Doris Cacoilo
Art Activism
29 November 2023
Final Intervention: The Young, Gay, Black Body
Prelude/Overview
For my Intervention performance project , I wanted to host a focal lens on mental health. Specifically in
regard to young, black , gay men . More than commonly, when the media addresses the young , gay black
body, they associate the statistic with crime, behavioral issues, and its link to HIV and death. However, the more alarming issue at hand is the rise of self-harm, insecurity, depression and even suicide. All of which are inflicted by these same media coverages and social settings, and ultimately leads to low mental health. To showcase the young, black gay body in all of its entirety and greatness, I conducted a social experiment where I had complete strangers detail their interpretation of the body in one word. Again, I wanted to execute this idea so it could be a platform for people to recognize and accept the importance and relevance of the body, and a possible first step for most to stop remaining complicit in the fight against mental health. Anything to promote that body in a more positive light is helping the fight! So I wanted to share the results of my fight!
- 44% of Black LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months, including 59% of Black transgender and nonbinary youth
- Self-harm was reported in 44% of Black LGBTQ youth, including 61% of Black transgender and nonbinary youth
- 38% of Black LGBTQ youth reported discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 52% of Black LGBTQ youth reported discrimination based on their race or ethnicity
The true influence behind my final intervention comes from a mix between my last intervention which addressed acceptance in regard to masculinity and femininity in the gay community, and a clash with Kiara's, "Intervention 1: Black Mental Health". The idea of mental health is something that is so broad, so I wanted to take the opportunity to enforce the idea, but being inclusive to my last project, and for the exact community that I am represented by in the flesh. I also wanted this to be a platform for the thousands of young, gay and black men who are in desperate need of positive affirming compliments to the same body that they want out of. Every year, in an attempt to spread awareness, The Trevor Project holds a National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People . The survey itself amplifies the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. This survey ultimately gives a voice to LGBTQ young people — at a time when their existence is unfairly at the center of national political debates and state legislatures have introduced and implemented a record number of anti-LGBTQ policies. Through the surveys, The Trevor Project seeks to showcase all the bad that comes with being within the young, gay, and assumptive black body, and its beyond sad when you see the numbers in its purest form .
Location
For my location of choice, I wanted to hold my social experiment in the most public, diverse , and busiest place possible. In fitting fashion, I decided to hold the experiment at the Path StationPublic to show my boldness, diverse to reach all races and identities, and busiest to highlight the highlight people stopping to participate in such a serious matter, while in commute or in the hustle and bustle . For the participants to even consider a random guy, in all black, and while being black, really warmed my heart, and gave me so much hope in regard to spreading awareness in the fight against young, gay, and black mental health.
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