In lockstep with several affinity and identity groups that quickly organized following Vice President Kamala Harris’s ascendance to the top of the election ticket, Black queer men across the country made their voices heard.
Less than 48 hours after Black women organized a virtual call and a week before an in-person scheduled appearance by Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on the gay enclave of Fire Island, thousands of Black gay, queer, bi and trans people gathered virtually for a July 25 informational session—with a surprise appearance from Emhoff himself, who touted Harris’s longstanding stance as an LGBTQ ally.
“She has always been beside you, with you, and had your back,” said Emhoff, who noted during the call that he was at a gym working out with friends—a gay couple—when he learned that President Joe Biden would not be seeking the Democratic nomination for president. “And she will always have your back, just like she’s had everyone else’s back.”
In the week-plus since Biden redirected supporters to Harris, the vice president has earned enough delegates to be confirmed as the Democrats’ nominee, though an official confirmation is pending. Much has been made of Harris’s multiracial background and the potential of being the first woman to hold the Oval Office, but her resonance among other key voting blocs—queer, Gen Z, white women—has also come to the forefront.
The call for Black gay men was organized by Alphonso David, a noted civil rights attorney and executive; Emil Wilbekin, founder of the digital platform Native Son; and Rashad Robinson, a civil rights leader. Because all three are affiliated with various 501(c)(3) organizations, each individual represented themselves on the call.
Several Black queer male luminaries spoke on the urgency of “supporting our sister,” and related their own civil rights struggles to hers throughout the call.
“We know what it looks like to fight, and we know what it looks like to be the underdog and to win against the obstacles,” Robinson said.
Speakers spent much of the time debunking an oft-repeated stat about Harris’s record regarding incarcerating Black men on marijuana charges, noting that during her time as a prosecutor, she prosecuted about 1,200 marijuana charges but only 45 of those cases resulted in a jail sentence, and not all who were convicted served time. Speakers also noted what civil rights could roll back—particularly relating to same-sex marriage and other hard-won protections for queer Americans—if Republicans take back not only the White House, but also be put in power to stack judicial courts.
“(Republicans have) made it clear that you and I, and those of us on this call, are not welcome in their version of America,” said Keith Boykin, a Word in Black/AmNews contributor who was one of many featured speakers.
“It is a bittersweet truth that a Black woman will get us back on one accord and get this country back on the right track,” echoed Miss Lawrence, an actor and reality TV personality who came to prominence on Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
In sum, about 3,300 Black gay men were on the call, Wilbekin told AmNews. Other personalities in attendance included actors Jeremy Pope and Dyllon Burnside; “Noah’s Arc” creator and “P-Valley” producer Patrik-Ian Polk; and civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson.
Moving forward, Wilbekin said Black gay organizers will be targeting youth-driven get out the vote campaigns, rallying more voters across the Black LGBTQ spectrum, and identifying where they can support in swing states.
“Black gay men in this country move the culture,” broadcast journalist Don Lemon told attendees at the top of the call. “Everyone wants to be like us.”