Two Snaps and a Twist: Controlling Images of Gay Black Men
on Television
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Abstract
This essay addresses occurrences of gay Black men on television
in order to offer sites of representation for future analysis. We
critique representations of gay Blacks: the politics of respectability
mutually circumscribe the depictions of all Blacks on television,
across variations in gender and sexuality. In our critical-cultural
analysis of the representational contexts available to gay Black
men, we describe characters’ relationships to other characters
in a series and the significance of those individual portrayals
to the larger framework of gay Black men on television. In our
research we frequently discovered depictions of Black queer
identities that involved interpersonal problems and violence.
While cable television makes advances by depicting Black gay love
relationships with depth and intimacy, there remains a degree of
failure in representations of same-sex love relationships in terms of
ascertaining lasting happiness, support, and normalcy, as is often
depicted in heteronormative couplings.
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(@.0"$:*
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a1#F_*U./81@*M14$":
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=1)"#/@"/'*!#(/'(/0*NA"*&":
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Movement in the Black Baptist Church, 1880-1920:*
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Consciousness3*and*the*Politics*of Empowerment:*`"6*
a1#F_*U14'2"80":
g17/$1/3*L:*!:*E^++kG:*S`D!l*P42'4#"_*D*8(AA"#"/'*F(/8*1A*
m#".8(/0:O*Text*and*Performance Quarterly3*153*^HHK^hH:
g17/$1/3*L:!:*EHIIBG:*?7"*$%"&'"#*1A*'7"*52.&F*A.0_*!.#1893*
>2.&F/"$$3*./8*7"'"#1e71@1$"R4.2**5E#G1'7"#$:**Y/*=:D:*
a"%3*V:*<1)..$3*i*g:!:*L2(.*EL8$:G*Queer*Theory*and*
Communication_*From*Disciplining*Queers*to*Queering*the*
DisciplineEsG*E%%:*H^JKHBhG: `"6*a1#F_*M.##(/0'1/*!.#F:
g17/$1/3*L:!:*EHIIkG:*Wb4.#"X*$'48("$3*1#*E.2@1$'G*")"#9'7(/0*Y*
F/16*.514'*T4""#*$'48("$*Y*2".#/"8*A#1@*@9*0#./8@1'7"#:**
Y/*L:!:*g17/$1/*i*c:=:*M"/8"#$1/*EL8$:G3*Black Queer
Studies: A Critical Anthology. ]4#7.@3*`P_*]4F"*
j/()"#$('9*!#"$$:
g42("/3*Y:3*i*c"#&"#3*V:*E^++IG:*?#4"*&1/A"$$(1/$_*D*8($&14#$"*
1/*(@.0"$*1A*>2.&F*@.2"*$"R4.2('9:*Blacklight:*dwww:
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V"/8.22eM4/'*!452($7(/0:
\("6"#*S"#)(&"$:*EHII-3*c.9*HBG:**LOGO. d7''%_ee666:
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+-
-.&/(00102*/3*4566783**Representing*Men9*Maleness*and*
Masculinity*in*the*Media3*:";*<1#=9*>?@1#A*B0()"#$('C*
!#"$$3
-&D#(A"2*E3*4566F2*G"H#I.#C*J83*K@#(&.0*KL"#(&.0*$'IA("$*.0A*
'M"*(0)($(HN"*DN.&=*O.C*L.03*The*Chronicle*of*Higher*
Education2*LI2*DP6QPP3
-&R.#'MC2*S3*4566T2*KIOI$'*5583*S.L"Q$"?*L.##(.O"*($*$I#"NC*.*
&()(N*#(OM'3*USA*Today2*%3*PPK3
!M(NN(%$2*U3*4566F83*E"&10$'#I&'(0O*VE1;0*U1;W*A($&1I#$"9*XM"*
%1N('(&$*1@*$"?I.N('C2*O"0A"#2*#.&"2*KYES2*.0A*.0?("'C3*
Journal of African American Studies,*94582*7QPF3
!(''2*Z(&M.#A*:32*[#3*4566T83*E1;0N1;*L1I0'.(0\*E"]$'(OL.'(^(0O*
H($"?I.N('C*'M#1IOM*%('C(0O*.0A*%"_1#.'()"*A($&1I#$"$*(0*
L"A(.3*Journal of Men’s Studies,*144582*5FJQF+3
Z(OO$2*-3*X3*4P++P83*DN.&=*L.&M1*#")($('"A9*Z"!*"&'(10$*1@*.*$0.%`*
aI""03*Black*American Literature*Forum2*254582*DN.&=*
G(NL*Y$$I"2*7,+Q7+J3
SMIO.#'2*b3*4566783*Z"(0)"0'(0O*%#()(N"O"9*XM"*0";*4O.C8*L.0*(0*
&10'"L%1#.#C*%1%IN.#*L"A(.3*Critical*Studies*in*Media*
Communication2*202*TcQ+P3
S01#'102*R3*Z3*4566+83*K*0";*M1%"9*XM"*%$C&M(&*N(@"*1@*%.$$(0O3*
Hypatia,*244782*ccQ+53
S'1="$2*[3!32*d*!"'"#$102*[3U3*4P++,83*b1L1%M1H(.2*$"N@Q"$'""L2*
.0A*#($=*@1#*bYe*.L10O*K@#(&.0*KL"#(&.0*L"0*;M1*M.)"*
$"?*;('M*L"03*AIDS Education and Prevention,*104782*5c,Q
5+53*
XI&ML.02*f3*4P+c,83*Y0'#1AI&'(103*Y0*f3*XI&ML.02*K3*/3*E.0("N$2*
d*[3*D"0"'*4gA$382*Hearth and Home: Images of Women by
the Mass Media*4%%3*7Q7+83*:";*<1#=9*>?@1#A*B0()"#$('C*
!#"$$3
African American Lesbians: A Selective Review of the
Literature
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S'"%M.0("*K3*KNN"02*D3K32*-3K32*!M3E3*$'IA"0'2*KL"#(&.0*S'IA("$2*
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*
Abstract
Although research on African American women’s mental health
has increased over the past several years (Brown & Keith, 2003;
Ramos, Carlson, & McNutt, 2004; Warren, 1997), a lack of
scholarly literature in the area of African American lesbians’ mental
health continues, limiting the helping profession’s ability to provide
effective services to this group. This literature review will: (1)
highlight psychosocial stressors that can potentially impact African
American lesbians’ mental health, (2) outline limitations of the
current research, and (3) offer areas for future research.
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