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Communities of African Descent

Though LGBT Americans are more visible than ever before in the media, many LGBT people of color still find that their lives and stories are not reflected in the media, which perpetuates misconceptions and fuels prejudice in many communities.

GLAAD’s Communities of African Descent (COAD) Media and Asian Pacific Islander (API) Community Media staff work to elevate the voices and stories of LGBT people of color by holding media trainings, pitching stories, and working with editorial boards for fair, accurate and inclusive coverage of LGBT people of color.

In addition to ensuring that mainstream, ethnic and LGBT media outlets feature authentic and diverse LGBT voice and stories, GLAAD’s strategists also work with groups and organizations serving gay and transgender communities of color to help them to share their stories and respond when media outlets miss the mark in their coverage of LGBT people of color.

At GLAAD, we are in the business of changing people's hearts and minds through what they see in the media. Fair, accurate and inclusive media images shatter stereotypes. They prove that we are connected through common, human experiences. And these are stories that we -- and the media -- have a responsibility to share.

To find out more, contact us at coad@glaad.org.

Did You Know?

• There are more Black LGBT characters on T.V. than from many other underrepresented communities,, but that number is still low and has dropped – from 81 series regulars (12%) in the 2007-2008 season to 67 (11%) in the 2008-2009 season. 
• Black media outlets have increasingly started to included LGBT voices and perspectives, including openly gay author Keith Boykin on BET J’s talkshow My Two Cents and the feature “Black & Proud” on BET.com News.   
• Noah’s Arc, a show about four Black gay friends living in Los Angeles, broke new ground as the first series featuring LGBT Black characters in T.V. history.  The characters will be hitting the big screen soon in a new feature film, tentatively titled Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom. 
• Janet Jackson and Patti LaBelle, who have both been honored at the GLAAD Media Awards, are only two of the well-known black entertainers that have vocally supported the LGBT community.  Many leading black civil rights leaders have also spoken out for LGBT equality, including Coretta Scott King and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond. 
• Problematic and sensationalist images of black gay men are still all too common in the media, and many stories are still overly focused on men on the so-called “down low.”
• A string of young black artists and musicians are speaking out against homophobia in the media – notably ten-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer and singer Kanye West.     
• According to a Harris Interactive Survey commissioned by GLAAD, African Americans were among the most supportive segments for expanding hate crimes laws to cover gay and transgender people (71% African Americans, 62% White, 61% Hispanics). See the full results of the Harris Interactive Survey.