Black LGBT Bloggers Flex Their Muscles

By Keith Boykin, in politics
Friday, August 18 2006, 11:00AM

JasmynePamRodTerrance

It’s official. Bloggers have power. The recent defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary reminded the media that bloggers can help influence elections. But there’s another message about the power of the Internet that hasn’t been as widely discussed.

Ever since MoveOn.org started raising money to promote a progressive agenda and Howard Dean raised millions of dollars on the Internet for his 2004 campaign, the media have been paying attention to the power of the World Wide Web as a political organizing tool. But perhaps nowhere has that been more evident than in the gay blogosphere.

In recent years, LGBT bloggers like Andrew Sullivan, Doug Ireland, Michael Petrelis and Michael Rogers have had a major impact on public discourse, both nationally and internationally. Rogers, for example, has used his Web site, BlogActive.com, to out closeted public officials who threaten the gay community. U.S. Congressman Edward Schrock was forced out of office because of Rogers’s disclosure, and Sen. Rick Santorum’s aide, Robert Traynham, a black gay man, became another target. (Perhaps that explains why Santorum signed onto a recent gay-friendly anti-discrimination letter, before he retracted his position later.)

Spark to Black LGBT Movement

The bloggers’ movement has even helped to awaken the once dormant black LGBT community from its slumber. A year ago around this time, my colleague Jasmyne Cannick and I launched a controversial weeklong blog campaign that threatened to “out” homophobic black ministers. We never actually outed anyone, but we did draw attention to the homophobes in our midst. Merely asking the question about who is gay was enough to send shockwaves through the black church community. And they’re still talking about it.

The past few months have been particularly active for black LGBT bloggers. Bloggers helped to expose a raw sex party in New York where condoms were prohibited even if people wanted to use them. They put pressure on a black newspaper in Baltimore that refused to run an ad from the National Black Justice Coalition, the only national black LGBT civil rights organization. And they helped publicize the news of the homophobic attack on singer Kevin Aviance.

Most notably, bloggers led a successful campaign to block two anti-gay recording artists, Beenie Man and TOK, from performing at an AIDS benefit concert put on by LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS charity. Dozens of LGBT blogs joined together for that campaign.

Bloggers have also helped to spark a broader new activism and political awareness in the black LGBT community. Bestselling novelist E. Lynn Harris focused his most recent book on the decidedly political issue of homophobia in the black church. A group in Chicago led a protest of anti-gay rapper DMX when he came to town. And residents of Chicago called a local black radio station to complain after the station refused to allow singer Jody Watley to talk about a performance at the Gay Games in July.

Bloggers like Cannick, Pam Spaulding, Terrance Heath, Rod McCullom and I have been at the visible forefront of this new movement, but there are dozens of other black LGBT bloggers out there who are just as engaged. They’ve been writing about black gay TV shows like “Noah’s Arc” and talking about black LGBT politics in their own communities.

The bloggers didn’t start the cultural and political awareness in our community, but they have made it easier for people to find out what’s going on. While the traditional media are still slow to cover certain stories, the blogosphere has quickly filled the void. In a world where knowledge is power, that’s an amazing tool to have in your possession.

A Few Blogs For Black LGBT/SGL Folk

Comments (15) reveal

Comments conceal

Keith Boykin[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 19 2006, 3:29AM

We're back up. Sorry about the outage earlier today. The comments and the search engine are now back online and appear to be working properly.

Thank you for your patience during this service outage.

Web Administrator

Jeff Hobbs
August 19 2006, 5:10AM

Thanks Keith. You've made me a blog addict!!My poor fingers and the scroll button on my mouse have become one!! I love you, Jas, Rod and oooh the boys on hoodsworld and most proper keep my heart racing...oh and the news and politics are cool too! ;)

jeff

Kenneth Winfrey[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 19 2006, 1:34PM

Blogs have become a powerful tool of our democracy. As a sort of a techie anyway, it is gratifying for me to know that freedom of speech is alive and well, and that technology has helped realize this important Constitutional ideal.

In an homophobic world where making connections can be difficult, the Internet represents a revolution in community building for us. Whether it's writing about blogs for Clik Magazine (see the current issue), moderating the message board here, or just the occasional post, over the past 5 years blogs have changed my life. I am grateful to be a part of it in anyway I can.

cmoney
August 19 2006, 6:27PM

Blog On! The traditional news media has utterly failed the Black, progressive and Gay community because it has been co-opted by big corporations and conservatives. I love it when they act shocked at the victories of grassroots activists who have learned that they don't need the news media anymore. Joe Lieberman is still running around in shock. Karl Rove has become less effective (check out Bush's poll numbers) because we can go to sources other than CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post and Fox for "facts". Rove can force his lackeys in the White House press corps that fly around on Air Force One to print his spin and propaganda, but he can't make those who don't give a shit about what he thinks change their stories. I think the realization by Americans that they were fed a line of bull in the run up to the Iraq War made people seek out other sources of news. The Bloggers stepped up to the task and change is at hand!

Shabaka[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 19 2006, 11:33PM

I love this whole blog thing. What an amazing way to express one's opinions. Thanks to Keith and others who continue to enlighten the world with such insightful topics!

Steve
August 20 2006, 7:44AM

Power to the people, baby!

Troy
August 20 2006, 1:33PM

This is just the beginning! Thanks for the shoutout K.B. Much, much more to come.
I had this dream that our power by blogging could very well be the power to finally get something done; a dream that looks like, will, anyday now, come true.

warren
August 20 2006, 5:14PM

I actually know someone that is compiling an all-inclusive portal of black lgbt bloggers. If there truly is power in the black lgbt blogging community, then all voices need to be represented and accounted for.

madprofessah[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 20 2006, 9:49PM

Thanks for the shout out, Keith!

I'm surprised that you didn't mention the important nominations both you and Rod achieved at the Black Weblog Awards as evidence to support your argument of the importance of Black Gay bloggers.

j. brotherlove[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 20 2006, 11:05PM

I agree with warren. The sites in this list are good. But they truly represent only "a few" of our folk online. This list doesn't even include the "Dozens of LGBT blogs" who brought attention to the LIFEbeat campaign Keith mentioned. There are a ton of other black LGBT bloggers publishing great content; some since the 90s. An inclusive directory would be welcome.

Herukhuti
August 21 2006, 12:56AM

Speaking as someone who is rarely included in blogger lists of this type, I agree with warren and j.brotherlove about the size and diversity of the black lgbt blogger community.

Keith Boykin[TypeKey Profile Page]
August 21 2006, 1:43AM

Great idea Warren. I can't wait to see the list that your friend is putting together. I'm sure there are lots of Black LGBT/SGL blogs I've never heard of before.

In the meantime, if anyone would like to be added to the list on this site, just post a comment and I'll add you to the list.

Thanks.

ANDRE
August 21 2006, 1:16PM

HEY THERE KEITH,

I READ YOUR BLOG EVERYDAY AND ENJOY WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND WHAT YOUR ALL ABOUT. I AM LOVING THAT YOU PUT OUT THERE SOME OTHER BLOGS OF BROTHERS & SISTERS. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.

A LOYAL FAN,

AFRODITE (BOSTON)

Third Decade
August 21 2006, 8:28PM

Keith,

Love the blog. Looking forward to seeing the blogroll grow.

North Dallas Thirty
August 23 2006, 1:37AM

I particularly got a laugh about your paean to Mike Rogers, Keith.

To those of us who are familiar with Rogers's record of threats, harassment, and misrepresentation, it's ironic to watch people like you, who whine about threats, harassment, and misrepresentations made about the gay community, support him.

But then again, we shouldn't expect you to live up to the standards you demand of others.