André De Shields as the Gay Character Augt Wilson Left Out – New York Theater

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Is André DeShields Gay? Come and disver what has been said lately about this and what's André DeShields sayg about this.

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BROADWAY STAR ANDRé DE SHIELDS ON ‘HASTOWN,’ TONY AWARDS, RACISM, SEXUALY, AND FULFILLG HIS PARENTS’ DREAMSPOWEREXCLIVEMATTHEW MURPHYANDRé DE SHIELDS IS MARKG HIS 50TH YEAR SHOW BS ‘HASTOWN.’ IN A NDID TERVIEW WH TIM TEEMAN, HE TALKS G OUT, RACISM, AND FULFILLG HIS PARENTS' DREAMS.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED MAY 01, 2019 3:57PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 29, 2019 5:15AM EDT THE ACTUAL LOR OF HIS RED DRSG ROOM, SAID ANDRé DE SHIELDS, WAS LLED “RAPTURE.” IT WAS THREE HOURS BEFORE A PERFORMANCE OF THE BROADWAY MIL HASTOWN, WHICH DE SHIELDS, AS HERM THE NARRATOR, WOULD WALK-SWAGGER OUT ONTO THE STAGE WEARG THE FTED, SHY SU HANGG ON THE DOOR ONT OF , VG THE DIENCE TO LISTEN TO THE “SAD TALE” OF ORPHS AND EURYDICE.IF YOU GO TO THE WALTER KERR THEATRE, LOOK AT THE DIENCE AROUND YOU WATCHG ANDRé DE SHIELDS SG, SPEAK, AND DANCE, YOU WILL SEE S OF WONR. THAT IS HIS CHARISMA AND POWER. IN HIS ZY DRSG ROOM, WH HIS PRECISE, RICH, EP VOICE, DE SHIELDS HAD SOME STORI OF HIS OWN TO SHARE, OF CELEBRATG 50 YEARS SHOW BS, OF GROWG UP POVERTY BALTIMORE, OF G OUT AS GAY, OF FACG RACISM ON BOTH BROADWAY AND THE GAY SCENE, OF SUCCS (FIRST AND FAMOLY THE TLE ROLE OF THE WIZ 1975), OF FULFILLG HIS PARENTS’ THWARTED AMBNS, AND OF HIS OWN DITED PURSU OF EXCELLENCE—WHICH, FOR HASTOWN, MIGHT FALLY YIELD HIM A TONY AWARD THIS YEAR, FOLLOWG TWO PREV NOMATNS. THE PATG OF THE DRSG ROOM WAS A PERK WRTEN TO HIS NTRACT, HE SAID, AND THE LOR WAS SIGNIFINTLY NAMED. HASTOWN HAD BEEN AN “ANOTG,” THE SPIRUALLY MD 73-YEAR-OLD ACTOR SAID, AND HE WANTED TO KEEP “ALL THE RAPTURO ELEMENTS OF MY LIFE THE IMMEDIATE VICY. RED IS MY RA,” HE NFID. “I DON’T KNOW IF YOU PUT MUCH CRENCE ASTROLOGY, BUT I GAZE AT THE STARS, BEE I BELIEVE THE STARS ARE GAZG AT ME.” DE SHIELDS IS A CAPRIRN, HE SAID, “AN EARTH SIGN, AND THE LOR OF EARTH TERMS OF ASTROLOGY IS RED CLAY. IT IS ALSO THE LOR OF THE FIRST CHAKRA OM WHICH ALL THE OTHER LORS TAKE THEIR SEED.”NOT EVEN BUDDHA HAD ACHIEVED NIRVANA, DE SHIELDS NOTED, ADDG HE WAS NOT A BUDDHIST HIMSELF, ALTHOUGH “ THE 1970S BUDDHISM BEME A SUBCULTURE THE ARTS MUNY. MANY OF CHANTED, IALLY ACHIEVG A MIC OF PEACE, HARMONY, TOLERANCE, AND LLABORATN. I’M A PANTHEIST. WHEN PEOPLE ASK IF I BELIEVE GOD, I SAY, ‘PUT AN S ON THAT.’ I BELIEVE GODS.”IN A 50-YEAR, MULTI AWARD-WNG AND AWARD-NOMATED REER, DE SHIELDS SAID HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO FD PURPOSE “WHERE THE ONLY GUARANTE ARE REJECTN AND SECURY. I HAVE A TALISMAN, A TOUCHSTONE. IT’S EASY TO BEE DISMAYED. I’M GOG TO BE HYPERBOLIC, BUT THERE ARE GOLN STON THAT HAVE CREATED MY PATH THIS DTRY. AND NOW, AT 73, HASTOWN I AM ABLE TO BE PART OF THIS IMPORTANT, SIGNIFINT NEW SONG CYCLE. IT PUTS ME MD OF WILLIAM BLAKE’S SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE.”EVERY NIGHT, PERFORMG HASTOWN, HE REGNIZ “THE SL FALL OM THE EY” OF SOME THE DIENCE, “AS IF THEY’RE BEG LIGHTER, THE BURN LIFTED OFF THEIR SHOULRS, THE YOLKS BEG BROKEN, QUTNS ANSWERED, CRIS ROLVED, THE THARSIS THEY ARE EXPERIENCG.”THEY ARE HAVG EXPERIENC HE HAS HAD, AND WHICH KEEP HIM GOG FORWARD, DE SHIELDS SAID, WHICH GUARANTE “AT 73, 83, 93, 103, I WILL PREVAIL.” ADVERTISEMENT “THE CHATTERG MAGPIE OF THE MD WANTS TO NTROL , PARTICULARLY THIS DTRY: ‘YOU DON’T SERVE THIS.’ ‘YOU’RE TOO TALL, TOO SHORT, TOO SKNY.’ ‘YOUR EY ARE NOT THE RIGHT LOR.’ ‘YOUR SK IS NOT THE RIGHT LOR.’ ‘YOU’RE NOT TED ENOUGH.’ ‘YOU’RE TOO TED.’” HE IS GREAT SHAPE, I SAID. “THAT IS SOMETHG I DO RELIGLY TOO. I EAT JUDICLY, EXERCISE VIGOROLY, AND I PRAY NSISTENTLY.” SO HE IS RELIG? “I DON’T WANT TO BE PUT THIS STRAJACKET OF RELIGN AND LL PRAYER. I AM NOT PRAYG TO ANYTHG. THIS IS PRAYER AS A NDN IF YOUR SPIR, A NDN OF YOUR MDS WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE NOW LL ‘WOKE.’”IT N ALSO BE A SALVE. “THE CHATTERG MAGPIE OF THE MD WANTS TO NTROL , PARTICULARLY THIS DTRY: ‘YOU DON’T SERVE THIS.’ ‘YOU’RE TOO TALL, TOO SHORT, TOO SKNY.’ ‘YOUR EY ARE NOT THE RIGHT LOR.’ ‘YOUR SK IS NOT THE RIGHT LOR.’ ‘YOU’RE NOT TED ENOUGH.’ ‘YOU’RE TOO TED.’ WHAT ABOUT THE QUIET VICE OF RDAL TTH THAT SPEAKS TO YOU? THERE’S SO MUCH DISTRACTN YOU N’T HEAR , AND YOU HAVE TO.”DE SHIELDS HAS NEVER HAD THERAPY. “A SHRK FOR $100 FOR RMATN I KNOW TUIVELY? NO. WE ARE BORN SENTIENT. WE KNOW EVERYTHG WE NEED TO KNOW. IF YOU N LM THE DISTRACTNS, THE KNOWLEDGE IS YOU.” THAT CHARISMA AND MAND OF THE HASTOWN DIENCE DOWN TO DE SHIELDS’ HOPE THAT HE IS “REMEMBERG FOR EVERYONE THE DIENCE. I AM SAYG TO THE DIENCE, ‘WE ARE GENI. WE KNOW EVERYTHG WE NEED TO KNOW, AND WE HAVEN’T FOTTEN ANY OF , SO LET’S CELEBRATE THAT.’”HASTOWN, FOR HIM, IS “EPIC” WH THAT WORD TRANSFORMED TO AN ACRONYM MEANG EXPANSIVE, PRIMORDIAL, INNOVATIVE, AND CATHARTIC: “WHAT WE ARE DOG IS EXPANSIVE, RETURNG PEOPLE TO PRIMORDIAL EMOTNS, ENURAGG THEM TO NOVATE OR REVENT THEMSELV. I LOOK OUT AND SEE PEOPLE UNNTROLLABLY SOBBG OR OPENG UP.” ADVERTISEMENT IN DE SHIELDS’ MD, MANY THGS E THREE PARTS. HIS REER, FOR EXAMPLE, HE SE AS “PART ONE IS TO HAVE THE DREAM, PART TWO IS THE DREAM SELF, PART THREE TO MANIFT THAT DREAM AN EPIPHANY THE NSC WORLD.” ART, FOR HIM, AS A THREE-SID EQUATN: “ENTERTAMENT IS THE FIRST PART, ENLIGHTENMENT THE SEND PART, AND ECSTASY THE THIRD PART.” MATTHEW MURPHY DE SHIELDS’ CHARISMA WAS NOTICED FIRST WHEN HE WAS YOUNG BY HIS NTS, UNCL, AND OLR SIBLGS. HE WAS NICKNAMED BY THEM ALL “PROFSOR”; ONE OF HIS NTS TOLD HIM HE HAD BEEN QUIET, HAPPY TO BE BY HIMSELF, AND BEHAVED NICELY. SHE ALSO TOLD HIM HE HAD “PREC THOUGHTS” AND WAS “PRETERNATURAL.” HE WAS ALSO NICKNAMED “JELLY BELLY, BEE THAT’S WHAT I HAD THEN.”DE SHIELDS GREW UP, THE NTH OF 11 CHILDREN, ON DIVISN STREET, WT BALTIMORE. “WE WERE IMPOVERISHED. YOU KNOW THE BETY OF THE POVERTY? YOU HAVE TO BE TOLD YOU’RE POOR. YOU DON’T KNOW UNTIL PARED TO SOMEONE WHO HAS MATERIAL THGS. THEN YOU START TO THK, ‘OH, WE’RE DIFFERENT.’ BUT THERE’S KNOWLEDGE THAT POVERTY TEACH YOU. LSONS.”HIS MOTHER, MARY, WAS A DOMTIC WORKER, HIS FATHER, JOHN, A TAILOR. “HE MA LOVELY SUS FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ULD AFFORD .” DE SHIELDS LOOKED AT A DRSG GOWN. “HE ULD TAKE THIS ROBE AND HE ULD TURN TO A LOVELY SMOKG JACKET.” ADVERTISEMENT WHEN I ASKED IF WAS A HAPPY HOEHOLD, DE SHIELDS SAID, “AS AN ADULT I NOW UNRSTAND THAT WAS A DISCIPLED HOEHOLD. I NOW KNOW WE WERE NOT HAPPY. “IT WASN’T RPORAL DISCIPLE, BUT WAS FELY CHRISTIAN, AND WAS FELY ‘BE RPONSIBLE.’ IT WAS FELY YOU NEVER G HOME TO 11 CHILDREN AND TWO PARENTS AT THE TABLE AT 6 EVERY NIGHT. YOU LEARNED HOW TO OK, SEW, AND CLEAN HOE BEE THIS IS YOUR VERSN OF THE UNED NATNS—AND WHAT’S GOG TO BT EQUIP YOU THIS WORLD IS HOW TO NEGOTIATE AND BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.”IN HIS TOBGRAPHIL STAGE SHOW, CONFSNS OF A P.I.M.P., DE SHIELDS SAID TO GET HIS “APPROPRIATE SLICE” OF AMERIN PIE, “I HAD TO GET OUT OF BALTIMORE OR DIE.” P.I.M.P. STOOD FOR POSIVE INDIVIDUAL MAKG PROGRS, HE SAID. IN THIS EXCELLENT SHOW, DE SHIELDS EVOKED THE STORY OF HIS LIFE THROUGH SONG, DANCE, AND STORYTELLG, FULL OF EXUBERANCE AND PIERCG HONTY. AND, OH, THE DANCG. DE SHIELDS SAID HE WAS “THE ONLY HIPPIE” OM HIS FAY. “I GREW UP DURG THE SUMMERS OF LOVE ’64 AND ’65. I’M THE ONE WHO WENT TO LLEGE [THE UNIVERSY OF WISNS-MADISON]. I’M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT WHE IENDS BACK TO THE ’HOOD. PEOPLE SAID, ‘IS ANDRé CRAZY? BUT I’M THE ONE WHO MA BEYOND 25, BEE GROWG UP BALTIMORE YOU HAD TO CHECK YOURSELF, ’E 25 IS OLD AGE. ADVERTISEMENT “THOSE MUNI WERE NTROLLED BY DGS, PRISON, AND ABANDONMENT BY THE ERNMENT, AND THEN YOU’RE TOLD, ‘YOU’RE LAZY, YOU N’T DO THIS.’ NOW THAT RAL WHE AMERI IS STNG OUT ON OPIAT, ’S NOT A CRIME, ’S A NDN THAT NEEDS TO BE ROLVED. WHEN WE GROWG UP, WE WERE CRIMALIZED.”AS A BOY, HE WENT TO THE LOL SCHOOL TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND THEN JUNR HIGH SCHOOL. BUT WHEN ME TO HIGH SCHOOL, DE SHIELDS WENT TO BALTIMORE CY COLLEGE, STILL ONE OF THE NATN’S LEADG HIGH SCHOOLS. “AT THE TIME WAS ALL-MALE, FELY PREDOMANTLY WHE. WHAT MA DIVERSE WERE THE YOUNG JEWISH MEN GOG THERE.”HE HAD TO TAKE TWO B TO GET THERE, THEN WALK THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD “WHERE PEOPLE FELY LOOKED AT ME AS IF I WAS A NE’ER-DO-WELL.”DE SHIELDS NOTED THAT THE SONG THAT CLOS OUT ACT I OF HASTOWN, “WHY WE BUILD THE WALL,” DIDN’T REFER TO PRINT TMP’S REAL-LIFE PLAN. THE SONG WAS WRTEN MANY YEARS AGO AND REFERS TO THE WALLS OF OUR OWN MAKG THAT NSTRA . “IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHG HERE,” HE SAID. “THEY FERRED THEIR DREAMS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LE OF THOSE 11 CHILDREN THAT X AND Y CHROMOSOME OF FERRED DREAMS HAD TO BE PART OF THE NCEPTN OF ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN. AND I’M LUCKY NUMBER 9. THAT’S THE HUNGER YOU PASS TO THE NCEIVG OF YOUR CHILD—WHAT WAS MISSG OM YOUR LIFE.” ADVERTISEMENT WHEN DE SHIELDS WAS OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ADULT NVERSATN WH HIS PARENTS, HIS MOTHER TOLD HIM THAT HER LIFELONG DREAM HAD BEEN TO BE A CHOS GIRL. HER PARENTS WOULDN’T ALLOW . “THEY WERE JT A FEW YEARS AWAY OM THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, AND THEIR POT OF VIEW WAS ‘NO CENT LORED DGHTER OF ME IS GOG TO SHUFFLE HER WAY THROUGH LIFE.’” SIARLY, DE SHIELDS’ FATHER WANTED TO SG AND WAS A BETIFUL TENOR. “BUT HIS PARENTS SAID, ‘HOW DO YOU HOPE TO BE A RPONSIBLE BREADWNER FOR YOUR FAY WH SUCH AN SECURE POSN YOUR WORK FIELD?’ SO BOTH OF THEM WERE DISURAGED BY THEIR PARENTS. THEY FERRED THEIR DREAMS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LE OF THOSE 11 CHILDREN THAT X AND Y CHROMOSOME OF FERRED DREAMS HAD TO BE PART OF THE NCEPTN OF ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN. AND I’M LUCKY NO. 9. THAT’S THE HUNGER YOU PASS TO THE NCEIVG OF YOUR CHILD—WHAT WAS MISSG OM YOUR LIFE.”HIS TRODUCTN TO ARTS AND CULTURE ME OM GOG TO BALTIMORE’S ROYAL THEATER CEMA EVERY SATURDAY. “IN THE LATE 1950S, WHEN THERE WAS SUCH A THG LLED ‘NTUO SHOWGS’ AT THE CEMA, THERE WAS NO SUCH THG AS A LATCHKEY CHILD.” DE SHIELDS RECEIVED A WEEKLY ALLOWANCE OF 35 CENTS; 25 CENTS WOULD GET HIM TO THE SATURDAY NTUO FEATURE, THE OTHER 10 CENTS BOUGHT HIM A BOX OF MILK DUDS.THE FIRST SHOWG BEGAN AT 9 A.M., WH A BLACK-AND-WHE NEWSREEL. THEN THERE WAS THE “G ATTRACTNS” OF FUTURE FILMS. “THEN A RTOON. THEN THE FEATURE FILM. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THAT WOULD BE A WTERN WH A WHE HERO: HOPALONG CASSIDY, GENE AUTRY, ROY AND DALE (EVANS) ROGERS AND THEIR HORSE TRIGGER, LASH LARUE, AND THE LONE RANGER.“WH FLASH GORDON, I ALWAYS INTIFIED WH MG THE MERCILS. ALTHOUGH HE WAS PORTRAYED AS A STEREOTYPIL EVIL ASIAN, BEE OF THE ‘POLICS OF OTHER,’ I CERTALY DID NOT INTIFY WH FLASH GORDON. I DIDN’T HAVE BLUE EY AND BLOND HAIR. I FELT LIKE I MT BE A MEMBER OF THE OTHER MUNY THAT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE ME BUT WAS TREATED LIKE ME.”THE CYCLE OF MOVI LASTED TWO HOURS, THEN BEGAN AGA AND AGA, TILL 9 P.M., WHEN DE SHIELDS AND HIS IENDS WOULD GO HOME. ADVERTISEMENT “ONE MAGIL SATURDAY,” HE RELLED, THE MOVIE CAB THE SKY SHOWED. A IEND JT BOUGHT DE SHIELDS A SMALL POSTER ADVERTISG THE FILM, WHICH HE HAS PUT ON HIS DRSG ROOM WALL. “I WAS 9, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW BLACK FAC ON THE BIG SCREEN. I WAS GOBSMACKED. I WAS NO LONGER THE OTHER, BUT THE DOMANT ONE.”HE KNEW EVERY ONE OF THE CELEBRI THE FILM OM READG EBONY AND JET MAGAZ; THEY WERE THE HERO OF PARENTS AND OLR SIBLGS.HE HAD SEEN EDDIE ANRSON AS ROCHTER, THE BUTLER ON THE JACK BENNY SHOW, BUT NEVER AS THE HOLLYWOOD STAR THE FILM MA HIM.“FIRSTLY, MY HEART SWELLED. SENDLY, MY HEAD SWELLED, AND THIRDLY, I HAD AN EPIPHANY. JOHN WILLIAM SUBLETT WAS ALSO THE FILM. HE WAS ONE HALF OF THE VVILLE ACT ‘BUCK AND BUBBL.’ BUCK WOULD PLAY THE PIANO, AND BUCK WOULD DANCE HIS ASS OFF ON TOP OF THE PIANO. “MY EPIPHANY POSSSED ME. EVERYTHG EXTERNAL SHUTS DOWN. I AM ENTHRALLED, AND A LTLE VOICE SAYS VERY CLEARLY, NOT SHYLY, ‘ANDRé, THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE GOG TO DO.’” “IN THE FILM, HIS AND LENA HORNE’S CHARACTERS ARE TRYG TO BREAK UP THE MARRIAGE MA HEAVEN OF EDDIE ANRSON AND ETHEL WATERS. HE ENTERS THE SALOON THROUGH SWG DOORS, RPLENNT WHE, HEAD TO TOE WH GREAT SASS. HE HAS A NE, THREE-PIECE SU, WATCH, SPATS, THE WHOLE THG: WHAT I LL A SHG MAN. WHICH I NSIR MYSELF TO BE.” (HE SAYS HE IS OM A LONG LE OF “SHG MEN,” CLUDG “LANGSTON HUGH, ALA LOCKE, JAM BALDW, AND BAYARD RT.) ADVERTISEMENT SUBLETT’S CHARACTER DANCED, FISHG ON A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. “MY HEAD WAS NSUMED CUMUL CLOUDS,” SAID DE SHIELDS. “THAT JT ISN’T WHAT HAPPENS FILM. MY EPIPHANY POSSSED ME. EVERYTHG EXTERNAL SHUTS DOWN. I AM ENTHRALLED, AND A LTLE VOICE SAYS VERY CLEARLY, NOT SHYLY, ‘ANDRé, THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE GOG TO DO.’”FROM THEN ON, DE SHIELDS WAS FOCED ON “THE FULFILLMENT OF MY STY AND PAYMENT ON THE FERRED DREAMS OF MY PARENTS. THAT WAS MY DRIVG FORCE. I THOUGHT, ‘I’M GOG TO BE THE NEXT SAMMY DAVIS JR.’ THERE WAS NOTHG ELSE TO THK. HE WAS THE EPOME OF ENTERTAMENT AT THE TIME. THERE WASN’T ANYTHG HE ULDN’T DO EXCELLENTLY, SUPERLATIVELY, WHOUT EXCEPTN. THEN HE FELL LOVE WH MAY BRT, A WHE WOMAN. THEN WAS, ‘OH, BEHAVE, SAMMY.’” WHEN THE UPLE MARRIED 1960, THEIR TERRACIAL MARRIAGE WAS ILLEGAL 31 STAT.DE SHIELDS REFERENC THE “HUGE BROUHAHA” WHEN LOUIS ARMSTRONG WAS NSIRED AS THE VOICE OF KG LOUIE, THE ORANGUTAN DISNEY’S 1967 MOVIE OF THE JUNGLE BOOK. “THE GUY WHO DID WAS LOUIS PRIMA, A WHE MAN, WHO THEN IMATED LOUIS ARMSTRONG. LIKE, WA A MUTE, WHAT’S GOG ON HERE? “RACIST AMERINS THOUGHT THE LYRIC ‘I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU,’ MEANT BLACK PEOPLE WANTG TO BE LIKE WHE PEOPLE. THAT ULDN’T BE FURTHER OM THE TTH THE JUNGLE BOOK. THE ORANGUTAN IS EXPRSG HIS ADMIRATN AND ENVY OF THE LTLE BOY; HE IS SAYG HE WANTS THE SAME POWER TO MAKE FIRE.”DE SHIELDS APPEARED A THEATRIL VERSN OF THE JUNGLE BOOK AT THE GOODMAN THEATRE CHIGO. HE PLAYED KG LOUIE. “I WAS HAPPY TO SG THAT SONG. IT HAS NOTHG TO WH RACIAL PREFERENC, BUT RATHER A SIRE TO NTROL A VAL ELEMENT OF LIFE.”THE FIRST PRODUCTN DE SHIELDS APPEARED WAS RAIS THE SUN, WHEN HE ATTEND WILMGTON COLLEGE. HE MA HIS PROFSNAL BUT THE CHIGO PRODUCTN OF HAIR, AGED 23, AND AT 26 TOOK THE TLE ROLE THE WIZ. ADVERTISEMENT ANDRE DE SHIELDS AS THE WIZ PERFORMS FOR THE BROADWAY PLAY ‘THE WIZ (MIL)’ CIR 1975. HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY OVER 50 YEARS HE HAS WON AND BEEN NOMATED FOR MULTIPLE AWARDS BROADWAY AND OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTNS CLUDG A’T MISBEHAV’, BLACKBERRI, SAT TO, HAARLEM NOCTURNE, PLAY ON!, THE FULL MONTY, PRYMATE, DREAM ON MONKEY MOUNTA, ARCHBISHOP SUPREME TARTUFFE, AND THE JUNGLE BOOK. DE SHIELDS HAS ALSO APPEARED ON VAR TV SHOWS, CLUDG SEX AND THE CY, AND WON SPECIAL REGNN AWARDS (CLUDG OM AUDELCO, HONORG EXCELLENCE AIN-AMERIN THEATRE). IN 2007 HE WAS AWARD AN OBIE AWARD FOR STAED EXCELLENCE, AND ALREADY FOR PLAYG HERM HASTOWN HAS BEEN NOMATED THE DRAMA DK, DREAM LEAGUE, AND OUTER CRICS CIRCLE AWARDS. HE IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT PROFSOR AT NEW YORK UNIVERSY’S GALLAT SCHOOL OF INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY.HIS PARENTS ARE BOTH AD, BUT DE SHIELDS RELLED THAT HIS MOTHER WAS “TOTALLY PROUD” OF HIM. “SHE WAS VERY SATISFIED, VIRLY, THAT I HAD LIVED HER DREAM. SHE WNSED .”HIS FATHER DIED AT 50, WHEN DE SHIELDS WAS 17, OF A CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE AGGRAVATED BY CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER, EXACERBATED BY HEAVY DRKG. “IT AFFECTED ME GREATLY, SO MUCH SO I MA PART OF MY TERR ARCHECTURE,” SAID DE SHIELDS. “PEOPLE WHO ENUNTER ME N THK I AM BEG ALOOF, SMUG, ARROGANT, AND SUPERCIL. THAT’S BEE WE HAVE LOST THE GIFT AND UNRSTANDG OF SILENCE.”DON’T LET THE NFINT SHOWMAN, HOLDG THE HASTOWN DIENCE THE PALM OF HIS HAND, FOOL YOU. DE SHIELDS SAID HE WAS “A QUIET AND SOLARY MAN, ALONE FOR MOST OF MY WORKG HOURS APART OM HAVG TO E TO THE THEATER. IF I DON’T TREAT MYSELF EMPATHETILLY, HOW AM I GOG TO TREAT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE EMPATHETILLY?” ADVERTISEMENT “WE WERE 11 CHILDREN, NOW THAT’S DOWN TO THREE. I AM THE YOUNGT OF THOSE THREE. MY TWO YOUNGER SIBLGS HAVE DIED. I AM 73, MY OLR SURVIVG SIBLGS ARE 75 AND 79. WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS TO RECEIVE A TONY AWARD AND HAVE A MEMBER OF MY FAY BE AWARE OF .” THE TONY AWARD NOMATNS ARE ANNOUNCED ON TUDAY MORNG, AND DE SHIELDS IS SURELY A NTENR FOR A SUPPORTG ACTOR A MIL. HIS PREV NOMATNS WERE “EXCG, BUT I DIDN’T FEEL BEREFT WHEN I DIDN’T W. WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO ME NOW…” HE GETS UP, AND PICKS UP A SCRAP OF PAPER. “I’VE MA SOME NOT. WE WERE 11 CHILDREN, NOW THAT’S DOWN TO THREE. I AM THE YOUNGT OF THOSE THREE. MY TWO YOUNGER SIBLGS HAVE DIED. I AM 73, MY OLR SURVIVG SIBLGS ARE 75 AND 79. WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS TO RECEIVE A TONY AWARD AND HAVE A MEMBER OF MY FAY BE AWARE OF .”AGA, THIS BACK TO “PAYG THE KARMIC BT” BACK TO HIS PARENTS AND THEIR FERRED DREAMS. “MY STUD LSONS WERE NOT OM LEE STRASBERG, BUT GROWG UP WH 10 SIBLGS. I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO SEE THE REWARD OF ALL THAT THEY SHARED.” DE SHIELDS SPOKE POWERFULLY OF HIS OWN EXPERIENC OF RACISM. “I’M A BLACK AMERIN. THERE’S NO WAY THE UNED STAT OF AMERI FOR A BLACK MAN TO REACH THE AGE OF A SEPTUAGENARIAN AND NOT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EVILS OF RACISM, IF NOT ON A DAILY BASIS PENDG ON WHERE YOU LIVE, THEN CERTALY THE CYCLE OF GENERATNS, CLUDG MY CHOSEN PROFSN. ADVERTISEMENT “IT’S VERY MON THE DAYS TO E THE TERMS IMPLIC BIAS AND UNNSC BIAS. AND I BELIEVE ’S BEG ED AS A RATNALE, AS AN EXCE, FOR DIVIDUALS TO NOT TO AL WH THE RACISM THAT IS AS AMERIN AS APPLE PIE.“WHEN RACIST ACTS OR THOUGHTS ARE ENTERTAED, WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS: WHEN WERE YOU UNNSC ABOUT DOG ? I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHG ABOUT UNNSC BIAS. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ARE THE BIAS WE RRY AROUND AS AMERINS THAT IS PART OF THE CULTURE. WE NNOT GET AWAY OM . THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL THE EVIL THAT IS RACISM.”THAT FAILURE, SAID DE SHIELDS, IS MARKED BY ACTN AT THE VERY TOP.“WE ARE NOW UP TO PRINT 45, AND NOT ANY ONE OF THOSE 45 PRINTS—ALL OF WHOM HAVE BEEN MEN AND ALL BUT TWO ADMISTRATNS HAVE BEEN THOSE OF WHE MEN—HAVE MA AN ACTIVE IATIVE TO HEAL THIS FTERG SORE WE LL RACISM. FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, THE DOMANT CULTURE THE UNED STAT HAS BEEN THE BENEFICIARY OF RACISM, WHETHER THAT BE SLAVERY OR STUTNALIZED FAVORISM.“THOSE CULTUR THAT ARE NOT DOMANT HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF THOSE VERY STUTNS. ONE PART OF THE CULTURE IS SILENTLY SUFFERG GUILT, THE OTHER PART OF THE CULTURE IS SILENTLY SUFFERG SHAME. IF WE NEVER EXPOSE THAT, IF WE NEVER STROY THE VEIL, IF WE NEVER BURN THE ILLN, THEN THAT’S GOG TO BE FUTURE OF THIS UNTRY.”I ASKED WHAT HIS EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN OF RACISM ON BROADWAY. ADVERTISEMENT “BROADWAY HAS E AROUND TO DIVERSY, EQUY, AND CLN, BUT ’S E AROUND AFTER WE DRAGGED THEM SCREAMG AND KICKG.” DE SHIELDS SED WRYLY. “THE GREAT WHE WAY IS NOT LLED THAT FOR RACIAL REASONS, BUT BEE MANY YEARS AGO WAS ELECTRIFIED AND APPEARED AS IF WERE DAYLIGHT ALL THE TIME. BUT ’S A MARVELO METAPHOR IF YOU WANT TO DISCS RACISM, BEE FOR SO MANY GENERATNS WE OF LOR HAVE BEEN TGHT THIS IS AN HOSPABLE ENVIRONMENT.”DE SHIELDS SAID BROADWAY WAS “HOSPABLE” WHEN HE ARRIVED NEW YORK 1973, BUT THAT SECURG THE PART THE WIZ WAS “A GAME CHANGER FOR BROADWAY. IT OPENED A DOOR AN OPPORTUNY, AND SHOWED LOUDLY AND CLEARLY TO THOSE DIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEEN TREATED HOSPABLY THAT ‘LOOK, YOU ARE FALLY AND EMPHATILLY REPRENTED ON THE GREAT WHE WAY. COME AND APPROPRIATE THIS CULTURE JT AS THIS CULTURE HAS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS APPROPRIATED YOURS.”“WE HAVE TO BE TWICE AS GOOD TO GET HALF AS MUCH,” DE SHIELDS SAID OF THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE LOR WORKG SHOW BS AND MANY OTHER PROFSNS. “THAT HAS NOT CHANGED, AND HERE WE ARE 2019.”DE SHIELDS SAID THE RACISM HE HAD EXPERIENCED HIS REER HAD NEVER BEEN OVERT OR VOL. “THE EXPLANATN ALWAYS IS ‘WE’RE GOG A DIFFERENT DIRECTN.’ YOU WANT TO SAY, ‘JT EXPLA TO ME WHY I’M NOT GETTG THIS GIG, SO I N UNRSTAND AND DO MY HOMEWORK. BUT ’S NEVER EXPLAED.’”DID HE EVER NONT OR CHALLENGE DIRECTLY? “YOU HAVE TO GET BEYOND ‘LIVG THE DREAM.’ THAT’S PART OF THE ILLN. ONCE YOU LIVE THE DREAM, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE REALY THAT IS THE RULT OF LIVG THE DREAM. BEE THE DREAM IS SEGREGATED. THE DREAM IS RACIST.” ADVERTISEMENT “NO, THAT’S NOT THE WAY—TO REFERENCE HATON—‘TO GET TO THE ROOM’ WHERE ’S HAPPENG. IF ’S ALL ABOUT NONTATN, THEN WILL BE NIED AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER PERSONA NON GRATA. “THE METHOD THAT WORKED FOR ME WAS TO UNRSTAND THAT THE GREATT WORK I N DO IS TO BE THE BT ANDRé THAT I N POSSIBLY BE. YOU HAVE TO GET BEYOND ‘LIVG THE DREAM.’ THAT’S PART OF THE ILLN. ONCE YOU LIVE THE DREAM, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE REALY THAT IS THE RULT OF LIVG THE DREAM. BEE THE DREAM IS SEGREGATED. THE DREAM IS RACIST. “YOU HAVE TO BE THE CHANGE THE WORLD YOU WANT TO SEE. TO CHANGE THE WORLD IS HARDLY EVER A RULT OF NONTATN, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IS A RULT OF ACHIEVG EXCELLENCE. THEN YOU CHANGE A FEW MDS, YOU CHANGE A FEW HEARTS, AND THEY CHANGE A FEW MDS, AND THEY CHANGE A FEW HEARTS AND PEOPLE BEE ENLIGHTENED.” “LOVE IS IMPORTANT TO ME,” DE SHIELDS SAID. “FALLG LOVE IS NOT.”WAS EVER? “Y, ’S JT NO LONGER IMPORTANT TO ME. THAT IS ONE OF THOSE ILLNS I HAVE LIBERATELY BURNED. ‘FALLG LOVE’: JT LISTEN TO THE IDM. I DON’T WANT TO ‘FALL’ LOVE, ’S LIKE STUMBLG OVER A POTHOLE. I WANT TO LOVE. THOSE IMPORTANT MEN AND WOMEN MY LIFE HAVE LOVED ME TO NSCNS.” ADVERTISEMENT WHEN I ASKED IF DE SHIELDS WAS BI, GAY, STRAIGHT, OR SOMETHG ELSE, HE SAID, “I HAVE TO E LANGUAGE PEOPLE WILL UNRSTAND. I’M GAY. BUT WH THE CULTURAL REVOLUTNS GOG ON, THAT LABEL NEEDS TO GO AWAY FOR EVERYBODY. ONE HAS TO BE RECEIVED HOW ONE SCRIB ONELF, PECIALLY BLACK MEN WHO ARE STILL FIGHTG AGAST SUCH PREJUDICE. OUR FLH MAY BE EE BUT OUR MDS ARE ENSLAVED STILL. THERE ARE STILL SHACKL ON OUR EMOTNS, WHICH IS WHY BLACK MEN WILL LOVE AND HAVE SEX WH OTHER BLACK MEN BUT WILL NOT SELF-INTIFY AS GAY BEE ‘GAY’ IS A POLIL NSTCT VISED BY WHE MALE HOMOSEXUALS WHO N LOOK TO THE WORLD LIKE THE DOMANT WHE HETEROSEXUAL MALE FOR WHOM THE WORLD IS MA. “WHEN TO SEXUALY AND GENR, WE KNOW WHO WE ARE. IT’S HOW WE PRENT TO THE RT OF THE WORLD THAT MEANS GETS BEATEN TO SOMETHG ELSE IF ’S NOT NSIRED NORMATIVE.” DE SHIELDS LGHED GENTLY, RELLG PLAYG AS A LTLE BOY THE PATCH OF DIRT AT THE BACK OF THE HOE. HE REMEMBERS AN ADULT MEMBER OF THE FAY NEXT DOOR SAYG TO HIM, “HEY, YOU LTLE FAIRY.”“I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE WORDS MEAN,” DE SHIELDS SAID; JT THAT THIS NEIGHBOR WAS ADDRSG HIM. HE MA A MISSN TO FD OUT WHAT A “FAIRY” WAS. HE DID, AND THOUGHT, “OH, I’M BEG INTIFIED BY SOMEONE ELSE.” “THAT’S HOW WE GROW UP: PEOPLE PUTTG APPELLATNS ON TO . WHEN WE BUY TO , THAT’S WHEN WE START FETTG THE KNOWLEDGE WE ARE BORN WH.”AS A TEENAGER HE WORKED A LIBRARY AND READ BOOKS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY, MEANG HE BOTH UNRSTOOD THE HOMOPHOBIC SULTS HE ENDURED, “BUT ALSO HOW MYOPIC MEDIL SCIENCE HAD GOTTEN HOMOSEXUALY.” ADVERTISEMENT GETTG VOLVED WH THEATER “WAS FELY THE TRODUCTN I NEED TO KNOW THAT I WAS NOT ALONE. I NEVER EVER THOUGHT I WAS THE ABERRATN BEE MY ’HOOD EVERYBODY GROWS UP KNOWG AN ANDRé. WE’RE EVERYWHERE.”BUT HE DIDN’T SEE HIS EXPERIENCE REFLECTED TOO MANY PLAC. DE SHIELDS SAID ALL HIS READGS OF THE CELEBRATED AUGT WILSON, “AND THIS ISN’T TO TAKE AWAY OM HIS GENI, I’VE APPEARED HIS PLAYS, BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE NOT REFLECTED ANY OF HIS PLAYS.”WOMEN E UP TO HIM ALL THE TIME, DE SHIELDS SAID, WHILE MEN KEEP THEIR DISTANCE. “GROWG UP BALTIMORE, I HAD TO HAVE GIRLIENDS UP UNTIL I WAS 19,” HE SAID. THEN HE SPENT A JUNR YEAR ABROAD DENMARK, WHERE HE HAD A SIGNIFINT RELATNSHIP WH A WOMAN, RUTH, “WHO LOOKED AT ME AND SAW MY TERR SELF. SHE TOLD ME, ‘IT’S ALRIGHT IF YOU LOVE MEN, JT DON’T STOP LOVG ME.’ THAT WAS LIKE BOIIG.” HE MA A MOTN OF A FLASH OF SELF-REVELATN. “SHE WAS TELLG ME THERE WAS NOTHG WRONG WH ME BEG GAY.” IN CONFSNS OF A P.I.M.P, DE SHIELDS RELLED THAT BY 1979, THE SEXUAL REVOLUTN WAS WELL UNRWAY; HE WAS NFINT, F, AND “GETTG LAID” EVERY NIGHT. THEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HIV AND AIDS ON HIS GROUP, AND HOW HIS IENDS ME TO BE “UNTED”: JUL, JSE, RON (“WHO DANCED ON MYSTER RHYTHMS… UNTIL HIS LEGS SHRIVELED TO AGILE REEDS UNABLE TO SUPPORT EVEN HIS SHNKEN TORSO”), BRIAN, WHOSE SK WAS “EATEN BY PURPLE BLOTCH,” AND MANY OTHERS KNOWN BY FIRST NAM, CLUDG ALAN, ALV, BARRY, CARL, PL, QUENT, WSTON, JAVIER, AND ZANE. “I WOULD LIKE TO BE WH SOMEONE, BUT I THK I AM GOG TO BE SGLE. THE SOMEONE I WANT TO BE WH IS A FANTASY. AND UNTIL REALY N MATCH FANTASY, ’S A FOOLS’ GAME.” DE SHIELDS HAD TWO SIGNIFINT RELATNSHIPS; ONE FOR 17 YEARS WH A PARTNER, CHI, WHO DIED OF AIDS-RELATED LYMPHOMA, AND ANOTHER WH A PARTNER NAMED JOHN, WHO HE WAS WH FOR TWO YEARS AND WHO DIED OF AIDS-RELATED MENGIS 1995. ADVERTISEMENT “I WOULD LIKE TO BE WH SOMEONE, BUT I THK I AM GOG TO BE SGLE,” DE SHIELDS SAID OF THE FUTURE. “THE SOMEONE I WANT TO BE WH IS A FANTASY. AND UNTIL REALY N MATCH FANTASY, ’S A FOOLS’ GAME.”IN HIS DRSG ROOM, DE SHIELDS ALSO SPOKE OF THE RACISM HE HAD EXPERIENCED ON THE PREDOMANTLY WHE LGBT SCENE. IN 1980, A HOLLYWOOD GAY BAR, HE WAS LLED A “N---ER QUEEN” BY A WHE GAY BARMAN, APPARENTLY ANGRY DE SHIELDS WAS QUTNG WHY A PARTICULAR MIXED DRK WASN’T AVAILABLE. THE BARMAN SAID, “I’M TIRED OF YOU ARROGANT N---ER QUEENS.” DE SHIELDS SAID: “A BLACK MAN WHO’S NFINT. FET HIS SEXUALY. HE’S ‘ARROGANT.’”OF URSE THERE IS RACISM THE LGBT MUNY, SAID DE SHIELDS. “BEE WE ARE AMERI AND THE SEED OF THE SEED OF AMERIN CULTURE IS RACISM. WHAT YOU’RE FIGHTG FOR IS CLN A RACIST CULTURE.”WHAT, FOR HIM, HAD BEEN THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL LANDMARKS LIKE MOONLIGHT AND POSE? “THE EXCELLENCE OF THE ART IS BI THE POT,” SAID DE SHIELDS. “WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS MA EASIER FOR SOME BLACK PEOPLE TO INTIFY AS GAY AND TRANS. BUT THE WHE GAY RACIST STILL LOOKS WH UTTER DISDA AT AS THE SCUM OF THE EARTH, WHICH IS WHAT THEIR HETEROSEXUAL UNTERPARTS DO.” WHILE “VERY FULFILLED,” DE SHIELDS HAS MUCH MORE HE WANTS TO DO HIS REER. “THAT IS VERY MUCH PENNT ON HOW LONG I WILL RRY THE BREATH OF LIFE.” HE THKS OF HIS MORTALY, BUT HAS NCLUD THAT AS HE DIDN’T FEAR BEG BORN HE SHOULDN’T FEAR “ANY PROCS OF BEG UNBORN.” ADVERTISEMENT HIS PERSONAL CSA IS “TO BREAK THE “METHELAH CO,” AND TRYG TO FIGURE OUT HOW HE N LIVE BEYOND THE 969 YEARS OF THE FAMO BIBLIL FIGURE. HE HAS SURMISED A POSSIBLE ANSWER VIA TWO STAGE DOOR EXPERIENC. IN 1993, A LADY WHO HAD SEEN HIM THE ORIGAL WIZ ME TO SEE HIM THAT YEAR’S REVIVAL. SHE BOUGHT HER MOTHER (WHO HAD TAKEN HER TO THE ORIGAL SHOW) AND HER DGHTER. “THREE GENERATNS,” SAID DE SHIELDS. HE RELLED ANOTHER UPLE WHO SAW HIM HASTOWN LONDON LAST YEAR. THE LADY THE UPLE RELLED DE SHIELDS PERFORMG A’T MISBEHAV’ 40 YEARS PREVLY. JAM HARKNS, WHO PLAYS PL WILLIAMS A’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIM OF THE TEMPTATNS ON BROADWAY, THANKED HIM RECENTLY FOR BEG AN EXAMPLE TO EMULATE. “MANY PEOPLE REFER TO ME AS A KEEPER OF THE FLAME. IT’S HUMBLG,” SAID DE SHIELDS.PERHAPS, DE SHIELDS THKS, THE WAY HE BREAKS THE METHELAH CO IS THROUGH HIS WORK, S FLUENCE AND LEGACY EXTENDG TO THE FUTURE. “MAYBE METHELAH DIDN’T LIVE FOR 969 YEARS, BUT HIS REPUTATN DID AND THAT’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT,” SAID DE SHIELDS.LATER THAT EVENG DE SHIELDS WENT OUT ON TO THE WALTER KERR STAGE, AND AS HE DANCE, SPOKE, AND SANG, ANOTHER HASTOWN DIENCE LOOKED ON WONR. ROLL ON THE NEXT 896 YEARS. ADVERTISEMENT MATTHEW MURPHY TIM TEEMAN

* andre de shields gay *

That is his charisma and his zy drsg room, wh his precise, rich, ep voice, De Shields had some stori of his own to share, of celebratg 50 years show bs, of growg up poverty Baltimore, of g out as gay, of facg racism on both Broadway and the gay scene, of succs (first and famoly the tle role of The Wiz 1975), of fulfillg his parents’ thwarted ambns, and of his own dited pursu of excellence—which, for Hastown, might fally yield him a Tony Award this year, followg two prev nomatns. ”When I asked if De Shields was bi, gay, straight, or somethg else, he said, “I have to e language people will unrstand.

I’m gay.

ANDRé DE SHIELDS AS THE GAY CHARACTER AUGT WILSON LEFT OUT

There are still shackl on our emotns, which is why black men will love and have sex wh other black men but will not self-intify as gay bee ‘gay’ is a polil nstct vised by whe male homosexuals who n look to the world like the domant whe heterosexual male for whom the world is ma.

IS ANDRé DESHIELDS GAY?

”As a teenager he worked a library and read books about homosexualy, meang he both unrstood the homophobic sults he endured, “but also how myopic medil science had gotten homosexualy.

SEE TONY-AWARD WNER ANDRé DE SHIELDS DAZZLE AN EXCLIVE CLIP FROM NYPL BENEFTHE THEATER LEGEND PUTS HIS OWN SP ON A SONDHEIM CLASSIC TO CELEBRATE 90 YEARS OF THE BILLY ROSE THEATRE DIVISN. BY CHRIS MURPHYJUNE 22, 2021FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYTAYLOR HILL/FILMMAGICSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEGOOD TIM AND BUM TIM, ANDRé DE SHIELDS IS STILL HERE. THE TONY-AWARD WNG HASTOWN STAR AND THEATER LEGEND PROVED AS MUCH HIS PERFORMANCE AT THE VIRTUAL BENEF FOR NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMG ARTS, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON WEDNDAY NIGHT ON BROADWAY ON DEMAND AT 8 PM.THE ONE-TIME-ONLY EVENT, FTGLY LLED “I’M STILL HERE,” WILL CELEBRATE THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BILLY ROSE THEATRE DIVISN AND S BELOVED THEATER ON FILM AND TAPE ARCHIVE, WHICH HAS DOCUMENTED AND PRERVED LIVE THEATRIL EVENTS FOR HALF A CENTURY. THE LATE THEATRIL PRODUCER HAROLD PRCE AND INIC THEATER DIRECTOR GEE C. WOLFE WILL BOTH BE HONORED AT THE DONATE-WHAT-YOU-N BENEF. DE SHIELDS PUTS HIS OWN SP ON STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S TOUR FORCE ELEVEN O’CLOCK NUMBER “I’M STILL HERE” OM FOLLI. DE SHIELDS, WEARG A SPIFFY CHECKERED SU AND BOW TIE BATN, PERSONALIZ THE ANTHEM OM THE VERY BEGNG, HOLDG A PLAYBILL FOR ONE OF HIS FIRST BROADWAY SHOWS—RACHEL LILY ROSENBLOOM (AND DON’T YOU FET IT) WHICH CLOSED DURG PREVIEWS—WHILE SGG THE LE, “SEEN ALL MY DREAMS DISAPPEAR.” AND, THEN THE FUN BEGS. “BRG , HAHA,” DE SHIELDS SAYS ACPANIED BY A BEAT DROP, HERG AN UPDATED, GROOVIER TAKE ON THE SONDHEIM CLASSIC. DE SHIELDS NTUED TO WK AT HIS THEATRIL REER, PULLG UP A POSTER AND PHOTOS OM THE BROADWAY PRODUCTN OF THE FULL MONTY, WHICH HE STARRED AS NOAH “HORSE” T. SIMMONS 2000. “DANCED MY SKANTI, THREE BUCKS A NIGHT WAS THE PAY, BUT I’M HERE,” DE SHIELDS KNOWGLY SGS AS PHOTO OF THE FULLY MONTY’S ENSEMBLE OF MALE STRIPPERS POPS UP ON SCREEN. THE GOOD TIM NTUE AS DE SHIELDS HAS A QUICK CHANGE, DCHG THE CHECKERED SU FOR A SPARKLY SILVER JACKET AS PLAYBILLS AND PHOTOS OM PRODUCTNS LIKE THE OBC OF ANNIE AND THE MERRY WIV OF WDSOR FLOOD THE SCREEN. “YOU KNOW BLONS REALLY DO HAVE MORE FUN,” DE SHIELDS SAYS, SUPERIMPOSED OVER AN IMAGE OF HIM WH “PLATUM BLON HAIR.” YOU N TELL HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKG ABOUT.  ALONG WH DE SHIELDS, “I’M STILL HERE” FEATUR PERFORMANC OM A BEVY OF BROADWAY STARS CLUDG ANNALIEGH ASHFORD, LRA BENANTI, STEPHANIE J. BLOCK, MATTHEW BRORICK, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, RA MORENO, BERNATTE PETERS, PHYLICIA RASHAD AND MANY MORE. THE EVENT WILL ALSO FEATURE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE OF BROADWAY PRODUCTNS OM THE THEATER ON FILM AND TAPE CLUDG GLENN CLOSE SUNSET BOULEVARD AND MARCIA GAY HARN AND MERYL STREEP THE SEAGULL. “THE BILLY ROSE THEATRE DIVISN HAS SERVED AS THE LLECTIVE MEMORY FOR OUR MUNY BY PTURG THE EPHEMERAL NATURE OF OUR UNIQUE ART FORM. UNTIL WE N ALL EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF LIVE THEATER AGA, WE ARE THRILLED TO LOOK BACK TO THE ARCHIV TO HIGHLIGHT THEATRIL MASTERPIEC OM THEIR VAST LLECTN,” SAID PRODUCERS JULIE BOARDMAN AND NOLAN DORAN. “OUR HOPE IS TO RAISE FUNDS TO ENSURE THE ARCHIV REMA ACCSIBLE TO FUTURE THEATRE MAKERS FOR GENERATNS TO E.”TICKETS TO THE FUNDRAISER WILL BE DONATE-WHAT-YOU-N, WH A REMENDATN OF AT LEAST $19.31 HONOR OF THE YEAR THE DIVISN WAS FOUND. TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VIS MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— WHAT IS NAOMI OSAKA’S JOB, REALLY?— DID PAYG A RANSOM FOR A STOLEN MAGRTE PATG INADVERTENTLY FUND TERRORISM?— Y.A. AUTHOR A.S. KG LOST HER CHILD. NOW SHE HOP TO SAVE OTHERS— FIRST COM THE PANMIC DIVORCE, THEN THE “TS OUT” SUMMER— AFTER THE BBC APOLOGY, HOW SHOULD WE THK ABOUT THAT BOMBSHELL PRCS DIANA INTERVIEW?— A SHIPWRECK, A MONTK MYSTERY, AND THE CLASS DIVI THAT STILL DEF THE HAMPTONS— THE HIGH STAK OF WILLIAM AND KATE’S STLAND VIS— THE BT SWIMSUS, JT TIME FOR SUMMER— FROM THE ARCHIVE: QUEEN ELIZABETH’S MOST LOYAL SUBJECTS— SIGN UP FOR THE ROYAL WATCH NEWSLETTER TO RECEIVE ALL THE CHATTER OM KENSGTON PALACE AND BEYOND.MOST POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT SER SETBACKBY BS LEVMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLEGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZCHRIS MURPHY

“She was tellg me there was nothg wrong wh me beg gay.

IS ANDRé DESHIELDS GAY?

In 1980, a Hollywood gay bar, he was lled a “n---er queen” by a whe gay barman, apparently angry De Shields was qutng why a particular mixed drk wasn’t available.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* ANDRE DE SHIELDS GAY

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data-ttid="ContentHearContaer" class="ContentHearContaer-cGKRbE knDxNq"><div class="ContentHearHedAccredatnWrapper-GFiQf cDNVlV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper" class="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper-cjmSKp eiGjZk"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubric" class="ContentHearRubricBlock-LmpbT tPofh"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubricDateBlock" class="ContentHearRubricDateBlock-kAQcZP fTFWxD"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric ContentHearRubricContaer-eTudtt iRsSlw"><a class="RubricLk-gRWSOU cwyjHY bric__lk" href="/culture"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></a></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd jdcWfa isouMH">Queero 2019: André De Shields and Jeremy O. Harris on the Divy of Otherns</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB etVsnJ ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ eijTxK">Our Queero: Theater honore discs the lims of labels, inty-based palism, and what tak to be tly awake to the world.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa emiglw"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn epCAJC"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn epCAJC rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 80w" siz="66px"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 90w" siz="66px"/><img alt="" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></span><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bHLeKI"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH hdWCIC byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd bCbgyH gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd hSmufO skIR eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/naveen-kumar">Naveen Kumar</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2019-06-25T15:34:10-04:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd dCoEhu bDGyxQ">June 25, 2019</time></div></div><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--standard ContentHearAccredatnSocialIns-jorO fPzfaa ntent-hear__social-share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--twter 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Harris, Andre DeShields</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd eNhSMp fNaHcW ptn__cred">Anthony Gerace</span></div></div></figure></div></div><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR oEIBz persistent-asi persistent-asi--align-left" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jNgrSF sticky-box ContentHearPersistentAsi-fsnAmQ dFzKzm"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--has-background ContentHearSocialIns-jzJiyg fLarGt social-ins--share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR gQILrJ social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--twter social-ins__list-em--has-background"><a aria-label="Share on Twter" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU etOOvH social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--twter" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-twter" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Twter</tle><path d="M13.032 22.003C19.07 22.003 22.372 17.001 22.372 12.663C22.3719 12.5216 22.3686 12.3803 22.362 12.239C23.0045 11.7744 23.5592 11.1991 24 10.54C23.401 10.8056 22.7656 10.9799 22.115 11.057C22.8003 10.6467 23.3132 10.0013 23.558 9.24103C22.9138 9.62343 22.209 9.89297 21.474 10.038C20.9799 9.50946 20.325 9.15892 19.6112 9.04091C18.8973 8.9229 18.1644 9.04403 17.5265 9.38545C16.8886 9.72688 16.3813 10.2695 16.0836 10.9289C15.7858 11.5884 15.7142 12.3277 15.88 13.032C14.5746 12.9664 13.2976 12.6269 12.132 12.0356C10.9663 11.4444 9.93808 10.6145 9.114 9.60003C8.69297 10.3223 8.56366 11.1782 8.7525 11.9926C8.94134 12.8071 9.43407 13.5187 10.13 13.982C9.60866 13.9664 9.0987 13.8258 8.643 13.572V13.614C8.64319 14.3718 8.90547 15.1063 9.38536 15.6928C9.86525 16.2793 10.5332 16.6818 11.276 16.832C10.7924 16.9633 10.2852 16.9825 9.793 16.888C10.0027 17.5404 10.411 18.1109 10.961 18.5197C11.5109 18.9286 12.1749 19.1552 12.86 19.168C11.6971 20.0805 10.2611 20.5754 8.783 20.573C8.518 20.573 8.257 20.558 8 20.528C9.5011 21.4921 11.248 22.0038 13.032 22.002" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR gQILrJ social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--email social-ins__list-em--has-background"><a aria-label="Share via Email" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU etOOvH social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--email" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"mailto:?subject=Queero%202019%3A%20Andr%C3%A9%20De%20Shields%20and%20Jeremy%20O.%20Harris%20on%20the%20Divy%20of%20Otherns&" href="mailto:?subject=Queero%202019%3A%20Andr%C3%A9%20De%20Shields%20and%20Jeremy%20O.%20Harris%20on%20the%20Divy%20of%20Otherns& rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-email" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><tle>Email</tle><path d="M6 23h20V9H6v14zm3.631-12H22.37l-6.368 5.661L9.631 11zM24 12.227V21H8v-8.773l8.002 7.109L24 12.227z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kJkLmH article-body__ntent"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP bwyLBj"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG eOdfIs"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bectqB body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><em>As part of our 2019 Queero awards, we’re proud to honor André De Shields and Jeremy O. Harris our Theater tegory. <a href=">Check out the rt of our Queero honore and terviews here.</a></em></p><p>After a half-century long reer that’s ma him one of Broadway’s most regnizable stars, André De Shields recently experienced his first bsh wh viral fame. Earlier this month, when the 73-year-old won a Tony Award for his role <em>Hastown,</em> he <a href=">livered a speech</a> about livg a joyful, termed life that <a href=">swiftly ma s way</a> around the world. (Last week, he told me, he spotted someone wearg an excerpt on a T-shirt. Hours before our terview, my yoga teacher quoted to end class.) In mils rangg om <em>The Wiz</em> 1975 to <em>The Full Monty</em> 25 years later, De Shields has distguished himself as a sly and exactg terpreter who b his sharp tellect wh a natural stct to craft characters wh startlg precisn.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p><a href=">Jeremy O. Harris</a>, a playwright whose breakout season clud two cendiary plays terrogatg the trma of difference, likewise njur work that feels both heady and guttural. <em>Slave Play,</em> the 30-year-old’s profsnal but, ed a sensatn downtown last fall and will be transferrg to Broadway later this year. He followed up wh <em><a href=">Daddy</a>,</em> which tells the story of a young Black artist who falls wh an olr whe llector whose patronage load wh psychosexual entanglements.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p>For <em>them.</em>’s Queero awards, we brought the two together for a wi-rangg nversatn De Shields’ drsg room at New York’s Walter Kerr Theater; Harris FaceTimed om Fire Island, where he recently spent a brief time a wrg rincy. The stars — one risg, the other firmly affixed — med on everythg om the divy of otherns and the double bd of labels to what means to be tly awake to the world.</p><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad---ntent"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot---ntent" data-no-id="062om9"></div></div><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Andre DeShields" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE hTTfoq ptn AssetEmbedCaptn-fNQBPI fmQnYP asset-embed__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd kvieLQ iXWezO ptn__text">Andre DeShields</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd eNhSMp fNaHcW ptn__cred">Anthony Gerace</span></div></figure></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB kNleGZ sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="gzv8kl"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="9faww"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bectqB body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>People might assume that theater is a pretty queer-iendly space. Have you found that you tend to nont your difference more terms of your race than beg queer? Or is always both?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>André De Shields:</strong> I would adjt that prumptn ever so slightly and say that theater is an other-iendly space. In the openg song of <em>Hastown,</em> my character Herm scrib himself as a man wh feathers on his feet. And when I, the actor André, sg that portn of the exposnal song, I see the gay muny the theater lean forward. Bee they’ve already owned the ia that they are men wh feathers on their feet. That’s pretty queer.</p><p><strong>Jeremy O. Harris:</strong> I see [Herm] as a Black storyteller. I see him on a pulp. And I see him walkg down the street, gog to Papi Juice the same breath. It’s so excg that an actor of your generatn gets to hold so many inti, the space not jt of oral history [as narrator of <em>Hastown</em>], but also the diva. It’s so rare for Black men to be able to say, “Look at me. I am kg, queen, everyone.” I’m so exced to see that happeng for you and for Billy Porter right now.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> One of the more well-known oracl of the ancient Greek world is Tirias, and I me him like a ve of gold orr to be a better Herm. Tirias was a bld oracle, as Homer was a bld poet. And those kds of disabili, if you will, mean that you are touched by the gods.</p><asi aria-hidn="te" class="PullQuoteEmbedWrapper-sc-EoVjf fQbAzo"><div class="PullQuoteDerativeBorr-sc-iUyOLj fAzNVP"></div><div class="PullQuoteEmbedContent-sc-kTcfhx eoUd"><p>"Sayg 'I am gay, I am Black' is now somethg that n be brand and sold as a posive. How n I be like, 'Okay, if you want to take a big be out of my inty, how n I make sure you’re a ltle poisoned by what you take?' I thk ’s by nstantly evolvg what means for me to be Black, to be queer, to be six foot five, si of a palist whe patriarchal system." — Jeremy O. Harris</p></div></asi><p><strong>Would you pare otherns to beg touched by the gods?</strong></p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Y. Otherns and outlier go the tegory “touched by the gods.” When I was growg up the ’50s and early ’60s, we would have been scribed as havg sugar our loafers, right?</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> Sugar your gas tank.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Right. Sugar the gas tank. Or enchanted. Or havg lavenr leangs. Or somethg as seemgly benign as beg mil.</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> I me out to my mom growg up, but I didn’t feel a need to e out to my grandparents bee I was worried about losg them, hontly. But my grandpa, who jt passed last week, took me down to the water, and said, “Your momma told me somethg the other day. I want you to know that there’s nothg wrong wh beg a ltle funny. I know a lot of people who are a ltle funny.” It was so tertg that his language acceptg me also meant that I might have a life edy.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Sce Stonewall, there has been a direct le between llg a same-sex lovg dividual “funny” to referrg to that person as “gay.” It’s the rponsibily of all storytellers to be able to expla to the current generatn how we got om there to here.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Jeremy O. Harris" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE hTTfoq ptn AssetEmbedCaptn-fNQBPI fmQnYP asset-embed__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd kvieLQ iXWezO ptn__text">Jeremy O. Harris</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd eNhSMp fNaHcW ptn__cred">Anthony Gerace</span></div></figure></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="vunfe"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RecircMostPopularWrapper-bRuGTi jkTTgR recirc-most-popular-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div class="RecircMostPopularConter-jiViNn ktrplG recirc-most-popular-sparrow-trackg hi-asi-ad" data-most-popular-id="mod-most-popular-423"><div 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Rears and Wrers Have Qutns</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name">Colleen Haton</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></li><li><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ RecircMostPopularSummaryItem-jQxxiw gmWMTZ ad ad--asi"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--asi" data-no-id="fije"></div></div></li></ul><div class="RecircMostPopularFooter-enPjgs laPXdt"></div></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="zrxbt"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bectqB body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>JOH:</strong> That’s one thg that’s at the re of not jt my dramaturgy as a playwright, but also my beg as a public storyteller. Queer art, I thk, has this relatnship to not only history but to nostalgia. But I fd that the Black muny, whe supremacy’s major job is erasg our history, so that there is this nstant sense of cultural amnia. They do how they teach about who we are. I’m fdg more and more my duty to help solve this cultural amnia for Black artists, the same way that queer artists have done a very good job of makg sure everyone knows who Osr Wil is. How is there this huge lack of unrstandg, of where we are and where we’ve been the Black muny, that don’t seem to exist as much the queer muny?</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> I know exactly what you mean. Now that we’re the first third of the 21st century, and everyone is talkg about cultural revolutn, do you feel that self-intifyg as gay is also a permissn om the whe power stcture? Beg gay is a kd of agency for whe men to disappear to and to pass as. Bee we are people of lor, no amount of gayns is gog to allow to pass that whe power stcture. So I’m lookg for that opportuny this age of social revolutn, that we n perhaps relax om that label.</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> It’s really excg lookg at how many of my younger peers move and out of labels, but also hold on to them. The thg I’m most cur about for myself is how I n start buckg agast the way palism has seen my inty as a new enge of revenue. Sayg “I am gay, I am Black” is now somethg that n be brand and sold as a posive. How n I be like, “Okay, if you want to take a big be out of my inty, how n I make sure you’re a ltle poisoned by what you take?” I thk ’s by nstantly evolvg what means for me to be Black, to be queer, to be six foot five, si of a palist whe patriarchal system.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="6x1qta"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RecircMostPopularWrapper-bRuGTi jkTTgR recirc-most-popular-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div 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Rears and Wrers Have Qutns</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name">Colleen Haton</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></li><li><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ RecircMostPopularSummaryItem-jQxxiw gmWMTZ ad ad--asi"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--asi" data-no-id="q96wje"></div></div></li></ul><div class="RecircMostPopularFooter-enPjgs laPXdt"></div></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="attq2"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bectqB body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>I’m tryg to figure out how I n create healthier ways for me to jt be. I want to be allowed to jt be a person wh an ternal life that’s ee of external prsur to tegorize myself.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Free of all those assignatns. It’s sort of flowg off of people’s lips like water. Nonbary, genr-fluid. Why do we feel the necsy to scribe ourselv, as opposed to what you jt said, be ourselv?</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> One of the dark thgs about palism is that if they n’t tegorize you, you n’t have protectn, right? I’m exced for the new revolutn, where n fd a way to be protected whout feedg to a system that’s also attackg . It’s like this weird ouroboros, the snake that’s eatg s own tail — the more leatns we make to protect ourselv, the more box they ask to check.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Right. Like, “Are you a cizen of the Uned Stat?” on the new cens.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>JOH:</strong> As a hippie, what was your ial of simply beg yourself as you were movg through the world the ’60s and ’70s?</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> It was my first taste of eedom, of liberatn, of wonrment. My first profsnal gig was <em>Hair,</em> Chigo. Before we were subscribg to the doctr of diversy, equy, and cln, I was livg that life as a unterculture hippie. I wasn’t beg judged on any level except that le om the Beatl, which is, <em>And the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.</em></p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> I love that.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> That was the only crern. Bee we thought that we were gog to save the world by lovg everybody, which is the most difficult task I have ever attempted my life. It a’t easy, brother. And I thk isn’t even possible. But we bee better sentient begs, I believe, when we attempt to do somethg that we know is impossible.</p><asi aria-hidn="te" class="PullQuoteEmbedWrapper-sc-EoVjf fQbAzo"><div class="PullQuoteDerativeBorr-sc-iUyOLj fAzNVP"></div><div class="PullQuoteEmbedContent-sc-kTcfhx eoUd"><p>"Innatism is the ia that we know everythg we need to know. We simply don’t know that we know . That’s the liberatn, that’s the eedom that I’m tryg to get back to. And I suggt that that’s the fn of beg woke. It’s one thg to be awake. It’s another thg to be woke. It is paful. It is not a pretty journey." — Andre De Shields</p></div></asi><p><strong>JOH:</strong> What was like to move through the HIV crisis to the moment that we're now?</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> We’re still alg wh that particular vastatn, bee people, whether they will nfs or not, still relate to as a gay plague, although we know that acquired immunoficiency syndrome is an equal-opportuny disease.</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> I would say too that I thk now, a certa generatn and mographic don’t see as any disease except for a poor disease. Bee there’s this ia that if you have enough money, if you are of the right class, then HIV won’t tersect wh your life at all, which I thk is also eply dark and fucked up.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> Many of who were ially tght that an HIV diagnosis was a ath warrant were vised by the grim reaper. Death knocked on my door many tim. And what I learned then, and ntue to do now those moments of mortaly, is ve Death . “S down. Let’s have a cup of tea. Let’s have a chat. Why are you here?” “Oh,” Death would rpond, “Oh, I thought you might be ready to go.” “Go where?” And then ultimately, at the end of the nversatn, Death would have to back off, bee I wasn’t playg that easy game.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="fpyj98"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RecircMostPopularWrapper-bRuGTi jkTTgR recirc-most-popular-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div class="RecircMostPopularConter-jiViNn ktrplG recirc-most-popular-sparrow-trackg 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Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney Fias" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">News</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM jRfyII summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ jbVqqA summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Everythg You Need to Know About the Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney Fias</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi 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class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz hlQxkn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Autostraddle’s New Owner Promis a New Era. Rears and Wrers Have Qutns" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">News</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM jRfyII summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ jbVqqA summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Autostraddle’s New Owner Promis a New Era. Rears and Wrers Have Qutns</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name">Colleen Haton</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></li><li><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ RecircMostPopularSummaryItem-jQxxiw gmWMTZ ad ad--asi"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--asi" data-no-id="u7k"></div></div></li></ul><div class="RecircMostPopularFooter-enPjgs laPXdt"></div></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="jgg7zj"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bectqB body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>I helped many of my lleagu die, and was beyond heartbreakg. And more suatns than one — cludg my life partner of 17 years — before Death won that battle, the dividual sufferer would say, “Why me?” and I vowed to my lover, and I vowed to my iends who did not survive, that I would survive. I would go on livg.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-4 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>JOH:</strong> Do you feel like you have more hope for my generatn of gay people? Many of may still be ostracized our small muni. But we have an out gay man nng for print. That’s not to say that a whe man wh power who intifi as gay is the hope that we need, jt that I don’t know that a gay person born now necsarily feels the same way that they might have felt the ’50s or ’60s.</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> We don’t feel like we’re the scum of the earth, but we are still nsired as such. It’s like the civil rights movement that put a blanket over whe hate. Then that orange alien took up rince the Whe Hoe, and all of a sudn the blanket was pulled back and the fire was ragg hotter than ever. It’s a sleight of hand: Now you see , now you don’t. But you always feel .</p><p>Innatism is the ia that we know everythg we need to know. We simply don’t know that we know . That’s the liberatn, that’s the eedom that I’m tryg to get back to. And I suggt that that’s the fn of beg woke. It’s one thg to be awake. It’s another thg to be woke. It is paful. It is not a pretty journey.</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> Bee that slumber feels so good. The slumber feels so much better than the paful necsy of drkg ffee on ffee of this realy to regnize, “I have to keep my ey open, bee if I close them the non-realy of that dream is a false fort.”</p><p><strong>ADS:</strong> We say our dtry, “How are you?” And the answer is, “Livg the dream.” Well, we have to get beyond livg the dream. We have to bee fully awake. As you said, “ey open.” In <em>Hair,</em> the most meangful song has a rea that says, “Our ey are open, our ey are open wi, wi, wi.” As if havg your ey opened wi isn’t enough, and isn’t.</p><p><strong>JOH:</strong> Power to the queer Black artists. I’m so proud to be this tribe. I love you.</p><p><em>This nversatn has been nnsed and eded for clary.</em></p><p><em><strong>Get the bt of what's queer.</strong> <a href="></a></em><a href=">Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.</a></p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="0xyh1j"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS kLQIUk grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv brYtrA grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"></div></div></div></div></div></div></article><div class="ContentFooterWrapper-jVNdRG dTJkpP ArticlePageContentFooterGrid-ccsXYy eMZRHU article-body__footer"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div data-ttid="TagCloudWrapper" class="TagCloudWrapper-gGgndx jkqdij ContentFooterTagCloud-krQmRG ZLGh"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudSectnHear-cOforY iUEiRd chxZaG kQQRmu">Tags</span><a href="/tags/queero-2019" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd hSmufO fWJQiy hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gSGCJB bUkXwu">Queero 2019</span></a><a href="/tags/andre--shields" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd hSmufO fWJQiy hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gSGCJB bUkXwu">André De Shields</span></a><a href="/tags/jeremy-o-harris" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd hSmufO fWJQiy hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gSGCJB bUkXwu">Jeremy O. Harris</span></a><a href="/tags/theater" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd hSmufO fWJQiy hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gSGCJB bUkXwu">theater</span></a></div></div></div></div><div data-ttid="ContentFooterBottom" class="ContentFooterBottom-jwWZfC kcbyiW"><div class="ntent-bottom-anchor"></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="recirc-list-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan ContentFooterRelated-kEBiFe kVUuwq"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 SummaryCollectnGridComponent-ktyEog bdTTVU summary-llectn-grid RecircListDefltOverlaySummaryCollectnGrid-AHJhY bEaXiL recirc-list__ems summary-llectn-grid--four-lumns summary-llectn-grid--TextBelowLeft"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="SummaryCollectnGridContent-eVUpRm gOErDJ"><div class="SectnTleRoot-dBGvdq iEHvtl SummaryCollectnGridSectnTle-fCmYwG izjbVn" data-ttid="SectnTle"><hear class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SectnTleHed-dKqZet dxqEAa dvxNrX jttyjJ">Read More</hear></div><div class="SummaryCollectnGridItems-DZShR edYbup hi-read-more-ad" data-ttid="SummaryCollectnGridItems"><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff fKazuH summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eIFuYX" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a 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src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM dVrbhU summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/story/queero-2019-kia-labeija-lyle-ashton-harris" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ kBFaWv summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Queero 2019: How Kia LaBeija and Lyle Ashton Harris Use Art to Persevere</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd bCbgyH gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Ey Colucci</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff fKazuH summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eIFuYX" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/story/queero-2019-kate-bornste-kay-ulanday-barrett" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz hlQxkn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Queero 2019: Kate Bornste and Kay Ulanday Barrett Talk Storytellg and Survival" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM dVrbhU summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/story/queero-2019-kate-bornste-kay-ulanday-barrett" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ kBFaWv summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Queero 2019: Kate Bornste and Kay Ulanday Barrett Talk Storytellg and Survival</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd bCbgyH gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Davey Davis</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff fKazuH summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eIFuYX" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/story/queero-2019-emma-gonzalez-chase-strang" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz hlQxkn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Queero 2019: How Emma González and Chase Strang Work Toward Queer Liberatn" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM dVrbhU summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/story/queero-2019-emma-gonzalez-chase-strang" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ kBFaWv summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Queero 2019: How Emma González and Chase Strang Work Toward Queer Liberatn</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd bCbgyH gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Trish Bendix</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eIFuYX ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="cv92ch"></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff fKazuH summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eIFuYX" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/story/jeremy-o-harris-daddy-profile" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz hlQxkn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="For Jeremy O. Harris, Playwrg Is Jt the Begng" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl clSLtF summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX gPBNpL bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM dVrbhU summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk--unrle-disable" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/story/jeremy-o-harris-daddy-profile" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ kBFaWv summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">For Jeremy O. Harris, Playwrg Is Jt the Begng</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY dHMSJg summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ecFEgL byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd bCbgyH gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Michael Cuby</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryCollectnGridToActnWrapper-gnReGN eGayfk"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="TaboolaWrapper-hMVdpE iYfBhy"><div class="TaboolaWidgetWrapper-egPIjc hkSrgt TaboolaWidget-eUSdED hQCCRa" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetWrapper"><div class="TaboolaWidgetContent-iBEQTO eXroXG TABOOLA" id="taboola-below-article-thumbnails---f" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetContent"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--footer should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--footer" data-no-id="y4xx5"></div></div></div></div></div></ma><div class="BasePageMaFooterFiller-hTlZph jSriYf page__ma-footer-filler"></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--cm-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan BasePageSeFooterRow-kpEBGH jqlJed"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 BasePageSeFooterRowGrid-iBGjXL zQNeb"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><footer class="SeFooterWrapper-bXjkRY cCBFKg se-footer--wh-store"><div class="SeFooterGridNoMargs-jSrXSj kdlxBX" data-ttid="SeFooterGridNoMargs"><div class="SeFooterBrandInfo-cdoqKy cdkwFG"><div class="SeFooterLogo-eYlNHY eigdAF se-footer__logo"><a href="/"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SeFooterLogoRponsiveAsset-ckjzWk kubVDn se-footer__rponsive-image"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SeFooterLogoRponsiveAsset-ckjzWk kubVDn se-footer__rponsive-image rponsive-image"><img alt="Them" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="/verso/static/them/assets/" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/></picture></span></a></div><div data-ttid="SeFooterAbout" class="SeFooterAbout-lflfWa kCRdyp"><div class="SeFooterAboutText-XXKBX blTbmF">Them is the award-wng thory on what LGBTQ+ means today — and tomorrow. 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