Today, consistent images of Black men as either strong and hypermasculine or femme and sassy obscure the multitude of ways we show up in the world and for ourselves.
Representation in the media, as we now know in 2021, is integral to how we all navigate the world. It undeniably shaped the way we were represented and treated. 1915’s Birth of Nation, which cemented Black men as the eternal sexual predator in the (white) public imagination, was the first time the world saw this propaganda on general release. There is a long history of Black men stereotyped as aggressive, hypersexual, unemotional and violent – stereotypes rooted in racist characterisations employed to justify the enslavement and persecution of Black people. As we grapple with our own idiosyncrasies and intersectionality, I wanted to understand better, and from my peers, how they’re navigating what has become a particularly fraught moment.
In the case of Black men like myself, our deeply personal and unique experiences within the queer community are complicated by stereotypes, long-standing inequality and on-going racism. Within every Black LGBTQ+ person is a deeply unique and personal story, one in which we grapple with our intersectionality, the complexities of race, sexuality and gender.
