Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is becoming more universally accepted today, however, it is still frowned upon in some parts of society. In the poem “Commitments”, Essex Hemphill uses his work as a mirror to reflect his ideas and beliefs of being a gay African American writer and poet to readers. This poem exemplifies the unseen problems that gay, lesbian, and bisexual people face in their everyday life, and should be taught in literature in order to make others more aware of the importance of equality. This poem describes typical situations of gay, lesbian, or bisexual children in their families. They are often rejected by their parents and lack support from them. Hemphill depicts the attitude of a gay child, who lacks support from their
