Lee Daniels on How Empire's Gay Content is Changg Mds

Contents:

• ‘EMPIRE’S’ TARAJI P. HENSON, TERRENCE HOWARD HOPE GAY STORYLE WILL SAVE YOUNG LIV (VIO)
• EMPIRE'S GAY SON IS THE SHOW'S GREATT ASSET

‘EMPIRE’S’ TARAJI P. HENSON, TERRENCE HOWARD HOPE GAY STORYLE WILL SAVE YOUNG LIV (VIO)

After beg diagnosed wh Lou Gehrig’s Disease aka ALS, Luc cis to leave his pany to one of his three sons: his bs-smart elst, his rap star youngt son, and his middle child, Jamal, a talented sger-songwrer who has been phed asi by the fay bee he’s gay. “There’s a mory or a majory out there who aren’t OK if their son and says they’re gay… And if they speak their md, they’re nsired bigots, which is not necsarily that. Daniels said his choice to tackle homophobia the rap world was based on his own life’s experience.

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

“Homophobia is so rampant, not only the Amerin muny, but specifilly the Lato and the Ain-Amerin muni. But the seri, which premier Wednday, mak s bolst statement wh a sgle character — a gay one. ------------LGBT story l and characters on work prime time aren’t new, but for a show steeped a genre that has a history of homophobia, “Empire” feels groundbreakg.

Those scen are jarrg and paful to watch — but also black culture, masculy often begs and ends wh heterosexualy, and homosexualy is often seen as a sful aberratn.

For a show like “Empire” — whose st is black and will likely attract a predomantly black dience — to feature a gay man who isn’t a stereotype or ic relief is bold enough s own right. But seeg on a hip-hop show mak the show feel like a game ’s unlikely that there’s a sgle black gay man who won’t be able to intify wh Jamal, who’s portrayed by Jsie Smollett.