Is VH1 jumping on the Empire bandwagon with the new season of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood and its same-sex black couple? Miles Brock and Milan Christopher have been called this season's breakout stars. Here's a recent interview they did with theGrio.com.
The openly
gay[same-sex] couple have created a whirlwind of press and publicity since the August announcement from VH1 that the rapper/songwriters would be joining the reality TV series.Last night, Miles and Milan, alongside LHHH co-stars Ray J and Lil Fizz, joined a panel of pastors and religious experts to discuss the taboo topic of homosexuality in the black church as part of the Love & Hip Hop: Out in Hip Hop special.
“When more people step up and basically be themselves, people will be more accepting,” Milan said. “I wish some of the rappers that I know for a fact that are homosexual would just be themselves. Because if the world knew, they would be like, ‘oh wow I have been loving this person for so long and they are so talented.'”
Miles, who recently ended his long-term relationship with his ex-friend Amber Laura, proudly defended his right to label himself as bisexual.
“Women can freely go back and forth,” Miles said. “The second a man crosses over, they feel like, ‘That’s it. You know, you need to choose one way.’ I was in a relationship with a woman for 10 years and now I’m in a relationship with Milan.”
The couple later defended their relationship against numerous rumors and reports that they staged their romance for the cameras. – thegrio.com
But why is it important to take note of this black same-sex male coupling? Is all the attention spawning from the Empire effect? Is the FOX tv show making us rethink and pay more notice to black gay relationships and gays in hip hop like the Empire creators wanted to?
I read an article by George M. Johnson back in May from Mused Magazine Online, entitled "Seeking The Ideal Black Gay Couple When Interracial Ones Aren’t Enuf." One excerpt reads:
Let’s face it, being black and gay is nothing new and isn’t going anywhere. We have many notable black gays that have contributed to shaping the narrative of our culture in a variety of ways. Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Jason Collins, Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, and Shaun T to name a few. These men are truly an inspiration to living our lives open and unapologetically as black gay men. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see any of them become that powerhouse black couple to look up to. Their relationships for the most part have been interracial, which is awesome as it gives us perspective on the fact that a gay relationship can work. However, we as a community are very visual, and to not see a black man with another black man can often be disappointing and continues to feed the negative stereotypes that surround black relationships.
Often times, when a black gay couple comes out in the public eye, it is met with much ridicule and looked down upon as another stigma added to the black community as a whole. Furthermore, we not only face scrutiny from other cultures, but are often times dismantled and disenfranchised by our own race. The acceptance of black gay couples is still quite taboo in the eyes of society due to a variety of reasons including politics, health and religion to name a few. This scrutiny leads to the portrayal of black gay characters in television also being in interracial relationships.
This was highlighted by a photo that went viral of a black gay couple named Kordale and Kaleb. The picture showed the two men shirtless doing their daughters’ hair in the bathroom. A moment that should have given hope to black gays who could only dream of having a family, turned into a horrific backlash of comments and negativity from both the white and black community. Statements of these girls potentially being in danger, accusations of possible molestation, rhetoric of religion and so much more. With that being said, I will not deny the fact that there are many black gay couples that I have met on a local level, but incidents like that make these couples apprehensive about being the face of the community. – musedmagonline.com
I am sure comments will be made that color of skin doesn't matter, love is love, and why do people need a gay all black couple to look up to? This very white French Canadian man from Maine does not have the answers, but I fully understand the need for role models and I understand the desire for a visual and prominent black gay male couple. I recommend reading more of George M. Johnson's culture / opinion piece on Mused Magazine Online.
But what I can say is VH1's reality is doing better than the scripted Empire. Fox is still falling into the old ruts of black masculinity identification. Smollett still plays the more masculine black male in his relationship while his boyfriend is constantly referred to as the female of the relationship and is not black. Is Empire afraid to go the entire way and have two strong black males together in a committed relationship? VH1 found the real thing and isn't afraid to show it.
Catch new episodes of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood Mondays at 8/7c on VH1.
Let’s face it, being black and gay is nothing new and isn’t going anywhere. We have many notable black gays that have contributed to shaping the narrative of our culture in a variety of ways. Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Jason Collins, Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, and Shaun T to name a few. These men are truly an inspiration to living our lives open and unapologetically as black gay men. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see any of them become that powerhouse black couple to look up to. Their relationships for the most part have been interracial, which is awesome as it gives us perspective on the fact that a gay relationship can work. However, we as a community are very visual, and to not see a black man with another black man can often be disappointing and continues to feed the negative stereotypes that surround black relationships.
Often times, when a black gay couple comes out in the public eye, it is met with much ridicule and looked down upon as another stigma added to the black community as a whole. Furthermore, we not only face scrutiny from other cultures, but are often times dismantled and disenfranchised by our own race. The acceptance of black gay couples is still quite taboo in the eyes of society due to a variety of reasons including politics, health and religion to name a few. This scrutiny leads to the portrayal of black gay characters in television also being in interracial relationships.
This was highlighted by a photo that went viral of a black gay couple named Kordale and Kaleb. The picture showed the two men shirtless doing their daughters’ hair in the bathroom. A moment that should have given hope to black gays who could only dream of having a family, turned into a horrific backlash of comments and negativity from both the white and black community. Statements of these girls potentially being in danger, accusations of possible molestation, rhetoric of religion and so much more. With that being said, I will not deny the fact that there are many black gay couples that I have met on a local level, but incidents like that make these couples apprehensive about being the face of the community.
– See more at: http://www.musedmagonline.com/2015/05/seeking-the-ideal-black-gay-couple-when-interracial-ones-arent-enuf/#sthash.3RntgGY4.dpuf
Let’s face it, being black and gay is nothing new and isn’t going anywhere. We have many notable black gays that have contributed to shaping the narrative of our culture in a variety of ways. Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Jason Collins, Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, and Shaun T to name a few. These men are truly an inspiration to living our lives open and unapologetically as black gay men. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see any of them become that powerhouse black couple to look up to. Their relationships for the most part have been interracial, which is awesome as it gives us perspective on the fact that a gay relationship can work. However, we as a community are very visual, and to not see a black man with another black man can often be disappointing and continues to feed the negative stereotypes that surround black relationships.
Often times, when a black gay couple comes out in the public eye, it is met with much ridicule and looked down upon as another stigma added to the black community as a whole. Furthermore, we not only face scrutiny from other cultures, but are often times dismantled and disenfranchised by our own race. The acceptance of black gay couples is still quite taboo in the eyes of society due to a variety of reasons including politics, health and religion to name a few. This scrutiny leads to the portrayal of black gay characters in television also being in interracial relationships.
This was highlighted by a photo that went viral of a black gay couple named Kordale and Kaleb. The picture showed the two men shirtless doing their daughters’ hair in the bathroom. A moment that should have given hope to black gays who could only dream of having a family, turned into a horrific backlash of comments and negativity from both the white and black community. Statements of these girls potentially being in danger, accusations of possible molestation, rhetoric of religion and so much more. With that being said, I will not deny the fact that there are many black gay couples that I have met on a local level, but incidents like that make these couples apprehensive about being the face of the community.
– See more at: http://www.musedmagonline.com/2015/05/seeking-the-ideal-black-gay-couple-when-interracial-ones-arent-enuf/#sthash.3RntgGY4.dpuf
Fox is still falling into the
Fox is still falling into the old ruts of black masculinity identification.
Wow…did you get that one wrong. He is not constantly referred to as the female – Luscious and Cookie refer to him that way because they are old school trash that disrespect everyone they come in contact with. Jamal doesn't refer to him that way at all.
Also, the boyfriend is Venezuelan. Why does that even matter? Shouldn't we be showing all types of relationships not just same race same gender. Why is there ALWAYS something to bitch about?? This is still progress people.
If a columnist for a gay
If a columnist for a gay black online magazine comments on the lack of gay black male couples to identify with and Empire doesn't present that, but instead offers a black / Venezuelan couple, that does matter. I thought that was pretty clear.
As for just Cookie and Lucious (he may be luscious to some) treating the boyfriend as the female, this may be true, but it seems he is written as the lesser in the relationship, which, hold on to your hats, is deemed as the more feminine role leaving the black male as the more dominant of the two and not disrupting the ideal that the black male is "the male" in the relationship.