like to thank my biological family, especially my siblings Loretta, Cheryl, Vanessa and Ben (deceased), for their love and encouragement over the years. My regret is that my brother’s premature death deprived us both of sharing in the excitement of my first book. I think my father, Bennett Massey Sr., and stepfather, Virgil Brashears, Jr. would have been pretty puffed up about the book if they were still alive. The life lessons from my “village“ are never far away when I write or speak and have definitely helped to shape my world view.
Percy Green II, my partner and soulmate, has helped me to truly appreciate St. Louis civil rights history with his stories about ordinary people creating extraordinary places and events. It really does fill in the gaps of where we are today and why.
Much respect goes to my political and cultural family which makes up the social justice community; they challenge and inspire me; they educate me on issues and their complexities. They are loyal allies on a most unique battleground. Their organized and relentless resistance has definitely made a positive impact on the quality of life wherever they are. We recognize the profundity of standing on the shoulders of those freedom fighters before us.
A special shout-out to the tech-y triumvirate of Glenn Muhammad, Wendell Layne and Program System 4 U who helped retrieve my early St. Louis American columns from a damaged floppy disk when I thought all was lost because the St. Louis Public Library’s microfiche department was unavailable due to renovations.
For the publications who have thought my voice worthy of uncensored print, I can only express my sincere gratitude, especially for the St. Louis American and Black Commentator (BC) who have reserved a regular place for me at their writers’ table. The proofreaders/editors add the polish and buff to bring out the shine of my words for optimal impact. At the American, the longest serving proofreaders of my column were former reporter Ishmael Ahmad and current editor Chris King. Nancy Littlefield at BC takes on a similar role for my column, A View from the Battlefield and also put her editing expertise to this manuscript.
To the thousands of young people whose lives have intertwined with mine at some point and time on our respective journeys, you are a motivating force that keeps me focused and fighting. I hope you learn and honor that you are the beneficiaries of the sacrifices of many to making your world a place of love, justice and peace. In the spirit of reciprocity, you must also become part of that continuum.
The Youth Council for Positive Development will receive some of the proceeds from this book.
CHAPTER ONE
Snapshots from the Battlegrounds
Veteran civil rights activist Norman Seay (far right) explains the
history of discrimination in construction at a commemoration to
honor the protest climbing of the Arch. Left to right, holding the
banner is Jerry Tucker, Robert Gammons, an unidentified woman
and Harold Brown, (2004)
“The St. Louis Black Gay and Lesbian Pride honors
Jamala Rogers for her years of support to the
Black Gay and Lesbian Community,
August 17, 2008.”
Human Rights are Gay Rights
June, 1998
One of the highlights of the Gay Pride Weekend was the signing of a city ordinance by Mayor Clarence Harmon to allow same-sex couples visitation rights at the City’s hospital and security facilities. No doubt, this will be added to the reasons for why St. Louis was voted among the top twenty cities as one of the best places for gays and lesbians. In spite of some progress, the lifestyle and social movement of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders is still shrouded in myths and mistruths. The African American community has definitely absorbed anti-gay messages from the mainstream that feeds into the similar forms of discrimination we experience daily. That should sensitize us not to victimize others. This isn’t always so.
The Lesbian/Bisexual/Gay/Transgendered (LBGT) Movement, like any other social and political movement, has its own set of internal contradictions, especially around race and class issues. African Americans who identify themselves with this sexual and gender orientation get hit with a double edged sword. They often face racism in the gay community and marginalization in the black community. In most places, their collective voices are seldom heard as a group and they remain invisible as a social force.
Every once in a while, an event or incident gives them a forum. When the National Black Gay & Lesbian Leadership Forum challenged organizers of the Million Man March for anti-gay remarks, the Forum refused to endorse the march. After serious discussion between the two parties, it was agreed that black gay men would be able to participate openly and safely in the historic march. The current hostile environment is against anybody not white, straight or rich.
The non-acceptance of gays has not always been that way. There are number of famous black people who were gay and highly respected. The Harlem Renaissance was heavily influenced by gay and bisexual blacks. Most notable were Alain Lock, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen. Other lesbian and bisexual performers of a later era included Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker, Jackie “Moms” Mabley, Alberta Hunter and Ethel Waters. Literary giants Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin were also known gays. More recently, we’ve seen gay or lesbian black public officials such as Sherry Harris, Seattle City Council and Kenneth Reeves, mayor of Cambridge, MA. Billye Avery headed up the first national organization to focus on the health needs of black women, the Black Women’s Health Project. The list goes on.
The atmosphere seemed to change in the 1950s when people like Senator John McCarthy and FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, ushered in the communist scare, which had a ripple effect. Bayard Rustin, one of the principal organizers of the 1963 March on Washington had to suppress his homosexuality for fear of reprisal on the Civil Rights Movement. At the recent Black Radical Congress, Barbara Smith proclaimed the challenges of being black and out in these contemporary times. Along with the late Audre Lorde, New York State Poet Laureate, these black lesbians helped to co-found Kitchen Press, the first and only press for women of color. Their lives were and are no crystal stairs.
What is the point of all this? The African American community is in no position to throw stones at anyone who is different. We must resist the hypocrisy and violence of the same dominant society who do so to members of the gay community. It is the same system that consistently kicks us in the butt. As with some white people who believe being in contact with blacks will “rub off,” we sometimes approach gays and lesbians in a similar manner. We need to educate ourselves in order to dispel myths, one example being the idea that all homosexuals molest children, when clearly the statistics show that a greater percentage of straight people commit these acts.
Black gays and lesbians are some of the fiercest fighters of civil and human rights. We must always include them in our struggle against racism and discrimination. We must value the positive contributions of all our people, regardless of one’s sexual preference. We are family and there needs to be a seat at the table for everyone.
The Injustice Done by the Catholic Church
