![black gay men making out black gay men making out](https://assets2.hrc.org/files/images/resources/ReligionAndComingOut-AfricanAmericans-Resource-1600x900.png)
These ideas were instilled in me as a child and reinforced by stories I overheard of how men in Haiti who’d been discovered to be gay had their heads cut off, with a machete as the usual weapon ofĬhoice. In fact, for many black people in these cultures, a black man who comes out as gay is even undeserving of life. That for a man to identify as a homosexual means forfeiting his “manhood.” Within the Caribbean culture, for example, gay men are widely perceived as weak, feminine, and immoral. Like many black men, I was taught very early on that I must be strong and masculine. It’s one thing to be gay, but to be black and gay is an entirely different taboo. I attribute my initial hesitation to two main things: culture and the portrayal of black couples in Hollywood.
![black gay men making out black gay men making out](https://i.etsystatic.com/24828097/r/il/0e0332/2489517880/il_794xN.2489517880_tju8.jpg)
Some might call me a racist or homophobic, but what matters most to me is identifying what caused me to feel both excitement and trepidation during this historic moment for the NFL, the LGBT community, and essentially all of America. I’m still trying to make sense of it all, and I guess that’s why I decided to write this article. It’s disturbing in 2014, and even after all of my years of formal education, that I felt this way initially. The crazy part of it all is that it’s not the actual kiss that caused me to roll my eyes, but the fact that Michael Sam’s boyfriend is white. If I’m being completely honest, that is how I felt when I saw Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend.