News of Angola - All about Angola in www.angolaxyami.com - www.news.angolaxyami.com - www.videos.akizomba.org - Forum Angola Xyami

Angola feels economic threat from S. African incursions Pay-Per-View - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - NewsBank - Mar 13, 1988 WASHINGTON - Manuel Pedro Pacavira, Angola's new ambassador to the United Nations, ... Pacavira acknowledged that Cuban forces are being rushed to the Cuito ... All 12 related - Related web pages

Angolan Rulers Seek to Avoid Fate Of Sandinistas, E. Europe's... Pay-Per-View - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver - Jun 26, 1991 The MPLA's two chief campaign strategists, Pacavira and Marcelino Moco, ... "If we had elections today, the president would win," said Pacavira, ... Related web pages

Angola awaits South African response to `shortcut' for Cuban troop Pay-Per-View - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - NewsBank - Apr 16, 1988 Manuel Pacavira, Angola's ambassador to the United Nations, ... Pacavira said Angola's recent proposal would "greatly shorten" the Cuban's withdrawal. ... US Redoubles Efforts for an Angolan Settlement - nytimes.com All 5 related - Related web pages

Angola: L'Ambassadeur d'Angola en Italie en faveur des... AllAfrica.com - Nov 24, 2005 Malgré cette situation, Manuel Pacavira a dit qu'avec les trois ans de paix, ... A ce propos, Pedro Pacavira a fait appel à la FAO, afin de continuer à ... All 2 related - Related web pages

Itália: Comemorado 46º aniversário da luta armada de libertação em... AngolaPress - Jul 26, 2008 Licenciado em Ciências Sociais em Havana, Cuba, Manuel Pacavira é autor de várias obras literárias, destacando-se "Ndalatando em Chamas", "Nzinga Mbandi" e ... Itália: Embaixador angolano considera excelentes... - AngolaPress All 2 related - Related web pages

CIA CRASH CALLED PROBLEM IN ANGOLA New York Times - Dec 1, 1989 Manuel Pedro Pacavira, the Angolan representative at the United Nations, said the crash showed that ''the CIA continues to instigate and encourage the war'' ... All 16 related - Related web pages

Bióloga alerta para os riscos na aquisição de produtos em armazéns ... AngolaPress - Jul 25, 2008 Luanda, 30/11 - A bióloga angolana Rosa Pacavira apelou hoje à população a ter ... Neste trabalho, de acordo com Rosa Pacavira, que dissertava o tema sobre ... Related web pages

Savimbi Says He Is Halting Angolan Peace Talks New York Times - Sep 17, 1989 The Angolan delegate to the United Nations, Manuel Pacavira, accused Mr. Savimbi of bad faith and said he did not really want to bring the war to an end. ... All 6 related - Related web pages

US AND MOSCOW SEEK ANGOLA UNIT New York Times - Oct 2, 1990 Manuel Pedro Pacavira, Angola's delegate to the United Nations, suggested that ... ''On the one hand, Savimbi says peace is possible,'' Mr. Pacavira said. ... All 15 related - Related web pages

US Strategy on Angola Peace Talks Falters;White House Is Relying on... Pay-Per-View - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver - Sep 25, 1989 Angola's ambassador to the United Nations, Manuel Pedro Pacavira, said Thursday that the U.S. demands amounted "almost to a declaration of war." ... All 4 related - Related web pages

Angola: Book On President Dos Santos Presented Saturday AllAfrica.com - Aug 27, 2006 The book entitled "Jose Eduardo dos Santos - A Life Devoted to the Homeland", by the Angolan writer Manauel Pedro Pacavira, was presented Saturday, here, ... All 7 related - Related web pages

Angola: Book On 30 Years of Football Out On Friday AllAfrica.com - Nov 1, 2006 According to Carlos Pacavira, in this first volume, it is given highlight to the performances of the national soccer team, since its debut game on 08th ... Related web pages

Angola: Visite du ministre italien des AE au stand angolais AllAfrica.com - Aug 2, 2007 Pendant 15 minutes, Pacavira et Massimo D'Alema ont abordé des sujets liés au ... Au terme de cette rencontre, indique la source, Manuel Pedro Pacavira a ... Related web pages

Angola: Italy - Ambassadress Joins Kids for Christmas Day AllAfrica.com - Dec 26, 2006 The Christmas luncheon was organised by the ambassadress Maria Branca Pacavira, who during the ceremony, with her husband ambassador Manuel Pacavira, ... Related web pages

Angolan Rebels Ask Rise in US Aid; $45 Million Sought to Offset... Pay-Per-View - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver - Apr 25, 1989 Pacavira indicated Friday that his government has no intention of negotiating with UNITA and said its ultimate fate was solely "a problem for those who ... Related web pages

Book On Life Of President Dos Santos Presented To Public AngolaPress - Jul 26, 2008 Writer Manuel Pedro Pacavira, who makes also a reference to the chronology of the armed conflict and peace in Angola (1976-2006), said that he wrote those ... All 52 related - Related web pages

Italy: Angolan Community Wants Members Registration AngolaPress - Jul 26, 2008 In response, Manuel Pedro Pacavira pledged to intercede with concerned authorities to consider the community`s concerns. Related web pages

Angola: Ambassador to Italy Happy With Diplomatic Activity AllAfrica.com - Jan 7, 2008 Angolan ambassador to Italy, Manuel Pedro Pacavira, Monday in Rome ... Manuel Pedro Pacavira said so while speaking to diplomats and officials of the ... Related web pages

Fostering trade ties with Africa $2.95 - Dallas Morning News - NewsBank - Mar 26, 1990 "That policy has been a destructive one,' said Mr. Pacavira. "There are many corporations that would like to invest in Angola, but there is a lack of ... All 4 related - Related web pages

Barilive.it - Il primo giornale telematico della città di Bari | Più... BariLive.it - Oct 17, 2007 Il Preside della Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Cosimo Laneve, ha donato al Rettore Teta e all'Ambasciatore Pacavira due medaglie del cinquantenario e ... Related web pages

News of Angola - All about Angola in www.angolaxyami.com - www.news.angolaxyami.com - www.videos.akizomba.org - Forum Angola Xyami

ENVOY SAYS ANGOLA SET TO RESOLVE CUBAN ISSUE $2.95 - Boston Globe - NewsBank - Aug 21, 1988 Pacavira, who was Angolan ambassador to Cuba until he was appointed ... Pacavira, speaking of the wide gap between the South African and Angolan proposals ... All 22 related - Related web pages

UN Envoy Pledges Cooperation on Angolan Drought Aid Pay-Per-View - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver - Jul 20, 1990 The diplomat, Manuel Pedro Pacavira, said a State Department delegation ... Pacavira, however, said in a prepared news statement that his government was ... All 2 related - Related web pages

Angola Offers Removal Of All Cuban Troops;Shift May Yield Breakthrough... Subscription - Washington Post - HighBeam Research - Feb 14, 1988 Pacavira said that Angola's offer must be part of "a package deal" including ... Pacavira said Angola regards the current talks with the United States as a ... Angola Terms on Cuban Troops Seen as Major... - New York Times Angola Offers Removal Of All Cuban Troops;Shift... - highbeam.com All 8 related - Related web pages

Angolan Government Issues New Proposals for Peace Settlement;Members... Pay-Per-View - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver - Jan 1, 1990 As dos Santos has consistently done in the past, Pacavira ruled out UNITA ... Pacavira added: "We think, yes, it would even be healthy for Savimbi to ... All 3 related - Related web pages

Apresentado livro do escritor Pedro Pacavira AngolaPress - Jul 26, 2008 Luanda, 26/08 - O livro de depoimento "JES (José Eduardo dos Santos)- Uma vida em prol da Pátria", do escritor Manuel Pedro Pacavira, foi apresentada hoje ... Related web pages

Angola: Italy - Book On 46th Anniversary of Armed Liberation Struggle... AllAfrica.com - Feb 7, 2007 Written By Manuel Pedro Pacavira, the book serves to mark the 46th ... A Social Sciences graduate from Havana, Cuba, Manuel Pacavira is author of various ... Related web pages

Angola Refuses to Talk With Rebels New York Times - Aug 12, 1988 The Angolan official, Manuel Pedro Pacavira, Luanda's representative at the United ... While Mr. Pacavira said his Government would not negotiate with the ... ANGOLAN ENVOY SPURNS RECONCILIATION PLAN He... - Dallas Morning News - NewsBank ($2.95) DIPLOMAT OFFERS JOBS, HOMES TO ANGOLAN REBELS - St. Paul Pioneer Press - NewsBank ($2.95) St. Louis Post-Dispatch - New York Times - All 27 related - Related web pages

Angola: L'UJA déplore la mort du journaliste Humberto Pacavira AllAfrica.com - Jul 14, 2004 L'Union des Journalistes Angolais (UJA) exprime sa profonde consternation par la mort du journaliste de l'Agence Angola Presse (ANGOP), Humberto Eduardo ... Related web pages

Timing of Cuban Pullout Has Snagged Peace Talks, Angolan Diplomat Says Pay-Per-View - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - NewsBank - Oct 14, 1988 Manuel Pedro Pacavira, Angola's ambassador to the United Nations, ... Mr. Pacavira said the talks are snagged on the question of a timetable for withdrawing ... Pace of Cuban Pullout Said to Deadlock Talks;... - Washington Post - ProQuest Archiver (Pay-Per-View) No Plan Yet on Pullout, Cuba and Angola Say - New York Times All 5 related - Related web pages

UN Mission On Famine Aid Sent to Angola Subscription - Washington Post - HighBeam Research - Aug 11, 1990 Other members of the mission, Pacavira said, are Charles La Muniere, ... Pacavira said the team was being sent in response to his government's "formal ... All 2 related - Related web pages

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Fifth Avenue Fire Sale

It's home to some of the world's most expensive retailers, but in this tumultuous economy, even New York City's Fifth Avenue is breaking out ridiculous red tag sales -- and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Tonight, "Project Runway" fashion maven Tim Gunn takes "Nightline" correspondent Vicki Mabrey for a shopping stroll down the famed avenue to see just how low the prices have gone.

"Whatever" Women

She's the daughter of Martha Stewart, the icon who turned a penchant for homemaking into a business empire, with a few speed bumps, like her obstruction of justice conviction. But Alexis Stewart, along with sidekick Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, is capitalizing on her mother's fame -- by teasing Martha -- in a satellite radio show and a new television program. Tonight, "20/20" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas interviews the pair.

Platelist: Daniel Boulud

He's a French chef who has made it big in the United States. Tonight, super chef Daniel Boulud shares his recipes for a pair of Thanksgiving Day treats that will make your mouth water. Think cheese, lots of cheese.

We hope you'll join us.

The "Nightline" team

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How the Economy Is Affecting Your Sex Life, By Vanessa Richmond, The Tyee

How the Economy Is Affecting Your Sex Life

Softening up, crashing, going down, failing to launch, losing firmness -- it seems sex and money, or at least libido and the economy, have more in common than language.

In "Sexual Recession" in Forbes this week, Dr. Ruth cautions that people anxious about diminishing investments or "looming pink slips should turn their attention to a side effect of the present economic tsunami: the way it's washing away the love lives of couples caught up in the rushing waters. Stress, depression and anxiety all wreak havoc on the libido."

She talks about one couple in which a man fears he'll lose his job, which is affecting his sense of manhood, and therefore his sexual desire. He didn't want to burden his wife with his problems, so didn't tell her about any of this. His wife interpreted his silence and lack of interest to mean he was having an affair. Dr. Ruth says there will be many such misunderstandings in this kind of economy, and many will lead to divorce, because without sex, relationships fail. She says the cures are good communication, and the French approach: "L'appetit vient en mangeant," which means, "your appetite comes as you eat." Basically, take your clothes off, get into bed together, and it'll all work out. Otherwise, the "failing financial systems will rob you of the profits of your relationships" too.

Laboring in 'Splitsville'

"Will the Market Kill Your Marriage" is Time's offering on the subject. "Recession and divorce, it is said, go together like carriage and horse." And those "who labor in Splitsville" have three theories as to why. "There's the lawyer theory, that money provides the soft fatty tissue that insulates the marital skeleton; once it's cut back and people get a good look at the guts of their relationship, they want out. And there's the marriage-counselor theory, that couples who were never quite on the same page in the checkbook finally get pushed off the ledger by endless bickering over their dwindling resources. And the therapist theory, that financial worries cause stress, stress can cause depression, and depression is a total connubial buzz kill." It also floats a few new theories: some lawyers say that as stock prices have plunged, they've received inquiries from business owners and investors "looking to unhitch now, with the idea that being poorer on paper will work to their advantage when dividing assets." Nice.

And one Cambridge University researcher has just done a study measuring the naturally occurring steroids in 17 British male traders over time and found high levels of testosterone during bull markets and of cortisol during volatility. "Cortisol helps the body deal with threatening situations. But prolonged exposure to it, as during a lengthy downturn, makes people irrationally fearful, so when confronted with neutral situations -- say, that their spouse would like the leaves raked -- they react as if threatened. In other words, men can get funny when they're losing money."

The Best/Worst One Night Stand

It's not just sex but love that gets less trade. This week, there's also a sad essay by Salon's Sarah Hepola in Nerve called "Up in Smoke: How the Financial Crisis Ruined my Love Life" about a one night stand she had with a transactional lawyer. In the morning, she had decided she would either marry this guy or never see him again. Three days later, with no phone call ("I have no qualms about calling men, but I had come to a place where it was simply more interesting for me to be pursued") she figured it was the latter.

The next day, she got a text message from him: "I lost my job this week. I lost all my money in the stock market. I think my mom is seriously ill, and I'm probably moving back to Florida later this week. I don't think we can date right now." About half of her friends believed him (mostly fellow New Yorkers) and the other half didn't. She does. Given the rest of the story, I do too (sap that I am). Times are tough for the heart and body.

Sex writers are also losing their jobs -- despite the popularity of these three stories this week. In "Sex Writing Goes Limp," Tracy Clark-Flory lists the many writers who have been laid off (her joke, not mine). People don't even want to read about sex anymore -- all the calories in their information diet are spent on the market.

What I don't see in all of the debate is any talk about evolutionary development or psychology. When times were tough around the hunter-gatherer campfire, I doubt there was much hanky panky -- they wouldn't be able to feed the little ones. Couldn't that be at play here? In current times, with the market down, so is sex, and with housing prices too high, so is the childlessness rate. Plus ca change, no? Or are Wall Street (and Bay Street), the credit crunch and $700 billion bailouts so far from nature that it's not even relevant to raise the issue?

Closing the 'Adultery Gap'

The only kink in all of this (sorry) is that cheating is up. Time says so, though says it's of course pretty hard to track. "Study after study shows that men deal with stress through escapism and women deal with it by talking."

Today's New York Times article agrees about the cheating rates, but suggests Time is wrong about the woman question. In "Love, Sex and the Changing Landscape of Infidelity," the NYT reports that "Infidelity appears to be on the rise, particularly among older men and young couples." The culprits: Viagra, and Internet porn and its values, respectively.

It also reports, "Notably, women appear to be closing the adultery gap: younger women appear to be cheating on their spouses nearly as often as men." It's either that feminism has empowered women to feel entitled to more satisfaction, or simply to report what they've always been doing -- thinking there's more to their gender identity than kittens and good housekeeping. Good news?

There is some good news. Time reports that "A study that correlated Playboy centerfolds with market conditions found that men like fuller-figured women more in lean times than in boom times. The APA study showed that when stressed, women liked to eat. Bingo!"

So people are losing their homes, their jobs and their savings, or worrying about all three anyway; they're not having sex with their spouses and they're getting divorced. But things are looking up, sizing up and heating up: there's equal opportunity cheating and eating. And there are funny videos to watch: like Ricky Gervais and Thandie Newton reading the Nailin' Palin porno. That's kind of a positive sex story, err, right?

© 2008 The Tyee All rights reserved.

By Vanessa Richmond, The Tyee
Posted on October 30, 2008, Printed on November 25, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/105264/

Why Sarah Palin Fired up the Public's Sexual Imagination, By Susannah Breslin, The Frisky - What's next? Michelle Obama erotica?

Why Sarah Palin Fired up the Public's Sexual Imagination

 

Even with the presidential election over, Sarah Palin remains a prominent figure. From her hairstyle to her politics, America has been and remains obsessed with the female politician who seemingly came out of nowhere. And while some debated her political platform, others were more preoccupied by her sexual identity. From a Palin sex doll to an homage adult movie, the sexualization of Palin won't quit. Most recently, writer Rachel Kramer Bussel created Sarah Palin Erotica, a site dedicated to erotic stories about the former Republican vice presidential candidate. After the jump, an interview with Bussel that reveals why Americans can't get over Palin.

The Frisky: How did you come up with the idea for the site?

Rachel Kramer Bussel: Erotica is what I know best, writing-wise, so it seemed natural to turn my attention to the figure in the election who has been the most sexualized. She's not the only one who's been sexualized, by any means, but when I started seeing things like George Gurley in the New York Observer saying he wanted to have sex with her, the porn video, and basically references to her and her sexuality in mainstream media, I realized the time was ripe for it. Also, I think you can do things with fiction that you can't with fact. You can imagine and elaborate and embellish, and often you may find what could have been a polemic becoming more complicated. No one is pure good or pure evil, especially when it comes to our fantasies. In other words, Palin is a starting point for the stories on the site, but not necessarily the end point. Fiction, and erotica specifically, offers a way to comment on politics and sex, which are intimately intertwined, in creative, nuanced ways, while telling hot stories. I will be posting more stories, and hope to see the conversation continue. I was also inspired by Stephen Elliott's Sex for America: Politically Inspired Erotica, which came out earlier this year. There is a history of political erotica, from Susie Bright's classic "Dan Quayle's Dick" to my very first erotica story, "Monica and Me," about Monica Lewinsky, that the site draws from.

F: Why do you think Americans are so sexually fascinated by Palin?

RKB: I think first it was because of her looks, but almost immediately her story, wild as it was, entranced people. Even those of us opposed to her politics couldn't help but be captivated, and part of that captivation is her sexual allure. That doesn't necessarily mean we all want to have sex with her (just to be clear, I don't), but we want to know more about her, including what she's like in bed. I read a UK reporter likening her to Princess Diana in terms of her appeal to the crowds. She's brash, outspoken, gutsy. She's a woman and a mother, in so many ways highly traditional, and yet totally not. I think she set off a lot of hot buttons around women's roles in the home and workplace, as parents, and as sex objects. This story we're hearing about her breezing into a hotel room dressed just in a towel -- that's not erotica, that's real, yet it could be straight out of the story "The World of Men" by Delilah T. Jones.

I think we were fascinated by her, too, because she was so sure of herself, even when, perhaps, she shouldn't have been. The sheer gumption she needed to push her way to the top is part of the charisma a good politician has, and that's sexy. For many of us, her accent, her pushiness, her look were all things that made us wonder what made her tick. I think for any public figure, or authority figure, we wonder whether their sexual persona, what they do in private, what turns them on matches or is opposed to their public persona. For some of us, they're exactly the same; for some, they're different.

Even her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" showed that she was a good sport. She almost seemed in on her own joke. I think that made her even more attractive.

 F: What have you learned from doing this project so far?

RKB: I thought Jackson West's story was very interesting because in many ways it was sympathetic toward her. It was satirical, yes, but also explored what she might get out of her church experiences. Again, eroticism and religion are closely intertwined for some people. I learned that she is certainly a lightning rod, and that she set off sexual fantasies for many people who weren't Republicans (and, I'm sure, many who were). The reactions to the site have been very interesting, with many people finding it immediately fascinating and many more appalled by it. I truly wonder what Palin herself would think.

F: Some people think your site is sexist, that it objectifies a female politician, when we should be paying more attention to her political platform. But some of the fantasies are about Palin as a powerful woman -- like a political dominatrix. What do you think of this phenomenon?

RKB: I think plenty of attention was paid to her political platform, as it should be. But she immediately captured the public's sexual imagination, and I think part of that was deliberate. Sex was front and center in her life, from her five children to her daughter's pregnancy. I refer you to Susie Bright's take on why Palin's sex life matters. This fictionalized version of it means that we can imagine her in all sorts of ways -- as a power-hungry politician, as a swinger, as a swooning in church lady. We don't know what her actual sex life is like, but we can imagine it. The site doesn't exist just because she's a woman in politics, or because of her looks or how she dresses; that would be sexist. I think the site exists because people were so fired up about her. She offended so many women with the idea brought forth in news stories that simply by being a woman, you're a feminist or represent feminist ideals. There was a backlash against that, and the idea of having sex with her, whether it's lesbian sex or swinger sex or church sex, became a way to deal with that through fiction.

Part of being a politician and being in the public eye is about having people fantasize about you. Bill Clinton is another example of a highly sexualized politician; in fact, I think Bill might just like a tumble in the sack with Sarah. Is she sexualized because she's a woman? Yes, but it's not just because she's a woman. I think she flirted with her audiences right back, and what I loved about Delilah T. Jones's story is that it captured what being a woman surrounded by such powerful men might be like. That doesn't mean she's really like that; for all I know, she could be a nymphomaniac or have a rather sedate sex life. The point isn't what she actually does, but what we can imagine her doing. How would her sexuality have changed if she'd gone on to the White House? How is sex different in Alaska than other parts of the country? What's it like to be a famous and powerful woman while your husband is not as famous or powerful?

F: What's next? Michelle Obama erotica?

RKB: Not for me, though certainly the Obamas' clear affection for each other is part of their appeal. It's hard to imagine them having a sexless marriage. The idea that politicians' sex lives are totally irrelevant to their politics is ridiculous. Everyone's sex life is relevant to their politics. So who's next? I don't know, but I think for me I'm thinking less about politics and more about celebrities.

© 2008 The Frisky All rights reserved.

By Susannah Breslin, The Frisky
Posted on November 14, 2008, Printed on November 25, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/107174/

Don't Take Relationship Advice From Facebook, By Amelia , The Frisky

Don't Take Relationship Advice From Facebook

 

Hey, see that ad to the right? Kind of sad huh? I woke up on my 29th birthday (last Sunday), checked my Facebook profile for birthday well-wishers and saw that ad glaring back at me! It's been there, non-stop practically, all week, a not-so-subtle reminder that two months prior to my 29th birthday, my fiance broke up with me and I became, yes, ALONE AGAIN. If the accuracy of this particular targeted ad weren't so freakishly detailed (how on earth did the tech bots know "a man suddenly pulled away"?) to the point of hilarity, it might actually make me depressed.

I'm convinced that Facebook ads for women, outside of the ones targeted at personal interests (I do love yoga, wine, soap operas, wine, and puppies!), come in two categories.

1. Love/Dating/Relationship-Related: Dating sites and self help if you're single, engagement rings and romantic vacation ads if you're in a relationship, and weddings, weddings, weddings if you're engaged. During the nine months I was engaged, my Facebook page was inundated with wedding ads, for photographers, locations, and even marriage counseling advice ads. Now that I'm single, it's all online dating ads -- self help loser nonsense. Aside from that social networking wine club. That sounds rad.

My Guy Friends Reported: No dating or romance related ads at all.

2. Dieting & Fitness: Thanks to Facebook, I cannot escape Acai Berries. Apparently they make you skinny! And apparently Facebook wants me to ingest them, in all their many forms, constantly. Why does Facebook think I am fat? Nothing in my profile indicates an obsession with working out or a penchant for anorexia. In fact, my profile professes my love for cheese and cured meats. Catherine wonders if Facebook also uses some sort of special technology that can tell if your face is round or not.

My Guy Friends Reported: No fitness or weight loss ads at all, although one did get ads for braces and teeth whitening. This would indicate that Facebook does have some sort of visual component for ad targeting, and doesn't just use keywords. I never thought his teeth were that bad ...

Facebook isn't alone in finding weaknesses and targeting ads that pick at them. Tracie Egan, who writes for Jezebel, wrote a post on her personal blog, One D At A Time, the other day about how she got in a fight over email with her fiance. All of the targeted sponsored links/ads for that particular email chain had to do with broken engagements and "stopping negative emotions." Yikes, one fight and the relationship is dunzo? Thanks for the faith, Google. Anyway, I went back to a couple email exchanges with my ex to see what diagnosis Gmail gave my life as a result. For the record, I do not f$#king need anger goddamn management, GOOGLE, so PISS OFF!!!

© 2008 The Frisky All rights reserved.

By Amelia , The Frisky
Posted on November 20, 2008, Printed on November 25, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/108009/

Don't Give African-Americans a Pass for Homophobia

Don't Give African-Americans a Pass for Homophobia

 

The injection of race into the analysis of Proposition 8's passage is extremely disappointing. A battle for equal rights has now turned into an issue of whites versus blacks. It's sad to see the smoke screen of racism when rights are being denied from Americans who pay taxes and have served their country.

In the beginning, I wanted to stay out of this racialized debate on Proposition 8. However, after I read Jasmyne Cannick's opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, "No-on-8's White Bias," I felt compelled to speak up. Cannick is someone I deeply admire and highly respect, and she is black and gay like me; however, there is another side of this debate from the black gay community.

In her piece she states, "I don't see why the right to marry should be a priority for me or other black people. Gay marriage? Please." Cannick adds, "Some people seem to think that homophobia trumps racism." She explains, "There are still too many inequalities that exist as it relates to my race." Cannick lists important issues in the black community such as dropout rates, poverty, and incarceration.

As a black gay man, incarceration rates are as important to me as gay marriage. Dropout rates are as important to me as the fact that, according to the CDC, 46% of black men who have sex with men are HIV-positive. Poverty is as important to me as the fact that there are 30 states where gays and lesbians can be fired from their job with no protection from their government. As a black gay man who has endured the words "n****r" and "f****t", who lives in this duality of gayness and blackness, I have a vested interest in both inequalities.

Cannick argues that the white gay community "never successfully communicated" to blacks why gay marriage is an important issue. I agree there was a poor strategy on Proposition 8; however, I don't need white people to hold my hand into believing gay marriage is important. Black people are not docile bystanders who require whites to communicate that discrimination is wrong. Just like I don't need outreach from black heterosexuals to know that poverty is important.

No, I do not agree that blacks are at fault for Proposition 8 passing. Still, I challenge the notion that blacks needed more "communication." Many (not necessarily Cannick) who uphold this "communication" argument say, "Only 6.7% of California is black, so blacks had nothing to do with Proposition 8," then say, "Blacks needed more communication!" You can't have it both ways -- either black Californians needed outreach because they were a big enough voting bloc or they didn't.

The black community was not completely ignored. Opponents of Proposition 8 worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Sure, maybe that wasn't enough. Still, California is only 6.7% black. Asians voted at the same rate as whites and, according to the last census, Asians make up 12.4% (nearly double the black population) of the people in California; Asians had just as little "communication" and voted yes on Proposition 8 at 49% -- 20 percentage points less than blacks. Do black folks need extra-special attention for ignorance?

I don't know if black people are more homophobic. But what I do know is that homophobia symbolizes manhood in the black community. I remember walking through Harlem and saw a T-shirt in a window that read, "A real black man is a man who loves God. A real black man is a man who doesn't deal drugs. A real black man is a man who doesn't have sex with men." 

Homophobia in the black community equals a "real man." Sadly, homophobia is a conversation that we, as the black community, are absolutely refusing to have.

On the issue of civil rights, some black leaders say, "Gays need to stop comparing their struggle to blacks!" Sadly, it's the ruling class that wants these two minority groups to engage in comparisons of victimology. What it really says is, "Don't you n****rs let those f****ts think they have it worse than you!"

Funny thing, throughout African-American history comparisons have always been used to fight injustice. When enslaved blacks wanted freedom in America, they used the language of the Founding Fathers, who wanted freedom from the British Empire. What did the white ruling class say? "It's not the same!" When blacks demanded the right to vote, there were often comparisons to white women, who received the right to vote in 1920. What did many white women say? "It's not the same!" When another community even makes a slight comparison to the plight of African-Americans, we are now saying, "It's not the same!" The black community does not own the term "civil rights."

While I know the 70% of blacks voting yes on Proposition 8 is a number that is still being debated, regardless, even if one black person voted yes, they should be ashamed of themselves. My great-great-grandmother was born a slave in Virginia, and at one point she couldn't marry. Should I not have the right to marry, just like my grandmother, simply because I am gay?

As a black gay man, I am constantly torn between two communities. There is the white gay community that is steeped with racism, the black community that reeks of homophobia -- and the black gay community falling in between. Three years ago I interviewed former Real World cast member Karamo Brown, a black gay man, and he said, "We have to make sure that we let our churches know we are not going to let them judge us anymore. Until we as a community get better with our homosexuality and say, 'No more!' they are not going to get better with homosexuality."

I don't think the black community, gay or straight, has said, "No more." Hip-hop artists call us fags and we still play their music in our clubs, cars, and iPods. Gospel artists damn us to hell and we still buy their records. We sit in churches swallowing hate from the pulpit, knowing the preacher isn't all hetero himself. When will we, as the black gay community, say no more? We cannot expect the white gay community or whites in general, to do our work.

This article was originally published in the Advocate.

© 2008 The Advocate All rights reserved.

By Clay Cane, The Advocate
Posted on November 22, 2008, Printed on November 25, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/108137/