Jun 01, 2006  |  By: KATHERINE VOLIN  | COMMENTS     

of affirming things that are in the media about being black gay men. We hear about the downlow, about the church stigma and double lives and I don’t see how that helps black gay men see themselves [in a better light].”

Katina Parker, media manager for communities of African descent for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, says that the media depiction of black gay men has not been well rounded.

“Far too often we’ve seen media outlets irresponsibly and inaccurately paint black gay and bisexual men with a broad brush as deceitful boogeymen,” Parker said in a statement. “I think that any media discussion about HIV and AIDS prevention within LGBT communities of color needs to explore these and other stereotypes that continue to reinforce an insidious closet for black gay and bisexual men.”

ALTHOUGH IN AGREEMENT that the mainstream media have not adequately covered the issue of AIDS in black gay men, black gay leaders question whether niche publications have appropriately handled the subject. 

“I think the black media does it best,” Wilson says. “I think there’s a concerted effort on the part of the black media to cover AIDS in general and to be inclusive of the black gay male community.”

If black media outlets have been covering AIDS in black gay men, Simmons has missed it.

“Black media is focusing more on HIV, but again they’re not focusing on gay men,” Simmons says. “I have yet to see black media do something solely on black gay men.”

The lack of coverage led Simmons to found the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition, a new lobbying non-profit group for black gay men. The group will not use government funds, Simmons says.

“We can lobby and advocate and not have to look over our shoulder or look out how the government funding is going to react,” Simmons says.

Wilson says if the mainstream media are going to change how black gay men are depicted, then gay media outlets must lead the way.

“I do think there’s a crucial role for the gay press as a bridge press between the black press and the mainstream press,” Wilson says.

“Every time the gay press perpetuates the notion that gay equals white by portraying a gay community that is all white, that undermines the reality of our community and it makes it particularly difficult to talk about HIV/AIDS because the gay press is a forum where the black gay men have a potential to have some visibility,” Wilson says.