Same-gender-loving, or SGL, a term coined for African American and African Diaspora use by activist Cleo Manago, is a description for homosexuals in the African American community. It emerged in the early 1990s[1] as a culturally affirming African American homosexual identity.
SGL was adapted as an Afrocentric alternative to what are deemed Eurocentric homosexual identities (e.g. gay and lesbian) which do not culturally affirm or engage the history and cultures of people of African descent. The term SGL usually has broad, important and positive personal, social, and political purposes and consequences. SGL has been described as "an anti-hate and anti-anti-Black identity [...] movement, philosophy and framework".[2]
In a 2004 study of African American men, most of whom were recruited from black gay organizations, 12% identified as same-gender-loving, while 53% identified as gay.[3] Men attending Black Gay Pride Festivals in nine U.S. cities in 2000 responded similarly, with 10% identifying as same-gender-loving, 66% as gay, and 14% as bisexual.[4] Recent studies indicate that African-American disadvantaged youths are less likely than Euro-American youths to self-label as gay male, lesbian, or transgender youths.[5]
The National Black Men's Xchange is the oldest and largest US "community-based movement devoted to promoting healthy self-concept and behavior, cultural affirmation and critical consciousness among same-gender loving (SGL), gay-identifying and bisexual African-descended males and allies".[6]
Urban school personnel need to be aware that ethnic minority same-gender-loving youths often choose not to self-label as "gay," "lesbian," or "bisexual" (Monteiro & Fuqua, 1996; Peterson, 1992[ISBN missing]) ... Because most men of color do not self-label as gay or bisexual, the phrase same-gender-loving youths was selected to describe this population. This phrase currently is used by men of color in major urban centers as a culturally-informed self-label related to their sexual orientation identity.