Both on and off campus I have seen many members of the LGBTQ+ community attempt to hide their racism through their sexual orientation. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard one of my peers claim a person is homophobic simply because of their skin color, place of birth, religion or ethnicity.
Most people forget that the major global religions, including Christianity, Islam and Hinduism are made up of mostly people of color, so by making assumptions based on religion it is often also due to their race. I have had a classmate refuse to go near my Muslim friends because they fear they will hate-crime them, despite not even knowing each other. Even though the Caribbean is known to have some of the most homophobic countries in the world, it is still so upsetting to hear accusations about my friends from St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Trinidad that claim they are homophobic when the only inherent difference between us is our skin color. Although I believe these types of comments are out of ignorance, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t being racist.
Many try to justify their allegations of homophobia by using stereotypes and the governments of countries these people are from as an excuse. Having lived in Barbados, a country where being gay is criminalized, I have to admit that it is a bit scary, but it’s not what people make it out to be. Many of my family members are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and live great lives with their partners in Barbados without being persecuted. That is not to say that there aren’t still many countries around the world where being LGBTQ+ can easily get you hate crimed or killed, but it is wrong to assume that people of different countries feel the same way just because of their governments.
It is so important to be able to separate an individual from an entity that governs them. There are numerous countries, such as North Korea, Turkmenistan and Syria, that are ruled by unelected officials. Even if the country does have elected officials, that does not mean that every citizen in that country believes the same thing. For example, North Carolina has historically been one of the most gerrymandered states, which has given a more anti-LGBTQ+ party power to it. This has led to a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ laws, but that doesn’t mean everyone in this state is homophobic.
This is all to say that even if a government is homophobic, that does not automatically mean the people are too. It is so upsetting to see a community that preaches acceptance and diversity have members that are quick to stereotype people simply based on their skin color, place of birth, or religion, or ethnicity. The people who make these types of allegations coincidentally tend to be the most privileged in the community compared to those they accuse. People of color, especially African-Americans, tend to face the majority of LGBTQ+ based hate crimes in the United States.
Many gay people in America don’t realize what a privilege it is to live in this country and to be able to hide your sexuality when many can’t hide their race, ancestry or religion. So, I think it’s time to stop making up fake victimizing scenarios and begin to address your own internalized racism.
