regards homosexuality as an ‘abomination’ - the Afro-Caribbean community.

A regular visitor to the weekly nocturnal gathering in the park is Andy. Intelligent, handsome, black and queer, Andy knows first-hand the prejudices towards gays that are still prevalent within the black community.

Andy said: "My parents would never understand or accept me if I told them that I was gay. My father is a traditional church-going Jamaican, and I know he would never speak to me again if I told him about my sexuality."

Andy, 36, confessed that in his early twenties he thought seriously of committing suicide because of the fear of coming out to his family. "Being gay was a major part in why I nearly took my life. Looking back now it was silly. But at the time there was no one I could confide in or trust," he says.

"The mentality of a Afro-Caribbean family is so narrow-minded. If you are gay, you do not want them to find out. But you can't hide it forever as the most insignificant thing can give you away."

Andy had confided in his sister. "She was very understanding and supportive, but she advised me not to tell anyone else in the family," he said.

Unfortunately, the attitude experienced by Andy is not unusual according to the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK's leading HIV and Aids charity.

Simon Nelson, a development officer at the Trust said: "Homophobia in the wider black community is very common. There is a strong belief that black people can't be gay, but there are as many black men and women who have relationships with people of the same sex as there are in any other race or community."

Nelson highlighted the fact that black gay people frequently feel isolated and unable to talk about their sexuality, and are forced by their fears about acceptance to adopt an outwardly ‘straight’ lifestyle.

"Most of the men I try and reach are married or have girlfriends. Because of homophobia among black families, these guys would never openly identify with being gay," Nelson said.

Black and gay himself, Nelson believes that these men face explicit or more subtle homophobia in all parts of their communities, particular in black churches. He claims that the older generations of Caribbeans would take a ‘Victorian’ attitude towards sexuality, passed down through the inherited social conservatism of the Caribbean.

"The most worrying aspect, is that over a last few years a lot of homophobia in Britain is coming from young black men", says Nelson. "There is black music with homophobic lyrics. And because it isn't challenged they think it gives them the right to be homophobic."

The leading gay rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell is also been concerned about homophobic lyrics in black music. Some of the lyrics have advocated shooting and burning of gay people. He regards this as double standards.

Tatchell said: "Imagine the outcry if gay singer Elton John release a record urging the lynching of black people. But when black artists call for the extermination of gays, they get away with it."

He argues that the lyrics may not create homophobic prejudice and violence, but they validate and inflame it. "It gives a green light to bigotry. It makes disordered, maladjusted young straight men feel OK about physically venting their rage against lesbian and gay people," says Tatchell.

Well-known gay black men will not come out for fear of being ostracised. This he says, combined with the failure of black leaders to speak out on the subject has given free rein to anti-gay bigotry in many sections of the black community.

The whole premise that homophobia is rampant in the black community is contested by Ted Brown, the chairman of the Black Lesbians and Gays Against Media Homophobia.

"There maybe homophobia among certain sections of the community, although it is not necessarily broad based," he said.

Brown believes that homophobia is no worse than in any other community. He said: "I am sure if you went to predominately white communities up and down the country, the same level of homophobia would exist."

Brown felt that there was a more sinister explanation in why black people have been viewed as reactionaries when it comes to homosexuality. "This label of homophobia is an excuse for organisations not to deal with black communities and thus marginalizing an already disadvantaged community," he says.

Alison Harris, a spokesperson from Stonewall, a pressure group that campaigns for improved rights for lesbian and gay people echoed his view.

She said: "The whole issue of homophobia within ethnic communities has been exaggerated. There has been no research undertaken to indicate the levels of homophobia within those communities. All the information people receive is anecdotal.

"But if you examine for instance the significant problem of homophobic bullying within secondary schools, it's a problem in schools across the board and in every region of the country and not only in areas of high ethnic density."

Despite this there is one institution that plays a significant role in creating and cementing conservative black opinion - the black church.

The growing influence of black churches can be gauged by the congregations that have grown continually for the last 30 years. Over half of churchgoers in London are black.

The church's attitude towards homosexuality is uncompromising. They believe it is against the bible. Reverend Katei Kirby, the general director of the Afro-Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, defended the church's position, she said: "We are not against gay people per se and it is not about colour or ethnicity. Our attitude towards homosexuality is based on solely on scripture."

Reverend Kirby denied that there was any virulent homophobia emanating from black pulpits. "Because preachers speak robustly against homosexuality does not mean that the church should be seen as fundamentalist or uncompassionate. We are not opposed to gay people but to their behavioural choices," she said.

Mostly parishioners greet the views espoused by black churches with enthusiasm. But according to Marjorie Smith, a health promotion officer, the church's stance has been one of the factors in hindering the progress of HIV and Aids work within the black community.

Smith says that the long-term impact of persistent homophobia has been to stifle sexual health promotion and outreach work within the community, as black men remain afraid to come out.

"If we are going to deal with HIV and Aids then we have to talk realistically about the routes of transmission. The sad thing is no one in the community is talking about it. It's as if black people are in total denial," Smith said.

Andy would concur with the notion that there is a culture of denial gripping Black Britain when it comes to homosexuality. However, he is optimistic about the future.

"With so many openly gay black men I believe sooner rather than later, black preachers, politicians, celebrities and others concerned with the general health and well-being of our community will be forced to finally confront this taboo subject," Andy said.

Of his own future in deciding whether to come out to his family, he was more cautious. He said: "I can see a time when I will be out with them, but I don't think it will be an active process, like me going to them and telling them that I'm gay. They will probably hear it or find out in some way if they haven't already. I don't think I will ever feel ready to tell them."

Book Review: RUNNING WITH FIRE - The true story of Harold Abrahams by Mark Ryan

The more you delve into this meticulously researched and immensely well-crafted biography of Britain’s first 100m Olympic champion, you feel that the author Mark Ryan has successfully encapsulated the depth and complexity of a man driven by self-doubt and contradictions on and off the athletics track.

Most would be aware of the 1981 Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire, which depicts Harold Abrahams’ exploits at the 1924 Olympics and his relationship with fellow athlete Eric Liddell.

The film is a largely faithful portrayal of both men and their contrasting sporting philosophies. For Liddell, a Scot and devout Christian, racing was a celebration of the ability God had given him. He would honour God by running as fast he could.

For Abrahams, it was not God but the fear of failure that was behind his relentless pursuit for perfection. Contentiously, for that era, he employed a professional coach. Many felt that this was against the ‘Corinthian’ ethos of amateur sports. However, Ryan argues that this simply exemplified how ambitious and focused Abrahams was in his yearning for Olympic glory.

Born in February 1900 to Jewish parents, his faith would always play an integral part in his life. Abrahams endured anti-Semitism both at school and University.

Ryan believes that Abrahams did not suffer extensively from discrimination, but what Abrahams skilfully did was to turn any apparent slight to his advantage. If he needed anger, the fire in him to run, he would call upon any perceived anti-Semitism. He employed this mechanism in his head to win races including the Olympic final in Paris.

Abrahams’ success was all the more remarkable, due to his mental frailty that plagued him throughout his life. The source of his anxiety was his fear of marriage. Abrahams had to undergo psychotherapy before he was able to marry his fiancé, singer, Sybil Evers.

On his retirement from athletics, Abrahams became an influential administrator, broadcaster and journalist. He modernised athletic rules and practices, fought tirelessly to promote women’s athletics and led an unremitting campaign to increase BBC coverage of the sport. Ryan maintains that without Abrahams’ zeal, athletics would not be as popular as it is today.

Although an innovator as an athlete, who hired himself a professional coach, Abrahams was surprisingly opposed to any sort of professionalism within athletics. As one disgruntled coach said of him: “He was a poacher turned gamekeeper.”

The book details Abrahams’ role in assisting Roger Bannister to break the 4-minute mile. Abrahams was one of the timekeepers when Bannister ran the historic race in May 1954.

The author also exposes the way Abrahams was abysmally treated by the BBC who refused to send him to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Being a Jew they were concerned this would offend the Nazis. Abrahams went independently and returned with his journalistic reputation enhanced.

Mark Ryan’s enthralling and eloquent insight into a man who literally gave his body, mind and soul to the advancement of British athletics is a genuine must read for any sporting devotee.

FIRE IN BABYLON - Director Stevan Riley - Film Review

 
As a West Indian growing up in 80’s inner city London it was a turbulent time. It was the Thatcher era of police harassment, racial abuse on football terraces and slim job prospects if you were black.

One shining light from this misery was the fact that as West Indians we took great comfort knowing that our team reigned supreme at cricket. As immigrants we may not had the capacity to overcome our colonial masters but we took enormous pride that stars like Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Malcolm Marshall were able to do so on our behalf.

Stevan Riley’s Fire in Babylon delves into the beginnings of this supremacy and illustrates the far-reaching social and political consequences it had beyond the sport.

The documentary, via evocative match footage and charismatic narration by former players, shows a team transformed from being labelled as happy-go lucky cricketers into a side that ruthlessly ruled cricket for 15 years (1980-1995).

The catalyst was the West Indies’ humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia’s fast-bowling attack in 1975. With the side demoralised, captain Clive Lloyd took the radical step of using a four-man pace attack designed to fight fire with fire - with stunning results.

What Steven Riley’s does so well is the ease that he moves his film from being merely a sporting documentary into a commentary on the time, the people, the region of the West Indies and the political and racially charged atmosphere of the world that watched cricket.

The insight of stars of that generation revealed the racial abuse and vitriol they suffered in Australian from both spectators and opposition.

Touring England, players knew they were representing Caribbean immigrants whose only respite from their day-to-day struggles was seeing their cricketing brethren humiliate the ‘Mother Country’.

Riley’s engaging documentary moves at pace with an eclectic mix of Caribbean music, which provides the perfect accompaniment.

For me it is a nostalgic look into a period when West Indies was cricketing gods at a time of immense social and political upheaval.

This uplifting film will undoubtedly appeal to a non-cricketing audience. You may hate cricket but you’ll love Fire in Babylon.

Is It Time To Implement The Rooney Rule In British Football?

Chris Powell Manager of Charlton Athletic

As one surveys the English Football League what becomes painfully obvious is the chronic absence of black managers within the top four divisions.

Norwich City’s Chris Hughton, Charlton Athletic’s Chris Powell and Paul Ince at Blackpool are the exception, across all 92 professional clubs. In the light that 25 per cent of the English game’s 4,500 professional players are from ethnic minorities, it makes grim statistics, if you are a retired black player contemplating a career in football management.

There has been much naval gazing about whether English Football should adopt the Rooney Rule to remedy this imbalance. This concept, pioneered across the Atlantic in American National Football League (NFL), compels teams in the NFL to interview at least one black or ethnic minority for head coach positions within the game. It’s no surprise to many that since the Rooney Rule was established in 2003 - the number of black coaches within the NFL has more than doubled.

I am sure it is not beyond the wit of the FA and the Football League to adopt a similar approach tailored to fit our national sport. Critics may say this is positive discrimination or see it as mere tokenism.

However, if this doctrine were implemented, it would only guarantee an interview – an opportunity to pitch for a job. The added bonus would be that it would broaden the thought-processes of chairmen and owners of football clubs to look beyond the same old faces who are on the managerial merry-go-round. It’s about time that we shatter this cartel and open up managerial opportunities for all rather than the chosen few.

It is early days yet in the fledgling careers of Hughton, Powell and Ince. But what they have displayed in their short tenures as football managers, is that appointing a young, keen, qualified black manager is no more of a risk to a football club than hiring the same managerial type from the same gene pool that the club got the last manager from.

Dogged Darren Sets His Sights High



Moore Determined Defender

Like many in professional football retired defender Darren Moore is shocked at the lack of black managers in the game.

However, like his no-nonsense bullish defending he's determined to reverse the trend in his long-standing desire to become a football manager himself.

The shortage of black managers in the game has been well documented, with at present only Norwich City Manager Chris Hughton, Chris Powell at Charlton and Paul Ince of Blackpool in top positions within the professional leagues.

Moore, who former clubs include Derby, Wolves and Blackburn Rovers, concedes that these types of statistics are a cause for concern but nevertheless would not deter him from pursuing a career in management.

He said: "I am trying to go about it the right way by gaining my coaching qualifications. But it is important people look at the fact that in our British game about 25% of all players are from a black and ethnic minority background. Although 21% of black coaches are currently holders of the UEFA A Licence, there are only 2% of black managers that are in first-team management roles in our professional game that is alarming.

"Players are going through their playing careers undertaking coaching and management courses and when they come out the other side and apply for these jobs for whatever reason many are not getting the positions.

"It could be they are not good enough, so let's not take that out of the equation. It could be a whole host of different avenues to look at, let's not just look at it and say it's just about race but at the same time you have to probably add that in there as well.

"All I can do is go down the rightful measures and undertake my coaching badges because I can do something - obtain that licence and qualification - to try to minimise somebody not wanting to give me the job."

Moore who retired from the game earlier this year after a successful career spanning almost 20 years, knows of former players like himself who have turned their back on a career in management or coaching as they perceived that their race was denying them opportunities. But he is hopeful that he will not experience such discrimination.

"There are a lot more people who are more high profile than myself that have been discouraged. For them to say they have been discouraged is worrying for me and if that is the case then I'm pretty saddened by it," the 39-year-old said.

In American football the 'Rooney Rule' was introduce to ensure minority candidates have more of an opportunity to land NFL coaching roles. Under the scheme, NFL clubs must shortlist at least one minority candidate when appointing a coach and the former Jamaican international sees no reason why English clubs should not adhere to a similar rule.

Moore says: "It can only help to promote equality within the game, because we have seen it being successful in America and we have seen the inclusion of so many black and ethnic managers in American football. I think certainly, why not look at something like that for our game to ensure everybody has got that equal opportunity to succeed?"

Having been such an inspirational leader during his career, making 600 appearances for eight clubs and being in the select few who have played in all four divisions in England, Moore is determined to do the same off the field. The active anti-racism campaigner is hoping to inspire a new wave of black and minority coaches to fulfil their ambitions of becoming managers.