- Collection:
- Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University Theses and Dissertations
- Title:
- Do black homosexual males cope successfully with the black heterosexual world, 1989
- Creator:
- Hunt, Jim
- Date of Original:
- 1989-07-01
- Subject:
- Degrees, Academic
Dissertations, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- The finding from this study indicate that the black homosexual male population does cope fairly successfully with the black heterosexual world. This research sample of 422 black homosexual males, found that 70.5 percent reported no problems with the police, 80.2 percent had no problem at work, and 90.4 percent had no problem at school. They also reported that, when known about or suspected, most black heterosexual males attempted to date them as females and have sexual intercourse. Also the present study showed that the majority of black homosexual males who have served in the military obtained honorable discharge. Additionally in the present study, 88.5 percent report they had never lost a job on account of their homosexuality, and 97.5 percent report having little or no problems on any job they have had because people knew or suspected they were homosexual. Further findings indicate also that the black homosexual male in this research are by no means cutoff from the hetero�sexual world. For example, 79.4 percent reported a substantial number of close relationships with heterosexuals, and 64.6 percent say they are socially active in heterosexual circles. In fact, 68.4 percent of this research respondents indicate that the majority of their friends are heterosexual. Nonetheless, the majority of this research sample are covert in their homosexuality. Thirty percent of the respondents report attempting to conceal their homosexuality from all heterosexuals. On the other hand, 20.4 percent claim they try hide it from few or none. Thus, only a fifth of the respondents in the sample could be considered overt. This research was inspired by the statement, that compared with white homosexuals, black homosexual males expect less negative reaction to their homosexuality and anticipate less discrimination from other people on account of it. Some writers believe that black men who are homosexual are less concerned with passing as heterosexuals and more known as homosexuals. This researcher questioned these statements because Staples, (1972) in codifying extent knowledge on black sexuality, notes that in general, blacks in America have less puritanical attitudes than do whites. He believes that while they may be no less likely than whites to regard homosexuality as an aberration, blacks are 'more comfortable around homosexuals and . . . (do) not perceive them as any kind of threat.' With the latter, this research wanted to look at how successfully do black homosexual males cope with the heterosexual world. This research is guided by societal reaction theory. In this perspective, this researcher conceptualize the black male homosexual situation according to two parameters: Relating to the heterosexual world: Relating to the homosexual world.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:1989_hunt_jim.pdf
- Rights Holder:
- Clark Atlanta University
- Holding Institution:
- Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
- Rights:
-
