Masculinity and the Latin Culture

Inquiring about masculinity in the Latin culture was both interesting and difficult. It was difficult because there were a lot of different articles about Latino men, and it was hard to figure out which information I would use. It was also interesting because there were a lot of positive traits that Latino men have that I was not aware of. The book Hombres y Machos: Masculinity and Latino Culture helped me uncover the traits that Latino males encompassed, as well as the stereotypes given to them. Like any other group, there are preconceived notions about the Latino man-mainly that he is “macho.” The “macho” Latino man is the same as the guys of Guyland and the hegemonic Black males in Gender Talk-he is authoritative, misogynistic, the ruler of his familial sphere, and overtly sexual. Interestingly enough, “macho” is a construct from American popular culture, and more Latino men are actually moving away from that idea. Author of Hombres y Machos, Alfredo Mirande explains “Traditionally, most of the generalizations concerning Latino culture and Latino men were derived from research typically carried out by white men who lacked genuine knowledge and understanding of the cultural patterns they observed” (19). I am not surprised that the ideas about masculinity and the Latin culture have been conducted mainly by the dominant culture. This helps to create the ideas about the Latin community that the white culture wants to put out, and makes the rest of society believe in it. When looking at masculinity in the Latin culture, other factors must be considered, such as religion. The Catholic faith is a central religion in a lot of Mexican families, and some of the ideas about masculinity get acted upon because it is a part of the religious teachings. This is not to say that the Catholic faith teaches men to be “macho,” but it does stress, in some areas, the sin of homosexuality. I have seen this within my own family, my grandfather being an avid follower of the Catholic faith believes homosexuality is a sin, and a feminine man must be a “homo.” The pressure to be seen as a “man” may sometimes translate to be “machismo.” It is an overcompensation in order to protect oneself from being called a homosexual.

Celia Jaes Falicov, author of the article “Changing Constructions of Machismo for Latino Men in Therapy: The Devil Never Sleeps,” discusses the machismo man and the ways that the face of Latino masculinity is changing. She states, “It appears that Latino men, like White men, live in a culture of ‘‘masculinities’’ in which each man expresses his maleness in a unique way, as a blend of mainstream cultural expectations along with alternative features or behaviors” (3). Like any other culture, there is a mixture of positive and negative attributes given to Latino masculinity. It was surprising how many fathers in the Latin community were nurturing towards their children. As seen in Guyland, these parents were the same ones whose children grew up with positive ideas about masculinity, and felt as though they could make their own rules on the man they were to become.

I asked a few of the guys I work with who are Mexican about masculinity and the lessons they were taught as young boys about what it means to “be a man.” I also asked them about whether or not the idea of the machismo man played a big role in the shaping of masculinity in their culture. I needed some other insight because frankly, the book Hombres y Machos is a little difficult to get into. When asking these guys first about the idea of the machismo man, they explained that this cultural practice where the man is the ruler of the household is an idea that has slowly started fading out in America. They told me that I could definitely see examples of machismo behavior in Mexico, but the characteristics of a macho man are different since adapting to America. I started to form an idea about the way I viewed masculinity in the Latin culture versus how I felt about it in the Black community. I am torn because in the Black community, it seems as though there is a huge need to prove ones masculinity to the dominant culture that has been emasculating these men for years. Their overt masculine practices such as the dehumanization of Black women in music videos seems to stem from their want to be “cool” at all times. In the Latin culture, however, it seems more of a cultural practice to have the man be at the head of the household as well as the more dominant figure. I want it to be known here that I do not seek to dissect or change one’s cultural practices just because it is not the way I live my life. I would never suggest that the way Middle Eastern women stay completely covered means they are objects, and that they must fight back in order to stop these practices from continuing. I realize that in different areas of the world, there are different conceptions of oppression, as well as customs that are formed by the male being at the forefront. I cannot urge change in situations like the ones I have described because I feel uncomfortable suggesting change in a religious practice. With that being said, it is difficult for me to suggest that the way some Latinos conduct themselves towards women should be changed. I feel this way because, as my friends told me, this masculinity is a cultural practice more than a tool used to compensate for a lack of power, as seen in regards to Gender Talk. I am not sure if I am right, but I don’t think that is the aim of this class or my journey. The goal is to get me thinking.

I asked my friends whether their fathers showed them affection when they were growing up. They told me that in a lot of Mexican households, the boys did not feel urged to express their emotions towards their fathers and usually saved the discussion of feelings for their mom’s. One of my friends told me that in twenty-one years, his father had never said to him that he loves him. He said it was just not something that done in his family, or a lot of families he knew about. The other guys agreed with this statement. While I personally feel this is problematic because it is the same types of parenting practices seen in Guyland, I feel as though, again, it is different because it is a cultural practice. I am not saying that I don’t think this one aspect of the culture should change, because I believe that children need to hear that they are cared for by both parents, I am just simply saying I feel conflicted in saying it is an issue that must be fixed. It goes back to the example I gave about Middle Eastern women and how I cannot interject my own personal ideas on the rights of women to suggest that their cultural practices need to be changed. I cannot do it. In Hombres y Machos, Mirande explains that a lot of the more traditional views of those in the Latin community, such as the machismo model, are being countered with more fathers who are showing their child affection, as well as taking on more traditionally female roles in the household, since the wives are working.

I have to say that the section of masculinity I thought was going to be the easiest, turned out to be the most complex. With Guyland and Gender Talk, I was presented issues of hyper masculine men, trying to reassert their power in a world where they feel they have become emasculated. In Hombres y Machos, it appears as though a lot of the ideas of masculinity come, not from this pull towards recognition, but more as a responsibility to the culture and religious practices. In Guyland and Gender Talk, there were pressing issues about what these hegemonic masculine practices were doing to women, as well as the face of those cultures. I was able to find problems that needed to be solved, especially in regards to the women who were helping to cheer these practices on. For example, the girls who wanted to be seen as equal to the guys in Guyland and would try to gain equality by getting inebriated and allowing men to take advantage of their bodies. It is wrong because it is directly hurting the girl as well as showing these guys that women are objects to conquer. The point I am trying to get at is this: I may not personally agree with the structure of some of the more traditional Mexican families who place the men at the head and the women as less, but I can’t find it problematic because I don’t agree with it. There are lifestyles I would not choose, but it does not mean they are wrong or problematic just because I would not live in them. Even though I do not agree with the level of pressure put on some of these male children to grow up and be not only straight but have a impenetrable shield around them does not mean I can attack it. I may have contradicted myself in regards to other posts I have given, but for some reason, I view a lot of the text that I have gotten from Hombres y Machos differently than I do Guyland and Gender Talk.

Bullying

Recently, there has been a downpour of bullying and suicides with young people. Back in September, a college student named Tyler Clementi committed suicide after his roommate outed him as a homosexual. Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, set up a webcam and broadcasted Clementi’s encounter with another man. Clementi had not come out, he was a shy kid who kept to himself. On September 22^nd, he jumped off a bridge, killing himself. The bullies were “just messing around” and didn’t think that Clementi would take it so seriously. They apparently did not think about what they were doing. Being gay, especially in such a oppressive society as ours, is a scary thing for someone to admit. They should have the right to admit it because it is their truth to tell. Outting someone before they are ready and doing it to have a good laugh is disgusting. Tyler Clementi is not the only one. There have been kids as young as thirteen who have killed themselves because they were teased for exhibiting gay mannerisms. This is how the hegemonic masculinity starts, however. These kids who are bullying others for a good laugh are the same ones who will grow up to be shining members of Guyland someday. A lot of the time, the bullies of these kids are projecting their own questioning thoughts about their sexuality onto their victims. About a week ago on Glee, the openly gay Kurt Hummel’s battle with a football jerk finally came to a boiling point. Karofsky, the bully, pushed Kurt one too many times into his locker, and Kurt finally approached him, telling him that no matter what he did, he was not going to beat the gay out of Kurt anymore than Kurt was going to beat the ignorant out of Karofsky. Karofsky then did something that was not surprising: he kissed Kurt. He threatened Kurt with his life if Kurt told anyone, and when it looked like Karofsky was going to get expelled, the school board pulled for him to be reinstated, saying that the bullying was not that big of a deal. This is a fictitious show, but it deals with a lot of real issues, such as the relationship between Kurt and Karofsky. Only in real life, kids like Kurt may end up killing themselves because the bullying is too much to take. The show represents the public in a truthful light, however, by showing that they did not put too much value on bullying someone for being gay. Kurt had to end up transferring schools because this kid was bothering him. It shouldn’t be this way, where homosexual kids are made to feel as though being gay is their problem and they must suffer the consequences, and if they cannot, they must find a way to fix it. There has to be some sort of justice for the victims of bullying because if there is not, we are practically encouraging harassment in the schools. Furthermore, we are teaching these bullies to become violent adults, perfect for Guyland and the after years. “People” magazine did an excellent article on bullying, which is where I am getting a lot of the information about Tyler Clementi from. They did interviews with teenagers who have been bullied for being obese, Muslim, and of course, gay. They also did interviews with kids who were bullies. The kids who were bullies admitted to believing that harassment was done because they thought they were being fully and cool, but they soon realized the damaging effects it had on people. The truth of the matter is we all judge other people, some more than others, but we have to ask ourselves why and what we hope to gain from doing it. We also must remember Tyler Clementi and the other kids who lost out on their lives because of judgments like the ones we have passed. I feel that the articles in “People” as well as the delicate attention given to characters like Kurt on Glee is a step in the right direction towards educating everyone, but especially adolescent males, that bullying is not synonymous with being a man.

I wanted to post this because after my brief look at Masculinity and the Latin culture, I will be discussing a book called Dude, You're a Fag.

A Great Example...

Tyler Perry is a great example of a Black male doing something positive to change the way society views the Black community. His films and plays show the Black culture in positive ways, while still maintaining cultural roots. Today, instead of focusing most of my attention to my British Literature paper, I did what I do best-I procrastinated. But it worked in my favor because I spent most of the day watching Perry's film Why Did I Get Married? and I am currently on its sequel. In the film, he shows four different couples and the pitfalls that they face in their marriages. While two of the husbands do in fact cheat, they are not praised for it, in fact, the other two men try to show them the error in their ways and explain to them that women should not be treated in that way. All four of the men are successful, Perry's character is a pediatrician. Perry is a loving father, and all he wants is for his lawyer wife to spend more time with him and their daughter. It was just nice to see a film that is able to display positive core values and also keep some important cultural ideas intact. I'm also glad that he did not just have these four perfect men in there because that would have been unrealistic, but rather, he used these men who were having infidelities as a way to show his young audience, especially Black young men, that disrespecting women is not a practice that should continue.

I became so interested in Perry that I looked for an interview with him on YouTube and came across one that he had with Oprah, where he admitted to being raped as a young man by another man, as well as by a woman on another occasion. I felt that the fact that he was able to take those things in his life and use them in proactive way-making films that highlight Black people in a positive light, and being honest about hardships he's faced-proved that we can move away from this need for recognition in a violent way. Perry has gotten recognition in the way that he should, for being successful and rising above his past. He is a great role model for all men, I believe.

Gender Talk: Chapter 7

In the final chapter I am going to look at in Gender Talk, Cole and Sheftall look at the world of hip-hop and the ways that the culture and the music are damaging to Black manhood. This is one of the most problematic areas in the shaping of Black masculinity, in my opinion. There are rappers on television and on the radio talking about beating women, drinking 40s, doing drugs, and killing people, and with each word, they are helping to reiterate the stereotypes that have been placed on the Black community. Not only do some hip-hop artists perpetuate stereotypes, they also encourage the youth watching them to do the same. There is this type of inescapable cycle that the Black male gets himself in when he chooses to learn about masculinity from hip-hop music. Certain types of hip-hop, I do not even want to call it hip-hop, is aimed towards objectifying women and glorifying rape and violence. The reason I say that I do not want to call the type of music discussed in this chapter “hip-hop” is because these rappers are not true artists, and they are what give the hip-hop culture a bad name. Hip-hop is and is supposed to be a way to express the pain of the struggle that people have gone through, it is a way to create a connection between listeners. The problem that Cole and Sheftall are addressing is that hip-hop’s entire makeup has changed and it is now an outlet for people to discuss tasteless things such as rape and “making paper.” Gone are the days where rappers, like Common, who were poetic in their approach. Now the rappers who infiltrate the radio are rappers who talk about things like “Then take the bitch out on the highway and drag her until she’s damn near dead. Then take your pistol and shoot her, Right through her motherfucken head” (192). These lyrics get sung at concerts without giving much thought to the meaning. Other times, people know the meaning, but they just don’t care that it degrades women and shames the name of the Black man. Cole and Sheftall highlight the role of the Black women in the male dominated hip-hop world. They discuss not only the ways that these women are dehumanized, but also the ways that women contribute to these demoralizing practices. Cole and Sheftall describe this woman more closely by stating, “the women many hip-hop songs celebrate are valued primarily for satisfying their men sexually and providing whatever support they need. Tragically, many young women even pass the ultimate test of loyalty by endangering themselves and their futures, including the risk of incarceration, through drug use, burglary, or prostitution, all in the name of ‘love’”(198). What is very interesting is that a portion of the Black male population is very adamant about Black women belonging to them, and only them. I once had a guy in my African American Women Studies class who frankly admitted to wanting to vomit whenever he saw a white man with one of “his women.” He further stated that his “community” in Oakland, CA all felt the same sentiment towards interracial relationships. So my problem is this: with rap music encouraging the disrespect of black women they are also giving their White audience the permission to disrespect “their” women too. I am not saying that it is not White male’s responsibility to know that this treatment is wrong, but I am placing the blame somewhat on the rap music that supports the misogyny of the Black woman.

Cole and Sheftall discuss blaxploitation films as well, and their roles in shaping the way women were thought of. The black women were always portrayed as “helpless, hopeless, pitiful victims, always at the disposal of a powerful hypersexual Black male figure, such as Shaft” (201). These films, as well as more modern day media, such as hip-hop, reinforce that women are inferior to men and also glorify the hypersexual, overly violent male as the face for Black masculinity. What’s more is that these rappers believe that they are doing something on their own and independent of the “white man,” yet they continuously carry on the idea of some in the white culture, that they are violent, ignorant, incapable of being a family man, and animalistic. Even more important is the use of the “N” word in rap music. My best friend, who is white, recently asked me why Black artists use the “N” word in their music, but then get angry when white people say it. She said “aren’t they giving the white population permission to call them that, since they call themselves that?” I completely agreed with her, I mean, I understand psychologically why Black people use the “N” word-as a way to take something hurtful and turn it in to something they can take ownership over, but it is ridiculous and stupid to expect that by using the word, people are going to understand the psychological meaning behind why you’re doing it. Calling one another the “N” word tells the dominant culture that it is essentially okay to dominate Black people. While it is not fair that one person or a small group of people has to act for the entire community, things go in our society the way. When a portion of the Black male population acts in a violent and ignorant way, then the dominant culture gets reinforcement that ALL Black males are violent and uneducated.

Learning about Black masculinity has been a complex idea, to say the least. It is complex in that it has been created out of slavery and this need to prove oneself as a man, not a dehumanized being. The want to reinforce masculinity gets taken to another level because a lot of times, that desire for recognition comes in the form of aggression, which lets those in the white culture who believe stereotypes about Black males, say “I told you so.” The Black men that Cole and Sheftall discuss in their book believes that by going out and rapping about beating bitches and killing white cops, that they are asserting their masculinity and also their originality. They believe that their behavior is important, but not so much that it will influence society negatively. Maybe they even believe that society cannot hold a more negative view of Black masculinity, so it does not matter what they do, they will not hurt it any. But there is the problem, the aspect of giving up because the dominant culture has already “decided” who one is. By giving into those decisions on identity, the Black man is giving up power. We, and I say we as someone who is a part of the Black community, have a duty to challenge the ideas about our race. I am not saying that not to be emotional, having feelings about injustice is okay, just target that anger in a way that does not hurt or silence someone else. Instead of rapping tastelessly about raping women, which has nothing to do with the Black man’s struggle, write about the hardships that have been faced and how one can overcome it. Remember that people, especially young people, are listening to the music and are going to adopt some of the ideas that are being spoken. Paint, do not kill. Attend college and make something of yourself that challenges the “stereotypical Black man.” Stop making decisions for recognition, and start making choices for personal growth. Most of all, stop teaching Black males in their youth that they need to fight a battle that our ancestors have worked so hard for in order for us to live a positive life. We cannot waste it fighting battles, as hard as it is to do; the only way we can move forward is to move on. While I know that there are still injustices that happen every day, a person needs to stop and ask themselves, what good am I doing by picking up a gun and starting a riot?

I am finished with Gender Talk, and will move on to my exploration of masculinity in the Hispanic culture in Hombres y Machos

Gender Talk: Chapters 5&6

In Chapters 5&6 of Gender Talk, Sheftall and Cole discuss the concept of race secrets, as well as homosexuality and homophobia in the black community. I think these chapters have a lot of the same concepts in them, which is why I chose to discuss them in one post. In chapter 5, Sheftall and Cole bring to light the idea that while Black men have been marginalized, they do not believe it is an excuse to be violent in their day to day lives. They state, “While we understand at a profound level the particular plight of Black men and the hostile world they inhabit, we do not believe that ‘black males have been the principal victims of the legacy of racial discrimination and prejudice in American society’ or that Black men have been prohibited from being men or denied a gender identity” (132). While Black men have been demoralized, I think what Sheftall and Cole are pointing out is that they have not been objectified anymore than women have. They point out that Black men “also benefit from the gender privilege that operates in some manner for all males in male dominant cultures such as the United States” (132). They explain that this is not to say that power and privilege are shared throughout the color lines, but male privilege is something that is true in their own marginalized communities and families. The idea of “the Black Man” thoroughly gets examined in this chapter, with respect to slavery and the media. The whole chapter is set against this backdrop of “race secrets,” which are secrets that are kept within the Black community about the problems of some of the members. This idea of a race secret is problematic, however, if we are to ever change the face of the violence and homophobia in the Black community. Sociologist Clyde W. Franklin II says that in order to explore Black masculinity, we must at first look at the “legacy of slavery when Black men were property and rendered submissive, nonprotective, powerless, and studs supreme” (134). So what he is saying is that we must take into consideration the fact that Black men have been marginalized, beaten, and dehumanized by the dominant culture. I understand that completely, but in no way does their marginalization give them the right to abuse or minimize women , especially black women in this case, and their struggles. Women have always been the lesser being in regards to gender, and black women went through the same sadistic institution that is known as slavery. The difference in the male’s mind between slavery for men and slavery for women? Women are supposed to be treated as submissive creatures because they are inferior to men. Women are supposed to be raped because that is a domination tactic created by males to assert their power over females. Men are not supposed to be raped and treated as submissive beings because they are men. Thus, the need to assert ones manhood in Black culture gets amplified that much more because that assertion is an attempt to show the dominant culture that they are not docile, and that they are not less of a man. They also feel the need to prove this to the women, which is where the violence comes in. Violence has become a way for some men of all races to be recognized as the dominant ones, as if the world had forgotten. Sex is also used as a way to assert ones masculinity. Cole and Sheftall explain that “When Black men are unable to be men in traditional ways…they compensate by exaggerating what’s left of normative gender roles. ‘And that is sex…what is left of his manhood demands that he control this last frontier. The result is exaggerated sexuality” (134). What is problematic in this is the fact that the dominant culture views Black males as animalistic, oversexed beings, and when Black males reiterate these stereotypes, they help to give more power to their oppressors. It becomes an “I’ll show you” kind of pattern, but the only thing that is being shown is that the dominant culture is right.

Cole and Sheftall discuss violence in Greek fraternities and the demeanor of Black men that is known as “the cool pose.” In one example about a student, Joel, of Cole and Sheftall’s, he was taking a women’s study course and really getting into figuring out the man he wanted to be. He also discovered that he would rather have a daughter than a son, which was not approved of by his fraternity at Morehouse College. He died during that semester and hazing was thought to be the cause. A psychologist, Ricky L. Jones tries to connect the violence that happens in fraternities to cultural ideas of masculinity that underline power over others. “Jones is not excusing Black male violence, but asking us to see the link between certain Black male identities and the particularities of Black men’s sojourn in America” (137). Jones explains that Black male violence at the core is about trying to achieve manhood. In trying to appear like a “man” in Black culture, there is something called a “cool pose.” This is connected to the idea of “Black macho” (137). The cool pose is defined as an “array of coping behaviors and psychological defenses, both positive and negative, that some Black males in particular employ to deal with the persistent stressors of an oppressive society (137). This cool pose is problematic, too. I have decided that this must be the blog post where I discuss everything that is problematic in trying to be a part of a hegemonic masculine society. This cool pose shows Black male adolescents that they must not care about anything in the world because it is a cruel place, that they must just adapt to the inequality and use guns to express their anger. It gets absolutely zero resolved, and it shows young Black males that violence is the way to get out aggression. It perpetuates the vicious cycle of the oppressed trying to emphasize their masculinity to the dominant culture, and the dominant culture getting more power because their stereotypes are being reaffirmed. We will revisit the “cool pose” again in a few days when I discuss the world of hip-hop.

Cole and Sheftall discuss the ways that the Black culture must break the silence on these race secrets that are kept. In order to change the face of the Black culture, the secrets must be exposed, and we must not approach them as insurmountable tasks that continue to grow and grow with each rape or gunshot. We must take a look at them now. The reason that so many people in the Black community are tight lipped about these secrets is that they do not want to be judged as imperfect, nor do they want to feel as though their actions are under the watch of white society, but the fact that gangs are in the news every other day already exposes that fear. In keeping the secret, they are saying without sometimes saying it, that the behavior is something that can be excused, and it really cannot. Byllye Avery states, “We have to look at how violence is used, how violence and sexism go hand and hand…We have to stop it, because violence is the training ground for us” (143).

Chapter 6:

In this chapter, Sheftall and Cole discuss Gay and Lesbians in the Black community and where a lot of the homophobia stems from. They also touch on the Black males who are undercover, meaning that they are married with children, but have a gay lover on the side. It is really no surprise that in a culture that wants to “other” anything that is different, that homosexuality would be something that is misunderstood and hated in a lot of Black communities. Some people believe that Black homosexuals “betray the quest for healthy black families, a regulated and normalized black sexuality” (155). I am sorry, but I seriously doubt that being gay is the one “problem” that is going to sink the ship on issues in the Black community. As someone who is half Black and half White, I get deeply offended when people of a minority, who were once ostracized and “othered” by society feel like it is acceptable to do the same horrible treatment to another group of people. It is as though the last 100+ years never happened for slavery and that people forget how difficult it is to be castrated of your rights. But on the other side, when it is important to remember how much people in the Black community have been ostracized, for example with the violence I discussed earlier, it is remembered. But it is soon forgotten with the issue of homosexuality and the dominant culture. I understand that being against homosexuality gives those who are objectified the chance to join forces with the dominant culture and stand on common ground, but it is bullshit, quite frankly. Instead of having a deep understanding of the pain that homosexuals face, it appears that some are glad to have the focus off of them, so they must do whatever they can to remain out of the spotlight. Not so long ago, it would have been a crime that could have been punishable by death for my Black father to even look at my white mother, but now it is not a very big deal at all, so I don’t understand how people can forget that enough to go and take those same rights away from homosexuals. The way to beat out the dominant ideas about race and sexuality is to ban together and fight it, remembering where each person has been and the hurt they felt as outcasts. It baffles me that this idea cannot be understood. Cole and Sheftall prove my point by stating, “Black people’s intense hatred of racism and their knowledge of the pain it causes has not kept many of them from subjecting their gay brothers and sisters to a range of indignities” (173-4).

But enough with my rant about this, I will now return to Gender Talk.

The idea that Black homosexuals are race traitors is a popular idea in the Black community. The belief that “homosexuality is a sickness, just as are baby-rape or wanting to become the head of General Motors” (158) is being told to a lot of youth in the Black community. Homosexuality is defined as synonymous with dysfunctional Black manhood. Again, homosexuals are used as the scapegoat for the dysfunction of Black masculinity, when really it is the reiteration of the “cool pose” that is the problem with Black masculinity. Cole and Sheftall say it best when they state, “Explanations by Black scholars and lay persons alike that assign blame to external factors help perpetuate the myth that homosexuals are deviant, degenerate, and unmanly” (159). Homosexuality, as it is seen in this book, and as I already knew, is not something that happens because of white supremacy or slavery, it is just as natural and instilled at birth as it is in other ethnicities. The ideas that go along with homosexuality in the Black culture are the ones that are created. The pressure that one is a race traitor if they are not heterosexual and hegemonic in the Black culture helps to facilitate “on the down low” (172) sex. On the down low sex is where men who are supposedly heterosexual regularly have sex with other men. There was an outbreak of HIV/AIDS among heterosexual Black women, which exposed the secret of down low sex. It is sad because homosexuality is not synonymous with HIV/AIDs, but this pull towards keeping ones family, but having sex with another man on the down low has made some of these men grow careless about precautions they should be taking when having sex with anyone.

As always, Cole and Sheftall discuss ways that the Black community is working together to fight these race secrets and homophobic practices from remaining in the community. There are openly gay ministers and communities that accept homosexuals, which is a good start. It is nice to know that in all of this hatred, there are people with love in their hearts who want to create a stronger community full of acceptance for all its members. The lid must be blown off of the race secrets and acceptance must come from the larger community so that down low sex can stop hurting these Black males and their families.

Finally!

Andrew Shirvell is fired from Michigan state after the months of harassment and stalking towards Michigan State Student Body President Chris Armstrong. I am so happy that a move was finally made, although it is sad that it took so long, seeing as though this man was cyber bullying Armstrong, a trait that is should be frowned upon. But I am not going to focus on how long it took for Shirvell to be recognized as a bigot, only that it finally has been recognized.