A lot of African kids have to deal with that.” We have to do things according to our family’s reputation, an expectation that stems from when you’re young. “If you ‘become gay’ then you are bringing shame on your family. “A big part of it is that people think it’s a choice,” says Phil. They are six times more likely to have undiagnosed HIV than other MSM and are at higher risk of late HIV diagnosis and death. Lack of education for black LGBT people and their families, deeply entrenched hypermasculinity in black culture and the homophobia it creates are contributing to alarming figures.īlack Minority and Ethnic (BME) men who have sex with men (MSM) are three times more likely to test HIV positive.
Phil’s story is not uncommon and highlights the barriers faced by young black gay men in the UK today. It’s a cultural thing – some African parents care so much about what people think.” I moved out after 6 months as it was too uncomfortable. “She was scared of people knowing and asked me to change my lifestyle. Phil’s Mum however, struggled with the news. It might also be because she watches a lot of soaps and she’s seen storylines where people come out and their families don’t accept them. My Nan is die-hard Christian but she took it well. He hid his sexuality until the age of 22, following years of internal struggle and fear of the consequences of coming out. Brought up in East London by Sierra Leonean parents, he PhilĪttended an all-boys Catholic school alongside friends who all identified as straight. When I was close to coming out, before I’d started meeting other guys, I didn’t think I would meet anyone that was similar to me in any way.” “I grew up thinking being gay was a white thing. Dr Verity Sullivan hears from Phil about the challenges of being black and gay