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6. “Kyle” [Isaiah Washington] – Get On The Bus (Film)

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Are we supposed to still be upset with Isaiah Washington? I’m not sure. He used the gay slur, “Faggot” in outbursts on the set of his former show, Grey’s Anatomy, as well as backstage of the Golden Globes. Many people gave him a pass but I was one who felt that he was very much in the wrong. Either way, he definitely “served his time” for the crime given that his career took a major nosedive afterward.

Regardless, we did enjoy his performance as Kyle, one half of the black gay relationship in the Spike Lee film, Get on the Bus. What made the character so captivating was that he was comfortable to be Out about his sexuality, yet he was still reluctant to be open about his relationship as his lover Randall.

 


5. “William Boyals” [Kent Faulcon] – Strange Fruit (Film)

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The 2004 independent film Strange Fruit won’t be winning any film festival awards any time soon for quality or execution, however Kent Faulcon’s character William Boyals definitely was a stand out in this otherwise forgettable film.

In William Boyals we saw a professional, cocky, arrogant, attractive, self-made black gay man embroiled into an old fashioned southern murder mystery.

Let me repeat that: This film featured a black gay lead character not “looking for love” or in the middle of a “down low love triangle with unknowing black woman.” Instead he was detective solving a crime. How rare is that?

 


4. “Captain Ray Holt” [Andre Braugher] – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series)

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Talk about being the 180° opposite of the flamboyant caricatures of black gay men we have to see on reality shows and comedies like Key & Peele. Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s black gay character Captain Ray Holt is awesome in that he walks the fine line of being both extremely reserved/serious and also extremely funny, in a witty subtle way.

Who would have thought that masculine openly gay black film/TV characters could be believable and hilarious without loudly emulating women or acting like 15 year old ratchet Black/Latino girls?

 


3. “Paul Poitier” [Will Smith] – Six Degrees of Separation (Film)

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Will Smith as the fake son of Sydney Poitier in Six Degrees of Separation remains one of the most complex black gay characters to be captured on film. Many people are unaware that this character is based on a real life black gay con artist named David Hampton who conned celebrities like Melanie Griffith, Gary Sinise and Calvin Klein out of thousands of dollars back in the 1980’s.

Here’s a black man who’s not defined by his sexuality, instead defines himself with the countless lies he tells others. Another thing that makes the character so fascinating is how charming he is, a common trait of gay sociopaths. They make you gravitate towards them like moths to a flame and they will burn you just the same.

 


2. Omar Little [Michael K. Williams] – The Wire (TV Series)

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Say what you will about The Wire’s tough black gay character Omar Little being a negative stereotype of black gay men, he was far from a one-note caricature. Michael K. William’s portrayal of the feared outlaw that robbed drug dealers for a living became an iconic character known around the world

The most riveting thing about his Omar Little was that his sexuality was engraved into his character yet that never defined who he was or how he was portrayed. As a matter of fact, we never had a single scene where the character is conflicted about his sexuality or shows any indifference whatsoever. He’s refreshingly depicted as a man that loves his boyfriends and loves his job, as illegal and violent as it may be.

 


1. Keith Charles [Mathew St. Patrick] – Six Feet Under (TV Series)

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Hands down, openly gay Los Angeles Police Officer and Bodyguard Keith Charles on Six Feet Under is the best black gay character ever depicted on film or television. The genuine charm, love and devotion portrayed by Mathew St. Patrick made all of us wish that we had an equally strong and confident “Keith” in our lives.

Keith and his partner David Fisher may not have been married, but they were probably the first realistic domestic couple many of us ever ever saw. They even were proud parents, adopting two boys from foster care.

It was refreshing to see glimpses inside of Keith’s complicated life as he dealt with anger issues and multiple changes of employment. Many of these revelations were seen not through the prism of his relationship with his lover, but in his own scenes depicting his own struggles.

Do yourself a favor and catch up on all 5 seasons of this amazing show, if you haven’t already.