Based on past comments he’s made about race, racism, and the Black community, I’d rather have a root canal conducted by butter knife than entertain Don Lemon at length.
However, after watching the manner in which reality star, educator, pastor, and skilled attention seeker Omarosa Manigault dismissed Lemon in a contentious segment on CNN, I’m offended on his behalf. Speaking to TMZ on the street, Omarosa branded Lemon a “drama queen” before ultimately settling on just “queen.” When asked how Lemon could improve on his job, Omarosa quipped, “Stop being such a queen.”
For starters, Omarosa calling someone else a drama queen is right on par with Donald Drumpf telling another person they’re arrogant. When it comes to the “queen” tag, that’s a very loaded term that she’s using to diminish a gay man. While gay men and women typically have great relationships, there is an unsettling misogyny that exists within some gay men. Omarosa is proof that said misogyny can exist within women, too.
Omarosa calling Lemon a “queen” reminds me of how cast members of The Real Housewives of Atlanta are still guilty of using sexuality as a weapon. Throughout the reality show’s season, which wraps this Sunday, Kenya Moore refers to Kim Fields’ husband as “Chrissy” and many of the women on the show are guilty of mocking him for his supposed femininity — with some even going further and questioning his sexuality. Now, these are the same women who use gay Black terms like “shade” and “read” damn near every other word. Granted, they don’t know what they’re talking about half of the time, but nonetheless, they like to jack gay Black male culture and use it for their own fame and camera time.
But, but, but: the minute any man – notably a gay one – gets out of line (i.e. not acting as their dutifulaccessory), they are quick to demean him as a queen. You cannot have it both ways. You either respect men who don’t exist within a rigid gender binary or you don’t. You either fully embrace them as they are – including the mores, customs, and colloquialisms you profit from – or you don’t.
Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem, and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him @youngsinick.
