Isn't that the one with Ice Cube...

Those that know me well, know that I can and will argue pretty much about anything, pretty much anywhere. Generally the only requirement is that it piques my interest in someway or that it makes me angry.

Today I got involved in a discussion that invoked the latter.

In the African American community, barbershops can be a place for discussion on a wide range of topics. From the standard sports bravado to urbane stylings of big city night life. As much as I loathe painting large swaths of the population with generalizations, this is a truism across the country regardless of region.

Now since I have that paint brush out, I will add a second coat. In this instance what drew my ire was the damn near ubiquitous homophobia that runs rampant in the African American community.

What started as a conversation on the relative coverage of Michael Vick's tribulations ranged eventually to pederasty/Catholic Church (yes I have the ability to warp just about any conversation). This is not a common transition and it was a circuitous route that was taken to get there. But arrive we did.

And stoked did my anger get.

What I found troubling, in the conversation was the conflation of homosexuality and pedophilia. It was literally articulated that it is some how worse if a little boy is molested by another man, then if a girl were. And it was subtly implied that homosexuality represented a tacit proclivity for pedophilia.

I argued vigorously that these things are not related. Gay men no more fantasize about little boys, then straight men fantasize about little girls. Being gay, does not in anyway, shape, nor form lead to being a pedophile. Pedophilia is rape. It is about wielding power and influence over another being regardless of their wishes. It is a deviant behavior.

The idea that it is somehow worse, for a little boy to be molested by his uncle then for a little girl to suffer the same fate, is disturbing on just so many levels. I am sure this is some sort of cultural bias playing out. But as I have said many times this post it is disturbing. In my mind there is no hierarchy of molestation. It is the destruction of innocence and abuse, pure and simple.

Anyway this is something I thought I would share.

**Also, more for your plate. Completely unrelated, but thought provoking nonetheless. An interesting dialog at the Atlantic. It's an interesting back and forth on identity politics.

-Cheers