Part 10: Representation on Cable Television; Pose (FX), Looking, and True Blood (HBO)

Representation on Cable Television: Where are all the Gay Men of Color?

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One might ask where all of the gay men of color in television are.? It would be safe to assume that they are on cable television.? Gay men of color, and queer people of color may be lacking on prime-time network television, but they are not absent from cable television, premium channels, or streaming platforms.? In 2018 FX premiered the television series Pose.? Pose is a scripted, hour-long drama focusing on LGBT people of color, primarily of the transgender community, as well as gay men of color (Black and Latino), living in New York City in the 1980s “ball” scene.? The cast is amazingly compiled of a large pool of actors and actresses who off-screen are members of the communities which they are representing on-screen.? Aside from other issues, the series addresses the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the mid to late 1980s.? Viewers however may be surprised when the credits run at the end of the first episode.? It is no surprise that the most famous names in Hollywood are often first billed in a film or television series.? What is surprising is that Pose lists the starring order with the three straight, white, actors; Evan Peters, Kate Mara, and James Van Der Beek.? Additionally, the three actors referenced are not the starts of the series by any stretch of the imagination.? Evan Peter’s character is of pivotal importance to Angel, portrayed by transgender actress Indya Moore.? The lead role of the series is the character Bianca Rodriguez, portrayed by transgender actress Mj Rodriguez.? Pose also stars Billy Porter as Pray Tell.? Billy Porter, a Tony Award winning Broadway performer, is an out gay Black man portraying an out gay Black man who has been diagnoses with HIV.? The character of Pray Tell is established in his own right within the LGBT community which is represented in Pose.? On the opposite end of this spectrum is the character of Damon, portrayed by Ryan Jamaal Swain.? The introduction of Damon is explained in an article in NYLON Magazine as follows, “… we met young Damon Richards, an aspiring dancer who traveled to New York City after being kicked out of his conservative home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Found dancing in a park for money, Damon soon becomes the first member of Blanca Rodriguez’s newly formed House of Evangelista – his new chosen family who ends up helping him redefine who he is.”[1]? Pose addresses the reality of homelessness for LGBT youth, whether it be in the 1980s or present day.?

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LGBT people of color appear to be featured more often in hour long drama series versus thirty-minute situational comedies.? This tends to be the case on both network television and cable television.? By primarily featuring gay characters in this format, audiences are often viewing these characters as often struggling and focusing on issues related specifically to their sexuality alone.? Aside from Pose, on FX, many popular series with gay men of color have been featured on the premium cable channel HBO.? These characters have been portrayed both comedically and dramatically, such as on the series; True Blood, Six Feet Under, The Wire, and some may acknowledge Looking.? True Blood checked many boxes; science fiction, comedy, and drama.? Series regular Nelsan Ellis portrayed Lafayette Reynolds, who is listed as a main character.? Lafayette was a fan favorite, and a powerful character.? The character is portrayed in a feminine manner, often wearing makeup, headscarves, and jewelry.? Lafayette may be visually feminine; however, he has a very strong and dominating personality.? His character is shown as an individual who fights back to oppressors, since episode one of the series.? Later in the series, which aired for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014, Lafayette’s character is in a monogamous relationship with Jesus Velasquez.? Jesus, who is Mexican-American, is portrayed by Kevin Alejandro.? Six Feet Under, an HBO original dark comedy-drama which aired from 2001 to 2005, featured a gay married couple.? Keith was depicted as an African-American cop married to David, who is white.? The show focuses on David’s family, who run a funeral home.? In this series the gay African-American character, Keith Charles, portrayed by Matthew St. Patrick, is very masculine.? Keith being a police officer, and later working as a body guard and in security, could be viewed as straight-acting, while his partner who is white is portrayed more emotionally.? The depiction of Keith and David is not a negative one, but their dynamic and roles have become that of a popularly accepted depiction.? That of the Black gay man taking on the heteronormative male (or husband) role, and the white gay man taking on the heteronormative female (or wife’s) role.?? A 2010 published article based on research performed by Northwestern University’s Department of Sociology shares that sentiment with title alone with, “All the Gays are White and all the Blacks are Straight: Black Gay Men, Identity, and Community”.? The popular consensus from this research, based on interviews, was that gay Black men identified with their Black identity before their gay identity.? The premise behind this research is Marcus Anthony Hunter, stating; “Employing an analysis generated from 50 in-depth interviews with self-identified Black gay men in Philadelphia and New York City, this research seeks to answer several important questions: Do Black gay men identify more closely with racial identity or a sexual identity? What experiences influence the saliency of a racial or sexual identity for Black men? How do Black gay men use daily interactions to inform a sense of self and community?? Ultimately, how do Black gay men negotiate marginalized identities in order to articulate an understanding of self and community that accounts for their own subjective realities?”[2]? Acknowledgement of these real-life questions about identity for gay men of color helps explain and legitimize the depiction and portrayal of a character such as Keith from Six Feet Under, or even Ray on Mom.?

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Most recently on HBO, aired the series Looking from 2014 to 2015, followed by the 85-minute 2016 HBO film of the same name which acted as the series finale.? The show was at times criticized for being a white casted show, like shows in the past such as Queer as Folk.? A primary love interest of lead character Patrick, portrayed by Jonathan Graff, was Mexican-American Richie, portrayed by Raul Castillo.? Series regular Frankie J. Alvarez starred as Patrick’s best friend, Cuban-American Agustin.? Agustin does not acknowledge his Latino identity until after mocking Patrick and Richie’s relationship.? Looking does feature many more people of color than series such as Queer as Folk or Will & Grace, however the series is still primarily from the viewpoint or experience of the white characters.

NOTE: Pose aired on FX for 3 Seasons (a total of 26 Episodes), with the Series Finale airing on June 6, 2021.

Also worth noting, a Reboot of Queer as Folk premiered on Peacock on June 9, 2022. The show featured a more diverse group of main characters (ethnically, racially, and addressing those that identified beyond the traditional understanding of gay representation).

[1] Song, Sandra. Ryan Jamaal Swain On How ‘Pose’ Helped Him Heal from Personal Trauma. NYLON Magazine. (June 7, 2018).

[2] Hunter, Marcus Anthony. All the Gays are White and all the Blacks are Straight: Black Gay Men, Identity, and Community. Department of Sociology, Northwestern University. 2010.