and not an African American female as well? I don't have a problem remaining whole, but for television it's a bit trickier. We know editors and producers have more than just an index card listing proper stereotypes of people, whether they be colored or queer. There's drama and the story to be found within it, for one of the greatest industries in America the proof remains in the pudding – will people watch?
In reality television, the bar moves to and fro, with everyone excited to get their entertainment on. What will Diddy say next to the new band? Who will the fierce Ms. Tyra remold today? Boundaries of good taste expand to include moments of mortification and frustration at frightening heights – but in the end We All Learn Something. Heartened by searches for excellence and quests for courage, the American public loves it in reality TV too!
Over the course of any given reality series you might someone remarking, 'I feel like I've changed so much!', this may or may not be accompanied by a moving montage of previous recoils cut in with new positive acceptances.
Recently I had the opportunity to witness lessons learned and change at its best as a poet kid participating in FX's Black. White. Two families trading races and living under the same roof while they do it. I was one of the young people in the Poetri class the White (to Black) daughter, Rose attended. We were fast friends, both of us being unskilled in slam poetry.
When I came out as a queer girl and mentioned my transdyke girlfriend, Rose was more accepting of my orientation than any of the other people in the class. Her parents welcomed me into their home and crazed situation with open arms; Carmen, Rose's mom even positively affirmed my black queer existence at the trepidation of a bunch of black Christians sitting in the same room.
I did not expect my journey as a positive queer person to be the focus of the production, I was only a poignant passerby. However I was surprised by the final editing, somehow I became straight and the straight boy who read a poem about fags became gay! Any issues I or others might have had with homophobic and heterosexist comments made were turned into dramatic fodder about race alone. Recently, Zulema from Project Runway remarked on her wife, her being queer wasn’t ever even brought up
I WOULD CONTEND THAT THIS IS BECAUSE OF RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA. TO BE A BLACK GAY PERSON IS VIEWED AS UNACCEPTABLE BY WHO? AFRICAN AMERICANS? WHITE GAYS? WHY ARE WE BEING SILENCED?
While I quite enjoy being Wild Haired and Outspoken Black Woman #1, I was a bit disheartened to learn that sometimes in television, you can only be one stereotype at a time.

Blessed be new prophets, especially ones down for peace not war…sure, they end up nailed to a tree sometimes but with the lack of lumber these days…
KINDLING (2005) I can lie like the CIA pull the covers over your head, so sweet, so tight, Out goes the light Kill'd dead with words you're in now stamped earth with me bobbing my head as you suffocate to death, coughing how did I get myself in this fucked up situation? Good thing I work for the opposition. Taming tradition, the mission ancestral homes denied, all I've got left is the right brain in my head a million years in coming, I-alighting/DNA united! (Formative years still make me tempted by the instead…)
I could lead into battle wild haired and leveling A Republican Black Pagan Queer, but Republican with debt saddle winking at human nature 😉 'Socialist policies have no place in America! the market makes true sense, we all put in our dollars and cents. Even me, the black chick with back-due rent.' Glad to work for an opposing force, nature pulled I push forth; The richer the world is, not the better for. Beyond a pointed finger to starry sky the next is high even now further away during our war days Sly, I'd say there's always been killin' dying mass murdering of man slave trading raping United Nations lying in state Suffering under great civilizations' bloody weight building tall temples of reserved gold spreading ideals down roads dealt death But I work for the opposition. Sorry, I'm lying to you: Lone dark nights spent fearing it true DEADEN'D, We. LOOK, LOOK! The ice caps are melting The birds are dying Down from the sky planes now regularly fly and the Superman is dead! Turn-back-go-not-ahead! The world is ending, hear me, the world is ending… and I work for the opposition