A new report published this week calls for action to support Black Gay Men in England. The report (In the Life 2007) highlights the challenges facing Black gay men from homophobia, racism and poor sexual health. It sets out a number of actions that could be taken to respond to these challenges through building a Black Gay community.
The report is the result of the Black Gay Men’s Advisory Group (BGMAG) Leadership Summit held this summer in Oxford. Twenty Black Gay men known for their work in the community joined together to deliberate on the challenges facing the community. They now call for Black Gay men and others responsible for work with minority ethnic and LGBT communities to join together to create change.
The impact of HIV has been devastating for Black Gay men. Last year they were twice as likely to be living with the virus than white gay men. At the same time, BGMAG have been leading a campaign against the incitement to violence against gay people by Jamaican dancehall artists. Research highlights experiences of racism and exclusion on the gay scene.
The report will be published online on 23rd October. Readers are asked to respond to the report by commenting in the new BGMAG online forum. Rob Berkeley, Chair of BGMAG said ‘Inactivity is no longer an option. I hope that people read the report and see the importance of community action to fight the impact of racism and homophobia on Black Gay Men. We look forward to reading their comments’.
