During Black History Month, the mainstream media recycles stories about Martin Luther King and Malcolm X while LGBTQ outlets predictably trot out RuPaul, Bayard Rustin, Laverne Cox, and other examples of great African-Americans with whom we’re already well acquainted.
Over the next week, we’re going to spotlight a few amazing black unsung heroes.
These people are leaders, journalists, and activists who span the entire African diaspora (i.e., not only Americans).
Next up, sportswriter and political columnist and commentator LZ Granderson.
If you’ve never heard of LZ Granderson, we’re just going to assume that you’re not into sports. Or politics. Or watching television. Seriously, the guy has been everywhere over the past few years.
He broke onto the scene doing sportswriting for ESPN, and regularly provides sports coverage for the network.
In 2009, he won a GLAAD Media Award for online journalism, and in 2011 he was named the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Journalist Of The Year. His (very witty) TedTalk The Myth Of The Gay Agenda (seen above) has hit nearly 200,000 views.
He also served as a political commentator for CNN. Now as a contributor for ABC News, he’s one of the few African-Americans providing regular political commentary on the very old and very white broadcast television Sunday morning shows.
On top of all this, he’s a devoted father, and his Facebook page is filled with tons of cute updates from his life as a gay dad.
Next up, you’ll see a lot of LZ on the 2016 campaign trail with ABC News, and he’s co-hosting the NLGJA benefit Headlines and Headliners with out ABC personality Gio Benitez.
We’ve followed LZ for a while and we’re big fans of his. We can’t wait to see what he does next, and we’re happy he’s blazing a trail for out gay black men in journalism.
SeijnSei
Wow. So you have this amazing dynamic person of color and no comments. I guess because you can’t tear him down there’s nothing to say. #clapclap #bravo
Xzamilio
Dead at Dreads… a man with dreads is one of the sexiest looks in the world. Freeform, twists, it’s all good.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
I hope Queerty’s BHM gets round to featuring Kerry Rhodes before his up coming nuptials steal him away from us for ever!
Another good one stolen from us. 🙁
R.I.P. (rest in pussy)
Black Pegasus
Get this snow queen out of here! The irony of featuring a Black man who exclusively dates outside his race while mentioning Black History Month in the same article. Hunny please! lol
XzamiIio
@Black Pegasus: What’s wrong with that? Better than being bitter and lonely like you.
Xzamilio
@XzamiIio: Gasp!!! I have a troll account!!
I’ve arrived!!!! I’m crying right now!!!
@Black Pegasus: Yeah, that’s not me lol… that’s a “fan”
Xzamilio
Yeah, you wanna take care of that, Queerty? I’m flattered, but I have a feeling two Xzamilios is gonna get old quick.
Ander
@Black Pegasus: seriously?
NateOcean
It’s fun to watch Bill Kristol being wrong, as usual, about everything.
ibernard
BRILLIANT!!!!
Love to see him on CNN.
Khoty
Watched this (TedX talk by LZ) in 2016 and don’t know why, felt emotional towards the end. Can’t help but like his gay agenda much more than the agendas of some who don’t respect the rights of others. The constitution has a solution for such folk, too.
Kangol
He’s great. Thanks for featuring him, Queerty.
mgkbus
Personally, I think this article is 30 years too l late. I wrote for the Gay Community News (an international gay newspaper out of Boston) during the ’80’s and was featured in the Advocate many times. I was only one of many gay black writers that were out there. Many turned to writing prose and poetry. Some didn’t survive the ’90’s. But all were vital voices of the time, respected and often quoted.
dbmcvey
Very cool. I’ve seen him on a lot of panel shows and didn’t know he was gay. I like him a lot, he does not mince his words on the George Stephanopolos show when he excoriated all the Republican candidates. I like him even more now.
dbmcvey
@Khoty: What the Hell are you talking about?
Black Pegasus
@Xzamilio: Got it, thanks. You should encourage other regular visitors to flag his posts.
Khoty
@dbmcvey: That I like what he said and how he put it. Also, under your constitution people who don’t respect the basic rights of the LGBTQ community can (and should) be punished. (I thought what I said earlier was clear)
MisterDemand
Been a huge fan of LZ for years. Thanks for featuring him. He hs greater political commentary as well. Was only later did i discover he was a gay ( and a father i think too) Overall amazing guy who is a great advocate for the community.
dbmcvey
@Khoty: Ah, so you think he’s one of those “good gays” who knows his place and doesn’t get uppity.
Actually, what you said was very clear, I was just hoping I was wrong in my interpretation.
Khoty
@dbmcvey: Can only hope the others get what I said. Especially LZ.
dbmcvey
@Khoty: I’m sure they will, it’s pretty obvious.
Not sure this is the best way to reach LZ if that’s your goal.
Tony Johnston
@Black Pegasus: In the writer’s defense, it’s rather hard to find a black LGBT public figure that isn’t a “snow queen”. At least it wasn’t Don Lemon. Now a Black History Month story on Don Lemon would be like BET running BHM segments on Clarence Thomas.
Aranos
He’s intelligent, commited to our cause, brave and hot… This is perfect husband material! I need to find his phone number NOW!
Stache
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