Challenges Faced by Black Homosexuals

Lack of Visibility
- the fear of rejection, hatred and violence can make LGBTQ people feel invisible
- they feel the need to hide their sexuality
- places that allow LGBTQ people to be themselves are important to them by because it  
  takes alot of energy to hide who they are  

Religion 
- many black church leaders attack gay people
- open hostility leads many gay people off and many religious gay people feel a disconnect   
  from their community without a safe place to go and worship

Violence and Rejection

- violence against black gay people by heterosexuals is common

- many also fear getting kicked out by their parents as well as lack of support from the  

  people around them

How to Support Them

Be Understanding

- understand the fact that being black and gay coexist with each other
- many gay black men have made significant contributions to the world

Be Trustworthy

- being outed by a third party is never a good thing so don't be the one to do that
- be that person they can talk to and won't judge them

Avoid policing anyone's gender presentation or personality

- do not discourage them from being themselves
- many gay people are flamboyant and over the top but that is who they are

Our Intentions and Message

Our intentions for our campaign is to bring attention to the extraordinary challenges that homosexual racial minority`s face. Both forms of discrimination can lead to both physical and mental health issues, especially when individuals have to face these problems with little to no support. The key message of this project lies within the principle of equality. Being a homosexual within this society already has its challenges, let alone being a homosexual who is also a minority. A homosexual minority has the difficult task of being accepted into society without being judged for being a homosexual, they also have to be accepted for the color of their skin within the gay community. Not only do these individuals have trouble fitting into society, they are ridiculed by their own family and culture because of the stigma that being a homosexual carries.

Black communities, have a strong distaste for homosexuals and do not condone it within their community, which can leave those individuals feeling very alienated. These individuals are left feeling unaccepted with no one to turn to, this can have a serious effect on their mental health, and leaving them feeling ashamed about their sexual orientation.  Not to mention the thought of potentially losing close family and friends due their sexual orientation can be paralyzing. Our key message that we want to get across is that nobody should be subject to negativity, hate or violence because of their sexual orientation or race.  A lot of individuals feel the need to hide their sexual orientation and pretend to be something they are not because of what they fear people close to them or people of society will say.  It is one thing to not be accepted by the public, but it becomes more hurtful when the hate is by the hands of your own family.

We want minority homosexuals to know that they shouldn’t have to hide their sexual orientation because of what they fear may happen to them, nobody has the right to physically, verbally, or emotionally harm them.  We also want to educate the general public; who happens to be the main audience of this project, they need to see these people for who they truly are regardless of their skin color and sexual orientation. 

What is Racism and Homophobia?

Racism 

Racism has been defined as " the beliefs, attitudes, institutional arrangements and acts that tend to denigrate individuals or groups because phenotypic characteristics or ethnic affiliation" (Clark, Anderson, Clark & Williams, 1999). Racism is expressed in many forms and has many negative effects. 

Institutional Racism: Lack of access to services, resources, goods, opportunities (employment, education, health, etc.) to a race, because of laws, policy, regulations,... (inaction in the face of need).
Internalized Racism: is the internalization by people of racist attitudes towards members of their own ethnic group, including themselves (i.e. accepting their own ethnic stereotypes)

Personal Mediated Racism: differential action based on race... (e.g., police brutality, racial profiling, followed around in a shopping centre, zeroed in on, etc..)

Homophobia

Negative attitudes about homosexuality can lead to rejection by friends and family, discriminatory acts and violence that harm specific individuals, and laws and policies that adversely affect the lives of many people; this can have damaging effects on the health of homosexuals:

• Affect income, employment status, and the ability to get and keep health insurance
• Contribute to poor mental health and unhealthy behaviors, such as substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and suicide attempts

• Affect their  ability to establish and maintain long-term same-sex relationships that reduce HIV & STD risk
• Make it difficult for some to be open about same-sex behaviors with others, which can increase stress, limit social support, and negatively affect health

The Problem

For many Blacks in Canada, heterosexism and homophobia is deeply rooted within their
 

culture. So much so that in the majority of African and Caribbean countries, homosexuality

is linked with criminality and it is very much illegal to be gay and engage in homosexual

acts in these countries.  In many of these countries gay-bashing (in the very severe form)

is almost a part of the culture.Thus, In Canada, bullers (gays) experience a triple form of

oppression: racism and heterosexism within white society; racism and the sexualization of

racism within the white community; and heterosexism within the Black community"

(Crichlow, 2004).