Hate Crimes

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Why Are Our Black Men and Women Dying?

In the early hours of July 4, 2000, in Grant Town, W. Va., Arthur "J.R." Warren Jr., a 26-year-old black gay man, was brutally beaten to death by two young white men, who then bundled his body into a car, dropped it on the roadway on the edge of town and ran over it several times, according to police who say the teen-agers have confessed.

At the same time on the same day, four hundred miles away in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, two men walking through this popular black gay hangout were approached by a man with a weapon, who ran after them, caught one of them and slashed him in the face, wrist, knee, ankle and back.

In the past four months, six black gay or transgendered people on the East Coast have been murdered or attacked in high-profile cases.

In April, 28-year-old Dondre "Deja" Johnson, a black transgendered woman in Miami was murdered. Last month, Amanda Milan, a 25-year-old black transgendered woman was murdered in New York. And the masked slasher in Brooklyn's Prospect Park has attacked four people in the past month, including three black gay men.

In a culture that privileges socially-constructed, testosterone-injected "masculinity," it's not surprising that all the murder victims challenge the popular macho image of the black man. It's much more acceptable to be gay if you're still "masculine" or "strong" or "straight-acting" or "unclockable." But what makes us so masculine if we're not able or willing to help those in need? What makes us so strong if we're afraid of supporting transgendered women or effeminate men?

Gary English, executive director of People of Color in Crisis, a black gay organization, explained that black gay men have been victims of attacks in Prospect Park for years. His organization is handing out leaflets in the park to warn visitors about the danger. "This is something that black gay men should be up in arms about," he said.

But are we?

At a vigil for Arthur Warren a week after his killing, no representatives from black gay organizations attended or spoke. In contrast, the well-funded Human Rights Campaign quickly and correctly dispatched three of its staff to West Virginia.

Unfortunately, our lack of response simply underscores the powerlessness of our community and its institutions. Black gay people are killed and attacked and we don't have the organizations, the staff, the money or the resources to respond quickly.

It's not too late to do something. We can contact TV stations, newspapers and radio stations, and demand coverage of these crimes. We can organize and participate in vigils to show our solidarity. We can demand that our legislators support laws that treat hate crimes seriously. And perhaps most importantly, we can support and develop black gay organizations that are ready and willing to fight for our rights.

A few of our organizations are taking action, but many more need to be vigorously involved.

Black gay poet Essex Hemphill once wrote, "When my brother fell, I picked up his weapons." It's time to follow his advice. Our brothers and sisters are falling every day, and where are we to carry on the struggle?