There seems to be a growing number of people who are anticipating Kanye West to one day throw on a pink scarf and step out into a room full of reporters and announce that he’s gay. I’m not one of those people because I don’t believe Kanye West is gay.

I’m put off by how so many people assume he’s gay for some of the most stereotypical reasons.

OK, so he’s not walking around holding his nutsac all day like half the Black male population between the ages of 6-30.

Alright, he’s had moments where certain expressions, mannerism, or outburst are deemed “suspect” by the general population. This, however, makes no sense to me given the fact that hip-hop is both homophobic yet homoerotic – yes, I’m talking about you greased up rappers in jewelry telling another man to suck your dick. No one calls them gay, so why does one odd face make ‘Ye a homo?

We live in a world where Black fathers are largely absent in the upbringing of their male sons. You typically act like the people who raised you in one way or the other, so Black America, get used to it unless Black men start remembering that your parenting responsibilities don’t escape you as soon as you nut.

I don’t buy into these trite and extremely limiting gender roles anyway. I’m not saying should I have a son I’ll be taking him dress shopping at age six, but I’m not going to break out into convulsions if he gives someone the side-eye either.

I think what bothers me most of all about Kanye’s gay claims are that they’re now partially fueled by Kanye having the audacity to speak about gay people as if they’re not aliens or inherent heathens who will be burned in hell for all eternity.

Speaking about a human being as such shouldn’t warrant an untruthful association. It’s stupid and sophomoric and it makes it that much more difficult for tolerant Black men to speak about gay people as normal folk.

No one is going to want to openly speak out in defense of an isolated group if they fear it will lead to alienation from their own community and be detrimental to their career.

I will say, though, that I find Kanye’s ninetieth denial about being gay to be disappointing.

For someone who puts on airs that he’s so forward-thinking and recently asked people to show a little humility and tolerance, I find it odd that when denying rumors about his own sexuality he clings to the age-old stereotype about gay men.

His accusing those who accuse him of being gay of questioning his manhood is rooted in the notion that gay men aren’t “real men.”

If you are a man attracted to men you’re often tagged as effeminate, and thus, less of a man. This is why I often tell people homophobia is largely rooted in misogyny. Though we’ve collectively made some strides, society at large still hates women, and judges them as less than men. That’s why so many can’t stand gay men as being one is looked upon as yearning to be a woman.

Kanye’s blog entry buys into all of that nonsense, and only irritates me more – mainly because if we’re going by the logic of what traditionally makes a man a man ‘Ye ain’t but a few outfits and bitch fits away from being B. Scott’s sister.

This is a person admittedly with questionable choices in fashion and certain antics. Though I don’t personally think any of that suggests he’s a choker, not a poker, if we’re going by the idea that being gay strips one of their manhood, then what does dressing like one mean?

Particularly if this man is currently dating a woman who used to date a woman into men who pretend to look like women.

Like I said, I don’t think Kanye West is gay, but I’m really disappointed in him buying into a stereotype I thought he was helping to discredit.

Being the Louie Vuitton Don doesn’t make him gay, but that along with this statement sure makes him sound like a hypocrite.

Labels: say what