YOu might as well get a response from a gay okayplayer in this thread. and, since its already ASSUMED that Hot_Damali and I speak for all the OUT okayplayers here (let's not GET INTO those who are FRONTIN with a quickness, but since i don't out folk..you know the spiel), i'll give my take on the situation:


Okay, i wasn't there..i heard about the freestyle from folk that i knew who attended the concert (gay and straight) and after i read Common's journal. I'm sorry, but this is Common's OPINION...It's wrong/it's fucked up/ but it is STILL his views and he is allowed to say them being that he is American and we do have that Constitutional freedom to do so.

But, as i have stated and will state, IT'S FUCKED UP! not only is homophobia fucked up, so is anyone spouting off some ignorant ish that's racist/sexist/classist and the like. What i'm trying to get at is that we can't hold JUST Common accountable for views that MANY FOLK say and get away with.

This one's for ?uestlove: i agree with you 100%--As much as folk want to attack Common for his views, i have YET to hear any gays or lesbians JUMP on Eminem for the shit he spews. I'm sorry, but i hate pulling race into this (but, THEN AGAIN, all isms are interconnected, etc.) BUT if Common was white, there would BE NO discussion on this. Eminem is an MC--skills or no skills--who gets away with being homophobic/racist/sexist (TELL ME you didnt think his calling Jada Pinkett Smith a bitch in I'm Slim Shady/dissing Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears/his MOTHER/Jennifer Lopez was wrong..PLEASE so i can break this one down in another post, but i digress)/etc. and NO ONE is up at arms. I just don't get it--this only seems to happen when artists of African descent (Buju Banton is a prime example for his song "Boom Bye Bye"), correct or not correct in their feelings, say what they think.


Look, i'm not trying to be a champion of free speech and shit (as anti-American as i feel somedays), but I WILL CHAMPION the right for a person to speak their mind. plain and simple...


as for PDA (public displays of affection): i don't care if you're GAY OR STRAIGHT--I DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT want to see you slobbering all over someone at a damn concert. sorry..i just don't. i don't care WHERE it is..i don't want to see and neither do most folks. that's what a bedroom is for, thanks! the two men who were at that concert: that was wrong.


I don't know...I guess I'm just not taking it as seriously as everyone else FEELS they have too (knowing DAMN WELL most of y'all hide behind being open minded anyways...). All i can do is speak for ME, RYAN CANTY: irregardless of how Common feels, i still respect him. my love for his music wont' die--neither will my love for hip-hop. Granted, it's probably one of the most complex areas to deal with as a gay/lesbian/sgl/bisexual man or woman..ESPECIALLY if you are a person of color. But, it's not going to change the way i feel about the music...


And, i do agree with the person who said that he doesn't get WHY folk have issues with gay people. i don't get it either....i still DO NOT understand how what you do behind closed doors can MARK a person so damned much. WHEN, if folk really THOUGHT about it, it doesn't. I won't even touch how stereotypes of homosexuality (based on WHITE PEOPLE) become confounded and damn near non-existent when people of color are involved.



To Quez: i don't agree withyou...not with what you're saying,but mainly cause IT SEEMS LIKE your feelings are based on the WHITE PEOPLE you see at your school. Sorry, but PLEASE don't assume that ALL GAY FOLK are that wild in public. I'm not..THOSE WHITE DUDES DON'T REPRESENT ME AND I DO NOT REPRESENT THEM..it's THAT SIMPLE. dammit--this shit kills me. cause that's the WHOLE ARGUMENT for why black people (some) seem to have issue with non-heterosexuality--in addition to citing the Bible (that's a WHOLE NUTHER TOPIC), people always say that gay folk are nasty..come to find out, their perceptions are BASED on what they see WHITE FOLK doing on tv/print media/etc. i'm sorry, but THAT is NOT my EXPERIENCE..PERIOD. once again--assumed images of gay people DO NOT speak to my DAILY LIFE EXPERIENCE AS A BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING MAN..it doesn't. but, i can't prove that toyou, Quez, can i? not to be foul, but it seems like you're quite sure that ALL gay people act like those random white guys at your school. that IS part of the "gay community" (which i don't like cause it's not inclusive anyways), but it's a small part. But, if u believe that ALL GAY FOLK ARE LIKE THAT (and, it looks like you do), then you're living in ignorance and that's a problem i can't correct for you..you have to correct that yourself.


In general, i don't know...Common could change his ways..he may not. BUT..that's not up to us to decide. More importantly, indiviudals need to decide whether OR NOT they feel they should be suporting Common as a fan they're offended by what he says. If you cant, return your cd's now. if ou can, move on. But, hoping that Common will change wont' help. He needs to do that on his own (IF he needs to be changed...which i doubt).

Ryan

P.S. if any of you want to discuss this matter personally with me, I'm at RyanCanty@world.oberlin.edu

P.P.S. hmm..HotThyng76--i'm sure you'll give a more "mainstream" counter response and tell me why im wrong..so, i await your post.





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