'Don't Sneak': A StoryCorps Animatn Tells the Story of One Father's Advice to His Gay Son the 1950s - The Atlantic

Contents:

• EMPIRE'S GAY SON IS THE SHOW'S GREATT ASSET
• EMPIRE’S JSIE SMOLLETT OPENS UP ABOUT BEG A GAY IN AND HIS COOKG SKILLS“DARLG, THERE'S NOTHG I NNOT MAKE. I MAKE THE BT MARONI AND CHEE THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE YOUR LIFE.”BY PL CHIMARCH 17, 2015BY NICHOLAS HUNT/SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEJSIE SMOLLETT—THE BREAKOUT SGER-ACTOR WHO PLAYS TERRENCE HOWARD AND TARAJI P. HENSON'S GAY SON JAMAL LYON ON THE SMASH FOX SERI EMPIRE—IS G QUE A STIR WH HIS SOULFUL AND TROSPECTIVE PERFORMANCE. NOT ONLY IS HE RECEIVG THUNRO PRAISE OM BOTH CRICS AND DIENC, BUT HE IS BEG LD FOR IMPACTG THE LIV OF MANY GAY VIEWERS.WE UGHT UP WH SMOLLETT, 31, AT THE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF THE DIVERGENT SERI: INSURGENT ON MONDAY, WHERE HE SPOKE NDIDLY ABOUT WHIRLWD LIFE. HERE ARE FIVE THGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHARMG AND MULTI-TALENTED PERFORMER.1. HE REALIZED HE WAS FAMO WHEN HE WENT TO THE MALL.“I RECENTLY WENT TO THE GROVE [AN OUTDOOR SHOPPG CENTER LOS ANGEL] AND LERALLY WAS A MOB SCENE,” HE SAID. “IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE THAT PEOPLE REGNIZED ME. IT WAS KD OF CRAZY, BUT EVERYONE WHO HAS E UP HAS BEEN REALLY SWEET. THEY SAY THEY LOVE EMPIRE AND SOME SAY THEY ARE REALLY MOVED AND SPIRED BY THE SHOW. THAT FEELS HELLA GOOD!” SMOLLETT ALSO SHARED THAT HIS PORTRAYAL OF GAY MAN WHOSE FATHER N’T ACCEPT HIM HAS HELPED FANS WHO ARE STGGLG WH THEIR OWN PARENTS. “I RECEIVED A LETTER OM A KID THAT SAID JAMAL GAVE HIM THE URAGE TO E OUT TO HIS PARENTS. IT TOUCHED ME EPLY AND ’S AN HONOR TO HELP PEOPLE.”2. HIS STAT AS A SEX SYMBOL MAK HIM BLH.SMOLLETT'S HEARTFELT SGG AND ALLURG PERSONALY IS G HEART PALPATNS FOR MANY FANS AND HAS THSTED HIM TO HEARTTHROB TERRORY. BUT ALL THE SWOONG MAK HIM “QUIVER MY SOL,” HE SAID. “BUT ’S VERY SWEET AND I AM HUMBLED BY . I’M JT ENJOYG MY MOMENT ON EMPIRE AND JT TAKG ALL . I WAKE UP EVERY DAY THE SAME MAN JT WANTG TO WORK HARD AND DO THE BT WORK THAT I N DO.”3. HE HOP TO BE A POSIVE ROLE BEYOND THE LGBT MUNY.LAST WEEK SMOLETT PUBLICLY SPOKE ABOUT HIS SEXUALY FOR THE FIRST TIME AN TERVIEW WH ELLEN DEGENER. RATHER THAN FOCG ON THAT, THOUGH, THE STAR HOP TO E HIS NEW FAME TO SPIRE OTHERS TO BE HONT. “I FEEL A RPONSIBILY, BUT DO NOT FEEL PRSURE,” HE SAID WHEN ASKED ABOUT BEG A GAY MAN HOLLYWOOD. “THERE IS A RPONSIBILY FOR ME AS A MAN, AS A MAN OF LOR, AS AN ARTIST TO BE MYSELF AND MAKE THGS THAT REFLECT ME AND THAT ARE TE. THAT’S WHAT MATTERS. IT’S ABOUT ALL OF , NOT A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE. I HOPE TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND THE WORLD AND AS A HUMAN BEG, THAT’S WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT I WANT TO DO.”4. HE SGS, DANC AND IS ALSO A MASTER CHEF.“I’M A VERY VG GUY AND I LIKE TO OK A LOT. MY MOM IS OM NEW ORLEANS, SO I FEEL LIKE I’M A SOUTHERN BOY AT HEART AND THERE'S ALWAYS OKG. YOU N ALWAYS E TO MY HOE AND I WILL OK FOR YOU.”WHAT’S HIS BT DISH? “DARLG, THERE'S NOTHG I NNOT MAKE,” HE SAID PROUDLY. “I MAKE THE BT MARONI AND CHEE THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE YOUR LIFE AND I MAKE A MEAN GUMBO. IT'S MEAN!”5. HIS GUILTY PLEASURE IS SGG SHOW TUN—PECIALLY OM THE SOUND OF MIC.“IT’S SO EMBARRASSG, BUT THE SONG I LOVE TO SG IS “SIXTEEN GOG ON SEVENTEEN” OM THE SOUND OF MIC,” SMOLLETT REVEALED. “I LOVE THAT ’S SO THEATRIL AND THE LYRICS ARE SO FUN. I N SG THE GUY’S PART AND I N SG THE GIRLS PART. I NEVER GET SICK OF .”THE DIVERGENT SERI: INSURGENT PREMIERE RED CARPET1 / 10CHEVRONCHEVRONBY NICHOLAS HUNT/OCTAVIA SPENCER AND JSIE SMOLLETTMOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHPL CHI
• 'EMPIRE' STAR JSIE SMOLLET NFIRMS HE'S GAY
• ‘EMPIRE’ ACTOR JSIE SMOLLETT REVEALS HE’S GAY ON ‘ELLEN’: ‘THERE IS NO CLOSET’
• THE TRAGEDY BEHD FOX’S ‘EMPIRE’: LEE DANIELS’S FATHER BEAT HIM FOR BEG GAY
• 'DON'T SNEAK': A FATHER'S COMMAND TO HIS GAY SON THE 1950S
• MICHAEL LANDON'S HANDSOME GAY SON IS A PROUD DAD OF A CUTE BOY

EMPIRE'S GAY SON IS THE SHOW'S GREATT ASSET

Rather than jt flailg agast his father's homophobia and retreatg to the fort of his keyboard, Jamal summoned his anger to a missn statement: He pledged to take over his father's pany. First, and I fear we've unrsold this our last two reps, how spectacular is that a work TV show picts not only a gay man of lor, but a gay man of lor the hetero-domated world of hip-hop? Lee Daniels and his team may have unrled Luc's homophobia too hard so far, havg him nsistently refer to Jamal as female and sist homosexualy is a choice egregly bluntly, but 's probably (and sadly) realistic—and mak Jamal's assertn that he is a gay man, emphasis on both of those scriptors, all the more valuable.

Henson's gay son Jamal Lyon on the smash FOX seri Empire—is g que a stir wh his soulful and trospective performance. Not only is he receivg thunro praise om both crics and dienc, but he is beg ld for impactg the liv of many gay ught up wh Smollett, 31, at the New York premiere of The Divergent Seri: Insurgent on Monday, where he spoke ndidly about whirlwd life.

” Smollett also shared that his portrayal of gay man whose father n’t accept him has helped fans who are stgglg wh their own parents. “I feel a rponsibily, but do not feel prsure, ” he said when asked about beg a gay man Hollywood.

EMPIRE’S JSIE SMOLLETT OPENS UP ABOUT BEG A GAY IN AND HIS COOKG SKILLS“DARLG, THERE'S NOTHG I NNOT MAKE. I MAKE THE BT MARONI AND CHEE THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE YOUR LIFE.”BY PL CHIMARCH 17, 2015BY NICHOLAS HUNT/SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEJSIE SMOLLETT—THE BREAKOUT SGER-ACTOR WHO PLAYS TERRENCE HOWARD AND TARAJI P. HENSON'S GAY SON JAMAL LYON ON THE SMASH FOX SERI EMPIRE—IS G QUE A STIR WH HIS SOULFUL AND TROSPECTIVE PERFORMANCE. NOT ONLY IS HE RECEIVG THUNRO PRAISE OM BOTH CRICS AND DIENC, BUT HE IS BEG LD FOR IMPACTG THE LIV OF MANY GAY VIEWERS.WE UGHT UP WH SMOLLETT, 31, AT THE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF THE DIVERGENT SERI: INSURGENT ON MONDAY, WHERE HE SPOKE NDIDLY ABOUT WHIRLWD LIFE. HERE ARE FIVE THGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHARMG AND MULTI-TALENTED PERFORMER.1. HE REALIZED HE WAS FAMO WHEN HE WENT TO THE MALL.“I RECENTLY WENT TO THE GROVE [AN OUTDOOR SHOPPG CENTER LOS ANGEL] AND LERALLY WAS A MOB SCENE,” HE SAID. “IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE THAT PEOPLE REGNIZED ME. IT WAS KD OF CRAZY, BUT EVERYONE WHO HAS E UP HAS BEEN REALLY SWEET. THEY SAY THEY LOVE EMPIRE AND SOME SAY THEY ARE REALLY MOVED AND SPIRED BY THE SHOW. THAT FEELS HELLA GOOD!” SMOLLETT ALSO SHARED THAT HIS PORTRAYAL OF GAY MAN WHOSE FATHER N’T ACCEPT HIM HAS HELPED FANS WHO ARE STGGLG WH THEIR OWN PARENTS. “I RECEIVED A LETTER OM A KID THAT SAID JAMAL GAVE HIM THE URAGE TO E OUT TO HIS PARENTS. IT TOUCHED ME EPLY AND ’S AN HONOR TO HELP PEOPLE.”2. HIS STAT AS A SEX SYMBOL MAK HIM BLH.SMOLLETT'S HEARTFELT SGG AND ALLURG PERSONALY IS G HEART PALPATNS FOR MANY FANS AND HAS THSTED HIM TO HEARTTHROB TERRORY. BUT ALL THE SWOONG MAK HIM “QUIVER MY SOL,” HE SAID. “BUT ’S VERY SWEET AND I AM HUMBLED BY . I’M JT ENJOYG MY MOMENT ON EMPIRE AND JT TAKG ALL . I WAKE UP EVERY DAY THE SAME MAN JT WANTG TO WORK HARD AND DO THE BT WORK THAT I N DO.”3. HE HOP TO BE A POSIVE ROLE BEYOND THE LGBT MUNY.LAST WEEK SMOLETT PUBLICLY SPOKE ABOUT HIS SEXUALY FOR THE FIRST TIME AN TERVIEW WH ELLEN DEGENER. RATHER THAN FOCG ON THAT, THOUGH, THE STAR HOP TO E HIS NEW FAME TO SPIRE OTHERS TO BE HONT. “I FEEL A RPONSIBILY, BUT DO NOT FEEL PRSURE,” HE SAID WHEN ASKED ABOUT BEG A GAY MAN HOLLYWOOD. “THERE IS A RPONSIBILY FOR ME AS A MAN, AS A MAN OF LOR, AS AN ARTIST TO BE MYSELF AND MAKE THGS THAT REFLECT ME AND THAT ARE TE. THAT’S WHAT MATTERS. IT’S ABOUT ALL OF , NOT A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE. I HOPE TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND THE WORLD AND AS A HUMAN BEG, THAT’S WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT I WANT TO DO.”4. HE SGS, DANC AND IS ALSO A MASTER CHEF.“I’M A VERY VG GUY AND I LIKE TO OK A LOT. MY MOM IS OM NEW ORLEANS, SO I FEEL LIKE I’M A SOUTHERN BOY AT HEART AND THERE'S ALWAYS OKG. YOU N ALWAYS E TO MY HOE AND I WILL OK FOR YOU.”WHAT’S HIS BT DISH? “DARLG, THERE'S NOTHG I NNOT MAKE,” HE SAID PROUDLY. “I MAKE THE BT MARONI AND CHEE THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE YOUR LIFE AND I MAKE A MEAN GUMBO. IT'S MEAN!”5. HIS GUILTY PLEASURE IS SGG SHOW TUN—PECIALLY OM THE SOUND OF MIC.“IT’S SO EMBARRASSG, BUT THE SONG I LOVE TO SG IS “SIXTEEN GOG ON SEVENTEEN” OM THE SOUND OF MIC,” SMOLLETT REVEALED. “I LOVE THAT ’S SO THEATRIL AND THE LYRICS ARE SO FUN. I N SG THE GUY’S PART AND I N SG THE GIRLS PART. I NEVER GET SICK OF .”THE DIVERGENT SERI: INSURGENT PREMIERE RED CARPET1 / 10CHEVRONCHEVRONBY NICHOLAS HUNT/OCTAVIA SPENCER AND JSIE SMOLLETTMOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHPL CHI

Actor and sger Jsie Smollett is one of the breakout stars of Fox's h drama Empire, and while much of the buzz surroundg him has foced on his talents, there's also been plenty said about his the show, he plays Jamal Lyon, a gay sger and the middle son of Luc (Terrence Howard) and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) battlg his father's real life, Smollett's sexualy has been a topic of nversatn, and now he's settg the rerd an terview wh Ellen DeGener nducted backstage at Ellen, he nfirmed that he is gay and explaed why he's never felt the need to discs his personal life. "Until his nversatn wh DeGener, Smollett nsistently refed to discs his sexualy terviews, tellg Sway on his rad show a few weeks ago that fans shouldn't assume that he's gay.

'EMPIRE' STAR JSIE SMOLLET NFIRMS HE'S GAY

31, 2018In Season 2 of “Empire, ” Luc Lyon (Terrence Howard), the vdictive, thls mic mogul, livered a blisterg statement to his gay son, Jamal (Jsie Smollett): “You a’t nothg to me but a disappotment. -posive Hillman College stunt, or Tony Goldwyn as a gay man dyg of AIDS an episo of “Digng Women.

Mahoney said the team members felt that havg a black gay character like Jamal they had to discs H. Johnson/HBOBut Smollett emphasized that he don’t want to make seem like “this was jt the next step of beg gay. ” He said that was important to clu Jamal’s le to Cookie about beg on the PrEP regimen, “This isn’t anythg new, Ma, and ’s not jt for the gays.

Topic through only s gay characters.

‘EMPIRE’ ACTOR JSIE SMOLLETT REVEALS HE’S GAY ON ‘ELLEN’: ‘THERE IS NO CLOSET’

Cookie, the matriarch of a powerful fay at the center of Fox's Empire, is fiercely protective and supportive of her gay son, Jamal. J., was publicly outed by the media 2013, Magic and his wife, Cookie, were well aware their son was gay and are nsistently supportive. "It's difficult for me to unrstand a fay member judgg or not lovg or acceptg another fay member bee they are gay, " Sheedy has said.

"Sally FieldA 2012 recipient of the Ally for Equaly Award om the Human Rights Campaign, Fields has proved time and time aga that she supports equaly for all, which clus her gay son, Sam. In a heartwarmg open letter, Fields wr, "Sam is my youngt son, by 18 years and he is gay. "My parents like to say they always knew I was gay, " Zeke told Out.

Though he knew he was gay by age 8, Gould was not publicly out until he was outed by tabloids the early '90s.

THE TRAGEDY BEHD FOX’S ‘EMPIRE’: LEE DANIELS’S FATHER BEAT HIM FOR BEG GAY

After learng the news, Streisand tried to te herself about homosexualy and even nsired producg Larry Kramer's acclaimed gay play, A Normal Heart.

"The 31-year-old "Empire" star me out on "The Ellen DeGener Show" after his character om the h Fox seri revealed he's gay. "WITH A JUICY BLEND OF MUSIC, DRAMA AND OUTRAGEOUSNESS, 'EMPIRE' HAS BECOME THE BREAKOUT HIT OF 2015Jsie Smollett discs his role on ‘Empire’ and how he had to dn seven tim before landg the role of Jamal Lyon, who me out as gay a recent episo. Smollett also revealed he's gay real life.

"Followg the episo when his character me out, Smollett received hate onle, but didn't ter him om movg forward wh the storyle or revealg he's also gay real life.

'DON'T SNEAK': A FATHER'S COMMAND TO HIS GAY SON THE 1950S

For a work that has stggled to draw eyeballs, Fox’s “Empire” — a Terrence Howard-helmed drama about a mic mogul and his, well, empire — is a blockbter that booked 10 ln viewers s premiere earlier this month and reliably lights up the openly gay, Ain Amerin creator Lee Daniels, “Empire” is polics — and urse, no filmmaker, no matter how well known, needs an exce to make what Daniels lled “black ‘Dynasty. If puttg his name the tle of a movie starrg Oprah Wey didn’t help his profile, a primetime, hour-long drama on broadst televisn n’t this past weekend, Daniels said that “Empire” — which Howard stggl to accept the sexual orientatn of his gay son — is about exposg homophobia the black muny. Growg up black and gay Philalphia, the director, 55, didn’t have easy.

MICHAEL LANDON'S HANDSOME GAY SON IS A PROUD DAD OF A CUTE BOY

In fact, the dad-stuffs-gay-son--trashn scene is heels.

“And I didn’t unrstand why he was so hard on me about beg gay.

And so when he saw that I was gay he thought that that was even — ‘Oh my God, this kid, what is this kid gog to enunter?