When my Mother said, "the blacks are taking over the town" and "we'd go to that park except the blacks are there" and "Grandma's hearing aid was stolen. One of the nurses is black" I didn't buy into it. I didn't think less of any of the people she was talking about. I thought she's judging people she knows nothing about. She's refusing to look at her own prejudices and I don't want to be like that. I looked at how I was raised, evaluated what influences were present, and decided what I want to carry with me into the future.
When I tell someone I'm gay and I was made that way by my Creator I
expect them to believe me. Maya Angelou said, "When someone tells you
who they are, believe them."
Knowing what it's like to be called a liar and judged arbitrarily for being gay by someone who doesn't know me, I decided I don't want to make the same mistake. So when someone tells me what it's like to be black in America and that white people are largely the cause of it, I believe them.
And that has nothing to do with how I was raised.
My friend Beverly added this very thoughtful comment:
While there have been change and enlightenment, unfortunately, LaPorsha's POV is too common amongst Black Americans. And, possibly, she's more "liberal" than most. And the holding on to these regressive ideas about homosexuality are harming the Black American community in very real ways. This inability to acknowledge the reality of homosexuality as an authentic, inseparable self that deserves understanding and respect is fueling the HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst all Black Americans (gay, straight, or other).
Living on the down low out if fear and ignorance is killing the community body and soul.
Knowing what it's like to be called a liar and judged arbitrarily for being gay by someone who doesn't know me, I decided I don't want to make the same mistake. So when someone tells me what it's like to be black in America and that white people are largely the cause of it, I believe them.
And that has nothing to do with how I was raised.
My friend Beverly added this very thoughtful comment:
While there have been change and enlightenment, unfortunately, LaPorsha's POV is too common amongst Black Americans. And, possibly, she's more "liberal" than most. And the holding on to these regressive ideas about homosexuality are harming the Black American community in very real ways. This inability to acknowledge the reality of homosexuality as an authentic, inseparable self that deserves understanding and respect is fueling the HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst all Black Americans (gay, straight, or other).
Living on the down low out if fear and ignorance is killing the community body and soul.
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