Bisexual Or Transgender: Article Summary

The author’s motivation for writing “Being Black and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender”, is to help the audience better understand what it is like to be LGBT, and how it has evolved over the course of time. Manly through the lens of being LGBT in New York City, and how being a black LGBT interacts within a black community, and where they stand today. What the author wants us to think after we have read this article are as follows, he wants us to know that “black LGBT persons do not constitute a homogeneous group. In addition to the differences between black, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, there are now and have always been, differences within each of these groups that influences self-perception, self-identification, subculture style, and sexual practices.” (Dudley 183) The author wants us to realize what …show more content…
Dudley starts off by talking about how in the Harlem, in the 1920’s and 1930’s, “the refusal to confirm to gender roles was almost always on display. They were defined by their feminine behavior than their sexual object choice.” (Dudley 184) He explains how each group, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual, were categorized into subgroups throughout the years. Dudley talks about how black LGBT person’s still find it difficult to find a safe space where they can fully be themselves, he says “it seems that although some of this is due to the combined impact of racism and homophobia, some of this continues to be a consequence of problems within the black community.” (Dudley 192) Dudley goes on to provide examples on how Ellen DeGeneres, and Rosie O’Donnell are condoned for coming out as being lesbian, and those of color who come out, aren’t as accepted. The author does a good job of providing us with facts on black LGBT persons throughout the years to help convince us of his