Race, AIDS/HIV and the Systematic Situation

Written by: Hudson K on Jul 2, 2009 6:27 PM EDT

Race, AIDS/HIV and the Systematic Situation

Written By:  Hudson De Witt Kelly

I think Attorney General Handler said it best when he stated that Americans are so afraid to talk truthfully, honestly and up-front about race relations in the United States. 

And if it is that way as a whole then how can one imagine it would be in the gay community when the African American community is separated by out of race dating, economic dynamics and in a city such as Chicago divided between the North Side and the South side where one is determined to be better than the other.

In the 1980’s as I have written before I can recall many African Americans saying that people of color who dated outside of their race where asking for the gay plague to touch and affect them and that they would come crawling back to their own kind.  In the 1980’s I was a kid so you can understand how that would shape me.

It’s not until you venture out into the world when you begin to see things in a much clearer perspective and that is part of the major problem for the African American community at large is they never see anything better than what they have and that does not hardly equal to what our white counterparts have.

In the 1990’s E. Lynn Harris brought out a era of compassion within the African American gay community, we were more involved we had our Mecca’s such as Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia and other places where we strived to come full circle then the DOWN LOW antics pushed all the positive back towards the negative and now with African Americans the new face of AIDS/HIV instead of fighting as our white gay males did we are too busy running back to the closet and hiding under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

See most of the problem lies with the fact that no one likes to state a perspective from a African American man; sure women are important I am not saying that they are not but you don’t see E. Lynn as the voice of the black gay male; the black gay males has no voice; he is just a bunch of statistics and number crunching but why not talk to someone from the Southside, the Westside and ask them what they need in their communities and fight for them until they get it. 

Do you really think that a gay male from the Southside wants to travel all the way to the North side to organizations that are either stodgy, there employees run out of the office when a Positive test comes back or they are Positive talking to a bunch of men who are Negative and doing everything they can to stay that way?  African Americans need someone that they can relate to too make sure that there interests are being heard and their demands met.  

I have noticed this about African Americans who date other races they tend to forget that they are a person of color; they forget that they rose through to get to the other side and if it was the time when Interracial Dating/Romancing was looked upon as something unacceptable they would be shunned for the fact that they know love is color blind.  Chicago, IL is a very assimilated city unlike any other that claims to be predominately African American; or use to have that claim. 

Chicagoans I have noticed do not sit well with people who follow the beat of their own drum; it’s very cold, cruel and deceitful if you don’t play the chess game the way that it was meant to be played.  You have to throw your rules out of the door in order to enjoy this playground and now even more so in Boystown.

In the lesbian/gay/transgendered/leather/bear community it is those differences that set us apart and it is true the mainstream GLBT community is really out of touch with certain parts of the community as they sit in their office enjoying the view of the city while the people are left to fend for themselves.  They’re going to 20,000 a plate dinners while most of the community is working for minimum wage. 

The bars are ran and operated by people who all look the same; as when an African American or other minority does reach the other side his nose quickly turns up to his own people or when an African American walks into certain bars/clubs and treated like second rate citizens in a community that is using the Civil Rights Movement as its backdrop and the gym craze that took over the gay community during the after affects of AIDS has made matters worse because now people who would date people for their differences can only date someone who looks just like them.

There is so much more that could be said like the fact that everyone is trying to copy their sex lives after one of their favorite porn movies.  The thing about it is we are all individuals and we all see things differently but we are all united in one thing that we are gay men still trying to be accepted into Mainstream America; a system that still to this day does not want us and fact of the matter is why do we want to sell each other out to get some to the golden gates when we already have a rainbow as diverse, and real as the American Flag itself?

Together we can win this fight but the more and more that we separate ourselves between the haves and the have nots; the muscle studs and the bears, the old leather guard and the new leather guard the more and more we are behaving just like the Religious groups trying to tear us apart in the first place and they will have won the fight and we will be left in the ruins as they want us to be.

 Get To Know the Author

I am Hudson De Witt Kelly, 32 year-old African American male activist, community role model, leather boy who resides in the Edgewater community of Chicago.  I like to hang out at the beach and people watch; so if you ever see me say hello.  I like to dance the night away as hydrate, Circuit and would like to have more friends from other parts of Chicago that can show me how diverse this city is.  I love listening to Kylie and Dannii Minogue, shopping at Borderline Music and drinking Merlot.

I have had the pleasure of residing in New York, NY, Detroit, MI Atlanta, GA, Los Angeles, CA and the beautiful Chicago, IL for the last two years and yes I definitely like to live by the beat of my own drum but with respect, honor and a code of conduct where I don’t bring my mess to anyone else unless they want to help me clean them up.

I would like to thank the Chicago Free Press for giving me so much to write about,  to TPAN for giving me the place to help make change happen, to Jorge, Jose and Howard for being there for me when I have wanted to pack up and leave many of times now. 

To the leather community in giving me a sense of brotherhood even though I am still a boy learning and feeling my way through but with your strong arms around me and the smell of the leather harness I know that I can make it through anything and to Cyon Flare for always being the beckon of love that he allows to flow through this city as he to fights to bring it closer together and have you seen those pumps they will walk all over adversity and strife and lastly by Rat Terrier Blanche who loves me no matter what.

Till Next Time

Each One, Reach One, To Teach One.

Hudson De Witt Kelly

Hkelly2800@yahoo.com

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Location: Chicago, IL 60660