Realy star Derek J opens up about his new film explorg the liv of "mascule" Black gay men | HuffPost Contributor

Contents:

• NENE AND HER GAY BOYIEND
• MISS LAWRENCE GETS REAL ABOUT ATLANTA HOEWIV : I WAS THE TOKEN GAY
• ‘RHOA’ REP: DREW’S ASSISTANT ALLEGEDLY SPREADS GAY MOR ABOUT HER HBAND
•  RHOA SEASON 14 EPISO 3 DREW'S ASSANT ANTHONY SPREADS MOR ABOUT HER HBAND RALPH BEG GAY
• 'REAL HOEWIV,' BUT MAKE GAY(ER): MTV TRODUC 'REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO'
• REALY STAR DEREK J OPENS UP ABOUT HIS NEW FILM EXPLORG THE LIV OF "MASCULE" BLACK GAY MEN
• THE REAL HOEWIV OF ATLANTA'S KENYA MOORE JT ALLEGED THAT KIM FIELDS' HBAND IS GAY AND IT'S NOT OK
• MISS LAWRENCE LEAV 'RHOA', SAYS HE WAS TOKEN GAY GUY
• IS IT TIME FOR BRAVO TO CAST ITS FIRST GAY MALE ‘REAL HOEWIFE’?
• REAL HOEWIV OF ATLANTA PRODUCERS LOOKG FOR “YOUNG, FABULO GAY MEN” FOR NEW SERI
• ANDY COHEN CRICIZ THE REAL HOEWIV’ TREATMENT OF GAY MEN
• DPE BEG A GAY, DWIGHT EUBANKS GOT MARRIED TO HIS LADY FIANCE AND TURNED HER TO HIS WIFE
• ‘REAL HOEWIV’ MARLO HAMPTON CLEARS THE AIR ON FIGHTS, HER MONEY, AND THE GAY SLUR
• KANDI BURSS’ NEW BRAVO SP-OFF HAS SOMETHG ‘PUMP RUL’ DON’T: GAY MEN

NENE AND HER GAY BOYIEND

NeNe And Her Gay BoyiendPreviewNeNe updat her gay boyiend on "what's gog on wh the bch.

There have been so many people, pecially Black gay folks, who are happy to see a character like Jamal Lyon on TV.

MISS LAWRENCE GETS REAL ABOUT ATLANTA HOEWIV : I WAS THE TOKEN GAY

I was extremely happy to see a character like Jamal Lyon on televisn bee when I was on Bravo, pecially Fashn Queens, I received so many, how n I put , ill-will moments of people sayg, "Not every gay person is flamboyant. I thk the show need a face-lift and I thk Amiyah is great for people have felt like some of the women of Real Hoewiv of Atlanta are unnscly homophobic — Nene sayg "Queen, " Porsha gettg ught wh her anti-gay vio a uple years ago and Marlo sayg "f****t.

” Are people beg too cril or is there some unnsc homophobia? They love to borrow om the culture, steal tellectual property om the gay muny, and most of them don't give back. It sadns me that most gay pris, pecially Black gay pri, when they want to book celebri, you look on the flyers, there’s a Porsha Williams on the flyer, Nene Leak or Marlo Hampton.

We don't hold them you sayg part of the reason you left the show was bee of the homophobia you saw?

‘RHOA’ REP: DREW’S ASSISTANT ALLEGEDLY SPREADS GAY MOR ABOUT HER HBAND

I don't want to ll them homophobic, that’s not what I'm sayg. I don't thk they're homophobic. But ’s OK if a Black woman lls a gay man a “queen” or “f****t” … some of the women, pecially Marlo Hampton, when she said that years ago, was a teachable moment for her.

 RHOA SEASON 14 EPISO 3 DREW'S ASSANT ANTHONY SPREADS MOR ABOUT HER HBAND RALPH BEG GAY

Most of me out of beg the token gay. The go-to person, “Oh, I need a new word to say, I need some gay slang! I'm not a transgenr mol, I'm not your mascule gay man, and I am a very explosive dividual: I brg !

That is what I rpect the most about a Lee Daniels, him beg an openly gay man and the amount of succs that he has. "I like women, I'm gay.

Drew Sidora’s assistant Anthony allegedly spread a mor that her hband, Ralph Ptman, is gay on Sunday night’s episo of “The Real Hoewiv of Atlanta. After Whfield, 52, vehemently nied the allegatn, her pal Fatum stepped to ask, “Isn’t [Anthony] the same guy who told you her hband is gay? “She didn’t want to hire [Anthony] bee he’s talkg about you and he said that your hband his gay and all of that, ” Fatum said, which censed Sidora.

'REAL HOEWIV,' BUT MAKE GAY(ER): MTV TRODUC 'REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO'

In the most recent episo of 'RHOA, ' she disvers that her tsty assistant has been spreadg gay mors about her spoe, Ralph Ptman.

On Sunday night's episo of 'The Real Hoewiv of Atlanta, ' Drew Sidora's assistant Anthony allegedly spread a story that her spoe, Ralph Ptman, is gay. After Whfield strongly disputed the accatn, her iend Fatum terjected, “Isn’t [Anthony] the same guy who told you her hband is gay?

Acrdg to Fatum, Shereé refed to hire Anthony bee he was gossipg about Sidora and said that her hubby was gay, which furiated slammed Fatum for brgg up her hband's name that light bee she had only recently met her. The upg realy seri follows six gay iends Wt Hollywood, cludg celebry stylist Brad Gorki and sger Todrick st of "The Real Friends of WeHo, " om left: Curtis Haton, Dorión Rend, Brad Gorki, Todrick Hall, Jaym Vghan and Joey Keily / Courty of MTVJan. 5, 2023, 9:36 PM UTCGay men, who have arguably been the lifeblood of “The Real Hoewiv” fan base, will fally get a drama-filled realy TV show they n ll their own.

REALY STAR DEREK J OPENS UP ABOUT HIS NEW FILM EXPLORG THE LIV OF "MASCULE" BLACK GAY MEN

20 “The Real Friends of WeHo, ” which will follow six gay iends livg Los Angel' premiere gayborhood, Wt Hollywood.

The realy star—bt known on Bravo TV’s h shows “The Real Hoewiv of Atlanta” and “Fashn Queens”—released a new documentary about Black gay men. The film, “Gay Like Me, ” tells the story of five openly-gay men who look straight or f to society’s skewed fn of “masculy.

” Derek J explor this hunky image of gayns rarely shown mastream media. I wanted a woman or a gay man to look at them and say this is someone I would date.

THE REAL HOEWIV OF ATLANTA'S KENYA MOORE JT ALLEGED THAT KIM FIELDS' HBAND IS GAY AND IT'S NOT OK

I went back to my high school Oh and I noticed there were a lot of feme gay Black men. What I realized is they are actg out what they visually see of gay men on televisn. I wanted the film’s msage to say “hey there are other typ of gay men out here.

Some people say you perpetuate and explo the stereotype of Black gay man mastream the openg monologue of “Gay Like Me, ” I say I am guilty of . In entertament, beg gay on televisn is still new. Gay people on televisn are gog through that stage televisn.

MISS LAWRENCE LEAV 'RHOA', SAYS HE WAS TOKEN GAY GUY

Black women are not mentally evolved enough to see a gay Black man that she n be physilly attracted to. There’s no way she n see a Boris Kodjoe type character on TV and thk he’s a gay man. The only person slidg through is Karamo Brown but the dtry mak very clear he’s a gay man.

Which story “Gay Like Me” do you intify wh? I am nsired a feme gay man. I’ve never been gay bashed.

IS IT TIME FOR BRAVO TO CAST ITS FIRST GAY MALE ‘REAL HOEWIFE’?

My mom knew that I was gay. I never had that trma growg up gay.

In the Midwt, you’re only gay at night. For dat on where you n watch a screeng of “Gay Like Me” go to Derek J plans to add a sequel to the film that explor how parents pe and react to learng their child is gay. Derek J is also wrg a scripted piece about a character who is cricized for beg a pl-size, feme gay.

REAL HOEWIV OF ATLANTA PRODUCERS LOOKG FOR “YOUNG, FABULO GAY MEN” FOR NEW SERI

Most of the women ckled and lghed at Kenya's suatns, jog on the jokg about Chris' personaly, mentg on his past as a Broadway sger and dancer, as if that is a emasculatg reer choice for only the flamg gay and fellas on the down low. The women, who have all parad their gay BFFs around seasons past as if they're an accsory no fabulo women should be whout, mtn't have that much actual rpect for gay men bee their tastels gossip illumated an ia that beg gay is the most embarrassg thg a man uld be. But the Atlanta Hoewiv, as fabulo as they are, are more problematic than the other Hoewiv, at least when to their "gays.

"Related | Andy Cohen To The Real Hoewiv: Cut Out the 'My Gays' CrapHappy to snap their fgers, roll their necks, read to filth, and borrow liberally om the gay muny--of urse, gay men have been borrowg liberally and often om black ladi sce time immemorial as nature's purt and greatt form of symbsis--the ladi of Atlanta remd me of the girls I grew up wh on the playground. ) of The Real Hoewiv of Atlanta rnn, Andy Cohen fally addrsed this sual homophobia.

Moore, typil twirlg fashn, refed to back down or apologize, and talk turned more homophobic as Andy got more and more visibly unfortable. It's not that the Atlanta Hoewiv are actually homophobic, or even meant any harm by their ments, but rather, we're seeg how masculy is perceived the black muny. This emphasis on masculy turn leads black men to overpensate--wns how Kandi "No Scbs" Burss's hband Todd reacts to Phaedra's gay mors ment:You woulda thought someone whipped out a dildo and slapped him across the face wh .

ANDY COHEN CRICIZ THE REAL HOEWIV’ TREATMENT OF GAY MEN

But this realy show seems to nsistently bmirch the cy’s priste reputatn wh the way paras s ma male st member, Dwight, and all of his flamboyance along wh other male “assistants” who also happen to be homosexual.

There’s nothg wrong wh the men beg homosexual, the issue is that their promence on the show pats a picture of Atlanta that may or may not be accurate.

To many people who have never vised the “Capal of the New South, ” the town mt seem like a homosexual haven where anythg go. On the ntrary, one might tell you that what you see on the show is mostly te; that most of the men the cy are eher gay or knucklehead, wannabe gangster rappers.

DPE BEG A GAY, DWIGHT EUBANKS GOT MARRIED TO HIS LADY FIANCE AND TURNED HER TO HIS WIFE

Lawrence believ that most of the women on the show ed his personaly as the token gay guy and they need to unrstand how to rpect his culture. In an terview wh BET, he explaed how some of the ladi of RHOA had a lack of rpect and unrstandg for the gay muny. "I don't thk they're homophobic, " the fashn queen host explaed.

‘REAL HOEWIV’ MARLO HAMPTON CLEARS THE AIR ON FIGHTS, HER MONEY, AND THE GAY SLUR

The Atlanta hairdrser relled a scene om the show where Kenya Moore ved her iend Brandon, who's also a gay man, to a party given by Nene Leak  a hotel. His flamboyant personaly is why he nsirs himself to be the "token gay guy" on RHOA.

KANDI BURSS’ NEW BRAVO SP-OFF HAS SOMETHG ‘PUMP RUL’ DON’T: GAY MEN

"Most of me out of beg the token gay. The go-to person, 'Oh, I need a new word to say, I need some gay slang!

Every queer viewer nodd unison when Real Hoewiv of Beverly Hills' newbie Diana Jenks, meetg her stmat on mera for the first time the Season 12 premiere, nfsed that she is a gay man trapped si a woman's body.

And on a show that clus veterans Lisa Rna and Eryka Jayne, Jenks is hardly the only one at the table whose personaly channels bold queerns or whose style might dabble fact, what gay man hasn’t seen themself one of the eccentric, fearlsly bedazzled women that have brought ternatnal acclaim (and cricism) to the Bravo anchise? One uld argue there has been more visibily of gay culture among the Hoewiv themselv than the glimps of gay men tokenized sporadic episos, like the next mt-have accsory.