America's First Transgender Student Prom Queen is Latino [VIDEO]

National Black Church Initiative Not Happy Wiith POTUS Over Gay Marriage [VIDEO]

This story is kinda old, but with the hoopla over gay marriage in New York coupled with the fact that I'm a bit under the weather with my eyes again. I figured throw this out there because I could imagine just how many Black church organizations out there are actively working against legislation in New York and pretty much everywhere else it pops up. As you folks know, I don't like the marriage of religion and politics. So with that said, lemme just say that I think this particular organization needs to go fuck themselves.

Obama 2012... BITCHES!

When Life Gives You Lemon(s): The Gay Man's Burden (OMG... Don Lemon is Gay!)

By: Johnathan Fields

Yesterday, the New York Times published an article about CNN newsanchor Don Lemon's memoir Transparent in which he publicly declares his sexuality. As many on Twitter--and various social media sites--went wild, blasting Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out," I couldn't help but feel unease at some of the responses to Lemon's bold move.

Judging by some of the commentary you can see on these sites, we, yet again, have a case of the tragic gay hero. By no means do I want to suggest that Brother Lemon's coming out does not mean anything significant for queers. I think his point about the visibility for questioning and queer youth is powerful in and of itself. He states, “I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn’t have taken me 45 years to say it...to walk in the truth.” I think many of us can agree this is something to be said about seeing a leader who we see pieces of ourselves reflected in.


However, there are some questions I have: why is it always the responsibility of queers to come out and acknowledge their sexuality? It would seem this is done to reinforce the comfort and normativity of heterosexuals. I do not hear any heterosexual celebrities stepping out with their lovers. It is assumed they are heterosexual until they can otherwise be dubbed "other." Expecting gay men to come out does nothing to challenge heterosexism. If we want to keep our sexual partners private, why can't we?

Many of the comments on Twitter expressed great sadness that Don Lemon was, in fact, gay. These comments were primarily made by women who, I assume, find Lemon to be attractive. When a man, woman, or trans-person, "comes out", there is absolutely nothing to be sad about. You should not be sad because you "don't have a chance now", because you'll "never have grandkids," or whatever other pity party you choose to throw upon the situation to make it about you and your motives.

Forgive me for not being more compassionate in my response to your tragic view of homosexuality. As a gay man who has spent years battling my own internalized homophobia due to many of the reactions I received from family, friends, and outsiders who reinforced my sexuality as some disease that I now live with, I don't show much compassion for those who don't challenge their own homophobic rhetoric when someone "comes out." People who do not "embrace" heterosexuality are not tragic. We are not dispensable. It is not acceptable for you to find a man attractive until you realize he's gay then move along to the next news anchor whose sexuality is still up for grabs. If you're that damn thirsty, get a Gatorade.

Back To Black: Revisiting the Interracial Sexual Politics of Gay Men

By: Johnathan Fields

It hasn't been long since I wrote a piece on the interracial sexual politics of gay male communities. Still, some of the responses I received let me know this is an ongoing conversation that needs to take place.

In talking with some folks, it seems some have internalized the pain (and racism) they've experienced in interracial exchanges. Whenever I try to talk about interraciality, it strikes me as odd that the conversation always seems to steer towards white/Black relationships. By that I mean, when the topic of interracial relationships comes up, people easily pull a white/Black model out of their mental rolodex.

Why is it when we say interracial dating, people take that to mean a white/Black relationship? Is a Latino/Asian or a white/Latino relationship not interracial? Yes, of course. Or perhaps the relationship in question has a member who is Brazilian and Polish and the other is Irish? So what is it? Is it me? Is it because the folks I talk to see my white skin and try to make it relative to me since I ask the question? Is it because they assume the white supremacy of racism only affects white people? As I continue trying to uncover the pain that surrounds interracial exchanges, I can't help but wonder what it is about the white/Black dichotomy of gay male circles that keep us stuck. My thoughts forced me to tap into my own pain.

Some of my exchanges with Black men have shown me precisely how broken this white/Black interracial space can be. From some of the things being said in supposedly intimate spaces to the dehumanizing ways we interact with one another, our internalized pain needs to be dealt with. Given my own particular background and experiences, I feel it's important to go back to my experiences in dating Black men.

I've listened as white, Latino and Asian men have given their commentary whenever they suspect I've begun dating a Black man. Some acquaintances have felt comfortable enough to begin introducing me to their friends--"This is John. He dates Black men"--highlighting how the latter somehow informs the former. These same Latino and Asian men celebrate the white men they've dated while glorifying their own internalized racial oppression. At one point I asked a former friend who identified as Latino, "You do realize you date interracially, right?" His response was a declarative no and seemed to suggest he saw himself as white.