According to my past research for my book "Food for the Soul":
"Some of the earliest research concerning African American lesbians came from Black feminists in the 1970s... These early writers and researchers acknowledged the paralyzing effect homophobia had on the lesbians in the Black community (Lorde 1978). Though historically some researchers saw lesbianism as a choice in response to the shortage of males (Staples 1978), current research recognizes the limits of such a "choice" perspective.
Research specifically to African American lesbians has evolved to include not only multiple manifestations of same-s*x attraction among Black women but also the way in which this population interacts with the larger population. Wekker (1994), for example, purports that Black mati-ism -the Sranan Tongo word for women who have s*x with women -provides an Afrocentric and working class alternative to notions of Black lesbianism, which is seen to be more middle class and Eurocentric in nature" (Juan Battle and Michael Bennett. Research on Lesbian and Gay Populations Within the African American Community: What Have We Learned? Website: http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/prba/perspec...
To learn more, check out Maryanne D. Brown Campbell's latest book "Food for the Soul" available at www.authorhouse.com; Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Saturday, April 24th 2010 at 7:20PM
Maryanne Campbell
Steve, it's possible that gay/ lesbian women bloggers may not want be identified in this poll. I suggest that anyone wanting to respond could do so by way of your e-mail. This way they may feel more willing to participate. I think--{ my own opinion] gay/lesbian black women are not so readily opened as to admitting their s*xual preferences in an open poll such as this one.
Wednesday, May 19th 2010 at 10:14AM
MIISRAEL Bride
