Gay Black men rarely saw themselv on screen. Michael K. Williams changed that.

Contents:

• THE INVISIBLE GAY BLACK MAN
• GAY BLACK MEN RARELY SAW THEMSELV ON SCREEN. MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS CHANGED THAT.
• TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE 'THE CROWD ROOM' DEFEND BY FANS

THE INVISIBLE GAY BLACK MAN

When two Black men love each other on screen, shows others what is possible, and shows that you n be who you are and still fd we want to take a look back at some of the Black gay upl that we've seen on TV who have spired viewers and changed media as we know . Unfortunately, the upl aren't as numero as they should be, but as more Black queer creativ get chanc to tell stori, we n only image what the future of Black gay reprentatn looks like. A lot of the boys I went to school wh rejected anythg they nsired feme or homosexual or outsi of what means to be a black man their imagatn.

Two of the mentors have a romantic history, and one of them unwtgly gets assigned to a boy who is gay, prentg somethg of a plex dynamic as the ruals ntue at a remote mp. Paris Is Burng highlights the importance of chosen fai, as well as creativy and muny borne amid stggl wh poverty, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and accs to health re.

Two Mlim, gay, and closeted teenagers New York's Bed-Stuy neighborhood have a secret love affair that gets swept up amidst the surveillance of mosqu. This 2014 film follows a gay high schooler raised Hattiburg, Mississippi, as he rencil his sexualy and Christian fah, as well as a plex fay dynamic.

GAY BLACK MEN RARELY SAW THEMSELV ON SCREEN. MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS CHANGED THAT.

Jason Holliday is the tle subject of this 1967 documentary where the Black and gay baret performer, htler, and sex worker shar var tal om his life, eded down om a 12-hour terview. Throughout the film, Holliday sounds off on beg a Black, gay man durg the Civil Rights era, all while sually enjoyg drks, weed, and cigarett on mera. In what would be Black gay documentarian Marlon Riggs' fal film, Black Is, Black A't illtrat how there's no sgular, monolhic way for people to be Black wh a muny that's diverse s own right.

PUNKS, a 2000 film ma by Noah's Arc creator Patrik-Ian Polk, follows four Black gay men who are all close iends searchg for a fulfillg romantic relatnship. The edic take (which is que difficult at actually viewg as there were distributn issu) explor what means to be Black and gay while also sheddg light on the everyday stggl shared as part of the human experience. They've served as civil rights lears, revolutnary artists, labor anizers, scientists, policians, and tors, and their impact has touched every part of this still, many Black gay men are fotten, and erased om history, wh their acplishments beg washed away.

TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE 'THE CROWD ROOM' DEFEND BY FANS

When he released his send novel, Gvanni's Room, 1956, s them of gay social and self-acceptance Black muni were somethg never talked about such a public way. His wrg on Black gay and bisexual men has paved the way for queer wrers of all typ, and his mark on culture will never be and Rt were two of the only out gay men promently volved the Amerin civil rights movement. Wh the ballroom muny, Dupree walked as a "butch queen drags" which was generally unrstood to be a gay man wearg feme garments -- some might term this nonbary or genr nonnformg today.

His outspoken pictns of homosexualy sometim ed him to fall out of favor wh other, more discreet ntemporari, but his wrg and art, cludg the short story "Smoke, Lili, and Ja, " on terracial male sire, have stood the tt of time. Grav was a Black clergyman who served as the first print and -director of the Society for Human Rights (the former headquarters of which are pictured), the first regnized gay rights anizatn the Uned Stat.

The group only had seven members at 's foundg, and jt a year after s foundg, was shut down after the police arrted Grav, Gerber, and other members on false charg that they performed homosexual acts ont of one member's children. Glenn Burke wasn't only the first Major League Player to e out as gay durg his reer and publicly acknowledge his sexualy, he also vented the high five 1977.