“I am gay, I am the South — Miss South,” proclaimed a proud Patrick Johnson, impersonating a man he once interviewed in Atlanta named Duncan.
Johnson, author of the forthcoming book Sweet Tea and director of graduate studies in the performance studies department at Northwestern University, performed the oral histories of six men featured in his book in front of a packed Union Theatre on Wednesday night.
The book dispels myths about what it might be like to be black and gay in the South, such as the perception that gay men aren’t welcome, Johnson said.
“I want people to realize that (even though) it’s the South, Bible Belt, rural gay people can thrive there,” he said.
At the same time, animosity toward this nontraditional sexual orientation prevails. Many gay black men in the South have close ties to churches and must learn to balance their spirituality with the negative messages they receive regarding their sexuality, he said.
Of the 75 men Johnson interviewed for the book, ranging in age from 19 to 93, two have since been murdered in gay-hatred incidents, he said.
“It’s a reminder that we still live in a world where there is still hate that can be deadly,” he said. “I want these men’s lives to be validated.”
Mary Ann Villarreal, assistant professor of history and ethnic studies at the U, brought her oral history class to hear Johnson.
Many stories are left untold, and racial and homophobic stereotypes may create an absence of voice, she said.
“What (Johnson) does is that he fills in the spaces that says people are resistant,” Villarreal said. “They’re resilient, they struggle, they fight, they create their own identities — they’re living, they’re not passively accepting bitterness and hate.”
Kim Hackford-Peer, a doctoral student in education, culture and society in Villarreal’s class, previously saw another of Johnson’s performances in Massachusetts and recommended the show to friends.
“(Johnson) was able to give a voice to so many who hadn’t had that opportunity before,” she said.
Cameron StricklandE. Patrick Johnson enacted characters from his forth-coming book of oral histories of gay black man in the south.