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."