Why 2018 Was a Transformative, Groundbreaking Year for QTPOC Creators

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  The Vixen
  
  
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  A drag queen who became well-known for speaking her mind, this Chicago native made a name for herself by calling out the lack of positive depictions of Black drag queens in the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise. Known for often being direct as soon as discussing topics of racism and injustice on the show, The Vixen remains very vocal about the need to address inequality on television. “Sometimes talking about the uncomfortable thing is the most crucial thing to say,” she noted once reached for comment by means of the Twitter direct message. “When you speak out against real issues, there really are people in the room whispering, ‘Thank you.’”
  
  
  
  
  



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  Hayley Kiyoko
  
  
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  Dubbed the “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans, Hayley Kiyoko keeps it up and continues to use her music as a way to stimulate LGBTQ+ individuals to embrace all of who they are. She used her major label debut Expectations to inspire conversations around what it means to be sincere with oneself about their identity why as well as how to redefine what we think about queer females in the music industry. Time and again, she’s stated that she never felt like the industry made room for queer Asian ladies like herself. Yet since the release of her album, she’s realized that her voice and work is inspiring a legion of young QTPOC girls to accept themselves wholeheartedly and create that space for themselves.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Keiynan Lonsdale
  
  
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  As someone who keeps it up and continues to create a name for themselves in both film and music, Keiynan Lonsdale spent most of 2018 reminding Black and Brown individuals that they can achieve their objectives while being authentic to their queer identity. “I just want every kid to know that you could live your dreams and wear dresses,” he mentioned on-stage at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Keiynan's music also shares the same message. On the song "Kiss the Boy" — released around the time of Love, Simon, a film in which Keiynan starred and was inspired to publicly come out by — he reminds LGBTQ+ folks that they are not alone in their journey and that there really is no such thing as a “normal” lived experience. For Lonsdale, 2018 was each year of finding authentic ways to share a segment of his journey while helping to validate the lived experiences of others both on and off the TV screen.
  
  
  

  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=O0IWHeQ39GM

  
  
  
  
  
  



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  Clark Moore
  
  
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  Also known for his breakout role in this year’s hit film, Love, Simon, Clark Moore keeps it up and continues to be vocal about the lack of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ storylines in film. He noted in a few interviews that his role as Ethan in the movie — a vocal, unapologetic, femme character who is the only gay person out at his school – challenged the way Hollywood thinks about Black and Brown queer experiences in film. “There are plenty of stories to tell,” Moore told Teen Vogue earlier this year, while discussing how Black gay characters are constantly cast because the ideal friend, the supporting character, or the comic relief to the primary narrative. Clark is reminding viewers that the only way to change how we think about Black and Brown stories is by encouraging more people to speak openly about their identities, experiences, and what makes them unique.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Janelle Monáe
  
  
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  This year, we saw Janelle Monáe speak more candidly about her own identity, while encouraging others to embrace all facets of who they are with the release of Dirty Computer: “Being a queer Black woman In the
  U.S., Someone who has been in relationships with both boys and ladies — I imagine myself to be a free-ass motherfucker,” she mentioned in a Rolling Stone cover story. While sharing that she is pansexual, Monáe also went on to mention that her journey of self-discovery is ongoing and encouraged others to dig deeper any time thinking about visibility and inclusion in music.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Tanya Saracho & The Cast of Vida
  
  
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  Among this year's several groundbreaking innovations, we also saw the opening mainstream television series that centered the narratives of queer Latinx ladies. The show, Vida, which aired on Starz, not only touches on topics related to gentrification and the camaraderie of Latinx females, however deals with the discrimination that LGBTQ+ Latinx people often face. Showrunnner Tanya Saracho’s work on the series reminds us that the show not only gives visibility to its Latinx characters, although also a voice to its queer Latinx writers.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Lena Waithe
  
  
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  2018 has been a strong year for Black LGBTQ+ ladies and several of us have Lena Waithe to thank for that. From creating the critically-acclaimed Showtime series The Chi to donning her queer-inclusive Met Gala outfit, Waithe is reminding you that Black and Brown LGBTQ+ folks are no longer hiding in the shadows. Immediately after accepting her Trailblazer Award at the 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards, she highlighted the film Paris Is Burning and the work that several other Black and Brown LGBTQ+ have done by saying, “I desire to do what we as society should have done a long time ago — and that’s give them the glory and shine they deserve.”
  
  
  
  
  



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  Brielle “Tati” Rheames & The Cast of My Residence
  
  
  Screenshot from 'My Home trailer
  
  
  
  While Brielle “Tati” Rheames might feel like she’s “just a typical person,” her persona and talent have encouraged a legion of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals to follow in her footsteps this year. Her appearance on VICELAND’s My House — which highlights the experiences of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ voguers seeking family in the New York ball scene — gives an excellent insight into the various ups and downs of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ lives. Tati, a talented voguer who is prominent for her fierce tenacity and free agent status, doesn’t just walk the walk, yet dances in it as well. “Since the show’s premiere I have been getting so much positive feedback,” she told Viva, noting that it has been both encouraging and somewhat overwhelming. She later told Vibe: “I know I have my flaws although my flaws are what make me unique; that’s more of what makes me precious. That’s the most cute imperfection in the world." Tati and her story are a fantastic reminder to us all that there's so much aesthetics in being different and even more aesthetics in being seen.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Steven Canals & The Cast of Pose
  
  
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  A writer, co-creator, and co-producer, triple threat Steven Canals is showing us that the narratives of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people can be both aspirational and hopeful. With the widely successful show Pose, Canals modeled a way to use our privilege to uplift the voices of transgender women. “My hope is that our audience recognizes the aesthetics and the breadth of both the trans and queer experience,” he told Towleroad, mentioning that we all have responsibility to help raise the visibility of the experiences of trans females. By casting not one, yet five transgender Black and Brown females to lead the show, both Canals and Pose are doing exactly that, changing the way we think about these stories and how they should be celebrated.
  
  
  
  
  



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  MNEK
  
  
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  Touted because the most ambitious pop album of 2018 by Billboard, MNEK’s debut album, Language, assured other Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals that being queer doesn’t have to be a sob story. Explaining in a number of interviews that he refuses to be boxed in by labels, as both a queer and Black person, MNEK is also working to show a different side of black masculinity in a way that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. As noted in both his writing and in songs on his album, MNEK is invested in showing the duality that lives between the intersections of race and sexuality. Through his music, he’s hoping to normalize these discussions while reminding folks that being both Black and queer is case in point a new usual.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Angela Jude, Lo Calsada & The Cast of House of Mamis
  
  
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  Giving more voice and company to the queer Latinidad, both creators Angela Jude and Lo Calsada are showing us what resilience and joy looks like with their documentary, House of Mamis. Covering topics related to transphobia and inclusivity in ball and home culture, and also what it means to be queer and Latinx in this current political moment, the show focuses on the everyday struggles that still exist for Brown LGBTQ+ individuals. Behind the remarkable stories shared in the documentary, it’s a fantastic example of the intersectional experiences Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people face.
  
  
  
  
  



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  Angela Ponce
  
  
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  Ending the year on a both bold and cute message of visibility and inclusion, we saw the world’s first transgender Miss Universe make history. Because the initial trans woman to participate in the pageant since the 2012 reversal of a longstanding policy that entrants must be “naturally place on Earth girls, her appearance on the show highlighted the required for a more inclusive world. By taking provide with the classification of Latinx trans people and hard this administration's policy on gender identity, Ponce’s involvement with this year’s event reminded us of why visibility is so crucial — particularly in a time where trans girls are being murdered in a record number. "You can empower yourself like I have and turn something negative into your biggest strength," she said, stating that the only way to change the world is to teach each person the significance of diversity and inclusion globally. “We can design a new generation of humans who are raised a lot better, more tolerant, and respectful."