Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: smart on 19/01/2018 10:11:39
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I've enjoyed watching the movie "Moonlight", which explores the taboo of homosexuality and masculinity in black communities. At first, I was shocked to see two black teens kissing each other. So, my question is: Can intolerance of homosexuality in black communities be a gender-specific phenomenon?
What do you think?
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You keep doing this.
You ask "Why is homosexuality in black communities controversial?" without first asking
"Why is homosexuality in black communities controversial?".
Have you any evidence of that conjecture?
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You keep doing this.
You ask "Why is homosexuality in black communities controversial?" without first asking
"Why is homosexuality in black communities controversial?".
Have you any evidence of that conjecture?
Fair enough. I updated the title.
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As far as I can tell most organized religions seem to have problems with homosexuality. I know religious Jews, Christians (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant), Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists who object to homosexuality on religious grounds.
Many black communities in the US are fairly religious (usually either Protestant or Muslim), so I think that strains of homophobia in black communities across the US is likely largely due to religious belief. However, there are also vibrant black gay communities as well as plenty of liberal black Americans who are tolerant/accepting/supportive of homosexuality.
As far as the apparently less negative view of lesbian vs gay, I think there are many reasons (none of them particularly logical). I think some guys don't really understand that lesbians have NO interest in them sexually (bi is another matter)--largely due to inaccurate portrayal in film, tv, and especially pornography (which has packaged lesbianism for heterosexual male consumption.)
Another aspect of the lesbian vs gay perception among homophobes is summed up nicely by a mock definition of homophobia: "A homophobe is a swine who is afraid that gay men will treat him as he treats women." (I don't know who to attribute this to, but I certainly didn't make it up.) This makes sense to me. These hyper-masculaine jerks responsible for all the #MeToo stories are convinced that gay men are going to hit on them in the street or workplace, or grope them on the bus, or assault them in the bathroom (or whatever it is that they have done, or fantasize about doing to women/girls). Obviously there are also homophobes who do not match this description, but I think that the most hate-filled ones might be.
At any rate, I don't know if homosexuality is any more or less controversial in black communities (at least in the us), but I think that there is a stereotype that this is the case.