November 20, 2013 {Wednesday}
Review of ``Tongues Untied’’ By Filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs
``A Punk, Is a Punk, Is a Punk, Is a Punk. I don’t want them around me or my kids,’’ A stray comment from a ``straight person’’ in the Film ``Tongues Untied.’’
By Brother Tracy Gibson.
This 1989 film examines, on the documentary level, the self-hatred, Pride, anger, invisibility, silence, pain, anguish, and even the ``snap’’ of being Black and Gay in North America at the time. The incredible poetry of celebrated late, Black Gay poet Essex Hemphill serves as a backdrop through this Black homosexual journey.
It is a journey that takes us through the White bar scene, through dialogue, and the rejection of Black Gay men by bar owners; and includes footage of beautiful Black Gay men at a Pro-Black pride parade—featuring Philadelphia Black celebrity activists Kevin Greene and His lover Hal Carter. A scene in a Black restaurant—most likely in Harlem-- finds Black Gay men discussing issues of self-identity while hot plates of food are being enjoyed. Also examined in this film by late film director Marlon T. Riggs, who died of complications of Aids and HIV, are issues of Pride, Vogue Dancing, Design Houses, adjustment to Blackness and Gayness, and negative self-identity.
The bitter comedy of Eddie Murphy who talks about the ``FAGGOT section’’ in one of his comedy routines captured in this film is a reminder of where we came from. Mr. Murphy would not dare to have such politically charged comic rhetoric in his monologue now-a-days because he would pay a real price in economic terms and because community standards have changed. Such community standards changed only because of the political activities and education efforts of many thousands of concerned North Americans—not all of which are Black.
The film also poetically dramatizes a violent case of Black Gay Bashing; and featured a dramatized sermon about Gay condemnation from the ``pulpit.’’
``Tongues Untied,’’ has won awards for film and still stands as a Black classic Fortress in helping Black Gay men make it through the ``crisis state’’ and identity questions that often persist as one comes out ``In The Life.’’
Late writer Joseph Beam’s photo—a striking Black beautiful Brother who I knew personally--is also featured as piercing politically-charged dialogue is heard in the background. [Brother Beam edited the first Black Gay anthology ever [``In the Life’’] and was a Native of Philadelphia before He left this level of existence due to complications of Aids and HIV.]
Now in December of 2013, this film still holds its’ importance as a historical document and shows where we came from in a time, NOW, where issues of self-acceptance, mental and emotional healing, religiosity, Pride, Self-LOVe and mental health have largely begun dealing positively with the social rejection issues, family rejection issues and self-hate issues that were a real struggle back in the late 1980’s when ``Tongues Untied’’ was made. Groups and organizations like Adodi Inc.; Gay Men of African Decent {GMAD}; and several other organizations--and a more progressive government and social policy--have helped Black Gay men cope and flourish in their new clothing of acceptance where such self-acceptance, positive government legislation and social acceptance were only a dream back 30 years ago. We now live in The United States of Native America, NOT The United States of America. As indigenous Africans our Native American Brothers have said this is enough—we will not fall victim for another 200 years to the iron fist of corporate policy and militarism. Through self-awareness training; workshops, retreats; healing dinners; and other political and social gatherings, and events these not-for-profit Black Gay Men’s organizations {Adodi, Inc., GMAD and Others} have flourished and really helped Black Gay men take on the armor of self-LOVe, self-actualization, Pride, Positive Thinking, Positive Black economic development, and Positive Motivation and their issues have even found more—although not complete—acceptance in the Black Church. Positive Connections are being made on a daily even hourly basis with other organizations and Progressive People around the world as more and more people learn to basically ignore much of the stuff on major media and view positive independent films such as ``Tongues Untied.’’
