Understanding Black gay

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Understanding Black gay bisexual men and their
health and well being needs.

• PCS Proud meeting - Leeds 24 / 11/ 06
• Cheikh Traoré
• (Secretary Black Gay Mens Advisory Group)

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Discussion outline and context

• Why are we invisible?
• Sexual orientation legislations (UK and abroad)
  does it have an impact?
• Understanding health and well being needs of BGM
• What can the trade union movement do?

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Context defining health

• WHO definition of health
• State of complete physical, mental and emotional
  well being....
• Health is not just the absence of disease...
• Broader determinants of health include lifestyle,
  socio-economic factors, community networks, etc...

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Context Black communities in the UK

• Multiple diversity (race, religion, languages,
  social status, length of stay, generational
  issues, etc).
• London as a special case.
• Defining Black
• Socio-economic status
• Black power?

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Context Recent developments UK legislation on
sexual orientation

• Civil Partnership Act (2005)
• Employment Equality Regulations (2003)
• Repeal of Section 28 (2003)
• Adoption and Childrens Act (2002)
• Armed Services Bill (1999)
• Etc

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So why are we invisible?

• Lack of data in the UK (except emerging HIV
  data)
• Lack of comparative data
• Opposing viewpoints on definitions of
  homosexuality between West Vs rest of the World
• Absence of pre post colonial stories of same
  sex relationships in Africa

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Where we come from

• Quotes from politicians
• Homosexuality is not part of our culture
• Gays and lesbians behave worst than pigs and
  dogs
• Let them be gay in the U.S., Europe, and
  elsewhere. They shall be sad people here.
• We will deport them
• - State sponsored intolerance and violence -
• fuelled by religious leadership.

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Visibility and invisibilityof BGM in the UK

• The media and public perceptions
• The Black press
• The gay press
• Lack of visible role models
• Black History
• Popular culture
• The case of Murder music

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Visibility and invisibility in HIV needs
assessment

• Gay Mens Sex Survey(England)
• Mayisha Study (Study sexual lifestyles of
  Africans in the UK)
• Growing evidence about vulnerability to HIV of
  MSM from African and Caribbean origin
• So are we gay or not?

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Are we gay or not?

• So are we gay, bisexual or what?
• Which terminologies best describe me?
• Allegiance /belonging to my culture, religion,
  race (conformingto compulsory heterosexuality)
• Allegiance to the gay community (and a gay scne
  which caters for European/white LGBs)
• Implications for identiy defnition and surveys
  (which box do I tick?)

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Five approaches to improve Black gay bi mens
health

• 1 Restoring dignity (Bring human rights back!)
• 2 Increasing our visibility
• 3 Support Community development (e.g. UK Black
  Pride, BGMAG, BLUK, Tumaini, etc
• 4 Promote International networking opportunities
  across the Black diaspora.
• 5 Promote leadership