When people hear my story, my hope is always that they start to believe that the life they want is possible for them, because I am living the life I've always dreamed.
We have to start making sure that churches start to talk about... black queerness in a way that's affirming. Because a lot of young black men are in the church, and that's where they start to learn this self-hate behavior.
So often, we take photos on our iPhone, and then they're gone in a year, and we don't even remember them. I like to experience life and disconnect from that.
Although someone's vote may hurt me by supporting the structures in place that hold people of colour, women, and LGBT+ people down, some people just don't realise that these structures exist. The way someone votes doesn't make them a bad person; it just means that, at the time, this was the best decision they thought they could make.
That's the beauty of 'Queer Eye' coming back. No matter how far you think we've come as a society, there's still work that needs to be done.
Life experiences with oppression and homophobia often become internalized and can have detrimental effects on the development of positive sexual identity for Southern black gay men.
People always look at reality shows and think, 'How do they fall in love so quickly?' When you are quarantined with the same people, the emotions you normally feel after a year come within a week.
As one of the first African-Americans to be out on a reality program, MTV's 'The Real World: Philadelphia,' I understand the courage it takes to live your truth on a national platform, the importance it holds to LGBT communities of color, and the power it has to create a greater conversation within American culture.
We, as communities that are marginalized, need to open up our minds and realize that we should be asking and advocating for more of everyone. Let's get more gay black men; let's get more trans women.
Being an openly gay black man, unfortunately I've had experiences working with individuals who've tried to exploit my blackness or my gayness in a way that doesn't make me feel comfortable, or they try to manipulate me into being a caricature of myself.
I always had an ability to listen and give people the space to open up and express themselves, and I was hoping it would translate on TV.
Bangkok is one of those places where it's so rich and full of tradition, but they're so open to different people - different gender expressions and gender identities. As a gay man, I never once felt uncomfortable there. As a black man, I never once felt uncomfortable.