Mar
30
Black Gay Man Discussion Questions
March 30, 2015 | 1 Comment
I read Black Gay Man by Robert F. Reid-Pharr and it led me to ask myself some questions.
1. The author uses the derogatory language of negro queer, colored sissy and nigger faggot. Did these terms offend anyone or did their use by an African-American and homosexual writer make using those words inoffensive? Should the offensiveness of a word depend on who is saying it?
2. I found the candid discussion of Rick to be quite bold, it had a very Dan Savage-like quality to it. Did anyone consider the level of sexual detail revealed to be oversharing?
3. The author modestly referring to himself as an intellectual, implores other intellectuals to refuse the notion that they exist in a vacuum…but don’t they? People in academia like to discuss things like queer theory and outmoded binaristic identitarian discourses but has ninety percent of the American population ever heard the term queer theory? Do even homosexuals talk about queer theory around the water cooler? What impact does the academic community have on mainstream society?
I would love to hear everyone’s take on all these questions.
-Frank
Comments
1 Comment so far
Just a couple of responses, with some (very un-academic) links that your questions immediately brought to mind:
With regard to the first question, I think there is a wealth of scholarship and commentary out there about appropriation/reappropriation of racial language, but I particularly like Jay Smooth’s YouTube video (linked below) as an excellent and concise resource on the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yDMd9g1oSA
On the second point, I’m hesitant about using Dan Savage as a shorthand for sexually frank language. His show and column often contain personal sexual stories, but they are rarely his. Further, he has a particular agenda and viewpoint that I think often have more in common with the white male gay ideal introduced by McBride than with Reid-Pharr. Where Reid-Pharr is here using sexually frank revelation to integrate the personal with the political toward the creation of an inclusive American Left, Savage often uses a listener’s personal anecdote to advance an agenda that is often at odds with Reid-Pharr’s philosophy. This is my favorite explainer about Dan Savage’s more problematic views: http://forgetpolitics.tumblr.com/post/22929360770/the-top-6-reasons-why-you-should-hate-dan-savage