My term
project will explore the intersection of race, sexuality, and masculinity among
young gay men of color (specifically Blacks and Latinos living in urban
areas). It is imperative to highlight
the struggles of these men because gay men of color suffer in silence due to
their invisibility in a white patriarchal society. Moreover, the white gay community is
overwhelmingly represented while the Blacktino gay community is
underrepresented not only in mainstream media but also within gay-generated
culture as well. As a gay man of color,
I feel very strongly about this topic because it is essentially
autobiographical; my experiences growing up and the need for men like me to
talk about our issues are the fuel behind this project.
The
working title of this short documentary is growing
pains (the other side of the rainbow), and it will highlight the
experiences of several different gay men of color. Jason, a gay Chicano from
Los Angeles, CA; Matthew, a genderqueer Latino from Weehawken, NJ; Karron, an
African-American gay male currently living in Providence, Rhode Island will be
the primary focus of the documentary. In addition to them, several other males
will be speaking about their experiences (including myself).
The main
inspirations for this documentary was a collection of poems by Essex Hemphill
entitled Ceremonies, an anthology
called For Colored Boys Who Have
Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Still Isn’t Enough, and the independent
documentary Paris is Burning. Hemphill is the voice of every gay boy from
the hood who’s ever dreamt of flying; his poetry is naked, raw, and honest and
unabashedly proud in it’s message of Black gay power. Boykin’s anthology tells the stories of
dozens of gay men who have been scarred by rape, religion, and repression. Lastly,
Paris is Burning is a living memory
of the ball scene of the late 80s and early 90s where gay men of color lived
out fairy tales for a night. These are all important aspects of gay culture
unique to gay people of color that have contributed to the mainstream mosaic of
American media.
The crux
of this documentary is to empower gay men of color to speak out about their
lives, to advance in the identity and expression of the urban gay experience,
and to demonstrate the lack of representation in the media. Although catered to
gay men of color, this documentary will be educate people of all creeds and
colors on what it truly means to live as a gay person of color.
Some References
1. Boykin, Keith. For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough: Coming of Age, Coming Out, and Coming Home. New York, NY: Magnus, 2012. Print.
2. Paris Is Burning. Prod. Jennie Livingston, Barry Swimar, Claire
Goodman, Meg McLagan, Nigel Finch, and Davis Lacy. Dir. Jennie
Livingston. By Jonathan Oppenheim, Paul Gibson, Maryse Alberti, and
Stacia Thompson. [Prestige], 1990.
3. Hemphill, Essex. Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men. Boston: Alyson Publications, 1991. Print.
4. Hemphill, Essex. Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry. New York: Plume, 1992. Print.
Great topic. Just a thought - I think it would be interesting to look at homosexuality in the latino/black community and compare it to how people look at sexuality within the latino/black community in general. You could leverage terms like "welfare queen" and text around terms of that nature to see whether looking down upon the latino/black gay community is more about race or sexuality.
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