Black or Gay: Navigating Dual Identity in a World of Checking Boxes
Conference Strand
Identity Formation
Abstract
If a Black Lives Matter protest and a LGBTQIAA protest, which would you choose? In these times where being African American may mean being profiled, misunderstood, even death, while being homosexual may result in being disowned, categorized, or emasculated; it is a hard decision to choose which identity to embrace and in which environments.
Evidence
Marcus Hunter’s: All the Gays are White and all the Blacks are Straight: Black Gay men, Identity, and Community.
Format
Individual Presentations
Biographical Sketch
Delton Harris
Delton Harris graduated with his Master of Social Work from University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2016. Harris is building his career primarily working with adolescent males of color, primarily identifying as Questioning, Bisexual, and Gay. Harris has also worked closely with men of color who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Harris has facilitated exploratory, empowerment groups specifically for men of color. Harris continues to partner with local organizations to assist with improving their outreach efforts to Heterosexual and GBQ males of color.
Location
ELAB 21
Start Date
2-8-2019 10:15 AM
End Date
2-8-2019 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Harris, Delton MSW, LCSW, "Black or Gay: Navigating Dual Identity in a World of Checking Boxes" (2019). National Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change. 1.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ccec/2019/2019/1
Black or Gay: Navigating Dual Identity in a World of Checking Boxes
ELAB 21
If a Black Lives Matter protest and a LGBTQIAA protest, which would you choose? In these times where being African American may mean being profiled, misunderstood, even death, while being homosexual may result in being disowned, categorized, or emasculated; it is a hard decision to choose which identity to embrace and in which environments.
Description
It is often, for Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning African American Males, to be stomped with the decision to choose between being a part of the Gay community OR being a part of the African American community. Making this decision becomes more difficult when introducing intersectionality; layering a person’s challenges. Through this presentation we will be dissecting Marcus Hunter’s: All the Gays are White and all the Blacks are Straight: Black Gay men, Identity, and Community.
Previous research in the field indicates the importance for investigating gay individuals’ conceptualization of intersecting identities. Yet, there is still a lack of research investigated Black gay identities. Prior research examined race and sexuality but as separate, even detached entities. Hunter bridges those entities and presents some of the social realities of Black gay men, elucidating the intersectionality between a Black and a gay identity. Hunter did this by conducting fifty one-on-one interviews through the use of in-depth, home, interviews; which were recorded, transcribed, and coded. All participants were self-identified Black gay men from various occupations and education levels. The study found that Black gay men engaged in negotiating their identities through three expressions: (a) interlocking-identities are united, (b) up-down-one identity over the other, and (c) public-private-setting is considered. This presentation will be examining Black, gay men’s intersectionality through intricate identity negotiations. This session will teach: identity Negotiations, identifying social and identity stressors, and culturally appropriate theoretical frameworks when work with Gay, Bisexual, Questioning Black Men.