Comments on: I am celebrating Frank Ocean

By: Snowman

Snowman — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:50:43 +0000

I barely know who Frank Ocean is, but evidently, his music must be selling pretty well because when I logged into the iTunes store to download a movie the other day (having only seen the music front page for a minute or so) his music appeared to be a featured item.

It doesn’t get that way unless people are buying it as far as I know.

By: Hue-Man

Hue-Man — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:10:31 +0000

I know we’re not supposed to talk about HIV but PBS Frontline this past week opened the door a bit on some of the pressures on individual members of the black LGBT community. It has received scant attention in the “gay press” (or maybe it’s the summer heat has affected my memory). http://video.pbs.org/video/2254967747/
(I’ll take a shot here at “reality” TV which has crowded out anything that deals seriously with communities, individuals, or systemic problems, except PBS.)

Frank Ocean may well have had to listen to similar homophobic pastors at the same time he was experiencing his “first love”. Adding his voice to the conversation may encourage more people to speak out in favor of the NAACP’s support of marriage equality. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/12/us-usa-marriage-naacp-idUSBRE86B19Z20120712

By: tristram

tristram — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:24:49 +0000

@ fyoung and bruce – here is the link within the link that I posted earlier. I think Jay Smooth has it exactly right as to what FO said and did not say. It’s worth a listen –

http://vimeo.com/45338805

By: F Young

F Young — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:10:45 +0000

@bruce “Frank Ocean has never said he is gay. You, Mr Kincaid, might like to imagine that he is but I can assure you that he isn’t. You seem to be in a rush to brand everything and everyone as “gay” in your ceaseless quest for validation.”

Franck Ocean has never said that he is gay, nor that he isn’t, as far as I know.

However, by definition, a man who falls deeply in love with another man is bisexual at least, and very possibly homosexual.

How can you “assure” anyone that he is straight? You seem to be in a rush to brand him as straight, in your ceaseless quest for what?

By: adam

adam — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:45:03 +0000

The music industry is extremely homophobic towards the concept of male-male sexuality in particular. Women are allowed to say they are bisexual and sing about kissing girls, and they land at no. 1 on the hit parade. No man would be allowed to sing a song called I Kissed A Guy, let alone get to no. 1 with it.

What it suggests is that the mainstream will embrace female-female sexuality (even if it’s fake) but not male-male sexuality. The mainstream still thinks that male-male sexuality is dangerous and should be marginalized. I refer to this as the the bisexual double standard because it manifests as an acceptance of female bisexuality but not male bisexuality in the mainstream.

You know, I honestly think women are to blame for this. Women exploit the double standard.

By: bruce

bruce — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:39:31 +0000

Why do you have to bring HIV into this? HIV is not something that should be automatically connected to men who engage in relations with men. Yet, Mr Kincaid, you are making it seem like it is connected. It seems rather homophobic of you to be saying this.

By the way, stop bringing gay politics into this. Frank Ocean has never said he is gay. You, Mr Kincaid, might like to imagine that he is but I can assure you that he isn’t. You seem to be in a rush to brand everything and everyone as “gay” in your ceaseless quest for validation.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:05:17 +0000

I suspect that this is part of a much broader trend, which itself marks a turning point in public attitudes toward homosexuality. Acceptance of GLBTs is permeating popular culture, and it doesn’t really surprise me that this has filtered into the black community, which is, after all, part of the world, although I don’t underestimate the courage involved in Ocean’s coming out — it’s still not a sure bet, by any means.

By: MCB

MCB — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:40:21 +0000

I’m wincing at the euphemism of “urban.” Just say “hip-hop and R&B,” it’s more accurate.

By: Lucrece

Lucrece — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 05:15:57 +0000

Jill Scott and Erykah Badu are still my favorites ;). I’m happy for this kid, but the performance I saw in Jimmy Fallon didn’t stand out to me.

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:45:48 +0000

Plus, the guys music is just good!