How many of you remember the film the Invisible Man? I love that film. The way no one knew where he was or what he was up to, simply put it was fantastic science fiction.

For those of you familiar with the black newspaper New Nation you could be forgiven for thinking that the invisible man was not fictional but very much alive in the black communities.

Over the past four weeks (March/ April 2002) there have been a total of 8 responses to issues relating to homosexuality (those that actually get printed anyway). These replies reverberate around the article by Steve Pope in his section The Path of the Righteous Man entitled "Bedroom Bullies Must Come Clean" (New Nation, March)

For those of you who haven't read it, basically the Pope (not that one) say's its OK to be gay. Has the black press suddenly seen the light (pardon the expression, I think it's all this talk about Pope), me thinks not.

It is what the article says about our brothers and sisters who DON'T come out about their sexual orientation that is the real pain in the arse (oops) for Mr. Pope and others in the black community. 
Mr Pope and many others in the black community, their stereotypes of what it is to be gay are somewhat amusing, considering how they are usually the first to attack stereotypes of others. Apparently we all either act like Julian Clarey (the guys that its) and all lesbians have dreadlocks! (So heaven knows what that makes Floella Benjamin).

Mr. Pope and others are somehow shocked to think that some black homosexuals dare dress, talk and walk, even act as "bad bwoys". This argument however goes further with suggestions from a US magazine of the so-called "homo-thug", the heterosexual guy who has occasional sex with men and then goes back to his "innocent" wife or girlfriend, apparently with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The truth is that most heterosexuals are quite capable of passing on infections to their wives or girlfriends or both without the need of a man. Most black gay men have long accepted the use of condoms as a means of STI and HIV prevention.

Perhaps this is what Mr. Pope and others in the black communities should be focusing their attention on, addressing the issue of sex, not sexuality. There is little or no discussion other than abstinence and little room for discussion on the consequences of sex. Young black people are having no problem finding and having sex but little information on how to negotiate sex. This is what the black press and others in the black community should be talking about, not some whitch-hunt for 'bad bwoys'. 

Keep the dialogue going.
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3.20 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."