Aint that the Truth Ruth : Historic to Contemporary Views of Black Men and Homosexuality

1
Aint that the Truth Ruth! Historic to
Contemporary Views of Black Men and Homosexuality

• McCall, Josh, and Nora
• May 4, 2009

2
ICE BREAKER!!!

• REALLY QUICKLY
• RAISE YOUR HAND AND STATE THE FIRST THING THAT
  COMES INTO YOUR HEAD WHEN WE SAY
• BLACK
• HOMOSEXUAL
• MEN

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What if?

• We said BLACK HOMOSEXUAL MEN?
• What is the response then?

4
Appropriating Blackness

• Given Cleavers credentials, who could compete
  with his black or masculine authenticity?
  According to this logic, criminality, misogyny,
  sexism, and a general hatred of white
  establishment are the tenets of black masculinity
  and black authenticity. (52)

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By Contrast

• The association of homosexuality with disease and
  whiteness stems sponse to it. To the the extent
  that homosexuality is equated with effeminacy or
  the feminine and whiteness with homosexuality,
  and given surprising that Cleavers own admission
  of misogyny (Ive been a rapist), it is not
  surprising that Cleavers invective positions
  James Baldwin and black homosexuals in general as
  self-hating, effeminate pawns of white men.

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Delirious by Eddie Murphy Clip

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vLwj6X9w2nXk

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CLUTCH MY PEARLS!!!!!

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vnWdL9mrYNmQ
• This parody stereotypes all gays as queeny and
  promiscuous addition to perpetuating the myth
  that all gay men are woman haters. (68)

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BREAKING THE MOLD

• It is even more interesting to note that
  Cleavers definition of homosexuality is almost
  always couched in interracialist terms. He
  conflates interracial homosocial envy (i.e. the
  black man wanting what the white man has) with
  homosexual desire, as if to suggest that same-sex
  desire can only occur within an interracial
  context.