WALLS

Image above is a painting by Afro American artists Hughie Lee-Smith. Titled The Wall (1952), the paintings is an allegory for prejudice and how each of us deal with it on a personal level. The rotting wall represents the obstacles of racism and general prejudice. One young black man in the painting chooses to climb over the wall, refusing to bow, accept, and be overcome by prejudice, racism. He wants the same opportunities the three white figures have in the painting. The other African American man chooses to walk away, give up and not challenge the status quo. Even as the wall rots away making it more possible to climb over, he still walks away refusing to just try and overcome it.

To be gay in addition to being black is to be constantly climbing over walls. At lease, this is what it seems like most of the time.

There are WALLS of prejudice within the general American landscape for simply being black or brown and of African descent. There are WALLS of prejudice within certain circles of the general ethnic Afro/Latino American community for being gay. There are WALLS of prejudice within the general gay community for not being a white gay male.

There are WALLS of self-hate, the real "dirty laundry." Perennially ignored are words and imagery continually portraying "brothers loving brothers" as not being spiritually, intellectually and sexually viable. That such words and imagery come from supposedly representative periodicals and various artists of African descent is disillusioning. For the pricey approbation from selling their souls to the larger gay community, there are those brothers who will throw their own under the bus to gain the wider world. Worst are the created colorlines because of "parental blood," skin color/shade/hue, hair texture, shape of nose and etc; the politics of division put into practice by Afro Diasporic gay men. Walls we create ourselves!

Walls, walls, walls that every gay black or brown man must decide climb over, destroy, or walk away from every moment of his life.

I cannot walk away. And, sometimes, I pay!! But, I cannot walk away regardless of the price. There is no way I could live with myself if I walked away within the blog and my life outside it. There is some good worth fighting for. There is so much good to fight for for my brothers (and sisters).