Invisible Man (and Woman) Revisited
Written by Angelique Harris to
Jet Magazine, September 25, 2006

Dear Editor:
On Wednesday September 20th, Oprah Winfrey interviewed the former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey. McGreevey had been a politician for many years but will probably be best remembered for cheating on his wife with a man, and worse, hiring this man for a high-powered government position in New Jersey. He recently penned The Confession, a memoir about his experiences as a gay man in the closet, and was on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to publicize his book and explain his actions.

As I watched the show I was amazed. Oprah, usually so forward, asked him everything about his experiences with men while married. They discussed meeting men in alleyways for sexual trysts, etc. It appeared as if nothing was off limits except for two things: the risk for HIV he inflected on his wife and the phrase “down low” – things she discussed with Terry McMillan’s once closeted husband.

Jet Magazine, along with a number of other Black publications came out with articles advising Black women of their risks for HIV infection and broken-hearts by Black men who had sex with other men. Presumably, according to Oprah, Jet, and other Black publications, men having sex with other men are something that only Black women need be concerned. This perpetuates stereotypes about Black men’s rabid sexuality, Black women’s inability to protect themselves, and provides justification for homophobia in the Black community. In “down low” discussions focus is not placed on the lives of Black gays and lesbians, but rather, at the risk they may put the larger Black community in.

There are, indeed, gay Black men and women in the Black community and by associating “men on the down low” with only Black men and not acknowledging the incredible and proud lesbian and gays community as part of the Black community, except for the “down low” phenomenon, is quite damaging. I acknowledge, part of the responsibility of making the Black community aware of its lesbian and gays members lies with the Black lesbian and gays community.

On August 22, 2006 The New York State Black Gay Men’s Network, along with the Department of Health and Human Services revealed two huge, four story billboards on 125th St. and Broadway in Harlem. These billboards showed Black men posing with a basketball and read “I am gay… and this is where I play.” The other billboard read “I am gay… and this is where I stay.” Both billboards also read “we have always been part of this community” and provided the website address:

WeArePartOfYou.org. In a community where the Black Church is as powerful as the phrase,

(continued in next column)

“love the sinner, hate the sin,” reaching out to the Black community can be trying. Black gays and lesbians have, when allowed, marched in the African-American Day Parade in Harlem, and even produced film and television shows.We are part of your churches, neighborhoods, and schools, and places of work. In fact, in 2000, Black lesbian and gays researchers conducted the largest study of Black gays and lesbians in The Black Pride Survey 2000 (http://www.thetaskforce.org/ ourprojects/pi/blackpride.cfm). Members of the Black lesbian and gay community have taken strides for recognition and acceptance within the Black community and these billboards is just one aspect of this activism.

Now, what am I asking for… I would like Jet Magazine to feature an article about Black members of the lesbian and gays community, not stressing the damage that men who have sex with other men may or may not be inflecting on Black women, but simply the lives of these community members. Possibly articles on accepting your gay or lesbian family members, famous Black gays, or even homophobia in the Black community… something possibly on same-sex marriage – because same sex marriage is, indeed, something that affects the Black community, because it impacts Black gays and lesbians.

I would hope that Jet Magazine, a magazine that chronicled the struggles of the Black community for decades, and so powerfully showed the images of Emmett Till, would also chronicle the struggles of other, more marginalized members of the Black community. I grew up reading Jet and am well aware of the reach and impact that Jet has on its readers and an article on the lives of lesbian and gays, showing us in a positive light, would only serve to benefit the Black community as a whole.

We, as the Black lesbian and gay community have taken steps for acknowledgment and acceptance by the larger Black community, it is now the Black community’s turn to take steps towards us.

—Sincerely,
—Angelique C. Harris
—New York

Revisited
Written by Angelique Harris to
Jet Magazine • Sept. 25, 2006