The Haitian Christian Association of Ottawa's flagship church is located in downtown Ottawa, within walking distance of the Rideau Shopping Center. In this beautiful and serene place, black men and black women from the Caribbean gather on the weekends to celebrate their faith. Big Samuel is a big and tall, handsome black man of Haitian descent who has been coming to that church, off and on, for more than a decade. Educated at Carleton University and employed by G of C, Big Samuel does alright for himself as a professional but his personal life is sorely lacking.
In the Haitian Canadian community, even though Canadian liberalism surrounds them, most folks lean conservative. Some Haitian women marry white men and some Haitian men marry white women. Haitian elders smile at them in public and grumble about them in private. Fronting is a Haitian pass-time, folks. Haitian gays and Haitian lesbians know this, and they must carefully navigate the social norms of the Haitian Canadian community. Big Samuel is bisexual, something which has complicated his life for a long time. The brother prefers ladies, romantically and sexually, but he does notice certain gentlemen and certain transwomen from time to time. What's a brother to do?
"Welcome back," Mademoiselle Mimose " Mimi" Fleury said to Big Samuel, and the big and tall Haitian man grinned and shrugged. The slender, brown-skinned and short-haired, bespectacled young Haitian Canadian woman embraced the towering, dark-skinned man. The two of them have known each other for a long time. They're members of the Haitian Christian Association of the City of Ottawa, Ontario. Mademoiselle Fleury is a rising leader within the church while Big Samuel is a wayward member of the flock.
"I missed this place," Big Samuel said, and Mademoiselle Fleury nodded. The two of them went inside. The service hadn't started yet. The Pastor, a forty-something Haitian man originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a newcomer to Ottawa, Ontario. He was accompanied by his wife Josephine, a tall, curvy and dark-skinned woman. These are tough times for Haitian Christians in Ottawa, Ontario. Church leaders are doing their best to support their beleaguered community. Someone's got to do it, right?
"You're a wayward young man in need of structure and discipline," Mademoiselle Fleury said to Big Samuel as she linked her arm with his. The two of them sat in the second row, right behind the Pastor and the First Lady of the church. The deacons, deaconesses and other members of the church hierarchy always sit up front. It is one of the unspoken and unwritten rules of black churches. Everyone knows this. It doesn't even need to be said. Like gravity or taxes, it is simply a fact of life.
"When you boss me around, I get hard," Big Samuel whispered into Mademoiselle Fleury's ear, and she smiled and shrugged. At this hour, the church was a real beehive of activity. Folks gathered in small groups by age and gender. A tall, well-dressed, fifty-something Haitian man lectured to a group of twentysomethings about the story of David and Goliath, and challenged them to be inspired by it when it came to their own life challenges. A middle-aged black woman spoke to a group of collegiate black women about the importance of women in the Bible, especially Queen Esther of old.
"Reject lies and sins, men should not lie with men, women should not lie with women," said a very effeminate mature black man. Upon hearing the man's words, Big Samuel bristled but kept his cool. Mademoiselle Fleury saw him tense and said nothing. She brushed her hand against his and nodded sagely. The in-group sermons and lectures continued. The effeminate mature black man, oozing gayness out of every pore, looked at his smiling wife and adopted daughters as he lectured a group of young black men. The man's wife and daughters did not notice that the effeminate mature black man looked at the young black men in the Bible study class the way a hawk looks at doves. Nothing fishy going on here at all.
"That dude, Mr. Fem dude aka Brother Johnson once hit on me in the men's room, I turned him down," Big Samuel said quietly, and Mademoiselle Fleury smiled. That revelation did not surprise her at all. The Haitian church has a don't ask don't tell policy when it comes to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. Are there queer Haitian women in the church? Sure, they have husbands and offspring. Are there queer Haitian men in the church? Absolutely. They have wives and offspring. This is how Haitians do it. Coming out as gay, lesbian or bisexual is for white folks, right?