ARE BLACK MEN NOT ALL JUST A BUNCH OF PUNK FAGGOTS? PROVE IT!

Inspired by Terry McMillan and that the man who supposedly had gotten her her groove, really preferred the grove of another man, it appears that BET plans to get more mileage out of the “Brothers On The Down Low” hype. It appears that it is not enough that the topic has already haunted Black psyches for over 5 years now and has increased Black male and female trust anxieties. BET will air their documentary on this matter March 28, 2006. On the surface it already looks sketchy: There will be no expertise on the issue of Black male sexuality and the dimensionality of behavior and identity involved. Commentators include a Black gay identifying interracialist (a Black person exclusively into Whites for relationships) who runs a makeshift though highly profiled Black AIDS conglomerate; an Atlanta minister with a Black gay identified church, and an exceptionally brilliant Clinical Psychologist, though she is not an expert on Black male sexuality regarding so-called “DL” Black men (I have worked specifically with and researched this diverse population for over two decades, before it became chic). It does have the markings of being another Black male defiling episode of destructive propaganda.

In response to a BET press release about the show, concerned it may impact how Black homosexual males are perceived again, a minor amount of outcry has crept across the internet. Included has been talk about boycotting BET's latest tendency to destroy Black minds and imagery, and taint America’s point of view. But, if things pan out as they typically do, a minor amount of outcry in a sea of compromised, scared or distracted Black folks, no recognized resistance will occur. Then in a couple of months it will seemingly blow over, and another opportunity to powerfully challenge a prime-time Black insult will be stored in the canon of other 'if-I-woulda-shouldas' taking up unprecious space in the impotent Black complaints file. But this begs the question, one implied by the JL King's "DL" hype: Are most Black males punk faggots?

When one person, especially male, especially a Black male insults or attacks another, often if the one attacked does not defend himself he is seen as a punk bitch. Using that equation, a non response by Black males to the media's most recent assault, overall, could appear to be a punk reaction. If most Black males are not punks, where is the evidence?

When Black people, especially men, become powerful, and begin to unlearn the symptoms of post traumatic slave syndrome (PTSS), recover from intergenerational racism resistance fatigue (IRRF), support each other toward that end, and stop falling for ineffective distractions like gay-identity, interracial partnerships (or the avoidance of intimacy with other Black people), corporate approval, Euro-Christianity (this is our main sleeping pill), sex addiction and other substance based anesthesia (escape), internalized white supremacy, self-hate and self concept disorientation, and replace it all with courage, mental health therapy, critical thinking, a plan of action and ’’balls’’ - our condition will change.


A Black person, especially a male who has succumbed to all listed and has not revived is seen as a ''fag.'' And that’s a lot of ''fags.'' Black people react to Black male ''faggottry'' (the apparent lack of community beneficial Black male power, presence and advocacy) because of being humiliated about the compromise of the Black male (the symptomologies presented in a recent NY Times article on the 'Deepening Plight of Black men'). Subconsciously, instinctly and situationally, many Black folks fear that most Black men are losers and ''fags'' (not meaning just homosexual, that's just an easy excuse, but compromised by the American experience, socially/institutionally/culturally constructed Black male inadequacy). In general the resistance to same gender loving (SGL) women is a reaction to the existence of a Black woman who doesn't need or want a [Black] man - even more humiliation for the Black male (in his heterosexual eyes). Religion (with all its severe hypocrisy) is the excuse and the filter Black humiliation and anxiety typically comes through. But behind this dramatic veil is the turmoil of a community reeling from the 500 year old compromise of its manhood, its self control, its sense of self. And that is not a completely irrational state in a society, America, that has always had a patriarchal disposition.

It seems that Black people are too emotionally and psychologically ill-equipped right now to face what is really bothering us. As Terry McMillan was ill-equipped to face that, as an older (than the guy she was eying) woman facing loneliness - due to the compromise of so many Black males - she seduced a ‘’cute’’ (to somebody), young homosexual Black male. Something, financially, she could afford to do. It is sad, tragic madness, and BET will magnify it all, as directed by their opportunistic White Viacom owners, and American hegemony. Clearly they are not bothered by Black, especially male, dysfunction. As is the expectation, Black folks will get caught up in the stuff, yet, again, and not deal with the underlining issues that manifests the whole phenomenon – Black men so-called on the “DL” and otherwise.

Most of the overt outcry about the “DL” has come from Black gay identifying males. Same gender loving (SGL) and heterosexual Black folks, especially men (for once) need to unite on this, and stop the avoidance, the ''bitching'' and moaning about old and worsening problems, and construct a concrete solution. On the SGL tip, Brothers running around calling themselves gay, ridiculing the equally oppressed Black community and attempting to align with gay identity to complain about so-called Black "homophobia" is just the opposite of what needs to be done toward resurrecting ourselves our manhood. When we become men, we won't have to be concerned about BET or the "Down Low." Our community is waiting.

I'm down!


Cleo Manago

P.S. Who is not only down, but doing something about it. The revolution will not be televised though, especially by BET, because the goal is that Blacks stay hypnotized and stuck on petty and divisive bulls@it, while the world turns around and sometimes on us.