Bisexuality is real. Black bisexual men exist. Andrew Gillum happens to be one of those men. Those are the facts. It is also a fact that the lives of Black bisexual men are rarely told by the individuals with the most lived experience with this particular sexual orientation. More often than not, the narrative is shaped by those on the outside looking in who project an obvious disdain for differences in any human being that cannot be contained to an easily identifiable and respectable box. This has been seen in the fallout surrounding Gillum’s decision to reveal his bisexuality for the first time on The Tamron Hall Show.
The circumstances surrounding the former Tallahassee, Florida mayor and one-time gubernatorial candidate that prompted him to invite the public into one of the most private areas of his life, has provided ammunition for his critics, unrelenting resolve for his supporters, and has unleashed a barrage of biphobic language and attacks on social media. All of it resulting in the lives of Black bisexual men being caught in the crossfire without the cushion of Gillum’s wealth, access, political connections, or bully pulpit to shape the conversation.
The Reckoning is providing a platform to three openly bisexual Black men to amplify their truth and to take control of a narrative that has historically been steeped in misinformation and bias, and told by everyone but the men who live it.
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Note: This article is presented in partnership with CNP in my new role as Editor-At-Large of The Reckoning.