Washington Blade - February 7, 2008
Greg Marzullo, Washington Blade Features Editor's Blog

Events are being held all over the country, with a number in D.C., and all of the registered events are listed at www.blackaidsday.org. (A candlelight vigil will be held at Luther Place Memorial Church 1226 Vermont Ave., NW, where Abena McCray is pastor, at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7.)

Ralph gave a stirring speech, which started with her singing, "I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim's song. I am a woman. I am an artist. I know where I belong." Her voice and passion brought people to their feet instantly.

Her initial words, "I am an endangered species," are a chilling reminder of the statistics about HIV/AIDS among African Americans (and certainly blacks worldwide). According to a press release from the CDC, "blacks account for roughly half of the more than 1 million Americans living with HIV and half of all people newly diagnosed with HIV infection each year, while representing just 13 percent of the population."

The sobering words continue, citing a study from 2005 that said black men have an HIV diagnosis rate that's nearly seven times higher than white men's rate, and black gay and bisexual men constitute more than half of all diagnoses. Black women had a diagnosis rate more than 20 times that of white women.

Ralph continued to rally the crowd with strong words, some encouraging and some critical.

"[HIV] is rampant in our community, because we let it be," she said, adding that people are blind to or have forgotten the early onset of the disease. She recalled being in "Dreamgirls," singing and dancing next to a cast mate one night and then finding out he was dead the next day.

"Silence equaled death then and silence equals death now," Ralph said.

She went on to say that addressing HIV/AIDS in the black community means addressing "a whole lot of other things" people don't want to talk about, including a lack of adequate healthcare, education and self-esteem issues. (I found it strange that homophobia was not mentioned - more on that later.)

Her ending was a rousing call to action.

"Get up, stand up and do something, and if you can't do that, get the hell out of the way," she said. Russ Parr took the microphone next and talked about the need for HIV/AIDS to be addressed not just on a specific day (the same goes for black history and its relegated month), but throughout the year.

He called on black people to truly keep this topic in the open and lend support where support is needed. "I've been a strong critic of the churches who turned their backs on us à because it's a 'gay disease.' It's not a gay disease. It's a disease." (More on that later.)

An HIV-positive consumer advocate Carolyn Massey spoke about the need to come together and keep fighting. "I'm asking you let's get it straight in 2008," Massey said, "This is in our house - it's not next door."

The floor was opened up to questions next ("in terms of education, what age is best to target," a black church pastor asked how to confront ineptitude on the part of government agencies and testing days at churches).

Sadly, the conference ended before I took the microphone. If I did have the chance, I would have asked the following: How do you think the African-American community should address the intersection of homophobia and HIV/AIDS?

No, this isn't a gay disease. The women's numbers (and anecdotal evidence about children and young adults of various sexual orientations) prove that. However.

How much press has the so-called "down low" phenomenon received in recent years because of its effect on HIV among blacks?

How many times have we at the Blade (and other gay publications) written about virulently homophobic black pastors who contribute to the low self-esteem problems hinted at by Ralph?

How many black gay, bisexual, lesbian, same-gender-loving people wrestle with these issues that are only compounded by a continuing racist and homophobic over culture in the U.S.?

I found myself disappointed that no one was coming out and talking about these issues in light of the importance they seem to play in the ongoing and worsening epidemic among black communities.

Janet Cleveland of the CDC spoke about the possibility of getting churches to have testing days to encourage a greater number of blacks to get tested. A fantastic idea for a certain segment of the population. But what about all those gay people who are called "faggot" and "sissy" by church leaders? (Courtesy of Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr., who went on to say in an April 9, 2006 sermon, "It takes a real man to confess Jesus as Lord and savior.")

Not exactly the most welcoming of institutions, is it?

I'm not saying that all black churches are homophobic. Many are welcoming, affirming, loving and supportive. But the stains caused by Owens and others of his ilk create a real rift between gay and bisexual black people who want to rejoin their community in a traditional stronghold of the culture.

I also didn't see anyone representing a gay perspective on the speakers' dais. Why wasn't someone like Ron Simmons on the panel? Or the ubiquitous Phill Wilson?

All of the ideas talked about today were really good ones for addressing the increasing needs of African Americans and their experience with HIV/AIDS. I just wanted a broader picture and one where silence truly no longer equals death.

Posted by Greg Marzullo, Washington Blade Features Editor | Feb. 7 at 10:06 AM | GMarzullo@washblade.com

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