Followers

(More) House of Opulence

(Phillip Martin, top; Brian Alston, middle; Diamond Poulin, bottom: Morehouse does not allow them to be themselves).

Check out this fascinating Vibe article about an underground group of students at the historically black Morehouse College called "The Plastics."  By virtue of who they are, they've caused discomfort among the men of Morehouse as to what men are and aren't permitted to think, do and say, as well as how they are and aren't permitted to act and dress. It's your classic gender police state scenario: Men (perhaps especially men of color) have a very narrow range of behaviors they are permitted to display.  Anything beyond that is cause for outrage.

Says Diamond Martin Poulin:

Morehouse wasn’t ready for me. I’m about freedom of expression. I’m about being whomever you truly are inside. I came to Morehouse because of all the historical leaders that attended and impacted the world so heavily. You know, I really wanted to follow in their footsteps. I don’t think Morehouse believes that someone like me—someone who wears heels and dresses—can uphold that reputation. But they’re wrong.

Phillip Martin agrees:

I wanted to be masculine. I thought by coming here to Morehouse I could be the masculine man my father wanted me to be. The first day I got to campus, I was a boy. I had my little dreads pulled back, jeans and all that. Trying to be this masculine boy, real cool and real quiet.

The first time I walked from my dorm to student services, someone yelled out "faggot" and a crew of boys started laughing at me. That was it. I was going to have to be me. There was no hiding that I was not masculine. That I was not a boy. I went back to taking my female hormones and rocking my hair.


According to Brian Alston, the hostility they receive doesn't only come from heterosexuals.

The gays hate us.

 Read the full article at the Vibe website.

Also, read the remarkable response to the article (in classic Morehouse jeremiad style), "Faggots, Breeders, and all the In Betweens at Morehouse" by Morehouse student Paul Antony Daniels II.

UPDATE: Morehouse College President Robert Benjamin responds to the Vibe article (before even reading it):

Dear Morehouse Community:

Next week, Vibe magazine, a hip-hop music and culture monthly, will publish in their October/November issue an article on Morehouse. I strongly disagree with the likely substance of this article and wanted to write to you directly to share my views.

The article, entitled, “The Mean Girls at Morehouse,” purports to examine the lives of some of our gay brothers as it relates to the enforcement of our appropriate attire policy we enacted a year and a half ago. It seems clear from the headline alone that the Vibe editorial team’s intent is to sensationalize and distort reality for the purpose of driving readership. The title of the article speaks volumes about a perspective that is very narrow and one that is, in all likelihood, offensive to our students whether gay or straight.

As president of this institution, as a Morehouse graduate and as a father, I am insulted by what is to be published. Addressing our young men as “girls” is deeply disturbing to me, no matter what the remainder of the article may say. Morehouse has for 140 years developed men—men who are equipped to live and contribute to an increasingly diverse, global and complex world.

Let me be clear. I believe in the freedom of the press and its critical role in examining all facets of our society to foster reasoned discourse and to promote understanding of topics both popular and unpopular. We will not always agree with what is written. I disagree, however, in journalism that attempts to malign and distort, rather than inform and enlighten.

I need not tell you that the black male is already faced with challenges in nearly every aspect of his life. Injustices abound. Families are broken. And our young black boys are failing to reach their potential in grade school and middle school at pandemic rates. And while the world grapples with complicated issues related to economic disparity, racism, sustainability, and diversity and tolerance, Morehouse stands in the breach, seeking answers to the pressing issues facing our young men, encouraging dialogue and expecting excellence.

The world is complex, and it is diverse. Morehouse reflects that same complexity and that same diversity. It is unfortunate that the Vibe article will heighten misunderstandings and advance or inform little.

In the end, no media outlet can shape who we are or in any way diminish our mission. But together we can encourage media outlets like Vibe to provide fair, well-researched and balanced journalism.

Finally, Morehouse will stand by its values. We will continue to set high standards and focus on the development of our young men. Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Franklin
President
Morehouse College



He keeps acknowledging that the world is complex, but then holds fast to enforcing strict rules that don't take that complexity into account. My opinion is that he should be more concerned with ensuring his Morehouse men become something other criminals, bad fathers and abusive husbands. The most harmless thing they could want to be is women.

UPDATE: The young men of Morehouse debate the issues of sexuality and the gay subculture on campus. Thanks for the update, Drama Dupree!