CHECK IT OUT: Out in the ‘Hood: Young, Gay and Hoping for Something Better

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Preston Gannaway documents Tavaris “Teddy Ebony” Edwards, a young gay man who's trying make his life more than what's expected.

Tavaris is from the hood and at the age of 16, dropped out of school. Now, he is trying to better himself:

I grew up in the hood. When you’re staying in a rough neighborhood, you always gotta keep your guard up. 

I’m the first openly gay person in my family. As a young boy, I was always feminine. I always liked boys. I had to hide it, because people expected me to be who I wasn’t. Before I came out, I was the captain of the football team. I was living a dream that everybody wanted me to live. I came out when I was sixteen. I guess I got tired of hiding who I really wanted to be.

This is an interesting piece. Please check it out and let me know what you think

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Writers! Enough with the Sassy, DL, Thug, Housewife Assistant roles for Gay Black Men

Here is my mini-rant of the day...

While I'm happy about more Black gays on TV, I'm not excited about the roles.

It seems the roles for Black gay men are either: DL, whiny or queeny-Diva assistants. From Reality Shows to L.A. Complex, the diversity of gay roles are very limited.

But why is that? Why are we limited to this these particular roles? Is it easier to create these roles or is it all the writer knows about Black gay men? And I get it all about the character development, but does it have to start with these 'special' attributes?

Personally, I'm over the DL storylines. It may be alluring and mystical, but it reminds me of the fixation folks have over Mandingo. Why are we still fascinated with these DL stories? Can we get storyline about raising kids, running for office, solving mysteries or just traveling the world? Is that hard to do?

And what about these sassy roles? Child, if I see another gay Diva-assistant to some sorry Reality Housewife, I'm going to burn down a village.

Folks, these are not ideal roles or images we want. We should be asking for more diverse roles for Black gay men. Not all of us fantasize about the DL thug or the magical hairdresser.

I want a new set of characters representing the Black gay community. Our stories should not be limited to a few stereotypical characters. We are more than that and we should demand for better representation.

43% of Black Gay Teens have Contemplated or Attempted Suicide

In staggering news, a new report reveals that many Black gay youth have attempted or thought about suicide.

Here's more

 Preliminary results from a blockbuster survey of black gay youth, conducted by the National Strategy for Black Gay Youth in America, reveals that 43 percent of black gay youth have thought about or attempted suicide as a result of issues related to their sexual orientation.

Released by Youth Pride Services, the report is the first of three to be released this year.
According to the results, over half of those surveyed fear or have experienced family disownment as a result of coming out of the closet.

Other statistics:

• 22 percent experienced mental abuse related to their sexual orientation
• 26 percent experienced anti-gay bullying
• 11 percent are HIV positive; 7 percent do not know their status
• 8 percent have been homeless due to their sexual orientation
• 9 percent have been sexually abused as a result of their sexual orientation
• 10 percent have been physically abused as a result of their sexual orientation

The survey respondents were asked to list items that would make life as a black gay youth more bearable; 90 percent listed “family acceptance,” making it the most popular item in the survey.

Hopefully, seeing more Black leaders come out in support of gay marriage will help in creating a different climate for our youth. 

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