Ernest Owens is a gay black man who feels that Miles and Milan’s storyline just plays into the hurtful stereotypes that plague the gay community.
Ernest writes:
Enter Milan and Miles. Milan is a known out-gay black musician who has performed around the country and at some of the hottest LGBT clubs around. Miles is a closeted black gay rapper who is dating Milan and trying to keep the relationship on the down-low while Milan is emotionally trying to convince him to come out. Meanwhile, Miles is also entertaining the possibility of mending his relationship with his ex-girlfriend while secretly remaining intimate with Milan.
Translation: When Mona Scott-Young finally decided to put black gay male characters on her show – they had to be DL and pose a threat to a black woman’s security of love.
And for that, I can no longer support this show. Yes, I’m late to the party, but this opened up a wound that reminded me why shows like this are problematic beyond just that one hour of laughs.
When I watched this plot-line unfold, I would usually tweet about it with friends and the world. As a queer man of color who lives my truth unapologetic and unbothered, to see people bash men like myself of social media due to the visibility that this women has put on national television hurt.
Our community hardly sees any lived romance between black gay men or women for that matter and often their knowledge has been stigmatized by this delusional sense that such love is marred with sin and deception. Women on social media have bashed Milan, looking at him as the reason why there are “no good brothers left in the world.”
Some have even resorted to using homophobic slurs to generalize the “sinful” and “disgusting” nature of what they are witnessing on television. And as their anger grow each week with these queer men of color — the conversation then carries into the workplace and social scene. When I was out drinking with a few colleagues, I had to be asked whether or not “I’ve been in a DL relationship” because that’s what they hear — and shows like Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood is part of where they get it.
What are your thoughts?
You can’t blame Mona. Miles and Milan chose to air their relationship on tv.
Exactly.
I understand what he’s saying about the stereotypical nature of that relationship, but unfortunately, that’s an everyday occurrence in our black communities. Much as I loathe Mona, she showed a facet of black love that has caused bkack women to have the highest incidences of HIV, and it needs to be talked about and exposed. These DL men are killing us women….it’s that simple.
Nothing but the truth!
Huh? Oh come on llh.
Mona didn’t make them do anything. He’s mad at the wrong person.
He makes some good points but like Jess said, Miles and Milan chose that angle to go with. Miles was on the down low. Can’t blame Mona for that.
In my opinion, the scene where Miles came out to his family members was very disrespectful to the gay community. The fake cries of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me” and “I don’t know why I have these feelings” completely turned me off. Their relationship, as with all the others, isn’t sincere and is very much so scripted. However, I took that personal with the knowledge of how some of my own male friends have felt while questioning their sexuality and finally coming out to their friends and families once secure with their preference. It further confirmed why I don’t watch this show on a regular basis.
How the f-ck is this Mona’s fault? These men are grown. Ain’t nobody making their thirsty a-ses do a damn thing. Get the f-ck outta here.
Mona been representing people, specifically the blk community and especially blk women, poorly for years. Now he cares because herstereotyped show has finally hit his type of black. Well now. Welcome to the party.
Hello!
Sigh…
*blank stare*
I agree with him. #shrugs
Man he brought up some points I didn’t even consider. So I agree with D. Val because they really are making it seem like being gay is wrong. Miles crying and asking what’s wrong with him was a blow to the gay community and I say that as someone who is not even gay. Gays have been working diligently to be seen as equals and here these two go making it seem like it’s a disease again. But what we have to remember is Mona doesn’t make any of these people do anything. She simply gives them a platform to make money from their messiness. He needs to be calling out Miles and Milan instead because they are loving every second of the attention they’re getting.
I really feel like Mona is just using this gay couple to fix her image and make it seem like LHH is socially conscious now. And this writer sees right through her.
I actually kind of agree with this. The tone of their storyline has been kind of anti-gay. And I’m really tired of talking about down low men. I think if we focused on not being so anti-gay in the black community, then it would stop men from being down low in the first place. But that’s just me.
Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.