Racism and gay men

This page discusses racism, sexual stereotyping and exclusion in gay and LGBTQ+ spaces.

Racism in gay spaces is not a side issue. It shapes who feels welcome, who gets ignored, who gets fetishised, who gets believed, and who decides the scene was never built for them in the first place.

Black and ethnic minority staff at Stonewall have written clearly about racism in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for QTIPOC people: queer, trans and/or intersex people of colour. Sometimes, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

‘Racism of all kinds is always despicable but experiencing it from within the LGBTQ community can have a particularly negative impact on QTIPOC. In a world still often not accepting of LGBTQ people, QTIPOC also have to deal with discrimination in the community that should be there to support them. This can lead to isolation, loneliness, and poor mental health, on top of the direct impact of the racism, discrimination and violence they may experience. This is why it’s so key that white people are more vocal about challenging racist behaviour within the LGBTQ community, even when QTIPOC aren’t around and when they do not feel able or safe to challenge it themselves.’

Their point is simple: racism from within LGBTQ+ communities can be especially damaging because these are the spaces that should offer support, not another round of rejection. This can contribute to isolation, loneliness and poor mental health, on top of the direct harm caused by racism, discrimination and violence.

This is not work for QTIPOC people to carry alone. White gay men need to challenge racism when they see it, especially when the person being targeted is not in the room.

Racism in gay spaces can look obvious: slurs, exclusion, door policies, jokes, profile text and abuse on apps. It can also look quieter: being ignored, fetishised, treated as a body rather than a person, or expected to educate everyone else.

Preference is not a magic word that makes racism disappear in a puff of glitter.

Stonewall resources

Some of these resources use terminology from when they were first published. Where language has changed, we’ve tried to keep historic titles intact while using current language in our own copy.

Tackling common myths and misconceptions, and clarifying questions asked of QTIPOC (queer, trans and/or intersex people of colour) | Stonewall

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic LGBT+ Organisations
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic LGBT+ Organisations | MEN R US

Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter | MEN R US

BAME Voices from Stonewall

‘BAME Voices’ is retained here as the historic title of Stonewall’s video series.

Accessing health services

Racism does not stay politely in bars, clubs or apps. It follows people into clinics, services, relationships and mental health.

A 2015 report, summarised by LGBT HERO / FS Magazine, looked at the sexual health, mental health, access to services and social issues of Black, Latino and other ethnic minority gay men. It highlighted racism on the gay scene, including:

• Black gay men finding racism on the gay scene to outweigh homophobia within Black communities
• Black gay men feeling sexualised, objectified and used as “accessories” for white men
• Black gay men being presumed to have large cocks or to be sexually aggressive
• Black gay men feeling they were not recognised as whole people, and discarded once sex was over
• Some Latino gay men in the report describing certain stereotypes, such as being seen as “hot lovers”, as more positive or desirable, though this is still racialised stereotyping and should not be treated as harmless
• Black and Latino gay men describing the gay scene as segmented and elitist, with an impact on self-esteem

More stories on film

Back in 2010, GMFA explored what it means to be Black and gay in the UK, including the life experiences of men too often made invisible in history and stigmatised by their own communities because of sexuality and race.

Wolves in the City

Wolves in the City is a podcast for Black men exploring their sexuality in the city. Hosted by YouTube presenter Lee Gray, grime artist Karnage Kills and DJ Jay Jay Revlon, it’s probably not safe for work. You have been warned.