Missing An Important Distinction

[...] a huge kudo. He not only looked at the criticism of his blog praising the porno peddling hoax, he responded by admitting he made some [...]

We've posted a response to this blog over at TheConversation. Thanks so much for your time, and the excellent back forth!

DD,

Thanks for the having the journalistic courage and integrity for stepping up here.

With regard to Braxton's and The Conservation Starts Here.Net approaches I have no quarrel with either's posture given the nature of the issue.

I do take issue however with the simple minded narrative that homophobia is the major problem within the Black community that makes confronting this issue problematic...

Issue analysis which is fixated on one singular theme leads one to narrow inferences and at end of the day this does not bode well given the complex nature of the issue at hand.. In other words let's cast a wider net than homophobia themes...

gthraser,

If you have a higher number of African American men, who are men who have sex with men, getting the virus, and they are being ignored in prevention efforts and the African American community is unwilling to acknowledge their very existence, what WOULD you call it?

You are right there are a lot social stigma issues involved in HIV, up to and including a traditional unwillingness to talk about sex, particularly variant sexuality. That refusal drives same-gender sexual activity underground which creates another stumbling block in the way of addressing HIV.

So, just how complex is it when the writing is clearly on the wall.

African American men who have sex with men are significantly more likely to contract HIV. Discussions by and about African American men who have sex with men is repressed in the African American community. The only way to address HIV is with frank conversations about male homosexuality. Thus, with an unwillingness to discuss the highest risk category of behavior is hampering efforts to combat HIV/AIDS rates in the African American community.

What is complicated in this scenario?

@hivpoz,

Please do not lecture to me about the human sexuality in the Black community perhaps it makes more sense to confront your shortcomings and failures in this area.

There has never been any reluctance or problems from my corner of the world to discuss anything regarding this issue.

Your statement that this issue is not complex again confirms for me how myopic your analysis is of this issue in our community if I accept your premise than why is there still a disconnect in our community??

The notion that Black men having sex with other Black men is repressed is nonsense . It is a narrative which in part makes for folks like you to exist in truth.

Yet I am not under any restraints to discuss whatever/wheneve..I am not working for any special interest group nor do I have a script to present

Again my premise is simple cast a wider net and stop focusing on just homophobia in the hood ..

What is so complicated by this senario??

I do take issue however with the simple minded narrative that homophobia is the major problem within the Black community that makes confronting this issue problematic...

pex

I find it ironic that gthrasher can lament that the issue of HIV/AIDS awareness in the black community is a complex issue that goes beyond just homophobia, yet somehow rails against the white community (quite an amalgamation) as racists.

Suddenly gthrasher can find subtlety and nuance with an issue regarding blacks (also a large blanket distinction), yet sticks to one singular theme that all white people, including the young and weak without any power, bear responsibility for the treatment of African-Americans throughout history and the current state of Black America.

I guess only whites were born with some original sin as oppressors.

@flytiger23,

I am a global person with a mature and evolved state of being as such I have the capacity and range to reflect on unlimited issues..Your mistake is to assume you know me..

I am often simply a conduit of historial data of white racism in our nation yet when I discuss this data I get angry folks like you asserting I am railing against whites. I did not create segregation, slavery, disparate treatment ect and unlike present day whites in our nation I did not recieved unearned assets and privledge from our nation's legacy of racism..

My narratives simply connect the prevalent issues with our history it is true in our country the singular theme of white racism continues to impact and stain our nation..

Again your opinion of my narratives simply reflect your defensive and kneejerk reaction to my ability to document truth and reality.

With regard to notions of "original sin" I am not a religious person so I bear zero witness to such fiction and nonsense...With regard to oppression and whites perhaps you need to take a history class in a HBCU to really expand your mind about race and its role in America..

In the meantime I will continue to make a difference..

In GThrasher's defense, he is right. There continues to be a systemic racial disparity in America. It manifests in many ways, including lack of access to medical care.

Uncovering the roots of HIV often uncovers very uncomfortable truths about community-- homophobia, racism, sexism, etc.

I point at HIV as an issue based on the historical role of health issues and response from the black community. It is traditionally harnessed by the black church. That in general is not happening in Detroit. And a large part of that is because a great many of the black men infected with HIV are infected via same-sex sexual behavior. It's a taboo within the community which makes addressing HIV just as taboo. So my observation on homophobia's role in the continued HIV cases in Detroit remains key.

But it is shaded with issues such as race, sexism and poverty.

Again my premise with regard to the issue of HIV in the Black community requires more than a singular focus on homophobia and the role of the Black church.

I am an advocate of a comprehensive approach in dealing with any public health issue . I think a more "overstanding" instead of an "understanding" view provides more perspective on issues. When one is "under something" it is hard to see the entire canvass/landscape/terrain/issue/problem..

In our culture we must abandoned our limited problem solving models and develop a more comprehensive/overstanding paradigm . I think such a model would work with regard to HIV and the Black community..