"Queen Sugar"'s Nicholas Ashe on Comg Out and Mih's Queer Storyle</tle><meta name="tle" ntent=""Queen Sugar"'s Nicholas Ashe on Comg Out and Mih's Queer Storyle" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Nic Ashe of "Queen Sugar" talks about g out an Instagram post that went viral, and Mih's queer romance on season 6 of the OWN seri." /><meta name="keywords" ntent /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Oprah Daily" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="557569598006399" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@OprahDaily" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="82jYkYSOEZ5GE7V8m8gSrd7kxTtY-J37c6dvl60N8" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent="Nicholas Ashe on “Queen Sugar,” Queer Art, and Comg Out to His Mom" /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="“I was very lucky that I had a superhero of a mom who saw those piec of me but didn’t sh to name them,” the actor says of his late mother." /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="timely" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="TV & Movi" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2022-06-02T14:53:04Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2021-11-17T00:16:00Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="Queen Sugar’s Nicholas Ashe didn’t set out to make a polil statement when he and his then-boyiend, actor Jtice Smh, revealed their relatnship durg the summer of 2020. 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data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Nicholas Ashe on Queen Sugar, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">Nicholas Ashe on Queen Sugar, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="3" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css nno972">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:300;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;letter-spacg:-0.01em;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-bottom:1rem;font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;letter-spacg:-0.02em;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.875rem;le-height:1.05;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.875rem;le-height:1.05;}} span:first-of-type:before{-webk-background-posn:center;background-posn:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webk-background-size:ver;background-size:ver;ntent:'';display:block;height:1.125rem;width:1.375rem;} span:first-of-type:before{background-image:url('/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/');}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){ span:first-of-type:before{marg:1.25rem to;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){ span:first-of-type:before{marg:1.75rem to;}}</style><h1 class="css-nno972 exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>Nicholas Ashe on <i>Queen Sugar</i>, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 157op6k">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.3125rem;font-weight:normal;letter-spacg:-0.01em;le-height:1.2;marg-bottom:0;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:1.25rem;paddg-right:1.25rem;}} p{marg:0rem;} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-157op6k exadjwu8"><p>“I haven’t lived my full life to see how the cisn to e out will rm the rt of my reer, but I know that karma will kiss me for .”</p></div><style data-emotn="css 18sv25j">{display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-top:1.35rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-top:1.75rem;}} addrs{marg:0rem;} span{display:le-block;le-height:1.6;marg:0rem;}</style><div class="css-18sv25j exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css 11sx28l">{font-style:normal;paddg-right:0.3125rem;display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;}</style><addrs class="css-11sx28l ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 2rg66j">{paddg-right:0.3125rem;display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;}</style><span class="css-2rg66j ehvvd9m1"><style data-emotn="css 1sa04t">{borr-radi:50%;vertil-align:middle;marg-right:0.3125rem;object-f:ver;}</style><img src="" alt="Headshot of Rebec Theodore-Vachon" tle="Headshot of Rebec Theodore-Vachon" width="40" height="40" dg="async" fetchPrry="high" class=" css-1sa04t ehvvd9m0" />As told to <style data-emotn="css 7l5upj">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/233595/rebec-theodore-vachon/" class="css-7l5upj e1c1bym14">Rebec Theodore-Vachon</a></span><style data-emotn="css 1gryrf1">{display:le-block;text-transform:unset;marg-left:0.625rem;}</style><time class="css-1gryrf1 exadjwu6">Published: Nov 17, 2021</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css wkpw2c">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><div class="no-prt css-wkpw2c exadjwu15"><style data-emotn="css 1hpjtwr">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;posn:relative;marg-top:0.9375rem;}</style><div class="ntent-hear-actns css-1hpjtwr exadjwu14"><style data-emotn="css 18p7am5">{background-lor:#E61957;lor:#ffffff;borr:th solid 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lc(50% - 50vw);}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg:to;}}</style><div class="ntent-lead-image css-sm2oir e5f9kgu2"><style data-emotn="css eag3eq">{posn:relative;height:to;}</style><div class="css-eag3eq e5f9kgu1"><style data-emotn="css 335qep">{posn:relative;width:100%;height:100%;object-f:ver;vertil-align:top;}</style><img fetchPrry="high" alt="5" tle="5" width="2000" height="1000" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-335qep exi4f7p0" /></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body standard-body-ntent css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Queen Sugar’s<em> Nicholas Ashe didn’t set out to make a polil statement when he and his then-boyiend, actor Jtice Smh, revealed their relatnship durg the summer of 2020. Smh, bt known for his rol blockbters like </em><style data-emotn="css 9cezh6">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#E61957;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Pokémon Detective Pikachu" data-vars-ga-product-id="7dc68a91-60b7-47ed-9864-c65505737c14" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="Flatiron Books" data-vars-ga-product-price="$0.00" data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="39ea3c89-2f02-4d47-9a4e-29b0380114" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="Flatiron Books" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory="Lubrints" data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Pokémon Detective Pikachu</a><em> and</em> <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Jurassic Park: Fallen Kgdom" data-vars-ga-product-id="0f43379d-573f-44eb-ae9f-dcb058ebf56c" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="df83e0f1-2952-464d-a156-799ba544d85a" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Jurassic Park: Fallen Kgdom</a><em>, took to Instagram to ll out the lack of solidary and support for the LGBTQIA muny he wnsed at a Black Liv Matter prott New Orleans. At the time, Ashe, 26, was shootg the </em><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="fifth season of the crilly acclaimed OWN seri Queen Sugar" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0"><em>fifth season of the crilly acclaimed OWN seri </em>Queen Sugar</a>. </p><style data-emotn="css 1fbb0rt">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:40%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:30%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:30%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="1" class="align-right size-small embed css-1fbb0rt e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="t" tle="t" loadg="lazy" width="320" height="320" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css 183nka8">{width:0;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1"><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">Click here for more stori om Oprah Daily’s Comg Out seri.</a></div></div></div></div><p data-no-id="2" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Smh went on to clare his love for Ashe a seri of photos, cludg one of them kissg. He said of Ashe, “You’ve been my rock and guidg light through all of this and I love you so much. I know that on the other si of this is change, though the fight is far om over.”</em></p><p data-no-id="3" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Ashe, who plays the sensive and socially nsc Mih Wt on </em>Queen Sugar<em>, adms that until that day, his own engagement on social media was limed maly to a profsnal pacy. “My Instagram mostly nsists of posts that say, "Watch </em>Queen Sugar<em>. Don’t fet to watch </em>Queen Sugar<em>,” Ashe tells</em> Oprah Daily<em>. Wh a day, his personal life was a headle. </em><br /></p><style data-emotn="css 1fvf3td">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="5" class="align-left size-medium embed css-1fvf3td e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="queen sugar — ep 604 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" tle="queen sugar — ep 604 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" loadg="lazy" width="3000" height="1688" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1">In the latt season of <em>Queen Sugar</em>, Ashe’s character embarks on a journey much like his own.</div><style data-emotn="css 1am3yn9">{paddg-left:0rem;le-height:1;}</style><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><style data-emotn="css bdkd9">{lor:#6F6F6F;paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.2;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;}</style><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Skip Bolen</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="6" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Even wh the mostly posive feedback on social media, Ashe was attuned to the risks and realy of beg an openly queer Black man. “<a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="RuPl said" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">RuPl said</a> he was shunned by wh for beg Black, hated by Blacks for beg gay, and he was hated by the gays for beg too femme. That really ronated wh me. In high school, the worst thg you uld be was gay. ‘You’re s.’ That was the pejorative that they ed,” he says.</em><br /></p><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Ashe creds his mother, who died October 2020, as beg a nstant and stabilizg force his life while g to terms wh his sexualy and sharg publicly. Two months after the ial post, Ashe posted his own lovg birthday tribute to Smh: “Jtice, you have been the thor of all my recent s.”</em></p><p data-no-id="8" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Below, Ashe shar his journey to queer liberatn and how he hop his honty and thenticy will be a bean to other queer Black men, both through his personal example and his art.</em></p><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="9" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><style data-emotn="css 1w19hrk">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;}{float:left;text-transform:upperse;font-weight:bold;marg-right:0.9375rem;marg-bottom:-0.625rem;marg-top:0;}{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:3.8431rem;font-weight:300;le-height:1;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){{marg-top:0.625rem;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:0.9;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:0.9;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:7.87499rem;le-height:0.9;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="10" class="body-dropp css-1w19hrk et3p2gv0">After seven years of starrg <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="OWN’s " data-vars-ga-product-id="d4f82a80-26b5-4e0d-9b8b-b9f9b5813829" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="77738d46-aa66-406b-8499-0224f7cb25f9" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">OWN’s </a><em><a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Queen Sugar" data-vars-ga-product-id="d4f82a80-26b5-4e0d-9b8b-b9f9b5813829" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="77738d46-aa66-406b-8499-0224f7cb25f9" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Queen Sugar</a>,</em> fans know me as Mih Wt. But until last summer, I kept the real Nic Ashe hidn om the public eye. So people were surprised when, last summer, I showed some of untentnally me out an Instagram post. </p><p data-no-id="11" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When my then-boyiend, Jtice Smh, shared pictur of at a Black Liv Matter prott June of 2020, I was thkg, <em>I’m jt postg me and my boo dog the Lord's work the streets.</em> But I n be obliv at tim. This was the first time I had posted someone that I loved that way, wh such timacy. I hontly did not expect the post to go viral, for the ter to implo, for magaz to reach out and ask me to ment. I was jt postg my loved one the same way my bro jt posted his girliend for her birthday. I didn’t foree blowg up the way that did.<br /></p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Almost immediately, my manager lled me. She said, “Nic, what is this? We had no ia.” She was panic mo, sayg, “You never have talked about this. Was an accint? We n reverse .” I’d never spoken about my datg life wh her, which I didn’t realize until that moment. It wasn’t that I was hidg who I was—I jt tend to keep relatnships private. Other people my life were surprised, too. At one pot I said to myself, <em>Damn, I never told Uncle Ricky that I’m gay? We never did that?</em> It was funny to read those msag.</p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="13" data-embed="edorial-lk" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css y6rgkz">{borr:th solid #CDCDCD;borr-bottom:th solid black;borr-left:0;borr-right:0;borr-top:th solid black;borr-width:0.75rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;marg-top:1.875rem;paddg:0.625rem 0 0.25rem;}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){{marg-top:1.875rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-top:2.5rem;marg-bottom:2.5rem;}}</style><asi class="css-y6rgkz e6pr2lz5"><style data-emotn="css whsy2b">{borr-bottom:th solid black;display:block;font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:500;letter-spacg:0.1em;marg:0rem;marg-bottom:0.3125rem;paddg-bottom:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><h6 class="css-whsy2b e6pr2lz3"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css 8lle59">{max-width:lc(100% - 120px - .625rem);}</style><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">Related Stori</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h6><style data-emotn="css c4s2gi">{paddg:0rem;marg:0rem;list-style:none;}</style><ul class="css-c4s2gi e6pr2lz4"><style data-emotn="css 1b7ml99">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;paddg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.2;}}{borr-bottom:th solid black;paddg-bottom:1.25rem;} a{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#595959;} a>img{borr-radi:0.1875rem;}</style><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><style data-emotn="css 1bn7a5e">{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><a href="/life/a35939082/kacen-llenr-agast-g-out/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css 1l0u1">{marg-right:0.625rem;height:to;}</style><img src="" alt="g out" tle="Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><a href="/life/relatnships-love/a37311188/abby-mcenany-g-out-story/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><img src="" alt="sowtime" tle="How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><a href="/life/a34965378/g-out-as-bisexual-steven-unrwood/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><img src="" alt="t" tle="The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li></ul></asi></div><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But overall, the reactn was overwhelmg—I had to leave Instagram for a while. I get anxiety sometim, and this didn’t help. When I fally got back on Instagram, I realized the power of social media. People were reachg out to me om all over the world, talkg about how they felt seen om the posts. I got a lot of thank-you’s. People felt that I had done somethg brave by sharg this on a platform so large.</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Readg the rpons, I realized I wanted my future rol to speak to them. I <em>am </em>them. They might look up to me bee of my profsn. But really, I stand among them. I stand on the shoulrs of the muny of people who look like me and love like me who have e before me. I’m advotg for the future generatns, for them to live a more clive, toleratg space, through my work. </p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So I’m thankful that I’m gettg to do that on season six of <em>Queen Sugar</em>. Creator Ava DuVernay wanted to speak to Black male queerns through my character, Mih. She asked me to hold her hand through that procs to make sure we were tellg a story that we both uld be proud of and that was rmed by my own experience as a Black queer man. </p><p data-no-id="17" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The nversatn we’re havg on <em>Queen Sugar</em> is more than jt a juicy, gossipy storyle where Mih kiss a boy. It’s not that. It’s askg, “How are Black men allowed to love one another Ameri?”<br /></p><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So much of Mih’s learng has mirrored me. We’re only two years apart age. When I look back at season one of <em>Queen Sugar</em>, I see this doe-eyed character who don’t know what’s gog on. At the same time, Nic was enterg Hollywood and beg on sets for the first time and had the same doe-eyed exprsn. Now, when I look at Mih’s growg storyl, I feel I have more say as an actor—and I get to e <em>Queen Sugar </em>to talk about what matters to me.</p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="19" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="queen sugar — ep 605 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" tle="Queen Sugar — Ep 605 -- “TBD” " loadg="lazy" width="1000" height="563" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Skip Bolen</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="20" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The latt season of <em>Queen Sugar </em>is pecially meangful bee reprentatn art is what helped me unrstand my own sexualy growg up. When I was 10, I appeared <em>The Ln Kg</em> on Broadway—my first job ever. I was one of a bevy of Black performers. Backstage, I enuntered my first memorable stance of queer reprentatn, whout realizg . Somethg attracted me to certa performers, who I now realize were queer. I said to myself, <em>Oh, I thk I'm like Jeremiah. I thk I'm like Clifton and Jason</em>. They were a safe space, able to be who they were and support themselv by dog what they loved. <em>The Ln Kg </em>opened my ey to a possible life for me. <br /></p><p data-no-id="21" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When I was 17, I was a part of makg queer art. I worked wh Tarell Alv McCraney, the screenwrer of <em>Moonlight </em>and<em></em> <a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="OWN's David Mak Man" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">OWN's <em>David Mak Man</em></a>, for his g-of-age play <em>Choir Boy</em>.<em></em> It was the first time I ma queer art wh other queer Black men. When I had to miss my high school prom, the st threw me a fake one and gifted me books by queer and Black thors. I felt so fortified and seen.</p><style data-emotn="css 1mtaqr6">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="22" class="align-right size-medium embed css-1mtaqr6 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="t" tle="t" loadg="lazy" width="1940" height="2554" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1">A young Nic Ashe.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Nicholas Ashe</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Still, even as I beme clearer my unrstandg of my inty, I took my time actually exprsg . I was very lucky that I had a superhero of a mom who saw those piec of me but didn’t sh to name them. She never forced me to “e out.” But an effort to nnect wh me, to let me know that we live a safe space, she would have to talk to me about <em>any </em>gay thg that happened. She’d be like, “Well, you know<em> RuPl’s Drag Race</em>. You ever watch <em>RuPl’s Drag Race</em>?” I’m like, “No, mom.” Every gay thg, she would jt have to tell me. </p><p data-no-id="24" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Then one day, on a drive near our hoe Long Island when I was a late teenager, she was tellg me about another one of the “gay thgs.” I fet what, exactly—somethg she had been watchg on the news. I beme exasperated by how heavy-hand she was beg. I was like, “Well, you know I’m gay.” She rpond, “I know, but I’m not talkg about you. I’m talkg about this other thg.” She jt ntued talkg about that, seamlsly.</p><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">After openg up to my mom that sual exchange, our relatnship blossomed. There were no walls between . She uld speak to me about her experienc love, and so uld I. I’m so glad that I got to share that level of timacy wh her. She died October 2020. Bee of how open I was—and how open she allowed me to be—I have no regrets about our relatnship. I know that would be somethg I would beat myself up about, not lettg her see all of me. </p><style data-emotn="css ngfslw">{borr-left:0;font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.5625rem;font-weight:500;letter-spacg:-0.03em;le-height:1.15;marg:0.625rem 0 0;paddg-left:0;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){{marg-top:1.875rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-top:2.5rem;marg-bottom:2.5rem;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}{background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.25rem;marg:1.5rem to;width:1.75rem;}{background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.25rem;marg:1.5rem to;width:1.75rem;}</style><blockquote data-no-id="26" class="body-blockquote css-ngfslw et3p2gv0">Even if was on a whim, that’s what I did by sharg the post last summer—shared all of me.</blockquote><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Even if was on a whim, that’s what I did by sharg the post last summer—shared all of me. When I started <em>Queen Sugar </em> 2016, I felt I had to hi my queerns, the part of me that ma me so special to my iends and loved on. I felt was somethg I had to keep secret. </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Now I feel more at peace wh myself. I haven’t lived my full life to see how the cisn to e out will rm the rt of my reer, but I know that karma will kiss me for and that the universe at large will reward my thenticy. There fely was a fear of me beg thentic, but ultimately I want to live hontly. I e my platform to advote for people who look and love like me. </p><style data-emotn="css 1v2eakg">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;posn:relative;}{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:90%;}}{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:95%;}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:75%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:65%;}}</style><div data-no-id="29" data-teractive="VioPlayer-1" class="embed aspect-rat-16x9 css-1v2eakg e3dq3y0"><style data-emotn="css 1ui7hop">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:56.25%;}</style><div class="__rp-ntaer css-1ui7hop e6l0f0"><style data-emotn="css 1yu8e3d">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;height:100%;} .__rp-ntaer{height:to;}</style><div data-embed="embed-vio" class="vio-player css-1yu8e3d e1ou1fny0"><style data-emotn="css 1uds6oo">{height:100%;width:100%;posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-1uds6oo e1f7ylgd6"><style data-emotn="css 1iiivv4">{background-lor:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);borr:.1875rem solid whe;borr-radi:50%;lor:#fff;cursor:poter;height:3.75rem;left:50%;posn:absolute;top:50%;-webk-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-webk-transn:all 0.4s;transn:all 0.4s;width:3.75rem;z-x:1;}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {background-lor:rgba(33, 150, 245, 0.8);lor:#ffffff;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{height:5.625rem;width:5.625rem;borr:.28125rem solid whe;}}</style><button aria-label="Play Vio" class="css-1iiivv4 e1f7ylgd1"><style data-emotn="css 1lhf7lq">{fill:#ffffff;height:1.4rem;vertil-align:middle;width:1.45rem;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:2.3125rem;height:3rem;}}</style><svg xmlns=" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="fill: var(--primary, #000);" role="img" tle="Play" class="css-1lhf7lq e1f7ylgd2"><tle>play in

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* MICAH IS GAY ON QUEEN SUGAR

"Queen Sugar"'s Nicholas Ashe on Comg Out and Mih's Queer Storyle</tle><meta name="tle" ntent=""Queen Sugar"'s Nicholas Ashe on Comg Out and Mih's Queer Storyle" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Nic Ashe of "Queen Sugar" talks about g out an Instagram post that went viral, and Mih's queer romance on season 6 of the OWN seri." /><meta name="keywords" ntent /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Oprah Daily" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="557569598006399" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@OprahDaily" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="82jYkYSOEZ5GE7V8m8gSrd7kxTtY-J37c6dvl60N8" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent="Nicholas Ashe on “Queen Sugar,” Queer Art, and Comg Out to His Mom" /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="“I was very lucky that I had a superhero of a mom who saw those piec of me but didn’t sh to name them,” the actor says of his late mother." /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="timely" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="TV & Movi" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2022-06-02T14:53:04Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2021-11-17T00:16:00Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="Queen Sugar’s Nicholas Ashe didn’t set out to make a polil statement when he and his then-boyiend, actor Jtice Smh, revealed their relatnship durg the summer of 2020. 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data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Nicholas Ashe on Queen Sugar, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">Nicholas Ashe on Queen Sugar, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="3" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css nno972">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:300;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;letter-spacg:-0.01em;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-bottom:1rem;font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;letter-spacg:-0.02em;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.875rem;le-height:1.05;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.875rem;le-height:1.05;}} span:first-of-type:before{-webk-background-posn:center;background-posn:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webk-background-size:ver;background-size:ver;ntent:'';display:block;height:1.125rem;width:1.375rem;} span:first-of-type:before{background-image:url('/_assets/sign-tokens/oprahdaily/static/imag/');}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){ span:first-of-type:before{marg:1.25rem to;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){ span:first-of-type:before{marg:1.75rem to;}}</style><h1 class="css-nno972 exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>Nicholas Ashe on <i>Queen Sugar</i>, Queer Art, and Comg Out an Instagram Post<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 157op6k">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.3125rem;font-weight:normal;letter-spacg:-0.01em;le-height:1.2;marg-bottom:0;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:1.25rem;paddg-right:1.25rem;}} p{marg:0rem;} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-157op6k exadjwu8"><p>“I haven’t lived my full life to see how the cisn to e out will rm the rt of my reer, but I know that karma will kiss me for .”</p></div><style data-emotn="css 18sv25j">{display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-top:1.35rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-top:1.75rem;}} addrs{marg:0rem;} span{display:le-block;le-height:1.6;marg:0rem;}</style><div class="css-18sv25j exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css 11sx28l">{font-style:normal;paddg-right:0.3125rem;display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;}</style><addrs class="css-11sx28l ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 2rg66j">{paddg-right:0.3125rem;display:block;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;}</style><span class="css-2rg66j ehvvd9m1"><style data-emotn="css 1sa04t">{borr-radi:50%;vertil-align:middle;marg-right:0.3125rem;object-f:ver;}</style><img src="" alt="Headshot of Rebec Theodore-Vachon" tle="Headshot of Rebec Theodore-Vachon" width="40" height="40" dg="async" fetchPrry="high" class=" css-1sa04t ehvvd9m0" />As told to <style data-emotn="css 7l5upj">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/233595/rebec-theodore-vachon/" class="css-7l5upj e1c1bym14">Rebec Theodore-Vachon</a></span><style data-emotn="css 1gryrf1">{display:le-block;text-transform:unset;marg-left:0.625rem;}</style><time class="css-1gryrf1 exadjwu6">Published: Nov 17, 2021</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css wkpw2c">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><div class="no-prt css-wkpw2c exadjwu15"><style data-emotn="css 1hpjtwr">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;posn:relative;marg-top:0.9375rem;}</style><div class="ntent-hear-actns css-1hpjtwr exadjwu14"><style data-emotn="css 18p7am5">{background-lor:#E61957;lor:#ffffff;borr:th solid 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lc(50% - 50vw);}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg:to;}}</style><div class="ntent-lead-image css-sm2oir e5f9kgu2"><style data-emotn="css eag3eq">{posn:relative;height:to;}</style><div class="css-eag3eq e5f9kgu1"><style data-emotn="css 335qep">{posn:relative;width:100%;height:100%;object-f:ver;vertil-align:top;}</style><img fetchPrry="high" alt="5" tle="5" width="2000" height="1000" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-335qep exi4f7p0" /></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body standard-body-ntent css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Queen Sugar’s<em> Nicholas Ashe didn’t set out to make a polil statement when he and his then-boyiend, actor Jtice Smh, revealed their relatnship durg the summer of 2020. Smh, bt known for his rol blockbters like </em><style data-emotn="css 9cezh6">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#E61957;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Pokémon Detective Pikachu" data-vars-ga-product-id="7dc68a91-60b7-47ed-9864-c65505737c14" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="Flatiron Books" data-vars-ga-product-price="$0.00" data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="39ea3c89-2f02-4d47-9a4e-29b0380114" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="Flatiron Books" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory="Lubrints" data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Pokémon Detective Pikachu</a><em> and</em> <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Jurassic Park: Fallen Kgdom" data-vars-ga-product-id="0f43379d-573f-44eb-ae9f-dcb058ebf56c" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="df83e0f1-2952-464d-a156-799ba544d85a" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Jurassic Park: Fallen Kgdom</a><em>, took to Instagram to ll out the lack of solidary and support for the LGBTQIA muny he wnsed at a Black Liv Matter prott New Orleans. At the time, Ashe, 26, was shootg the </em><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="fifth season of the crilly acclaimed OWN seri Queen Sugar" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0"><em>fifth season of the crilly acclaimed OWN seri </em>Queen Sugar</a>. </p><style data-emotn="css 1fbb0rt">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:40%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:30%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:30%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:20%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="1" class="align-right size-small embed css-1fbb0rt e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="t" tle="t" loadg="lazy" width="320" height="320" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css 183nka8">{width:0;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.2;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1"><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">Click here for more stori om Oprah Daily’s Comg Out seri.</a></div></div></div></div><p data-no-id="2" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Smh went on to clare his love for Ashe a seri of photos, cludg one of them kissg. He said of Ashe, “You’ve been my rock and guidg light through all of this and I love you so much. I know that on the other si of this is change, though the fight is far om over.”</em></p><p data-no-id="3" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Ashe, who plays the sensive and socially nsc Mih Wt on </em>Queen Sugar<em>, adms that until that day, his own engagement on social media was limed maly to a profsnal pacy. “My Instagram mostly nsists of posts that say, "Watch </em>Queen Sugar<em>. Don’t fet to watch </em>Queen Sugar<em>,” Ashe tells</em> Oprah Daily<em>. Wh a day, his personal life was a headle. </em><br /></p><style data-emotn="css 1fvf3td">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="5" class="align-left size-medium embed css-1fvf3td e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="queen sugar — ep 604 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" tle="queen sugar — ep 604 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" loadg="lazy" width="3000" height="1688" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1">In the latt season of <em>Queen Sugar</em>, Ashe’s character embarks on a journey much like his own.</div><style data-emotn="css 1am3yn9">{paddg-left:0rem;le-height:1;}</style><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><style data-emotn="css bdkd9">{lor:#6F6F6F;paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:Gilroy,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.2;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;}</style><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Skip Bolen</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="6" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Even wh the mostly posive feedback on social media, Ashe was attuned to the risks and realy of beg an openly queer Black man. “<a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="RuPl said" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">RuPl said</a> he was shunned by wh for beg Black, hated by Blacks for beg gay, and he was hated by the gays for beg too femme. That really ronated wh me. In high school, the worst thg you uld be was gay. ‘You’re s.’ That was the pejorative that they ed,” he says.</em><br /></p><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Ashe creds his mother, who died October 2020, as beg a nstant and stabilizg force his life while g to terms wh his sexualy and sharg publicly. Two months after the ial post, Ashe posted his own lovg birthday tribute to Smh: “Jtice, you have been the thor of all my recent s.”</em></p><p data-no-id="8" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Below, Ashe shar his journey to queer liberatn and how he hop his honty and thenticy will be a bean to other queer Black men, both through his personal example and his art.</em></p><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="9" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><style data-emotn="css 1w19hrk">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;}{float:left;text-transform:upperse;font-weight:bold;marg-right:0.9375rem;marg-bottom:-0.625rem;marg-top:0;}{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:3.8431rem;font-weight:300;le-height:1;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){{marg-top:0.625rem;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:0.9;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:0.9;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:7.87499rem;le-height:0.9;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="10" class="body-dropp css-1w19hrk et3p2gv0">After seven years of starrg <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="OWN’s " data-vars-ga-product-id="d4f82a80-26b5-4e0d-9b8b-b9f9b5813829" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="77738d46-aa66-406b-8499-0224f7cb25f9" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">OWN’s </a><em><a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Queen Sugar" data-vars-ga-product-id="d4f82a80-26b5-4e0d-9b8b-b9f9b5813829" data-href=" data-product-url=" data-affiliate="te" data-affiliate-url=" data-affiliate-work="{"id":"31518d15-56f8-4a3f-8799-8066452d82","se_id":"10a25939-3448-4c42-8343-9bfdfc32076b","metadata":{},"work":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}" data-vars-ga-media-role data-vars-ga-media-type data-vars-ga-product-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-price data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id="77738d46-aa66-406b-8499-0224f7cb25f9" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand="" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-tegory data-vars-ga-gallery-id data-vars-ga-lk-treatment="(not set) | (not set)" class="body-lk product-lks css-9cezh6 ebsw2pb0">Queen Sugar</a>,</em> fans know me as Mih Wt. But until last summer, I kept the real Nic Ashe hidn om the public eye. So people were surprised when, last summer, I showed some of untentnally me out an Instagram post. </p><p data-no-id="11" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When my then-boyiend, Jtice Smh, shared pictur of at a Black Liv Matter prott June of 2020, I was thkg, <em>I’m jt postg me and my boo dog the Lord's work the streets.</em> But I n be obliv at tim. This was the first time I had posted someone that I loved that way, wh such timacy. I hontly did not expect the post to go viral, for the ter to implo, for magaz to reach out and ask me to ment. I was jt postg my loved one the same way my bro jt posted his girliend for her birthday. I didn’t foree blowg up the way that did.<br /></p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Almost immediately, my manager lled me. She said, “Nic, what is this? We had no ia.” She was panic mo, sayg, “You never have talked about this. Was an accint? We n reverse .” I’d never spoken about my datg life wh her, which I didn’t realize until that moment. It wasn’t that I was hidg who I was—I jt tend to keep relatnships private. Other people my life were surprised, too. At one pot I said to myself, <em>Damn, I never told Uncle Ricky that I’m gay? We never did that?</em> It was funny to read those msag.</p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="13" data-embed="edorial-lk" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css y6rgkz">{borr:th solid #CDCDCD;borr-bottom:th solid black;borr-left:0;borr-right:0;borr-top:th solid black;borr-width:0.75rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;marg-top:1.875rem;paddg:0.625rem 0 0.25rem;}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){{marg-top:1.875rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-top:2.5rem;marg-bottom:2.5rem;}}</style><asi class="css-y6rgkz e6pr2lz5"><style data-emotn="css whsy2b">{borr-bottom:th solid black;display:block;font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:500;letter-spacg:0.1em;marg:0rem;marg-bottom:0.3125rem;paddg-bottom:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><h6 class="css-whsy2b e6pr2lz3"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css 8lle59">{max-width:lc(100% - 120px - .625rem);}</style><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">Related Stori</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h6><style data-emotn="css c4s2gi">{paddg:0rem;marg:0rem;list-style:none;}</style><ul class="css-c4s2gi e6pr2lz4"><style data-emotn="css 1b7ml99">{font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;paddg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.2;}}{borr-bottom:th solid black;paddg-bottom:1.25rem;} a{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#595959;} a>img{borr-radi:0.1875rem;}</style><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><style data-emotn="css 1bn7a5e">{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><a href="/life/a35939082/kacen-llenr-agast-g-out/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css 1l0u1">{marg-right:0.625rem;height:to;}</style><img src="" alt="g out" tle="Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">Why There's No Shame Not Comg Out</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><a href="/life/relatnships-love/a37311188/abby-mcenany-g-out-story/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><img src="" alt="sowtime" tle="How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">How Abby McEnany Found Freedom Fluidy</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li><li class="css-1b7ml99 e6pr2lz2"><a href="/life/a34965378/g-out-as-bisexual-steven-unrwood/" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Edorial Lks" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-1bn7a5e e1c1bym14"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><img src="" alt="t" tle="The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual" width="120" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" image-align="left" class="css-1l0u1 e6pr2lz0" /><span class="css-8lle59 e6pr2lz1">The Intrici of Comg Out as Bisexual</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></a></li></ul></asi></div><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But overall, the reactn was overwhelmg—I had to leave Instagram for a while. I get anxiety sometim, and this didn’t help. When I fally got back on Instagram, I realized the power of social media. People were reachg out to me om all over the world, talkg about how they felt seen om the posts. I got a lot of thank-you’s. People felt that I had done somethg brave by sharg this on a platform so large.</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Readg the rpons, I realized I wanted my future rol to speak to them. I <em>am </em>them. They might look up to me bee of my profsn. But really, I stand among them. I stand on the shoulrs of the muny of people who look like me and love like me who have e before me. I’m advotg for the future generatns, for them to live a more clive, toleratg space, through my work. </p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So I’m thankful that I’m gettg to do that on season six of <em>Queen Sugar</em>. Creator Ava DuVernay wanted to speak to Black male queerns through my character, Mih. She asked me to hold her hand through that procs to make sure we were tellg a story that we both uld be proud of and that was rmed by my own experience as a Black queer man. </p><p data-no-id="17" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The nversatn we’re havg on <em>Queen Sugar</em> is more than jt a juicy, gossipy storyle where Mih kiss a boy. It’s not that. It’s askg, “How are Black men allowed to love one another Ameri?”<br /></p><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So much of Mih’s learng has mirrored me. We’re only two years apart age. When I look back at season one of <em>Queen Sugar</em>, I see this doe-eyed character who don’t know what’s gog on. At the same time, Nic was enterg Hollywood and beg on sets for the first time and had the same doe-eyed exprsn. Now, when I look at Mih’s growg storyl, I feel I have more say as an actor—and I get to e <em>Queen Sugar </em>to talk about what matters to me.</p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="19" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="queen sugar — ep 605 “tbd” — photo cred skip bolen2021 warner bros entertament c all rights rerved" tle="Queen Sugar — Ep 605 -- “TBD” " loadg="lazy" width="1000" height="563" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Skip Bolen</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="20" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The latt season of <em>Queen Sugar </em>is pecially meangful bee reprentatn art is what helped me unrstand my own sexualy growg up. When I was 10, I appeared <em>The Ln Kg</em> on Broadway—my first job ever. I was one of a bevy of Black performers. Backstage, I enuntered my first memorable stance of queer reprentatn, whout realizg . Somethg attracted me to certa performers, who I now realize were queer. I said to myself, <em>Oh, I thk I'm like Jeremiah. I thk I'm like Clifton and Jason</em>. They were a safe space, able to be who they were and support themselv by dog what they loved. <em>The Ln Kg </em>opened my ey to a possible life for me. <br /></p><p data-no-id="21" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When I was 17, I was a part of makg queer art. I worked wh Tarell Alv McCraney, the screenwrer of <em>Moonlight </em>and<em></em> <a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="OWN's David Mak Man" class="body-lk css-9cezh6 et3p2gv0">OWN's <em>David Mak Man</em></a>, for his g-of-age play <em>Choir Boy</em>.<em></em> It was the first time I ma queer art wh other queer Black men. When I had to miss my high school prom, the st threw me a fake one and gifted me books by queer and Black thors. I felt so fortified and seen.</p><style data-emotn="css 1mtaqr6">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="22" class="align-right size-medium embed css-1mtaqr6 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="t" tle="t" loadg="lazy" width="1940" height="2554" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-183nka8 e1xqj1sx1">A young Nic Ashe.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-bdkd9 e6iqd2">Nicholas Ashe</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Still, even as I beme clearer my unrstandg of my inty, I took my time actually exprsg . I was very lucky that I had a superhero of a mom who saw those piec of me but didn’t sh to name them. She never forced me to “e out.” But an effort to nnect wh me, to let me know that we live a safe space, she would have to talk to me about <em>any </em>gay thg that happened. She’d be like, “Well, you know<em> RuPl’s Drag Race</em>. You ever watch <em>RuPl’s Drag Race</em>?” I’m like, “No, mom.” Every gay thg, she would jt have to tell me. </p><p data-no-id="24" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Then one day, on a drive near our hoe Long Island when I was a late teenager, she was tellg me about another one of the “gay thgs.” I fet what, exactly—somethg she had been watchg on the news. I beme exasperated by how heavy-hand she was beg. I was like, “Well, you know I’m gay.” She rpond, “I know, but I’m not talkg about you. I’m talkg about this other thg.” She jt ntued talkg about that, seamlsly.</p><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">After openg up to my mom that sual exchange, our relatnship blossomed. There were no walls between . She uld speak to me about her experienc love, and so uld I. I’m so glad that I got to share that level of timacy wh her. She died October 2020. Bee of how open I was—and how open she allowed me to be—I have no regrets about our relatnship. I know that would be somethg I would beat myself up about, not lettg her see all of me. </p><style data-emotn="css ngfslw">{borr-left:0;font-fay:Juana,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.5625rem;font-weight:500;letter-spacg:-0.03em;le-height:1.15;marg:0.625rem 0 0;paddg-left:0;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){{marg-top:1.875rem;marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-top:2.5rem;marg-bottom:2.5rem;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}{background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.25rem;marg:1.5rem to;width:1.75rem;}{background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.25rem;marg:1.5rem to;width:1.75rem;}</style><blockquote data-no-id="26" class="body-blockquote css-ngfslw et3p2gv0">Even if was on a whim, that’s what I did by sharg the post last summer—shared all of me.</blockquote><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Even if was on a whim, that’s what I did by sharg the post last summer—shared all of me. When I started <em>Queen Sugar </em> 2016, I felt I had to hi my queerns, the part of me that ma me so special to my iends and loved on. I felt was somethg I had to keep secret. </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Now I feel more at peace wh myself. I haven’t lived my full life to see how the cisn to e out will rm the rt of my reer, but I know that karma will kiss me for and that the universe at large will reward my thenticy. There fely was a fear of me beg thentic, but ultimately I want to live hontly. I e my platform to advote for people who look and love like me. </p><style data-emotn="css 1v2eakg">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;posn:relative;}{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:90%;}}{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:95%;}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:75%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:65%;}}</style><div data-no-id="29" data-teractive="VioPlayer-1" class="embed aspect-rat-16x9 css-1v2eakg e3dq3y0"><style data-emotn="css 1ui7hop">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:56.25%;}</style><div class="__rp-ntaer css-1ui7hop e6l0f0"><style data-emotn="css 1yu8e3d">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;height:100%;} .__rp-ntaer{height:to;}</style><div data-embed="embed-vio" class="vio-player css-1yu8e3d e1ou1fny0"><style data-emotn="css 1uds6oo">{height:100%;width:100%;posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-1uds6oo e1f7ylgd6"><style data-emotn="css 1iiivv4">{background-lor:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);borr:.1875rem solid whe;borr-radi:50%;lor:#fff;cursor:poter;height:3.75rem;left:50%;posn:absolute;top:50%;-webk-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-webk-transn:all 0.4s;transn:all 0.4s;width:3.75rem;z-x:1;}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {background-lor:rgba(33, 150, 245, 0.8);lor:#ffffff;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{height:5.625rem;width:5.625rem;borr:.28125rem solid whe;}}</style><button aria-label="Play Vio" class="css-1iiivv4 e1f7ylgd1"><style data-emotn="css 1lhf7lq">{fill:#ffffff;height:1.4rem;vertil-align:middle;width:1.45rem;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:2.3125rem;height:3rem;}}</style><svg xmlns=" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="fill: var(--primary, #000);" role="img" tle="Play" class="css-1lhf7lq e1f7ylgd2"><tle>play in.