Washington Blade - July 27, 2006

Stop blaming homophobia and the 'D.L.' for HIV among blacks and turn to monogamy and responsibility.

A RECENT WASHINGTON screening OF the documentary "Faces" created an uproar among local African-American religious leaders. A number of pastors walked out during a scene that showed a Los Angeles clergyman encouraging parishioners to take condoms he placed at his pulpit.

The movie, produced by Hollywood director Bill Duke, tells the story of six Washington black women, at least one of whom contracted HIV from her husband, who was allegedly infected by a male sexual partner.

It's unclear why the pastors left before the documentary was over. but a few explanations might fill in the blanks left by a report on the screening in the Washington Post.

More than likely, the clergymen objected because the scene approved of prophylactics handed out in a house of worship. It is patently offensive to distribute condoms from the consecrated area of a Christian sanctuary, no matter the intention.

It serves only to tacitly approve of what the church considers sinful behavior so long as safety gear is in place. There already exists a plethora of other venues to communicate safer sex ideas.

A reviewer for the Post concluded the film "makes the case" that prejudice against homosexuality among African Americans is to blame for the spread of HIV. In this scenario, black men feel compelled to have secret gay sex "on the down low" and consequently bring the deadly disease home to their unwitting spouses and girlfriends.

THE PRODUCER OF the movie wants to extend the cloak of victimhood beyond the women whose lives have been shattered to include the perpetrators. But to portray unfaithful husbands and boyfriends as victims is as wrong as it is simplistic.

Although HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming rate among black Americans, it is questionable just how much of it can be attributed to homophobia. To do so would be to disregard the role of unsafe sexual generally, promiscuity, contaminated drug paraphernalia and homosexual prison rape.

The latter is a significant factor considering that nationwide, blacks are incarcerated at more than eight times the rate of whites. Painting a sympathetic picture of cheating spouses and boyfriends is symptomatic of an enabling mindset that ignores underlying problems in the black community.

Conditions in the African-American culture make it a rich environment for a disease is transmitted through irresponsible behavior. Young black men are inundated with glorified images of players, thugs, gang bangers, drug dealers and pimps while their female counterparts are denigrated as "ho's." These are not the type of role models that promote development into responsible adults prepared to enter into healthy relationships.

Perhaps the pastors who walked out of the film understand that the solution to many of the problems of black America is strong monogamous marriages based on commitment, fidelity and permanence. Unfortunately, the documentary was advancing a false premise while ignoring a tragic reality.

THE DIFFICULT SITUATION many African Americans find themselves in is further exacerbated by a national political party that draws power by reinforcing a mentality of victimhood instead of encouraging empowerment through self-determination and entrepreneurship. While that approach has produced only a handful of electoral victories, it has left a legacy of helplessness and hopelessness.

What we have learned about HIV/AIDS is that it knows no cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, geographic, political or ideological limits. We also know that it is 100 percent preventable, since its transmission is dependent solely upon human behavior.

The factors that influence that behavior are as diverse as the human race itself, so to claim the sole causal relationship between homophobia and the spread of the disease is a dangerous fallacy.

It's especially troubling to see how easily the excuse of homophobia is used to explain away a selfish lack of personal responsibility and concern for the welfare of others.

A healthy society depends upon promoting principles like these and should to reserve its compassion for the true victims, infected by partners and condemned to an uncertain future and underserved fate.

A film like "Faces" is an agenda-driven whitewash and an unworthy tribute to the women waging a valiant struggle against HIV.

### Jeff Gannon is a Washington, D.C.-based writer and can be reached via www.jeffgannon.com.