More Black Gay Characters beginning to be seen onTV

Black, gay men are coming out — all over television.

In a rare and unprecedented season, there’s been an influx of black gay characters in prime-time dramas on hit shows including Fox’s “Empire,” BET's“Being Mary Jane” and OWN's “The Haves & The Have Nots.”

And while gay characters have been common on TV for years, black, gay men were hardly anything other than stereotyped sidekicks or hunky objects of affection.

That’s all changed now because these guys are essential to main storylines of each show, and depicted in non-stereotypical roles with their own eyebrow-raising story arcs.

This season's biggest success story, “Empire” has made major waves in the zeitgeist with R&B singer Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollet) who, while vying for his father's acceptance and competing for the top spot of the family empire also grapples with going public with his sexual orientation.

On “Being Mary Jane” — now in its second season — Mark Bradley (Aaron D. Spears) is a cable news anchor keeping his homosexuality secret from the public and his family. The character was challenged recently by his mom, (played by Emmy winner S. Epatha Merkerson) who grilled him about hiding his sexuality.

Meanwhile the third season of “The Haves & The Have Nots” (written, produced, created and directed by Tyler Perry) has had jaws dropping as with the story arc of Jeffrey Harrington (Gavin Houston) getting blackmailed by his own meddling mother (Angela Robinson), who refuses to accept that he's gay.

“It was only a few years ago that GLAAD's annual television reports found that gay black men were one of the most underrepresented groups on television, but the current influx of more diverse characters is a very promising sign," says Matt Kane, a program director at GLAAD.

While applauding the recent work that has been done, Kane stresses the importance of character development: "Those characters should also be distinct from one another, and represent a wide range of ages, socio-economic backgrounds, professions, and personalities."

It’s a skill not lost on filmmaker Patrik Ian Polk who for years has been breaking ground telling stories about the lives of gay black men in indie films such as “Punks,” “The Skinny” and the 2005 television series “Noah's Arc,” which aired on Viacom's Logo network.

"We so rarely get to see ourselves onscreen in any capacity, so it's always a big deal when it happens," says Polk, who is gay. He adds, "I don't think it's a trend as much as a sign of the changing times … It's refreshing to see characters with actual storylines and fully realized love lives. I think this speaks to the quickness with which we as a nation have opened up to the idea of 'gay' as a normal way of life, a regular part of our daily fabric."

BET, which has long been criticized for not creating original programming outside of the confines of hip hop and R&B music, broke form with “Being Mary Jane,” a one-hour drama focusing on the trials and tribulations of a single black female and her family and friends.

"BET Networks has worked hard to identify content that shares authentic stories and experiences that are reflective of our audience," says Charlie Jordan Brookins, senior vice president of original programming at BET. "The new season of 'Being Mary Jane' [is] a great example that while we are telling stories that contain provocative and engaging content, it is also raw and truthful."

GLAAD’s Kane says that with the success of such shows, he's hopeful television networks recognize that diversity can be a great contributor to commercial success and will keep up the forward momentum.

New York Daily News