www.terryhowcott.com

In the written works of Malidoma Some' and of his former wife Sonbunfu Some' one finds still more evidence of this. Among the Dagara, Same Gender Loving people are considered more dimensional, dual in consciousness, spiritual and more insightful than heterosexuals.

They are called Gatekeepers because it is believed that SGL folks have a heightened sense of connection to the spiritual realm, and a special ability to guide and protect the community.

Gatekeepers are not only accepted, they are revered.

In African American communities, SGL adults and young adults are often the ones to see to it that our elders (aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents) are safe and sound. They step up to love and nurture their nieces and nephews when parents can not or will not.

They make sure that churches and other Black community spaces are properly administered and respected. In other words, SGL people continue to serve as Gatekeepers of Black culture and history - even while they often lack awareness of their own important legacy.

Some SGL folk hold resentment after having suffered years of taunting, bullying, torment or either being made invisible. Others, hold resentment toward heterosexual Black people coupled with internalized oppression, having little knowledge of their own unique history.

With that, Black Same Gender Loving people are often observed defaulting to a European framework early in their identity formation, thereby referencing themselves as "gay" or "lesbian."

These terms are not naturally empowering, and provide little to no community or personal benefit. Instead they raise up the political realities of White homosexual males.

It is fine that White gay men and others are affirmed and protected. But, it has long been time for Black Same Gender Loving people to locate ways and terminologies that culturally elevate and protect them. Only Black Same Gender Loving people can do this.

White homosexual males (and females) have their own movements and culture - symbolized by triangles (from Germany), lambdas (from Greece) and a rainbow flag created within a racist, exclusive context. This empowerment and resulting feelings of [White] entitlement helped the gay community (a white male dominated community) effectively resolve their dilemma with an HIV epidemic, among other triumphs. Through this rubric Black men and women, devastated by the trauma of losing friends and loved ones to HIV/AIDS, have not enjoyed these successes.

Noted homoattractional writer and Black Freedom Fighter James Baldwin was alive and well during the years (beginning in 1960) in which White homosexuals constructed "gay" as a political movement.

Having little respect or use for Black people otherwise, White gay leaders urged Baldwin to ally with them. They calculated that Baldwin's fame could bring them increased notoriety. But, Baldwin refused to be tokenized, and never joined the "gay" movement, viewing its tenets antithetical to Black liberation.

To date, almost two decades since Baldwin's death, noticeably few noted Black people have ventured to join the gay movement.

To justify an ongoing Black disinterest in White gay identity politics, "gay" groups have sought to cast Black communities as particularly "homophobic." In reality, the most powerful and influential "homophobes" in the U.S. are White heterosexual males.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF "SGL":

As Same Gender Loving Black people - love has been our real goal in discovering and restoring our feelings and desire to connect with other SGL Brother or Sisters.

A lack of culturally sustaining or elevating ideas, constructs, guidance and identity has left many of us desperate for a sense of pride, leading us to the use of such terms as "gay" and "lesbian." We need only to evolve and love ourselves in our own [Black] image.

The term Same Gender Loving asserts that rich sense of Blackness while allowing us to pronounce our love for ourselves and our partners. SGL reawakens and reaffirms our capacity to love within our own cultural establishment.

HOW THE TERM SAME GENDER LOVING AFFIRMS "US"

SGL was conceptualized in honor of Black experience and history. SGL is inspired by the fact the SGL Black folks also have a vast history and ancestry, deep, intricate roots, and a profound legacy - so much to be proud of. For Black SGL people, the terms "gay" or "lesbian" are flat and useless, drawing forth little in the way of interpersonal and community respect.

Same gender loving (SGL) reminds us and our community - homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual - that we give love, that we have love, and that all of us are crucial to the future of Black people.

Copyright © Cleo Manago, 2006

Note: The original writing, "Why The Term Same Gender Loving," authored in 2006, is now transformed to collaborative work between Cleo Manago and Terry Howcott.

Cleo Manago is a "social architect" and author of several influential essays. His views are presented in the author bell hooks' work, "We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity."

He is the founder and organizer of the "Black Men's Xchange" (BMX) a community building, empowerment, educational, advocacy organization.

He is the Father of the term, "Same Gender Loving" and the Same Gender Loving movement. Cleo Manago was invited by Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and spoke at the Million More March in 2005. His website is www.cleomanago. Write Cleo Manago at Cleomanago@aol.com.

Cleo Manago, Part I

Part II

Terry Howcott is a Master of Social Work, speaker, activist, thinker, writer, editor and your host at terryhowcott.com

Reach out to Terry Howcott at terryhowcott@terryhowcott.com

Also see the wings of this site, The Beloved Community Gallery , Our Exceptional Selves, and at Ravaged Cultures Spark a Cultural Revival, "Connecting A Few Dots.