Sexuality in The Black Community: Literature Review

Sexuality and gender identity have been controversial and pressing topics for many

decades. With social media and more awareness in general, more conversations are being

brought forward about these topics. When discussing sexuality, mental health, race, or gender

identity, it is helpful to remember that cultural variations are essential, as different groups have

different mindsets and beliefs about certain things; this can apply in the Black community

regarding sexuality and gender identity. Homophobia is rampant everywhere, but some argue

that it is more acceptable to be white or mixed race and gay than it is to be black and gay

(Couzens, 2017). In the black community, there are certain things that are seen as normal and

abnormal, homosexuality or queerness is seen as one of those abnormalities. Many individuals in

the black community are religious and adopt religious viewpoints that they believe allow them to

condemn homosexuality. When arguing against homosexuality, it is presented as something that

is “unnatural,” and something “only white people do.” These mindsets leave way for an

abundance of homophobia in the Black community and negativity impacts the targeted

individuals affecting their identities or the way they perceive themselves.

Homophobia refers to the range of negative attitudes towards people who identify or are

perceived as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. In the article “It’s Just More Acceptable To Be White or

Mixed Race and Gay Than Black and Gay”: The Perceptions and Experiences of Homophobia in

St. Lucia” explores the intolerance of homophobia against LGBT people in St. Lucia.

Homophobia and its negative message can spread in a variety of ways and is typically the result

of being uneducated. There have been studies done in Jamacia that have linked the intensity of

homophobia to the instilled knowledge of sexuality during the times of British colonial rule

(Careaga, 2011). With this, education is an effective way to move away from the outdated

viewpoints on sexuality. This is consistent with the already documented association between the

lack of understanding of gender and sexual minorities and the intolerance against them (Klesse,

2016).

The stature that sexuality has among black people is very negative. Through generational

trauma and the development of society, it can be said that it is feared in the black community. To

analyze and assist with the understanding of the topic, the following theories can be identified.

The social climate theory is the “personality” of a space. This space is a family’s household, a

classroom, a workplace, or even just a group of people. Every single one of those settings has a

climate to it, an atmosphere. The way that things are manipulated and or function in these spaces

determines what type of environment is present. Some may be comforting and freeing, but some

may be suffocating and negative.

A black household would typically look to masculinity in the man and nothing else. The

man is supposed to provide and be the protector of the household and the women is supposed to

be om the back end of the children and foundation. A lot of black men find discomfort and harm

in balancing their feminine and masculine energy because it poses the questioning of their

sexuality. To give an example, imagine said black household with a heteronormative family but

the son is homosexual. He may present more feminine qualities than an “average man” does and

the disdain of this is clearly displayed from the Father. Sayings like “Man up”, and “Stop being

such a girl” are always thrown at around the house. This makes space hostile at times and that

same energy is hidden as well, as there would be left unsaid and ignored but a clear issue was

presented with nonverbal cues. Only the individuals in this household know their perceptions of

each person.

As has been seen, homophobia is a prime component of the black community. This leads

to the fact that sexuality in the black community is looked down upon or feared. Studies and

research show how you are met with more disadvantages when you are a black man who

identifies as a homosexual. Black people have been geared to “try” and not be gay or bisexual.

Fueled specifically by slavery, gender roles, and a rampant heteronormative society. A

combination of historical, cultural, and socioeconomic issues has historically made Black males

fearful of and avoidant of talking about sexuality. Black men’s perceptions of sexuality have

been permanently shaped by the degrading legacy of slavery, which turned Black people into

nothing more than objects. Deeply rooted prejudices and preconceptions that have been

cultivated by this history continue to shape how Black men’s sexual expression is viewed and

dealt with in modern society. Further escalating the dread and avoidance is the combination of

racism and homophobia, which has frequently resulted in a culture of silence and denial

regarding non-heteronormative sexual orientations among Black men.