• ELIXHER
• On August 9, 2013

Issa Rae Slated to Co-Write a Comedy Series for HBO

Issa Rae, the Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl web-series creator, is now bringing the awkward character to television. Rae is teaming up with Bernie Mac Show creator Larry Wilmore to co-write a comedy series for HBO, in which she will play the lead role.

The HBO show parallels the theme of Issa Rae’s web-series, and is centered around the humor found in the awkward everyday experiences of a young African-American woman.

Details over at theGrio.

Being Trans in Jamaica Sounds Even Worse Than Being Gay in Jamaica

Last week, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 16-year-old Dwayne Jones was shot and stabbed multiple times for turning up to a party in women’s clothing. Jones was reportedly transgender and the murder has once again highlighted the awful reality of life for Jamaica’s LGBT community. And it really is fucking awful. In the wake of Jones’ death, [Vice.com] got in touch with Tiana Miller, a transgender Jamaican, who hopes that her openness about her gender and sexuality will inspire others to display similar levels of bravery.

Read the interview over at Vice.

It’s Not Easy for Black Celebrities Like Raven-Symoné to Come Out

[Raven] Symoné’s failure to come out angered some who felt the 27-year-old actress would add a much-needed and rarely seen face to the growing list of gay celebrities. Symoné gained fame as a child on The Cosby Show and later on the popular Disney series That’s So Raven. High-profile black females are rarely—if ever—identified as gay. Many believe this is for good reason.

Continue reading on The Daily Beast.

Raven-Symonè Is The Truth, The Light, And The Way

BuzzFeed LGBT breaks down 21 reasons why Raven-Symonè is kind of everything.

Read and laugh your ass off here.

B. Scott, Gender-Nonconforming Host, Sues BET After Being ‘Forced’ To Wear Men’s Clothes

B. Scott was hired as a Style Stage Correspondent for the Ford Red Carpet before the 2013 BET Awards in Los Angeles in June. Shortly after the show aired, he revealed on his blog that BET “forced” him to pull back his hair, take off his makeup, change his clothes and not wear a high heel. The entertainment network later apologized in a statement to the press, calling the whole incident mere “miscommunication,” but Scott dubbed it a “non-apology.”

On Wednesday, Scott announced on his website that he is suing BET and parent company Viacom for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.

More on Huffington Post.

Bernice King On Gays: ‘I’m Not The Enemy’

Bernice King, daughter of slain civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., has come forth with new observations about the LGBT community, in an interview this week with Atlanta Magazine.

King, who has been an outspoken opponent of gay rights, even leading a 2004 march through Atlanta, against marriage equality alongside megachurch Bishop Eddie Long, now has a decidedly mixed message. “People have labeled me homophobic, “King stated. “If I was homophobic, I wouldn’t have friends who are gay and lesbian. So that can’t be true. But because I have a certain belief system, I am now the enemy. And I’m not the enemy.” King says she “has love for everybody,” but also reiterates that “[I] value marriage between a man and a woman. Spiritually I value that. Psychologically, I value that.”

Via GBM News.