The "G" Word

I've always been curious of lifestyles that are different then mine. Not in a judgemental way but in a way that I am smart enough to understand that everyone is different and that we should be able to appreciate every ones story. I have a roommate that lives on the side facing me, and although we aren't close friends she speaks and is relatively friendly. During the beginning of the semester she had a young man that I am assuming was her boyfriend come and stay and spend the night. Which was fine by me, I'm not a prude or anything. After a few weeks they broke up and she was hurt by the whole situation, (which is expected being that break ups are hard) and I offered the best advice I could by saying "God has someone in his sights for you that will be a million times better." After that,life moved on as usual, and eventually she started seeing someone new, her new "friend" was a girl named Markita. At first it threw me completely off. I was confused, and then slightly irritated. Not because they were same sex but because I liked Kita as a person and I was ready to yell at my roommate if she thought I was going to allow her to use this girl as some emotional crutch. However I sat down with my roommate and she explained that she has always had feelings for her but being that she was raised to think that it was a sin. Which I understand, in many black households you aren't taught to hate gays, however you always hear that's not what "we" do. Or "that's a "white" thing. Now we all know that isn't a true statement and although we are still new to that lifestyle many young LGBT African Americans don't know where they fit in, and what's worse they don't have any outlets to turn too. On HBCU campus' especially in the south and there aren't many if ANY LGBT "clubs" or organizations. I think that Kita stated it best when she said "In the Black Community we don't really fit in, and in the Gay Community where there aren't many blacks we don't feel as though we fit in either, so where do we go?" And that's the question, where do they go? Who do they turn to if they have questions? The whole point of College is trying to find yourself. How can you find yourself if there is no one willing to help those who are still trying to figure out who they are?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/young-black-brooklyn-males-struggling-sexual-identify-fuel-brooklyn-hiv-crisis-article-1.1326622