These Four YouTubers Are Sharing Their Experiences Of Being Black And Gay In The UK

Discussion in 'LGBT News and Events' started by OckyDub, Apr 26, 2016.

  1. OckyDub

    OckyDub is a Verified MemberOckyDub I gave the Loc'ness monstah about $3.50
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    Read this and then look at the picture. WTF?
    ********
    "Tired of being stereotyped and not having their voices heard online, four friends turned to YouTube to share the experiences and struggles they face as black gay men living in London."
    [​IMG]
    Kevin Kwame, Damilola Adejonwo, Junior Joye, and Tochi Nwozuzu feel that their lives are not portrayed accurately in mainstream media, which, they say, relies on stereotypes of gay men, representing them only as “camp” and “feminine”. In recent months, hashtags such as #GayMediaSoWhite have been used to highlight the lack of black and minority ethnic LGBT people in the gay press.

    BuzzFeed News spoke to Adejonwo, Joye, and Nwozuzu. They said the other problem was a lack of prominent, black gay role models in British media altogether.

    “There are role models for white gay people, like Elton John and Sam Smith,” Nwozuzu, 20, said. “The media need to portrayal all the many types of gay men, from gay scientists to people like us.”

    Nwozuzu said the poor portrayal of gay men has affected his personal life: When he came out to his family, they struggled to believe him because they didn’t deem him a “stereotypical” gay person.

    “People think that when you come out, you’re being emasculated,” he said.

    [​IMG]
    Damilola Adejonwo / Via youtube.com
    Nwozuzu and his friends decided to take things into their own hands, and set up a YouTube channel.

    They shot their first video, titled “Gay Issues in London”, on 9 February this year; the video became so popular that they turned it into a series, including other videos such as “Coming Out – Gay Africans Telling Their Truth” and “Homophobia in London”, in which they discussed the negative experiences they face being black and gay in the capital. The video series gained thousands of views and made the four friends YouTube stars. They admit they didn’t expect their videos to go viral and be so positively received.

    “We get a lot of emails and comment from viewers that thank us for making our videos,” they said.

    youtube.com
    Beyond fighting the stereotypes, the four YouTubers say they have a deeper reason that drives them to make videos for black gay men.
    [​IMG]
    Damilola Adejonwo / Via youtube.com
    Earlier this year, a man named Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi, was reportedly beaten to death in Nigeria by a mob for being gay. Olubunmi’s death hit a nerve with Nwozuzu, who made a video in response, called “Justice for All Nigerians”.

    “This is a tragedy that has been going on in Nigeria, especially since the criminalisation of homosexuality,” he said. “The criminal justice system in Nigeria needs to change.”

    Two of the friends in the group, Adejonwo and Nwozuzu, are Nigerian, and are critical of the laws in Nigeria that encourage homophobia. Though they want gay men in Nigeria to be happy with their sexuality, they warn them to “stay on the down low” (hide their sexuality) for the sake of their safety, and say that coming out in Nigeria may not be the “best thing to do”.

    “It does upset me to say that,” Adejonwo said. “But it doesn’t upset them to kill someone who is gay. It’s life or death out there. They will have you.”

    Adejonwo reflected on his own experience of coming out to his Nigerian family.

    “I knew the consequences,” he said, adding that he has had a “bad relationship” with them since he came out, but hopes it will gets better with time. He blames the reaction on what he called a common assumption among some African communities that homosexuality is a white, Western phenomenon.

    Nwozuzu said he also faced problems when he came out. He was threatened by a relative, he said, and many of his bad experiences “surprisingly came from my family”.

    Joye had a different, more positive experience when he came out to his family.

    “I didn’t sit down with my mum and dad to tell them,” he said. “They just knew.”

    In the UK, the YouTubers say that being gay and black in London is largely safe, and encourage black gay men across the country to come out.
    [​IMG]
    Damilola Adejonwo / Via youtube.com
    “There are laws here that protect us,” Nwozuzu said. He especially wants young people to know they have support from their community. “When you’re younger, you’re trying to fight it to please friends and family. Be honest with yourself.”

    Despite this, Adejonwo admits they have sometimes faced hostility from the public: He says he was chased through a shopping centre for wearing makeup.

    “When a black person does it [wears makeup] it’s seen as abnormal,” Nwozuzu said. “But people deem it more acceptable for white men to do so.”

    “I’m tired of being seen as just a gay man,” Joye added. “We’re human, we still hurt, everything we do is still the same. What we talk about in our videos are normal issues. We’re not less human.”

    They say they will continue to make videos for their audience that speak honestly and openly about their real-life experiences.

    “It can be selfish to tell others not to be themselves,” Adejonwo said. “It can be difficult. You may lose your family. But the most important thing is to love yourself primarily.”


    These Four YouTubers Are Sharing Their Experiences Of Being Black And Gay In The UK
     
    #1 OckyDub, Apr 26, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2016
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  2. OckyDub

    OckyDub is a Verified MemberOckyDub I gave the Loc'ness monstah about $3.50
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    Not saying I disagree with their POV (they make some of same points I have numerous times) but based on image, how are they not portraying the typical Black Gay feminine stereotypes?
     
  3. Sean P

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    Ockydub, if you look into the pinwheel with your blue colored contact third eye, all would be revealed: [​IMG]
     
    #3 Sean P, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2016
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  4. Lancer

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    [​IMG]
     
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  5. Lancer

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    They are very Pretty boys, I must say.
     
    #5 Lancer, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2016
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  6. Sean P

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    My comment was meant to be a tongue in cheek homage to Ocky's comment. One of the guys in the pics above appears with and without his blue contacts. I know it's supposed to be a form of accessorizing, but…

    Sounds like I may have missed the mark. Oops!
     
    #6 Sean P, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2016
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  7. Cyrus-Brooks

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    They all look at hot mess. They're the embodiment of gay stereotypes. I find it rather amusing they don't want to be stereotyped when they fit that mold. Sorry I just can't contain my laughter.
    Laughing-Then-Crying-Gif-Tumblr-09.gif
     
  8. Lancer

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    OH MY GAWWWWWD!!!cpnowaycpnowaycpnowaycpnowaycpnoway
    THESE GUYS GOT TO MEET PRINCE WILLIAM.:banderas::banderas::banderas::banderas::banderas:
    FOR ME PERSONALLY THAT IS THE EPITOME OF SUCCESS!
    WHEN JAY Z MEET THEM, THAT IS WHEN I KNEW HE HAD MADE IT.
    WOW! I SALUTE THESE DUDES, I AM LOST FOR WORDS RIGHT NOW.
     
  9. ColumbusGuy

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    How did I miss this? lol I started watching that last video and when the one rolled his tongue I was done. lol GWARL! lol I stopped at that point.

    @Lancer ...hahaha meeting 'the royals' -so European. Why do they still even have them? lol
    When they all were getting introduced in the last video(the one I only watched until the one rolled his tongue)...they ARE not even inbetween...lol. That one who was introducing everyone might as well have been in full drag lol! I mean really..what are they complaining about? Complain about being treated badly for being gay, but complaining about not being recognized as 'masculine' men? really? lol

    "People used to call me a f@ggot for no reason'...well they should not have called you that to begin with, but they had a 'reason'-at least to them-they called you that because you look, act, and talk stereotypically gay!!!! duh! It was wrong, but don't be all 'mystified' about it....

    Shit if I go in town and walk down the street flouncing about in heels and makeup(I would make the ugliest drag queen ever in the history of the world) I might get called a f@ggot. It would be wrong and homophobic, but would I be surprised, gobsmacked, wondering how in the world did that happen? No.
     
    #9 ColumbusGuy, Jun 16, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
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  10. Lancer

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    [​IMG]
     
  11. Nigerian Prince

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    The guys are handsome (S/O to my gay West Africans! @Lancer) but they are the epitome of the feminine stereotypes.
     
  12. Infinite_loop

    Infinite_loop Is this thing on?
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    I actually saw their video on coming out as an African to our traditional/conservative parents ( i was going through some shit and needed a pick me up). I gotta give it to them though, some of them did admit their conspicuous effeminate gay tendencies and that parents were just in denial. I applaud the bravely that comes with living true to yourself in sometimes dangerously homophobic sub-Saharan African communities. #noshade(definitely throwing shade) but look here, I don't think there was a closet to begin with.
     
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  13. Nigerian Prince

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    The closet was made of clear GLASS @Infinite_loop! #noshadeBUTSHADE

    But yeah I know all too well the hassle that is involved with coming out to African (Nigerian for me, very homophobic) parents. They came around sooner than I ever thought. Things are much better but not perfect. African parents will never forget that their oldest son(s) are "opting to not have kids" smh.
     
  14. Infinite_loop

    Infinite_loop Is this thing on?
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    Lmfao at clear glass!! They were in the closet but the door was wide open. :franko1: And i hear you man. Glad your parents came along. I think most African parents believe that our sole purpose on earth is to procreate and every other goal in life is secondary to that, God forbid you want to do something else with your life...
     
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    Yep... to this day every now and then it's "so are you telling me you don't want kids/girlfriend?"

    But I understand that just as I had to come to terms with my sexuality, so do they. It took time for me so it will take time for my parents.
     
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  16. Infinite_loop

    Infinite_loop Is this thing on?
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    Dude!! exactly, I feel like telling them like "look....I've had to come to terms with the fact that I am not straight, maybe I won't ever have a girlfriend, maybe I won't ever have kids. Since I AM okay with this, you should be too."
     
  17. Nigerian Prince

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    No @Infinite_loop what I am saying is that since it took time for me to accept me that it will definitely take time for them to accept me too. That is the challenge with coming out to African parents and going against all their dreams and expectations.
     
  18. Nigerian Prince

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    If your parents (or anyone else's) are repulsed by your truth at first, give them the space that they need and then hope for the best... hope that they come around.
     
  19. Infinite_loop

    Infinite_loop Is this thing on?
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    Oh I hear you! I don't think those are mutually exclusive. What I was saying is that all roads lead to Rome (for me). Eventually, they are going to HAVE to come around and accept the fact. I wholeheartedly agree that they need space to process this, just as much as I needed space to come to terms with my sexuality.
     
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