ABSTRACT

There have been a lot of changes in the academy that have called into question the entire system of knowledge. Consequently, issues such as sexuality, race, and gender are no longer thought of as irrelevant and unworthy of critical investigation, but are accepted as legitimate fields of study. Although this is a vitally important step in the right direction, the problem remains that they are all too often discussed in isolation—as mutually exclusive concepts that exist in a vacuum. As a gay Black academic, I have been struggling with the ways in which the academy undermines the value of my personal experience, the Black community chooses to ignore the relevance of my sexuality, and the gay community fails to acknowledge the struggles I face as a Black man. Although I know that the oppositional ideas of the various communities of which I am a part are often difficult to avoid, I still feel that I am a part of these communities simultaneously.