Homophobia Fuels Increase in HIV Rates at Southern Colleges

The media has paid some attention to the recent surge in HIV infections at southern colleges in Universities. Digging into the trend, I only found one article that even began to address how homophobia and racism are implicated in the production of a 'down-low' culture where HIV prevention isn't given any thought.

Homophobia at these traditionally black colleges is one factor contributing to this new epidemic. Many aspects of the African American community are centered around the church, and homosexuality is discussed negatively when it is discussed at all. Additionally, a high regard for traditional masculinity within the community contributes further to a cultural norm of homophobia. An entire book could be written about the causes and social aspects of homophobia in the African American community, but the sure thing is that it exists.

And the GLBT community has a lot of work to do if we are going to pretend to be the inclusive community we keep saying we are. Living in the great white north, I've seen many gay.com chatters looking for 'white guys only' or the covert racism exhibited in many of the Twin Cities gay social venues. Racism or 'otherness' in our community is as much a problem as the homophobia in the African American community.

Lonnie Payne of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation writes this article about racism, homophobia, and black gay men:

As a whole, black gay men have been invisible in American society. We have been scorned within the black community, which often denies our existence as gay men or views us with open hostility. In the general society as well as in the wider gay community, where racism is as prevalent as it is in society as a whole, we often encounter rejection and marginalization due to the color of our skin. The effects have been devastating, contributing to rates of HIV infection among men of color that far exceed those among other groups.

Indeed the CDC cites homophobia as a major factor in accessing services:

Race/ethnicity itself is not a risk factor for HIV infection; however, among racial/ethnic minority MSM, social and economic factors including homophobia...may serve as [a] barrier to receiving HIV prevention information or accessing HIV testing, diagnosis, and treatment.

Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke out against homophobia in 1999.

"I have no doubt that homophobia has worsened and prolonged the AIDS crisis. It is sad to me when I hear black people, including some in leadership positions, making homophobic comments and attacking the human rights of gay and lesbian people. African Americans," she said, "have suffered for too long because of prejudice and bigotry to be parroting the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups who bash people because of their sexual orientation."

Our two communities need to make some real strides in communicating with each other and addressing these issues. The people caught in the middle are at risk because neither community has had a real dialogue about their own shortcomings.