Sweet Tea

Black Gay Men of the South

By: E. Patrick Johnson

Narrated by: E. Patrick Johnson

A pioneer of LGBTQ studies dares to suggest that gayness is a way of being that gay men must learn from one another to become who they are. The genius of gay culture resides in some of its most despised stereotypes - aestheticism, snobbery, melodrama, glamour, caricatures of women, and obsession with mothers - and in the social meaning of style.

©2008 E. Patrick Johnson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Very insightful book.

The author provides an insightful look into southern, gay lifestyle. As a black, gay male from the south that attended a HBCU and also lived in the North for many years I was entranced and captivated by the participants authenticity. I truly hope 🙏 the author writes more. I will be putting him on my list of favorite authors.

A record for the future

I believe E.Patrick Johnson did a remarkable scholarly work that shall be studied and and preserved for generations to come.
Not only by tracing oral records of the Southern Queers in the south but by amplifying them as testimonies of their existence, experiences, strife, survival and leaving their mark in history in a world that keep on denying their existence in creating the culture, recording their history, and all while retaining their Dignity.

A brilliant ethnography of an overlooked demographic

I discovered this book about two weeks ago, thanks to Audible’s recommendations. Being a Southern, Black gay man myself, I wanted to see what the collective experience was like for other men.

The experiences of these men reflect my own in some ways, yet I was shocked by every participant, The truth is that there’s no one singular way to be Black and gay in the South.

Patrick is clearly a well educated academic, as his choice of questions properly encapsulated a thorough qualitative analysis of his subjects. I would recommend this book to anyone who remotely thinks the subject would be interesting to them.

Gets bettter every chapter

To me this book was a slow burn but worth every minute. I feel enlightened after reading this book, it was a joy hearing the experiences of black gay men across time. I feel like any questions I have around gay people and faith were answered. I’m glad this book was written and these stories were shared.

Good Book but better Organization Preferred

As a black gay man, I’ve experienced many of the stories shared in this book. I would have preferred a better orientation/organization to the books, possibly as full case studies instead of fragmented stories. I will recommend it to others.