Is Xtra Magazine Racist By Exploiting African LBGT People In Uganda Just To Appear Noble?
Since is February black history month, this means Toronto’s white gay and lesbian newspaper Xtra Magazine will focus “one” or perhaps “two” issues on black gays and lesbians.
Wow! Isn’t Xtra considerate? How many issues of Xtra have non white people on the cover other than February? I think the answer is pretty easy to figure out!
Of course, for the rest of the eleven months of the year Xtra Magazine is “white” all the time. I rarely read Xtra Magazine because Xtra has nothing to do with my black gay existence.
I surf the internet or read books when I want to learn about the African LBGT diaspora. I certainly don’t waste my time reading the white gay press to learn about black gay issues that’s for sure!
Recently, Xtra sent a white gay freelance writer Kaj Hasselriis to Kampala Uganda to write a series of articles. The reason Xtra sent Hasselriss to Kampala is because the Uganda government passed anti gay legislation.
The anti gay bill states gay people, HIV positive people, and same-sex acts with people under the age of eighteen may be executed.
However, although some people may think Xtra Magazine is “noble” , I think Xtra’s actions may be deleterious for several reasons.
First, I question, why did Xtra Magazine send a white gay Canadian man to Uganda to write about African LGBT issues? Does this make sense?
The danger is, Xtra Magazine will impose their Eurocentric perspectives about African LBGT issues without thinking about the complex issues of the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
Second, why wasn’t an African writer hired to write the series on Uganda? Someone that is actually black and gay from Uganda would have been a more suitable choice to write the piece.
The actions of Xtra Magazine just proves some of these white gays have tunnel vision. Xtra Magazine’s decision to hire a white gay writer to write about African LGBT issues is racist and myopic but not surprising of the white gay media.
Xtra doesn’t want to understand the importance of “difference” and how “race” and “class” are also interlocking forms of oppression against black LGBT people.
A black Ugandan journalist has the racial life experience to understand Uganda better than a white person ever could. The story is now “polluted”, “diluted”, “tainted”, and is no longer “authentic” because Hasselriss is white.
Since Hasselriss is a white gay man, he doesn’t have the life experience to truly understand black gay issues due to his whiteness.
Regardless of how open-minded some white gay liberals in Canada think they are, they not black.
A white person does not have the racial experience necessary to truly understand the nuances of blackness and the black experience.
Third, Xtra Magazine published the photos of gay black Ugandan men this is outrageous! The gay black Ugandan men’s lives could be in danger if the Ugandan government sees their photos online! Anyone, can visit Xtra’s website.
Obviously, Xtra Magazine is typical of the white liberal gay media they impose their white gay privilege and ignore their whiteness and use it to exploit black gay people for sensationalism.
Some Xtra readers disagree with Xtra for publishing the photographs of the black gay Ugandans. Xtra’s responses is typical, racist, and just not surprising about their attitudes towards black LGBT folks.
Xtra Magazine doesn’t care about these black gay Ugandans, this white racist gay newspaper cares about is “getting” the story. Shame on Xtra for exposing and taking advantage of these innocent black Ugandans!
Link: To Xtra Magazine’s incendiary article about Uganda:
http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Xtra_reports_from_Uganda_Finding_Kampalas_gay_bar-8226.aspx
Here is Xtra’s response:
[Editor’s Note]
RE: photos seem like bad idea
Hey Rich, the people pictured in this piece consented to have their photos used. It’s a clearly risky decision, but I think it’s brave of them to put a face to this story. As you’ll see in the next update, Blessed (who is pictured with Kaj) is an activist who remains proudly defiant, despite anti-gay threats.
02/10/10 4:46 PM EST
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