What ABC and The View Want You To Think About Black Gay and Bisexual Men

It's been more than a week since The View's Sherri Shepherd (along with guest co-host D.L. Hughley) went on television and championed some dangerous and false information about HIV in the African American community. Together, both Hughley's and Shepherd's comments reaffirmed outrageous stereotypes about African-American gay and bisexual men.

"[HIV} is so big in the black community with women because they've been having unprotected sex with men who have been having sex with men," Shepherd said, to D.L. Hughley's agreement. Her conclusion is that 'down low' men go and have sex with other men, don't tell their wives/girlfriends/heterosexual sex partners, and thus allow HIV to flourish.

The problem with that statement is that it's just not true. Not according to the Centers for Disease Control, which has said in no uncertain terms that "We have looked to see what proportion of infections (are) coming from male partners who are bisexual and found there are actually relatively few. More are male partners who are having female partners and are injecting drugs or using drugs or have some other risks that may put those female partners at risk of acquiring HIV."

And certainly not according to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), which is now joining with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), RENEWL, and others in condemning Sherri Shepherd's and D.L. Hughley's comments. According to the NBJC, we need to have a responsible discussion about HIV in the African American community. But it's entirely irresponsible for anyone — Shepherd, Hughley, or television network ABC — to suggest that gay and bisexual African American men are to blame for the HIV crisis.

"It is time that we have an informed dialogue around the truths about HIV/AIDS in the Black community, void of the stereotypes about Black LGBT people," NBJC said. They hope to engage Sherri Shepherd, D.L. Hughley, and other celebrities and newsmakers in making that dialogue possible.

The only problem is that Shepherd, Hughley and ABC have yet to acknowledge that their original comments blaming gay and bisexual black men for high HIV rates were misinformed. Instead, given the chance to retract the comments, ABC has refused. Even in the face of more than 2,500 complaints to the network, ABC has refused.

Which means that it's time to step up the pressure to call on ABC, Sherri Shepherd and D.L. Hughley to be more responsible in their coverage of HIV. Black gay and bisexual men aren't the problem. But misinformation like the kind championed on The View most certainly is.

As the NBJC points out, the long-term effects of Sherri Shepherd's comment about gay and bisexual men is to demonize LGBT black men. And nothing good comes from that. Instead it will make it harder for LGBT black men to come out of the closet, and reinforce tired (and untrue) stereotypes about homosexuality. It may also make HIV prevention within African American populations even tougher, fueling myths that could hinder public health efforts to address HIV.

D.L. Hughley may support gay marriage, and Sherri Shepherd may be a member of a TV show that is uber gay-friendly, but both of these folks failed last week in covering HIV.

"It is all of our responsibility to correct the spreading of myths that contribute to hostility towards African-American LGBT people," the NBJC concludes.

They're right. It's all of our responsibility to make sure that people, especially those with such a huge soapbox, don't spread lies about HIV and homosexuality. And it should be troubling to all of us that given the chance to clarify or retract their comments, ABC, Sherri Shepherd and D.L. Hughley have all refused.

Which is unfortunate, because I have a pretty solid suspicion that LGBT groups would much rather work with Hughley, Shepherd and ABC to address HIV in the African American community, rather than spending so much time trying to correct their fabrications and myths about black gay and bisexual men. Come on, ABC and The View. Get with the program, get your facts straight, and let's all get on the same side in fighting HIV in our neighborhoods and communities.

Photo credit: goodrob13