Every couple of years it seems to be a new batch of information on how to categorize a gay. From using ones life experiences such as a church rearing or down-low mentality to the female singer one is more drawn to, creativity is not spared in the search to understand the dynamics of this particular community. This new culmination of generalizations came across my attention by an associate today that I found rather interesting. Although sharp in tone at points, I feel like it hit the nail on the head in many areas. I'm sure many have experienced these different types either in dating, social circles, or even within yourself. Here, take a look for yourself...
When you’re dating … what to look out for? What is out there? And speaking specifically to black gay men (the straights who are reading will have to reinterpret for themselves like the gays do everyday!) many people feel there are so many “issues” in our community that prevents us from having a healthy relationship.
I completely disagree. We are all capable of having a healthy relationship. However, I do think it’s worth examining the categories we consciously or unconsciously fall into. Please keep in mind most of these categories are due to a socially oppressive society. Some of us are one of these, a few of these, none, or pieces of some here and there. Also, you must read with a bit of a sense of humor — I’m not saying these are absolutes.
THE TRAGIC HOMOSEXUAL
You know the type … always complaining about how all gay men are f*cked-up, all gay men cheat and it is virtually impossible for two men to have a long-lasting connection. Not surprisingly, he attracts the types he complains about — everyone he meets cheats, lies, and deceives him. He is in the constant “woe is me” syndrome not because he is the victim, but because he is ALL of the things that he doesn’t like about gay men. He has cheated more times than he has been faithful, he lies so much that he believes his own reenactments and never takes blame for his own choices — but blames his actions and everyone else’s actions on the state of EVERY black gay man in the USA. He is the Tragic Homosexual and does not think for one minute the reason why he meets such vile men is because he is attracting what he is.
THE DL CHRISTIAN
He is “DL”, but as obviously gay as his church queen girlfriends, who are in the choir and all having sex with each other. They admittedly feel they are going to burn in a fiery depths of a Christian, or an Islamic, hell yet getting their guts banged out on regular basis and having the most decadent sexual happenings that makes even the biggest whores say: “Well, damn — maybe...I need to go to church if I can get this much sex!” They believe being gay is only “temporary” and one day they will wake up with an unforgettable, juicy pussy on their mind. This mindset is understandable when you are in your early twenties and going through “gay puberty” (trying to get over the hate you feel for yourself) — but when you’re knocking on thirty’s door, dating men for years, managed to have sex with a few women, which somehow allows this man to violently clench onto the last remains of heterosexuality, AND still not straight — THIS is not temporary.
These men are often times misogynistic, minimizing women to baby making machines. They make statements like, “If this gay thing doesn’t work out then I’ll just get with a woman, get married and have some kids.” As if the DL Christian men are going to step outside of a gay club and find some coochie waiting for them with legs spread open and saying: “Splash up in me and let me make you some babies because you couldn’t find a man!” These are the saddest types of black gay men because no matter how many times they get their dick sucked and don’t suck, no matter how many times they are a top and claim they never bottom, no matter how many times they pray to their God … they will ALWAYS be gay. They will live and die as GAY.
THE DL THUG
The DL Thug foolishly believes they are one up on everyone else because they’ve mastered the art of looking like a bad BET video. They are from 20 to 50 with hats cocked to the side, baggy/saggy clothes and a hood lingo that is embarrassingly inauthentic. They have no clue they are in “hood” drag –- at least a drag queen knows they are playing role, but the DL Thug believes this is him. He doesn’t realize his whole demeanor is a learned behavior.
The DL Thug believes all of his problems would be solved if he could just be heterosexual. He constantly gives examples on how straight relationships work and somehow relates them to himself. Periodically he manages to splash up in some girl but never converts. Inside, the DL Thug is painfully lonely and shamed; he remedies his loneliness with excessive sex that makes up for all of the ways he hates himself.
THE NARCISSIST
This man is typically attractive, goes to the gym more than he goes to work and focused on his appearance rather than his stale personality. He thinks everyone wants him … the first thing he will tell you after a long day is how many people tried to hit on him – male, female, elderly,transsexual, etc. “This girl in the elevator was really staring at me — I know she wanted me to f*ck her,” “Everybody in the club was looking at me,” “I think your best friend was looking at my dick,” “Your neighbor bumped into me and tried to feel my ass,” the comments are endless.
The narcissist does not realize that most people are not lusting for him — but he is so focused on who could possibly be lusting for him because he needs constant validation from others about his appearance. Even the ones who are starring could be looking for an entirely different reason than the Narcissist assumes. When it comes to gay men he is convinced everyone wants to have sex with him and makes comments like, “I can’t be around too many gay men because all they want to do is f*ck.” In actuality it’s not that people think he
is so beautiful, being attractive is relative, it’s that he is the one who wants to f*ck everyone, therefore, people perceive him as an easy f*ck … f*ckable but not conversational.
THE QUEEN LOOKING FOR A KING
She’s a f*ckin’ lady. He’s looking for a strong man with an amazing job, big dick and an aggressive personality to make him feel safe and protected. However, he is none of these things — he is the striking opposite of what he wants. He is trying to emulate male-female relationships, which aren’t even working for the straights! He expects his man to always pay for dinner, always hold him in bed and always make the first move. Characters like Noah and Alex from Noah’s Arc have inspired him to believe, “This can really happen! I can find a man that will treat me the way all of my straight girlfriends want to be treated!” Often times this boy is lazy, shiftless and his femme drag is as inauthentic as the DL Thug’s hood drag. He is one wig away from a drag queen and doesn’t want a gay male relationship — he wants a straight relationship in his boy body.
THE LOW SELF-ESTEEM GOOD MAN
This man thinks he’s too fat, too skinny, too old (still under 30!), too short, too tall, too dark, too light, and too much of everything. Telling this person, “You look good tonight!” Will only end up in, “I gained five pounds.” He loses all self-confidence when walking into a gay club comparing himself to every muscular man feeling as if, “I could never get someone like that.”
He’s jealous of other people who he thinks are more attractive than him, eventually isolating himself in a cocoon of, “Nobody wants me.” Therefore, he lowers his standards so low that he ends up with manipulative, evil men who prey on his insecurities. Despite all of the creative and sometimes unique ways this man hates himself he would actually be a great boyfriend … he lives alone, has a career (not just a job!), sense of humor, intelligent – but ignores all of these attractive aspects and focuses on what he feels will keep him alone and unhappy forever.
THE AFFECTION WHORE
The Affection Whore doesn’t have sex with every man he meets, but he shares a bed, kisses, hugs, reveals his whole life story — in a matter of days. He thinks any man who has sex immediately is a tramp, however, he doesn’t realize every time he gives away a piece of himself with intimacy – even if he doesn’t have sex – he is still feeling empty. Empty in more ways than the promiscuous man because at least the slut does not expect anything in return.
The Affection Whore feels he is doing everything right by waiting before he has sex and investing ALL of his time in a man he met less than a week ago. He quickly dives into romantic fantasy land after date one, seeing their whole life playing out… living together, joint accounts, traveling and of course adopting children! At the end of the day, no one can live up to the fantasy. Once the Affection Whore realizes this guy is not what he imagined, he goes to the next guy and unknowingly has the same experience.
What category do you mostly identify with?
In all honesty, I can't make a fair conclusion without seeing Tyler Perry's new film, "Good Deeds" which opens February 24 next year. However, when it comes to Perry, one can almost guess what the experience would be like from watching his past films. From the looks of it, Perry plays a rich business executive who suddenly finds his life mundane. He then comes across a struggling mother (played by Thandie Newton) and her daughter and decides to offer help. I suppose in this journey, the audience will find how Tyler's character finds his true self, stops being a people pleaser, blah, blah, blah. Also starring Phylicia Rashad, Gabrielle Union, Brian White, and a few other notables; this film doesn't really motivate me to run down the theater as soon as it comes out. Now don't get me wrong, I can appreciate him trying to deviate from his typical storytelling (see Madea Gets Her Back Waxed), but I can't help to feel that this film is a move to hush notions of his possible homosexuality. Otherwise, this movie seems like it would be just another drab piece of an otherwise blase' collection from the Lionsgate/Tyler Perry Studios partnership.
