Religious Heteronormativity Counter to Queerness and Its Effect on Black Men
Although religion holds tremendous historical importance for the Black diaspora in America, non-heterosexual individuals often do not enjoy equal benefits. Homonegativity, defined as contempt for individuals expressing same-sex attractions, is often openly condemned within some Black religious institutions, with some Black ministers expressing disdain and disapproval of queerness (Jeffries, 2008). While a few churches are openly affirming of non-heterosexual parishioners, other churches have a particularly pronounced intolerance of them and their sexuality.
Because individuals raised within intolerant religious traditions sometimes internalise the homonegative views taught by them, they often suffer feelings of worthlessness and depression (Jeffries, 2008). One notable popular pop culture reference to this experience occurs in the film Moonlight, which weaves the tale of the life of Chiron, a young African-American man growing up in Miami who struggles to come to terms with his sexuality, family, and broad-spanning identity. The film has been widely lauded as one of the best films of the century and serves a stark contrast to the common canon of films that often appeal to predominantly straight, White, and middle-class audiences. In between the moments of drug-infused or adrenaline-rushed violence, juxtaposed against quiet, introspective reflections of self-discovery, Chiron eventually comes to terms with his homosexuality, makes amends in his flagging relationship with his mother, and discovers his sense of inner peace.
The film’s co-writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney, speaks about Black masculinity in the film and posited that communities, such as queer communities, without privilege or power seek to gain it in other ways. From his observation, the way in which males in such communities do this is by trying to enhance their masculine identity, knowing that it often provides a means to more social control in a patriarchal society (q on cbc, 2016, 13:37-14:21).
In Moonlight, masculinity is rigid and aggressive, depicted by the young Black males in Chiron’s adolescent peer group. Expressions of hypermasculinity among Black men is associated with peer acceptance and community; conversely, homosexuality among Black men is associated with social alienation and homophobic judgement by peers. In the film, Chiron is placed in this divide as a Black, gay man and alters his presentation of masculinity as a result. As he grows older, he conforms to a heteronormative ideal of Black masculinity in order to avoid abuse and homophobia and hence embraces an uncomfortable, stereotypical Black male gender performance by becoming an overtly muscular drug-dealer. The end of the film is not necessarily uplifting; Chiron does find peace being with Kevin in the last several moments of the film, but the attitude towards Chiron’s eventual self-acceptance is pensive, not outright positive. Chiron’s social acceptance and hypermasculine portrayal of himself in the common heteronormative canon of his community will not change due to his conversation with Kevin, and he may never completely find a sense of identity achievement. As further clarification for this analysis: while Moonlight does not necessarily portray a religious community, the community that Chiron encounters and exists within holds many similar familiar tendencies of interconnectedness that is often seen in religious communities.
Within Black religious communities, because many queer Black men have encountered alienation within church communities, they frequently esteem personal faith in God, or spirituality, higher than the Bible or their religious institutions and may also reinterpret church teachings in alignment with their own sexualities. Though many queer Black men often struggle with feelings of disapproval from God and churches, spirituality may maintain their formal connections to religious establishments (Jeffries, 2008).
However, optimistically, not all Black religious traditions carry similar binary understandings of accepting vs. not accepting. Within the community of Voudou, there are many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender practitioners who are often referred to with terms such as madivin and masisi. A 1998 observation by Mambo Racine Sans Bout observed that non-heterosexual individuals were not excluded from religious community and there were notable queer individuals within initiates and clergymen (Conner, 2005, p. 153). Within the spiritual tradition of Voudou, queer Black individuals, including queer Black men, find broad acceptance and identity acceptance.
References
Conner, R.P. (2005). Rainbow’s children: Diversity of gender and sexuality in African-diasporic spiritual traditions. In P. Bellegarde-Smith (Ed.), Fragments of bone: Neo-African religions in a new world. University of Illinois Press. Accessed via Northwestern University Canvas.
Jeffries, W. L., Dodge, B., & Sandfort, T. G. (2008). Religion and spirituality among bisexual Black men in the USA. Culture, health & sexuality, 10(5), 463–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691050701877526
q on cbc (October 28, 2016). Moonlight director Barry Jenkins on changing the perception of manhood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7_GimSKeiw
SABC News (January 23, 2017). Public outraged by pastor’s anti-gay sermon. https://youtu.be/MWA9mjXKsEw