Once you go black…

I went to former Toronto nightspot Club Manhattan for the first time when I was 18. It was one of the club’s urban nights and I was excited to find a gay party at which DJs spun hip hop, reggae and funk instead of standard top 40-anthems.

The place was a sweaty basement club, with a little rainbow sticker at the door and Notorious BIG pumping from the speakers. It was a whole new context of queerness for me.

Two things became quickly apparent. Firstly, I was one of the only white guys in a sea of dancing black men. I was intimidated at first but that passed quickly. Secondly, these gay black guys really knew how to party.

The dancefloor was jam-packed. The only stand-and-model action going on was by a few boys on the sidelines desperately trying to catch their breath before jumping back in. I partied until I could barely stand, and did not feel unwelcome or unwanted for one moment.

When I recounted the night to a white, university-educated gay friend, he looked at me like I told him I spent my Saturday night on the moon. No matter how much I pleaded with him, he refused to join me on a future outing to the club. He complained about the music and the crowd, but years later I’d see him hopping up and down at Big Primpin’ and Yes Yes Ya’ll with a group of his black friends. When I reminded him of his previously-held opinion, he laughed saying simply, “I’m from the suburbs; people are afraid of what they don’t know.”

Gay activists usually organize against homophobic dancehall musicians who play Caribana events, but so few gay guys have ever attended. Hate-free dancehall music is great for sweaty dancing, and really, every artist involved in Caribana deserves to be judged individually.

So many gay guys from all different backgrounds bitch and moan that they feel they need to leave town during Caribana. They say they wouldn’t feel comfortable at a massive Caribana event, but wouldn’t they say the same about any party on the hellish Richmond St strip?

You can’t help but smell the racism.

If this issue of fab does nothing else, it shows there is always a place for all gay people, even at Caribana. After the way Blockorama was treated by Pride Toronto, it’s good to see gay Caribana events that celebrate gay black life in Toronto. Many urban centres in the US have Black Pride events. These events, while celebrating black, gay culture are attended by all kinds of people, and are a perfect excuse for another wild summer party.

A party in celebration of gay black pride has the same essential requirement as any gay party: acceptance. When there are so many people who are out to get us simply because of our sexuality, letting something like race get in the way of community is counterproductive.

One of the best things about being gay is that it teaches us, regardless of our racial or social background, what it means to be different.

The gay community is a rare club that crosses all boundaries and includes every race on the planet. By accepting ourselves, we should accept all differences. Doing so would conveniently free us all up to party hard together, regardless of which unique parts we happen to be celebrating.

Matt Thomas
editor@fabmagazine.com