Source: Variety / Getty
Rustin star Colman Domingo, comedian and TV personality Wayne Brady and newsman Don Lemon are among the 101 men being honored by Native Son.
The organization founded by Emil Wilbekin, the veteran journalist who is a former editor-in-chief at Vibe and Giant and editor-at-large at Essence was created to honor accomplished queer men of color.
“Black gay and queer men have ascended, making history in politics, shifting narratives in media, TV, and film, and holding critical positions of power in business and technology,” Wilbekin said in a statement to the Grio.
“Living at the intersection of our Blackness and our queerness can be both challenging and triumphant. Meet the rebels and the warriors in our community who are doing the good work to push past any roadblocks – those who are creating opportunities, acting as agents of change and who are advocates for everyone to be able to stand loud and proud in their truth.”
Other honorees include P Valley star Nico Annan, J. Harrison Ghee, the second non-binary performer to win a Tony Award earlier this year for Some Like it Hot, stylists Ty Hunter and Law Roach, choreographer Sean Bankhead, The Great British Bake Off star Sandro, deejay Brian “DJ B-Hen” Henry, Dr. Darien Sutton, director George C. Wolfe, the play Fat Ham, the G.R.I.T.S. podcast and dancer, choreographer and creative director Stephen Galloway.
Founded in 2016, the organization was named after the book Notes of a Native Son by queer writer James Baldwin, Wilbekin told the Cut in 2022. He says after seeing the solidarity of Black woman while working at Essence, he wanted to create a space where Black queer men could find the same.
“I wanted to talk about being HIV positive, about marriage, about being the only Black person in the office, about wanting to have kids,” Wilbekin said. “I didn’t have a place to go, so I created a place that provided something that I wanted. Fortunately, a lot of other people wanted it as well.”
Colman Domingo, Wayne Brady And Don Lemon Among Stars Honored By Native Son was originally published on cassiuslife.com
