Art

comic: i’m tired of homophobia and feigned afrocentrism from black christians

December 28, 2017
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By JeCorey Holder* / BlackYouthProject, AFROPUNK contributor

I believe in freedom of religion. Sternly. I believe that everyone should be allowed to follow whatever harmless spiritual philosophy, or lack thereof, that gives them any sort of solace in this moral shitstorm of a society.

But sweet cherry Christ, some of you Black Christians are getting on this gay man’s entire last nerve.

I don’t care how far removed I am from my African roots, what you will NOT do is tell me what is or isn’t a part of African culture as you sit here pedaling the same belief system as white colonizers. The same bearded white man who lives in the sky that was used, and continues to be used, to justify the oppression of Black people in the first goddamn place.

Not only do you display your ignorance through the outright erasure of HUNDREDS of diverse African cultures and abundant religious traditions across centuries of civilization, but you make it even worse by having the absolute gall to weaponize Christianity against me. A religion that was forced upon our stolen ancestors while they had their own culture literally beaten and bred out of them through colonialism and enslavement. You use this to shame me, because you think two men being happy together is gross, because that’s what Christianity told you to believe.

You try to tell me that homosexuality isn’t “a part of African culture” while you, yourself, follow a spirituality that has no basis among African culture.

How beautifully ironic that homosexuality has a long history of being widespread and embraced in Africa, but Christianity does not. Christianity did not exist there until white people brought it along with their colonialist violence, and the condemnation of homosexuality along with it. You’re literally parroting the very colonist violence that you claim to be against. I’m sure The Ancestors would LOVE that.

Your Jesus-flavored homophobia isn’t rooted in African culture, but my gay ass is. Shut up, do your Googles, and do better.

This post is in partnership with BlackYouthProject.

*Gamer, geek, and social activist. JeCorey Holder has been weaving tapestries of shade and fury since the early 2000’s. Pro-LGBTQ, pro-black, and pro intersectional feminism, he is full of feelings and opinions that try to call out and tear down the oppressive status quo.

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