We all know what a bully is. That person who threatens or
harms other people for no real reason other than they think they hold some sort
of power over their victim. The bully may pick on an individual because they
come from a higher social class, because they have an ethnic background they
feel to be superior to their victim, or because the bully does not approve of
their victim’s sexual orientation. Bullies may believe these to be legitimate
reasons for bullying; however, what happens when a person comes from a low
social class, is of an ethnic background other than white, AND identifies as a
member of the LGBTQ community? It is as if the bullies suddenly see a target drawn
on their victims’ backs; a huge sign attached to their bodies that reads: “Hey,
I’m a poor, non-white member of the LGBTQ community. BULLY ME”.
Barbara
Smith’s article, “Homophobia: Why Bring It Up?” discusses the issue of
homophobia and how it is the oppression to be taken least seriously (Smith,
99). Smith tells of one specific instance of a homophobic hate crime that
occurred in September of 1982. Who were the bullies? A group of New York City
police officers. They raided a bar and took it upon them selves to beat and
harass several people in the bar (Smith, 100). Their reasoning? The victims
were all black, working class, homosexual men. If the men who are supposed to
be protecting us are the ones inflicting violence, how can people ever feel
safe in their own communities? This hate crime seems to worsen at the knowledge
that the office for The New York Times
was located across the street from the bar in which the hate crime occurred. The Times
staff was constantly calling the police department and complaining about
the bar (Smith, 100), and yet at the time of the hate crime, the newspaper
staff suddenly lost their ability to make phone calls, or even act for that
matter. The Times staff consisted of
upper middle class people (Smith, 100). Judging by their lack of action in
helping the victims that day, it is most likely that they were homophobic as
well.
Bullying
does not necessarily always involve violence. Bullying can serve as an unwanted
form of harassment or verbal torment inflicted upon an individual. Barnshaw and
Letukas’ article, “The Low Down on the Down Low: Origins, Risk Identification
and Intervention” discusses the phenomenon of men who have sex with other men,
and yet still identify as “heterosexual” (Barnshaw, 478). This article explains the initial common
belief that Black males were the only users of the down low. Over time, the
realization that White males were having sex with other men as well surfaced.
The HIV epidemic was spreading, and females were beginning to fall victim to a
disease from men whom they believed were being faithful to them: “Black men who
identify as ‘heterosexual’ or ‘straight’ but engage in same-sex behavior as
unrepentant villains, while heterosexual women are seen as unsuspecting victims
of the horrifying consequences of infectious disease,” (Barnshaw, 479). By identifying Black men as “unrepentant
villains”, people were dehumanizing these men, and verbally abusing them by
giving them crude titles and singling them out as the sole cause of the spread
of HIV. However, if Black men were the cause of HIV, then how did White men
contract the disease as well? White men were having sex with other men just
like Black men were, and to point the finger and put all the blame for HIV on
Black men is a form of discrimination, harassment, and therefore a form of
bullying.
Courtland
Milloy’s article “Gay Black Youths Go from Attacked to Attackers” addresses a
group of young Black homosexuals who formed a group called Check It so they
would no longer have to cope with the bullying and violence inflicted upon them
alone. These individuals, from Washington, D.C., share that although there is a
large gay community of Blacks in D.C., there are many homophobic residents who
threaten the safety of the those who identify with the LGBTQ community
(Milloy). Although Check It was formed in an attempt to stop the violence and
harassment, outsiders viewed the group’s formation as being gang-related
(Milloy). It was okay for the bullies to beat up the members of Check It, and
yet the instant the homosexual young men fought back, they were seen as gang
members inflicting violence upon those who had initially started the violence.
The actions of the members of Check It were viewed as acts of retaliation,
rather than acts of self- defense in an attempt to avoid a brutal beating.
Members of
the LGBTQ community are forced to deal with homophobia all too often. It is bad
enough that these individuals have to deal with harassment and violence because
of their sexual orientation, but when ethnicity is added into the mix, people
are often times faced with even worse bullying. The violence inflicted upon
members of the LGBTQ community by homophobic individuals cannot cease until
people, such as the members of Check It, come together to stand up for
themselves, just as the verbal abuse will not stop until the rumors, such as
the origin of HIV, ceases as well.
Link to Milloy article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/gay-black-youths-go-from-attacked-to-attackers/2011/09/27/gIQA2JV52K_story.html?tid=sm_twitter_washingtonpost
Bibliography:
Barnshaw, John, and Lynn Letukas. "The Low Down on the
Down Low: Origins, Risk Identification and Intervention."478-488. Health Sociology Review. 4th ed. Vol.
19. Australia: EContent Management Pty, 2010. Print.
Milloy, Courtland. "Gay Black Youths Go From Attacked
to Attackers." The Washington Post 27 Sept. 2011. Post Local.
The Washington Post. Web. 6 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/gay-black-youths-go-from-attacked-to-attackers/2011/09/27/gIQA2JV52K_story.html?tid=sm_twitter_washingtonpost>.
Smith, Barbara. "Homophobia: Why Bring It Up?"
99-102. Boston: Combahee River Collective, 1977. Print.
I think you picked a really interesting article. It is common knowledge that members of minorities groups are often mistreated; and both the African American community and the LGBTQ community are minority groups. However, I never really thought about what would happen if you were a member of both of these communities. Based on this article, it seems that these individuals are being “punished” doubly for their ethnicity and sexual orientation. It was interesting how you mentioned that black homosexual men were blamed for HIV, yet white men also contracted the disease. It seems almost as if the majority (middle class white men) felt the need to blame somebody else for their misfortune, and these members of multiple minority groups were an easy target.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that the article often referred to a black gay community. The fact that they have their own community could insinuate that they get harassed not only by white heterosexual people, but also possibly black heterosexuals or white gay individuals. It is not uncommon for a certain ethnic group to have strong homophobic feelings. In Martin F. Manalansan’s article, “Searching for Community, Filipino Gay Men in New York City,” he talks about how the Filipino community is not very accepting of gay men. One man he interviewed said that “the culture in which one was raised in and more importantly the particular homosexual tradition one was socialized in mattered more than place of birth” (Manalansan, 70). With this in mind, it must me extremely difficult for minorities to survive in a society where literally the only people willing to accept them are those within their same combination-minority group. You chose a great article, and your review was very thought provoking. Prior to reading it, I never would have thought about how being a member of two minority groups might affect an individual differently.
Works Cited:
Manalansan, Martin F. "Searching for Community, Filipino Gay Men in New York City." Print. Rpt. in Feminist Studies 80 Reader. Comp. Hernandez. Santa Barbara: Associated Students, 2012. 69-76. Print.
Your blog post brings up a few notable points. First of all, even different ethnicities in the LGBTQ community face unequal treatment. Throughout American history, White people have been perceived as the dominating race in our society. Needless to say, there are still uneasy tensions today between the Caucasian and the non-Caucasian community in terms of race and sexuality. Gay, White individuals may receive better treatment and more support in the process of coming out compared to someone who is Black.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, bullying is present in majority of the reactions toward the LGBTQ community but is further escalated when the victims are minorities. In response to the article you've discussed, identifying as LGBTQ in the 1980's was a very risky choice because racial and sexuality ignorance were substantial during that time. The police officers who assaulted the group of Black, homosexual men were abusing their power and clearly harassing a specific group of gay minorities. In the article “Bullying, Harassment and Violence Among Students,” Nan Stein points out that the term “bullying” among LGBTQ people is really a euphemism for harassment. A person who is aware of distinctive sexualities other than heterosexuality and engages in hate incidents or hate crimes that involve these individuals is not bullying but harassing them. Bullying is just a blanket term for more serious actions taken by perpetrators who obviously target ethnic groups in the LGBTQ community. These actions should be taken much more seriously and not dismissed as just bullying. More groups such as Check It should be formed to raise awareness and offer a safe area for LGBTQ minorities.
Works Cited:
Nan, Stein. “Bullying, Harassment and Violence among Students.” Radical Teacher, No. 80. “Teaching Beyond Tolerance.” Winter 2007, 30-35.
Jessica Fernandez
ReplyDeleteBullying has become a serious problem and people often do not realize the severity in an act of bullying. You bring up a good point when you state that people who are homosexuals, colored, and part of the lower class are often obvious targets when it comes to bullying. But it is also important to consider the difference between bullying and violence. In the article, Bullying, Harassment, and Violence Among Students Stein states that “bullying has become the ‘stand-in’ term for other behaviors… like violence, be it verbal or physical, motivated by racism, homophobia or sexism.” A perfect example of this is seen with case of Larry King, what started as a simple act of bullying ended up costing Larry King his life. This may sound like an extreme case, bullying does not always lead to deaths, but it can definitely harm people not only physically but also psychologically. Steins article mentions strategies like “zero indifference instead of “zero tolerance” this is a great way to reach the goal of a true gender-safe environment. Bullying should be taken more seriously and more groups like Check It should be created to raise awareness about bullying and other violent acts, like hate crimes.
References
Stein, Nan. Bullying, Harassment and Violence among Students in Radical Teacher, No. 80
“Teaching Beyond Tolerance” Winter 2007 30-35.