Face the Rainbow

As previews once again flood my timeline for the upcoming 2nd season of The L Word: Generation Q, I am again faced with the glaring realization that even after increased diversity in media, the Black Live's Matter movement, and every queer space calling for "POC to the front", white washing in the LGBT community is still alive and kicking. From the appropriation of the term "stud" last year to literally having no representations of studs, black femmes, black trans folx and other black queers within mainstream shows, I am left wondering why we are still fighting for space and to be seen within our own community. Black queers have been undeniably out in the thick of advocating for rights within the community, the protest organizers, the one's who threw the brick, who started the riot and who influence the change. Stormé DeLarverie, known as "the stonewall lesbian", was a black lesbian singer and drag king who threw the first punch and started the uprising now known as the "Stonewall Riots" back in June of 1969. Followed by Marsha P. Johnson, a black transwoman and activist, who showed up promptly to the cookout and threw the first brick to fight back against the the violence, discrimination, and injustice of the NYPD. The Stonewall Riots are known to not only be the first Pride, but the events that lead to the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

Yet, we still do not have safe spaces within the very communities we fight for. LGBT spaces are still catering to the Bette, Tina, Alice, Shane, Brian, and Ted's, an illusion of well off and very white as the majority. Infact, in my hometown of Philadelphia, there is a current and ongoing call for the removal of Philly Pride executive director Franny Price and Senior Advisor Chuck Volz due to racist, transphobic and pro cop(in response to police violence and injustice within the community) rhetoric, which are contrary to the message of Pride itself. Having Volz, who is a 45 supporter and their close friend Price leading these events has continued to make Philly Pride a noninclusive space for many black and brown lgbt. The black queer community has done well in creating our own "cookouts" creating pop up events and even getting our little black and brown lines up on the flag to show we are still here, yet I still want to see more spaces for us. I want to see us represented and considered in event planning as living and breathing parts of the community. I want to see our families represented and for subtle blockers to inclusivity, such as event location or price, removed to really make things accessible to everyone in the community. And if it is not too much can I see a stud and a black femme represented on a show like The L Word, extra points if they are not back drops to the main characters and have a healthy relationship.

That last part may take some time to cast and write, so in the meantime, here are some amazing black and brown centered LGBT shows that you can watch right now. Most are on YouTube:

The Norm Webseries

Choiices the Series

New York Girls TV

Between Women

Breathe (and any other Freshie Production)

Queer.ious The Series

Functional Series

Lipstick the series

LA Influencer Handbook

Studville Tv

District Heat

Taste Atl

A New Black Love

Lesbireal

There are many many more, so feel free to seek them out after bingeing these. Happy Pride, let's continue to throw those bricks and take up space!