Introduction
In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made the historical decision of legalizing same-sex marriage all across the nation, following decades of sociopolitical mobilization by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and their allies. However, many members of the LGBT community have criticized the disproportionate political-agenda focus of the national LGBT community on marriage equality, arguing that this narrow national focus sidesteps other urgent community issues like racism, class conflicts, transphobia, youth homelessness, and others (Spade and Willse 2013; Duggan 2012a; Warner 1999). Moreover, many LGBT activists and scholars, some of whom are black, have argued that the legalization …show more content…
2002). Moreover, cultural differences in the perception of (homo)sexuality in the black racial communities also often hinder black LGBTs from disclosing their sexuality to others (Rosario, Schrimshaw, and Hunter, 2004; Loiacano, 1989). The influence of religion on black communities further affects black LGBTs racial identity salience. Black religious institutions (the black churches) are not just the locations of spiritual guidance; they also act as agents or conduits of Black culture through their involvement in and control over secular civic, political, and economic organizations and activities (Moore 2011). As the black community tends to be more connected to faith-based traditions and have higher church attendances (Pew Report 2008), religious traditions and values also influence expression of support, or lack thereof, for black LGBT people (Hill 2003). Black churches in particular have contributed to fostering homophobic attitudes in their racial/ethnic communities, while promoting normative definitions of heterosexual marriage, parenthood, and family (Ward 2005; Dyson 1996; Wilcox and Wolfinger
In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made the historical decision of legalizing same-sex marriage all across the nation, following decades of sociopolitical mobilization by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and their allies. However, many members of the LGBT community have criticized the disproportionate political-agenda focus of the national LGBT community on marriage equality, arguing that this narrow national focus sidesteps other urgent community issues like racism, class conflicts, transphobia, youth homelessness, and others (Spade and Willse 2013; Duggan 2012a; Warner 1999). Moreover, many LGBT activists and scholars, some of whom are black, have argued that the legalization …show more content…
2002). Moreover, cultural differences in the perception of (homo)sexuality in the black racial communities also often hinder black LGBTs from disclosing their sexuality to others (Rosario, Schrimshaw, and Hunter, 2004; Loiacano, 1989). The influence of religion on black communities further affects black LGBTs racial identity salience. Black religious institutions (the black churches) are not just the locations of spiritual guidance; they also act as agents or conduits of Black culture through their involvement in and control over secular civic, political, and economic organizations and activities (Moore 2011). As the black community tends to be more connected to faith-based traditions and have higher church attendances (Pew Report 2008), religious traditions and values also influence expression of support, or lack thereof, for black LGBT people (Hill 2003). Black churches in particular have contributed to fostering homophobic attitudes in their racial/ethnic communities, while promoting normative definitions of heterosexual marriage, parenthood, and family (Ward 2005; Dyson 1996; Wilcox and Wolfinger