Huffpost UK

Despite huge progress in public attitudes towards Britain’s 3.7 million lesbian, gay and bisexual people, news stories about homophobia in the media and among politicians and church leaders show there remains a lot to be done. Sadly, for some parts of the gay community problems run deeper still. Black and minority ethnic gay people, in particular, face problems beyond straightforward homophobia, because too often our public services seem only to be able to deal with one minority at a time.

New research published today by Stonewall and the Runnymede Trust exposes the damage caused by services that think users are either from one minority or another. The research, based on detailed interviews with black and minority ethnic gay people, shows that many public service workers rarely consider the possibility of someone being black and gay – and most have little or no training to encourage them to do so. Black and minority ethnic gay people contribute more than £4.5 billion in taxes to fund these services; it’s right that we challenge poor provision and identify failings.

Black gay people’s difficulties with public services include their earliest interactions with teachers and other people at school. Black young people find it hard to talk about their sexual orientation. Many fear rejection at home, and as there are almost no openly gay black role models on TV or in other media, they can feel utterly isolated. Recent research by the University of Cambridge for Stonewall’s School Report 2012 found black and minority ethnic gay pupils are at particular risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm. It’s not hard to see why.

Unfortunately, many gay black people also find it hard to use our criminal justice system. Their confidence in the police is chronically low, and crimes targeted at them often go unreported because victims worry the police won’t take them seriously. Other Stonewall research has shown that more than half of black and minority ethnic gay and bisexual men have experienced domestic abuse, and that black gay people face double the level of some forms of homophobic hate crime experienced by gay people in general. With homophobic crime remaining at stubbornly high levels, it’s vital the police work harder to understand issues related to ethnicity and sexual orientation.

Perhaps the most insidious problem identified by the research is a widespread assumption among service providers that black and minority ethnic people are always heterosexual. As one participant stated: ‘there’s a perception, “oh, you’re Indian, you can’t be gay” or “you’re black, you can’t be gay.”‘ When accessing healthcare, that can be a big problem for black and minority ethnic gay people.

Research participants said they found it hard to be open with health workers about their sexual orientation. Others said health workers didn’t recognise same-sex partners, or referred patients to culturally-specific healthcare services which might not be geared up to deal with gay people. Sometimes these experiences stop people from accessing healthcare at all. This is even more alarming in light of additional health research by Stonewall also published today to accompany this report demonstrating worryingly high levels of poor mental health among black and minority ethnic gay people.

Public services must think about discrimination differently. Most have had anti-racism policies and practices in place far longer than they’ve had policies that outlaw anti-gay bullying. Now it’s time to think about how those two forms of discrimination interact, and the impact that can have. The media has a role to play too. If black gay children aren’t to feel isolated, they and their friends and families need role models on TV, in film and on sports fields. Stonewall’s report Role Models shows that successful and influential black gay role models do exist. Media executives should be asking why they and their stories receive scant coverage.

Public services have to work hard to make sure they serve people from all kinds of different backgrounds. Sadly, for black and minority ethnic lesbian, gay and bisexual people, that doesn’t always happen. Dealing with people as though they belong to one minority at a time often means they’re simply let down. Today’s report is a first step towards putting that to an end.

https://www.gayglobe.us

Cyberpresse
Plus de 6000 personnes ont convergé vers le Stade olympique de Montréal, dimanche soir, pour participer à la 21e édition de l’événement danse Black and Blue, selon les premières estimations transmises lundi par les organisateurs.

Dix-huit disc-jockey de renommée internationale répartis dans deux salles se sont succédé aux commandes de la musique dès 21h dimanche, du jamais vu dans l’histoire de l’événement, a ajouté Mélanie Roy.

C’était un retour au Stade olympique pour l’événement, qui avait tenu ses dernières éditions au Palais des congrès, retour fortement apprécié des danseurs, a soutenu la porte-parole.

Le «Black Jack 21», point culminant du 21e Festival Black and Blue organisé par la Fondation BBCM, vise aussi à soutenir les personnes atteintes du VIH/sida ainsi que les groupes communautaires homosexuels.

Selon Mme Roy, un changement s’est opéré au cours des années, puisque l’événement attire maintenant de plus en plus de personnes hétérosexuelles et de jeunes âgés de 18 et 25 ans. Le renouvellement de la clientèle serait en partie dû à l’ajout d’une salle consacrée à la musique «trance», un type de musique électronique populaire auprès de ces danseurs.

Plus de la moitié de la clientèle du festival provient de l’extérieur du Québec, souligne Mme Roy. Plusieurs touristes des États-Unis, mais aussi de l’Europe ainsi que de l’Australie, se trouvent actuellement dans la métropole afin de participer aux activités du Festival Black and Blue.

Mme Roy rappelle que tous les plans concernant la sécurité des danseurs ont été approuvés par le service de sécurité du Stade olympique. Les organisateurs ont travaillé de concert avec le Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) pour prévenir au maximum le trafic de stupéfiants. Une seule personne a été arrêtée au cours de la soirée de dimanche, selon Mme Roy.

Les derniers participants du festival, qui ont déboursé entre 75 et 120$ pour entrer sur le site, devaient quitter les lieux vers midi, lundi.

L’an dernier, la Fondation BBCM avait remis quelque 50 000$ en dons à différents organismes oeuvrant pour la cause du sida.

Black & White

Le 14 août 2011, dès 19h, en clôture du défilé de la fierté LGBTA
2011, se tiendra la troisième édition la soirée annuelle de levée de fonds
d’Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique, Black & White. Thème de cette année “Antilles
Françaises”
Au delà de l’habillement suggéré, Noir et Blanc, cette soirée se veut
riche en couleur, toute en représentant la diversité montréalaise, où les
noirs, les blancs, les jaunes, les rouges se côtoient et vivent en harmonie.
Comme chaque année, elle se passera en dehors du village gai. La
salle choisie pour 2011 est le Tapis rouge, 1252 rue Bleury, métro Placedes-
Arts. Cette tradition demeure pour des fins de la représentation et
d’accessibilités aux personnes de la communauté LGBTA qui sont moins à
l’aise à fréquenter le village.
Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique est un organisme voué depuis 6 ans à la
santé et bienêtre, des personnes d’origine africaines et antillaises de la
minorité sexuelle LGBT ainsi qu’à ceux qui les entourent.