Assume the Position.

HyperMasculinity vs. HomoSexuality

...amongst Fraternity Men...

Written by

ZaXEMbi Okechi Akosua Lumumba

Where is the Line______ Drawn?

We live in a day and time where Fraternities, both Black and White, have become, more than ever, a cess pool for a Testosterone filled climate of Sex, Exaggerated Aggression and a Sacred rite of passage that says, its ACCEPTABLE and HETEROSEXUAL to...

'Assume the Position'

BareBacked and Bottomed Up

Amongst the mainstream fraternities that exist upon college campuses across the country, its widely known that the outward presense of Gay men, within the physical structure of the fraternity groups, is still a taboo existence. I know, and you know as well, that Gay men exist within every structure and threshhold of American society; though, not every structure acknowledges the presense. Many pledges are often times ostracized and kicked off line if their Homosexuality or Masculinity is even questioned by their 'Big Brothers', at large. To become a member of mainstream fraternity structures, representing the American cut of Masculinity and a Machismo Bravado is almost given as the first rule of thumb.

NO FAGS ALLOWED is the underlying motto, scratched beneath the codes of conduct and belonging that celebrate CHARACTER-BUILDING, HONESTY, SERVITUDE, STRENGTH and BROTHERLY LOVE. Yeah Right...

Over the years, HAZING and other acts of passage which segway interested, pledges and young recruits into Full-Fledged members of these kindred groups, has become an unspoken and exposed practice of initiation. EVERYONE knows that Hazing plays a huge and significant role in the pledging process, especially amongst the Alpha-Male fraternities who pride themselves on strictly selecting the Best, Strongest and Brightest men. The rituals are rarely spoken of, publicly, as most of the daily, climatic escapades are designed to create a 'Bond' of Brotherhood; breaking one down from who they are, and building them into Who the 'Brotherhood' says they should be. Interesting enough, a lot of these practices have become public knowledge, as the result of years of incidents where students are killed, injured and/or humiliated beyond their own self-recognition.

Having never pledged a Fraternity during my college years, or ever being interested in following the memorized values and ideals that set Fraternity men on a pathway 'Greater than My Own', I can not attest to absolutely knowing what goes on behind closed doors.

HOWEVER...I find it quite interesting that in 'Assuming the Position' of being labeled as a Greek, Alpha-Male, a large part of the Hazing activities, tend to pair Male-beside-Male, in acts that constitute Grotesque, Homosexual behavior. In many photos that I have elected to NOT post, pledges are found imitating sodomy and fellatio upon themselves and pledge brothers, as well. In mimicking and mocking HomoErotic behaviors, its interesting to see how these young men are selling themselves to belong to groups which blatantly demonize the existence of Homosexual men, on all levels. I think that society tends to dismiss the Nude Play, Jerk Off Circles, Ass Paddling, and other Sexual activity within the confines of these All-Male groups as HYPERMASCULINE FUN. Instead of examining these activities as an outpour of sexual identity issues, and/or a display of pent up attraction towards the same sex, the acts are desaturated, as to excuse the behaviors.

In several readings that I've done over the past year or so, specifically geared towards the Homoerotic behaviors of Athletes, Military Men and Fraternity Boys, as they Celebrate Victories and Passage from one stage to the next, I discovered several findings. It seems to be more prevalent in the White community, that pledges or rookies aren't publicly ashamed to photograph themselves or videotape themselves in compromising positions with other men. I found numerous photographs and information regarding a Hazing ritual known as The Elephant Walk.

Pledges are aligned in a circle and forced to become erect. Each pledge grabs the erect penis of their line brother standing behind them, and sticks their thumb into the ass hole of their line brother who is standing in front of them. Collectively, the pledges march in a circle, and are not allowed to let go of either private area.

In comparison, Ive found many stories of pledges who have admitted to participating in Circle-Jerk sessions, where each pledge must nut/cum on 2 single slices of bread. The last pledge/recruit to nut/cum, is forced to sandwich the cum soaked slices of bread, and eat them, in full.

The famous Sambia tribe of New Guinea, maintains a ritual of passage, transforming Boys into Men, where the young boys are taken from their mothers, and forced to perform oral sex on the Men. As the boys swallow the semen of the men, it is believed that the semen will Masculinize the boys. WOW!

In this day and time, could the Obsessive consumption of Budweiser Beers, Vodka and various Protein Shakes, forced upon the pledges and recruits, be the substitution for Semen?

It's Very DIFFICULT, at least it has been for Me, to find Stories, Facts and Information in regards to whether or not the above stated practices are actually instituted in the Hazing practices of Black Fraternities. The Black and Latino community happens to be the most HOMOPHOBIC ethnic groups that presently exist in American culture. Though its NOT Hard to believe that Black Fraternities practice a lot of these same Disgusting, Male-on-Male passages, performed by White Fraternities, it is hard to believe that No one is coming forward with the information.

How far do 'HETEROSEXUAL' men have to explore, practicing and playing, sexually with other men, before we acknowledge the fact that the behavior is indicative of negated HomoSexual Desires, and Not simply a HyperMasculine string of Celebration and Fun....?

'Life Without Photographs are Moments that Never Happened'~{Xem; August, 2007}~