Navigations and Negotiations of Identities and Experiences of Same-Gender-Loving Males of Color Over Time

Being part of any marginalized group is difficult to navigate in America. However, being part of two marginalized groups at the same time can be even more difficult at times to bear: for example, being Black and gay. African Americans males suffer excessively higher rates of poverty, unemployment, incarceration, and stress-related illnesses than their white counterparts and for males who are same-gender-loving, without proper support, those challenges increase exponentially, also African American males who have sex with males may be more likely than men from other groups to have sex with someone who is HIV positive thus becoming HIV. Although it is acknowledged that homophobia and racial marginalization influence how same-gender-loving African American males of color navigate their identities, there is little research of how they negotiate and navigate their identities over time. Due to the scarcity of information for educators, families, and communities on the relational dynamics of SGL males of color, four same-gender-loving males of color, including myself were interviewed of how we negotiated and navigated various identities over time. Through these interviews, we were able to explore the ways in which we understand our experience of navigating their experiences by paying particular attention to the negotiation between race and sexual orientation and relational dynamics over time. This qualitative study examined data gathered through personal and evocative autoethnographic stories and interviews with individual males who identified themselves as African American and same-gender-loving. Semi-structured interviews were used for the purpose of exploring participant’s life experiences xii with specific emphasis on their racial identity and same-gender-loving identities over time. The themes that emerged from this study were isolation, loss, generational differences, learning and growing from experiences, and paradoxical experiences. The findings are useful in this study because through the oral history of the participants, their life stories will give a better understanding of how difficult it is to be part of two marginalized groups, yet they remain resilient in their lives. However, what was needed was and still is needed is the proper support to ensure that same-gender-loving males of color can navigate and negotiate their identities over time successfully as any other group.