Submitted by: Submitted by JerzeyKitty
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Category: Societal Issues
Date Submitted: 04/28/2010 02:06 PM
Part 32: Darker Shades of Queer: Race and Sexuality at the Margins
The author of Darker Shades of Queer is Chong-Suk Han, a gay Asian American who has become angry over the so called “shared history of oppression” that white gay leaders have preached about. The chapter notes that, although they claim to have “shared history” of oppression, people who are marginalized and minimized by the dominant parts of society find it easier to join their oppressors in oppressing others, rather than fighting discrimination. This has caused more white gay people to become racist and more people of color to become homophobic.
Gay activists believe that the oppressed are above oppressing others, but evidence shows that’s not the case. The author refers to “gayborhoods,” which were once run down and forgotten neighborhoods and are now picture perfect right off of a gay magazine cover. Even shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk and The L-Word all portray the image of the gay community as white upper middle class.
Although it may seem petty, you can see racism in the gay community at a local gay bar, when people of color are asked for two different forms of identification. Being denied access to one of the only places where their sexuality is able to be freely expressed has left gay people of color with few places to go. Gay people of color are also denied leadership roles within gay communities. Leaders of gay communities will fight for their sexuality but have often refused to “muddy the waters” by adding racism as a discussion in their forums. During one community forum on race, gay white men generalized the subject of race by stating that “everyone is capable of racism.”
When you take a look at the gay community you will see that white males seem to have dominance over those of color for a number of reasons. Gay men of color often don’t see each other as potential life partners. White men see gay men of color as competition, competing for the...