Begner’s Pluck: Dr Keh Gaynor

Contents:

• REMEMBERG MY FATHER WHO DIED BEFORE HE ULD ACCEPT HIS GAY SON
• BEGNER’S PLUCK: DR KEH GAYNOR
• KEH GAYNOR

REMEMBERG MY FATHER WHO DIED BEFORE HE ULD ACCEPT HIS GAY SON

Gerren Keh Gaynor is a Whe Hoe Corrponnt and the Managg Edor of Polics at theGr. Gaynor leads theGr's polil team alongsi Whe Hoe Corrponnt and D. Gaynor has appeared on Cheddar TV, Revolt Black News, and Fox Soul’s “The Tammi Mac Show.

” Durg Pri Month 2021, Forb regnized Gaynor as one of “10 Black LGBTQ+ Figur And Activists to Know. As a Black, queer journalist, Gaynor unrstands the power of diversy and visibily, which is why he unts as a privilege to reprent Black and LGBTQ+ muni polil spac where diversy has not historilly been embraced. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Gaynor is a proud HBCU graduate of Morehoe College and a graduate of Columbia Universy School of Journalism.

BEGNER’S PLUCK: DR KEH GAYNOR

OPINION: theGr's Managg Edor Gerren Keh Gaynor reflects on his plited relatnship wh his dad, who didn't accept his sexualy before his ath. Gerren Keh Gaynor wh his father at his Krgarten graduatn. (Photo: Courty of Gerren Keh Gaynor).

I was a junr at Morehoe College Atlanta, Geia, and I had jt e out as gay to him over the phone. In a perfect world, my dad would’ve told me he loved me no matter who I loved and, maybe more naively, I hoped that he would tell me that beg gay was OK. He lled me csantly every day thereafter om our Brooklyn fay home to read me scriptur on what the Bible says about homosexualy.

KEH GAYNOR

Gerren Keh Gaynor (far right) wh iends on the mp of Morehoe College.

Sadly, twelve years after my g out story, only 12 percent of Black lbian, gay, bisexual and queer youth are out to their parents, acrdg to a 2019 study by the Human Rights Campaign. I excelled my amics, pursued an early reer mp journalism, and whenever a fay member ma an awkward ment about whether or not I was datg anyone, I’d mysterly se and chuckle whout sayg a word like the rehearsed closeted gay man I was. Augt Richards on g out as gay on Instagram: ‘I told my tth’.

I wish I uld say that there’s a happy endg; that eventually my father me around and accepted me as gay. Anyone who intifi as gay, bisexual, trans, or queer n relate to the lonels that wh knowg who you are and not beg able to share that fullns and thenticy wh the on you love most. Gerren Keh Gaynor at his father’s grave.