Same gender loving

Same-gender-loving, or SGL, a term coined for African American use by activist Cleo Manago, is a description for homosexuals and bisexuals, particularly in the African American community. It emerged in the early 1990s^[1] as a culturally affirming African American homosexual identity.

SGL was adapted as an Afrocentric alternative to what are deemed Eurocentric homosexual identities (e.g. gay and lesbian) which do not culturally affirm or engage the history and cultures of people of African descent. The term SGL usually has broad, important and positive personal, social, and political purposes and consequences. SGL is anti-hate and anti-anti-Black.^[2]

In a 2004 study of African American men, most of whom were recruited from black gay organizations, 12% identified as same-gender-loving, while 53% identified as gay.^[3] Men attending Black Gay Pride Festivals in nine U.S. cities in 2000 responded similarly, with 10% identifying as same-gender-loving, 66% as gay, and 14% as bisexual.^[4] Recent studies indicate that African-American disadvantaged youths are less likely than Euro-American youths to self-label as gay male, lesbian, or transgender youths.^[5]

The National Black Men's Xchange is the oldest and largest US "community-based movement devoted to promoting healthy self-concept and behavior, cultural affirmation and critical consciousness among same-gender loving (SGL), gay-identifying and bisexual African-descended males and allies".^[6]

See also

• African-American culture and sexual orientation
• Same-sex attraction

References

1. "Communities of African Descent Media Resource Kit". Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
2. Manago, Cleo. "What is Same Gender Loving?". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
3. Malebranche, DJ; Peterson JL; Fullilove RE; Stackhouse RW (2004). "Race and Sexual Identity: Perceptions about Medical Culture and Healthcare among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men". J Natl Med Assoc (96): 97–107. Summarized in Young, Rebecca M.; Ilan H. Meyer (2005). "The Trouble With "MSM" and "WSW": Erasure of the Sexual-Minority Person in Public Health Discourse". American Journal of Public Health. 95 (7): 1144–1149. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.046714. PMC 1449332. PMID 15961753.
4. Cochran, SD; Scott RL; Mays VM; Nellos C. (July 11–16, 2004). "Don't Call Me Queer: Preferred Self-Identifiers for Recruiting African American MSM's in HIV Research (Abstract)". Int Conf AIDS. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
5. Parks, Carlton W. (January 1, 2001). "African-American Same-Gender-Loving Youths and Families in Urban Schools". Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services. 13 (3): 16. ISSN 1053-8720. Urban school personnel need to be aware that ethnic minority same-gender-loving youths often choose not to self-label as “gay,” “lesbian,” or “bisexual” (Monteiro & Fuqua, 1996; Peterson, 1992) ... Because most men of color do not self-label as gay or bisexual, the phrase same-gender-loving youths was selected to describe this population. This phrase currently is used by men of color in major urban centers as a culturally-informed self-label related to their sexual orientation identity.
6. villagechief. "Founder of Black Men's Xchange Issues Statement Regarding CNN's Don Lemon". Retrieved 6 January 2011.