Conclusion: Toward an Ethics of Openness

Abstract

The previous chapters of this book have been an attempt to address a deficiency within African American religious and cultural discourse and to highlight the efficacy of using black queer literature as a mirror that reflects the experiences of African American gays and lesbians. Looking into the mirror of diverse black experiences, we see more than just our individual selves. We see more than the problems of HIV/AIDS and homophobia. While we may see these moments as problematic, the task is then to correct these problems. Continuing with the metaphor of the mirror, we see these moments as imperfections in the black body politic and work to resolve those problems. While we work to correct problems, we do not reify those problems as being constitutive of the body. Further, we do not focus on the object in the mirror to the exclusion of all other possibilities. These possibilities and realities are not always flattering. Mirrors do not often show us what we want to see. Instead, mirrors offer us the opportunity for self-reflection, examination, and correction.