Terrance Dean(and his book) has no direct link to the post or contributed in anyway. The image is used only because the title and content are fitting for this post..

Okay, maybe I know why, but I still want to break this down further. Statistically, shouldn't we expect some people in hip hop to be gay? One study in 2000 estimated that about 2.1% of the total American population identify themselves with as either gay, lesbian, or bisexual* (I'm not sure if this includes transgender or transvestites). I think it's also safe to assume that number has gone up over the past 11 years, since the acceptability of the LGBT community has increased more and more as time has gone by.

Now, I know 2.1% doesn't seem like a lot, and in the grand scheme of things it may not be, but when we factor in all of the people that have filed in (and out) the doors of hip hop (artists, producers, DJs, execs, journalists, etc.), I think that 2% can make up a significant number. In a nutshell, it's almost foolish to assume that nobody in hip hop is gay.

This then begs another question: are we more surprised by the fact that gay people are a part of hip hop or at the people that may actually be gay? Hip Hop has always had this bravado, edge, and machismo about it and has come across as anti-gay in many ways. However, there are many people that don't show any sign of "feminine" tendencies, but are still gay or bisexual. Since this masculinity is attributed to most artists in hip hop, regardless of what sub-genre we may be associated with (conscious, backpack, gangsta, etc.), it can definitely come as a shock when they are found to be homosexual.

Recently, there have been a couple of accounts of significant figures in hip hop that have been accused of being gay. DJ Mister Cee, who is known for helping propel the career of the Notorious B.I.G., has recently plead guilty to a lewd public act after he was busted receiving oral sex from another man. In addition, transgender author Toni Newman has claimed to have had a sexual encounter with LL Cool J (amongst others). We all know that LL is known as the ladies man, as well as tough guy with songs like "Mama Said Knock You Out" and a ton of diss records; and although the claims against him haven't been confirmed, I think a lot of people would be surprised if it were true (or would have a hard time believing it). I think a lot of people don't want to believe that Mister Cee, one of the people most responsible for one of the greatest rappers of all time, is gay, either.

While I understand this shock, fear, and mentality surrounding homosexuality in hip hop, I think we need to graduate from this train of thought. When Rick Welts, President & CEO of the Phoenix Suns came out and said he was gay, there was a bit of a stir around the league. But something Charles Barkley said stuck with me. Paraphrasing, he said that he would prefer to have a good/great, gay teammate than a bad, straight player. Would hip hop prefer to have great, gay MCs (DJs, producers, etc.), or whack, straight ones?

Here's where I think the fear comes in. So much of the music we listen to surrounds the personal experience and lifestyle of the artists. I think that many people are scared that with gay MCs will come many stories about gay encounters that they aren't ready to hear. I will admit that although I truly don't care what a person's sexual orientation is, I still find myself uncomfortable at times to see certain gay acts of affection on TV or in the movies. However, I don't know if that's necessarily what we would get. If there were a few artists that came out right now and said they were gay, it really wouldn't matter, as long as they could still tear the mic up. At the end of the day, isn't that all we really ask for anyway?

What are your thoughts on this topic? Are we more surprised by the fact that homosexuality exists in hip hop or just the people that are gay? What are we really afraid of or surprised about? Leave all your thoughts and comments below. You can always send an e-mail to straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.

Peace.

*http://www3.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/GayDemographics.pdf