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THE EMERGING NEW FACE OF BLACK GAY AMERICA: MTV's Real World Philadelphia
by Jasmyne Cannick

This year Noah's Arc broke ground as the first black gay series. Showtime introduced three black gay men on the political reality show American Candidate . ABC's The Benefactor , features a black gay man as well. MTV is following suit with a black gay man on this season's Real World .

Last Tuesday night, over one million jaws dropped across America in unison as MTV's Real Word Philadelphia cast found out which of their new roommates were gay. No one probably ever suspected that the clean cut and handsome Black boy from Los Angeles by way of Houston would be dropping the bombshell that he wasn't one of the assumed "straight" members of the household. Ah, but the plot thickens! Not only is he gay, but he's not the finger-snapping overly effeminate gay man that America has grown comfortable with. No, Karamo , at first glance, appears to be your average urban, hip-hop loving, straight brotha, and for the most part that's accurate if you replace straight with gay.

The youngest of four, the 23 year old, Florida A&M Business Administration graduate is perfectly comfortable with his sexuality and hopes his "coming out" experience will put a new face on Black gay men.

In a recent interview he explained, "My sexuality doesn't define who I am. I am a Black man first and foremost."

That may be so, but how has Black America reacted to this new face on gay America?

"While I was in College Park, Atlanta, I had these real hardcore looking brothas come up to me on the street and give me props for coming out," explained to Karamo. "I've received support from people age 18 to 70 since coming out on the show. It's amazing because I thought people were going to attack me or something like that, but no, it's been all positive."

Since wrapping the show, Karamo is back in Los Angeles and has hit the ground running.

An avid activist, Karamo is now focusing his energies and time on issues that affect the Black gay community.

"I plan on volunteering with Black gay advocacy organizations like the National Black Justice Coalition ," said Karamo. "The fight against AIDS is also important to me and I want to assist with getting the message out that we [Black gay men] are still dying from this disease."

The son of Jamaican parents, Karamo is disgusted with homophobic reggae artists like Beenie Man.

"Artists like Beenie Man promote hatred and murder," explained Karamo. "Reggae is beautiful music but not when it's being used promote the murder of gays."

Karamo recently attended a special screening of Noah's Arc in Hollywood, the first all Black gay series.

"I hope that with all of these fresh new and positive images of Black gays emerging that America especially Black America will realize that we're [gays] an important part of the community," commented Karamo. "We have lives, jobs and families like everyone else. Anything that I can do to help get that message out there I will."

You can check out Karamo every Tuesday night on MTV at 10 p.m. For more information on the show, please visit www.mtv.com .



©2004 Jasmyne Cannick

This message may be copied and/or forwarded. If published, please send a hard copy to PO Box 432249 Los Angeles, CA 90043

Senusret, ty for posting that article...it was a good one. :)

Am I the only one who doesn't think that the token jocks are all that? Not impressed.

Karamo, on the other hand, is damn beautiful. Everybody should have a Karamo.

Sarah tries too hard.

I hope she gets royally screwed over this season.

My thoughts exaculty. She annoys me to now end, and just whines and whines and whines about everything.

I agree. Landon is sort of cute, but he definitely looks and acts like a "dumb jock."

You can see that Sara has a little bit of that crazy bitch in her. It was funny how in the first episode she was all like, "I think like a guy and have sex when I want and that's it." but the she's all freaking out over MJ talking to that girl and calling her fat even though she was skinnier than Sara.

I heard a rumor where someone else on the cast was gay. I think they said it was Landon. He's a cutie pie though.

Karomo is a sexy bitch. Did y'all see the part where he was in a towel and the top of his butt was showing? I was like damn... I saw the previews for the next episode with the police and Karomo looks so sad. I don't know why MJ was freaking out at Karomo especially after the police have been bothering you.

It wouldn't surprise me if it turned out that Landon was gay. He could join the "I love boys club" with the others.

I don't know if I could see Landon being gay. He made such a big deal about the attraction between him and Shavonda that I would find it very hard to believe that he is gay. He could, however, be bisexual. Or maybe the Shavonda thing is a coverup. He was abnormally interested in seeing Willie and his boy together in bed...

Actually my gaydar was kind of going off for him too. He might not be gay but I think that he would give it a try if the mood was right....

Sara is such a little hobag

she gets jealous because MJ is out having fun.....sorry honey but one kiss doesn't mean yall are walking down the aisle. and you know what's going to happen....they'll end up having sex and then she wont want to have anything to do with him anymore but will still act like a jealous you know what when he's around other girls

Ugh, I can't stand Sarah, either. She kept talking about how MJ only likes blonds, and how his (ex)girlfriend and the chick at the bar had fake blond hair, and I was like, "HELLO! You have fake boobs! You can't complain about people dying their hair when you underwent major surgery to alter your appearence!" She's such a hypocrite. :rolleyes:

*le sigh*

:(

I just realized that I went to high school with Karamo. I had a feeling that it was the same guy since but I got thrown off because his MTV profile says he's from Houston. He went to high school in Parkland/Coral Springs, Florida but there's no mention of it. Weird.

Anyway, he was a really sweet, smart guy. I wasn't friends with him and I didn't have any classes with him although he was in my graduating class (then again, my graduating class had over 900 people so this wasn't unusual!) but I knew him through mutual friends and had met him numerous times. I just remember him being a really friendly, down-to-earth guy.

I have his HS senior pic in my yearbook. I might get around to scanning it. He hasn't changed a bit!

MJ to Karamo:

Look....can I...can I just get a dap?






LOLOLOL

Next week on RW, Karamo says "I need the affection of a man."

hmmmmmmm. ;)