A Black Lady Sketch Show is giving us LGBTQ representation on top of everything else.
At the start of this month, HBO released a sketch comedy show called A Black Lady Sketch Show. Created by Robin Thede and produced by Issa Rae, the show spotlights African-American female comedians like never before. In fact, the show is the first to be produced by black women, written by black women, and stars black women.
The series stars several notable Black female comedians like Robin Thede (one of the few Black women to host a late-night talk show), Issa Rae (a rising star in Hollywood whose successful HBO show Insecure landed her movie roles and several production projects like an upcoming Black Bi man show), Ashley Nicole Black (a former correspondent for Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Gabrielle Denis (who’s appeared in several series like Luke Cage and The Game), and Quinta Brunson (of Buzzfeed fame).
But on top of that, the show’s first two episodes have included several other notable black female comedians and actresses like Angela Bassett, Nicole Byer, Laverne Cox, Lena Waithe, Kelly Rowland, Loretta Devine, and more.
Clearly, the series is making a statement with its very existence. One that shouldn’t have to be made but is all too important to ignore. Black women are funny, powerful, and complex. But the show isn’t keeping the representation to only Black women. There’s room for LGBTQ stories as well.
The first two episodes of A Black Lady Sketch Show has covered several topics in race and gender, but it’s also included some LGBTQ stories as well. And thankfully, HBO has been kind enough to share a few sketches on YouTube.
In one sketch, Bob the Drag Queen stopped by to do a scene playing up the attention Pose has giving Black LGBTQ people and Ballroom culture. But being a sketch, the scene shows a “Basic Ball” to honor all moments of non-fab and drab excellence. From being clinically depressed to running errands around town and feeling awkward in your body, this sketch is all about flipping confident ballroom culture upside down.
But that’s not all, another video spotlights friendship, clubbing, and dating for queer Black women. When two friends go out dancing, they run into exs and extraterrestrial beings in what can only be described as a club trip with a drip of fantasy comedy.
Check both videos out down below.
