Reconstructing Black Gay Male Identity beyond “The DL”

Abstract

As we have seen in previous chapters, the body of black gay men is a problem for black religious scholars. It is even more of a problem when dealt with theologically, for black religious scholars have presented inadequate theological frameworks with which to take hold of black sexual difference. Even African American gay writers approach black gay male bodies as sites wherein a nebulous “God” at best “loves them,” but does very little else to work on their behalf. What is curious about these projects is the lack of a constructive move. It is a daunting task, this reconstruction of black male bodies beyond being merely “problematic.” These scholars uniformly point to the disruptive power of black male bodies, and urge African American men to construct their masculinities beyond misogyny, homophobia, and heterosexism. However, in the same way that I question black liberation theology’s lack of a substantive description of God and liberation, I question whether African American religious and cultural critics are able to present adequate descriptions of what reconstructed black masculinities would look like. Indeed, as I have noted, the purpose of this chapter is to introduce a move toward new ways of viewing black gay men.