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| An estimated 200 people took part in the 3rd annual Stand Up & Represent March on Monday, an event in the four-day Black Gay Pride festival in Atlanta. (Photo by R.O. Youngblood) |
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: RYAN LEE
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What they lacked in number, they compensated for in energy and conviction.
Marching through Atlanta’s historic West End neighborhood on Monday,
the nearly 200 participants in the 3rd annual Stand Up & Represent March
chanted, sang and let others in the area know that they are black, gay and
proud.
The Labor Day march and rally capped off the four-day Black Gay Pride festival,
which drew an estimated 30,000 people to Atlanta, according to event organizers.
The weekend officially started with an opening reception Aug. 29 at the Sheraton
Colony Square in Midtown, a program that was a combination pep rally and revival.
“For some people, coming to a Black Gay Pride celebration has been the
first chance for them to really connect with other black gays and lesbians
in this kind of environment,” said Malik Williams, a member of The Adodi
Muse: A Gay Negro Ensemble. “They see people sharing themselves in a
positive manner, and talking openly about how proud they are — it’s
fantastic, it’s absolutely fantastic.”
Presented by In The Life Atlanta, Black Gay Pride attracted local politicians,
television personalities and business leaders, with events ranging from poetry
slams, a Saturday luncheon focusing on gays in the corporate world and a vendors
market.
“There’s a [bible] passage that says that He is able to do even
more than you can think,” said Darlene Hudson, executive director for
In The Life. “It’s been three times larger and better than last
year.”
But the weekend wasn’t without disappointments.
At least two nightclubs — Club 708 on Spring Street and Tower II on
Ralph McGill Boulevard — were closed early by city fire officials. A
spokesperson for the Atlanta Fire Department could not be reached by press
time.
Overall, organizers and participants hailed the weekend as a step forward
for black gay men and lesbians.
Among the highlights from Friday’s opening ceremony was a performance
by Adodi Muse. The cast — Anthony Antoine, Duncan Teague and Malik Williams — sent
goosebumps and cheers through the crowd of about 150 attendees with their testimonies
about the struggles of black gay men.
From unending schoolyard taunts during their youth, to constant rebuking from
peers, churches and parents for not conforming to masculine norms, cast members
tracked their progression from suffering to liberated souls.
“I think it takes so long to get to a place where you can actually say
some of the words we can say,” Antoine said. “There are so many
barriers to prevent you from getting there. It took me 25 years to even think
about saying those words.”
In their performance, Antoine, Teague and Williams talked about their internalized
feelings of shame and how they dreamed of finding happiness with other black
gay men.
“This is the opportunity where we get to celebrate our lives, and celebrate
who we are,” Antoine said. “There are not too many safe spaces
in which we can do that.”
Popular depictions of black gay men are often limited to stereotypes of effeminate
men or members of a “down low” culture, which leaves most gay men
unrepresented, Williams said.
“Looking around here, you get to see a whole spectrum of folks, and
that’s the reality of what’s always been in our community,” he
said. “It’s just that we often don’t come together like this
so people can see a whole range of different self expressions in one place.”
In The Life joined with the Atlanta Executive Network, a gay business group,
to host a community luncheon and panel discussion on business Aug. 30.
Trevor Pettiford, a reporter with WAGA Fox 5, delivered the keynote speech,
and gave participants advice on how to use the media to advance their businesses.
“In just about every story we cover, there is an opportunity for the
community to help someone,” Pettiford said. “In whatever field
you are in, volunteer yourself as an expert source — it’s taking
advantage of the incredible opportunity television news provides for free advertising.”
Pettiford, who is gay, also spoke about WAGA’s coverage of black gay
events.
“There has always been concern about how the media covers blacks and
GLBT because it usually revolved around showing the unusual,” he said. “It
has become more issue-oriented and the media has done a much better job of
covering the issues of concern to the community.”
But Pettiford said beyond news coverage, media outlets need to be more diverse.
He also called for gay nightlife publications to feature more black models
on their covers.
In The Life needed to present a forum showing black gays in a setting ...
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