Blade Supports Racist Rant

For those of you who are not familiar with one of the nation’s most circulated LGBT newspapers, the Washington Blade is an influential weekly medium for the greater DC gay community. In it, there is a section lewdly titled “The Bitch Session.” In this supplement, local LGBT people are able to express their frustrations in an open and anonymous manner. I usually read the comments as a way to understand the prevailing attitudes, celebrations, and frustrations of individuals in the community.

Some of the printed remarks include, “Gays around the world: stop over tweezing your eyebrows,” and “Where was the McCain table at the last Pride?”

The root of my disdain is twofold: the methods in how these “sessions” are included in the newspaper and the latent yet blatant racism in the queer community. The overseer of “The Bitch Sessions” scans these often short and witty perspectives on LGBT life; according to the disclaimer, he removes the offensive ones, and he formats the text neatly into a supplement. Most are fun, hilarious, and outlandish, but one ‘session’ that I had the opportunity to come across was far from that innocuous, snide banter one usually reads. It stated:

“To the black guy who says that the white race has “guilt” about not sleeping with you: Although it is the right of any human to sleep with any creature they wish, my personal experiences with guys I know who cross that line is they are now either taking AIDS drugs or in rehab trying to get off drugs. If you lie down with dogs, you are going to catch their fleas.”

Since moving to Washington, DC about 5 months ago, I have noticed a strange ambience surrounding the gay community – a different feeling from my native Seattle community. It was not until I overheard a conversation between two white gay men at a local nightclub when I could better define that uneasiness I had been feeling. The conversation ended with one man saying, “Black people are like insects. A few here and there are okay, but too many of them are just gross.” It was the offensive smell of blatant racism, which has been epitomized once again by the once respected Washington Blade. I am not surprised that some ignoramus out there attempts, somehow, to justify his/her racism by labeling Black people as undesirable “creatures” who are AIDS-infected drug addicts and offer our white brothers and sisters nothing but trouble. I am more surprised and outraged with The Washington Blade, a news source that has celebrated racial diversity within the gay community in almost all its forms. An organization that has criticized and reprimanded harsh HBCU administrations that have forbade LGBT groups from forming on college campuses. An organization that makes an effort to include people of color within its headlines and photos. During all of the Blade’s past attempts at presenting diversity and cultural sensitivity through its pages, when did they find it appropriate to sanction the racist rants of some DC native? How were they able to justify the racist rant as anything but offensive and still expect their readers to acknowledge the newspaper for maintaining cultural sensitivity in the future?

The Blade admonishes its readers from posting inappropriate tirades by stating, “We ask that you treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will be removed.” In my opinion, they did not hold true to their policy. It is disappointing that these hateful words were printed, which is all the more reason why we LGBT people of color and our allies should respond to words and actions of hate in intelligent and effective ways.