Vibe– Gay men should never hide their sexuality; at least what Usher’s ex-wife Tameka Raymond expressed in her tweets. She recently took to Twitter, sending a message to gay men who are perceived as straight to have a clear indication of their sexual preference. Rather than Timberlands, caps, or vests, she advises they should wear “bright wristbands.”
Of course, the advice received plenty of criticisms, but Raymond attempted to clarify her statement in another tweet. She wasn’t addressing all gay men, but talking about those who participate in “trickery.” But she stood behind her decision, writing, “something I say STAND UP 4 it, but defensiveness is often associated with guilt. Again, my opinion..but Guilt why? Guilt usually=wrongdoing.”
The problem with sharing an inside joke on a public forum, especially Twitter, is that more times than others your “kee kee” amongst friends will be perceived as a dig by others not in the loop, and within the blink of an eye your replies can look like the fight scene from The Outsiders.
“I was out at a restaurant with girlfriends and some guys were flirting with us. One asked my girl for her number, Tameka explained in a response to The Grio. “Then more men came in and we discovered that they were in fact gay.”
“I made a joke and said they should have on wristbands, because we would have never guessed they were actually gay. I wasn’t speaking about gays in general. It was to guys that mislead women.”