About this blog

Representation in the media has been a long term struggle for members of minority groups. Mainstream media historically underrepresents anyone that is not white, cisgender, heterosexual, and/or male. This particularly affects intersectional identities, as there is even less representation present for them. Even when minority groups are represented, there is a high possibility that they will be stereotypes, one dimensional, and side characters. This is particularly prevalent for Black queer folks, as the image of queerness in the media is very white. Even when there is a Black queer person included in a romantic storyline, it is often with a white person. The underrepresentation of Black queer people in media doesn't allow for real Black queer people to see themselves in the things they watch or read. Being able to see yourself in the media can help you explore your own identity and see possibilities for your own life. This also means that members of other communities are not exposed to Black queer stories, which reinforces the idea that queerness is a white experience. Black queer storylines are often only shown in historical or modern genres, not in other genres like fantasy or sci-fi. This limits the stories that are able to be told and doesn't allow for BIPOC audiences to see themselves in fantastical settings. This blog is meant to highlight Black queer media that has already been released, discuss the reason why queer Black storylines are not present in the mainstream, give examples of good queer Black media, and make a case for why representation is so important.