PR for the Community of Colored LGBT+
Happy Black History Month. It is time to discuss passive branding and active branding.
Passive branding in terms of public relations (PR) refers to narratives assigned to groups due to a lack of outward communication . The disparities in the outcry of love within the Black LGBTQ+ community is lacking the proper media attention it deserves.
The Black queer experience has a more dynamic range of outside perceptions than that of cisgender White gay men.
This past week, I found myself helping a friend finance her Plan B in absence of, to put it colloquially, a “N.A.A.N.”. If you do not know what that acronym stands for, feel free to google it. A White man ghosted my friend, a Black woman, leaving her queer friends to help her pick up the pieces.
That speaks to the mother and martyr narrative often imposed on queer people of color. This narrative is brought on by televised and cinematic presentations. The media representation is often granted to queer people of color in a way that does not truly encapsulate how they move through space.
There is a disparity in the presentation of Black gay media representation and media representation. Either one is in the closet fearing alienation or saving everyone else. It is a never-ending feat to try to overachieve in all situations.
A former Africana studies professor of mine said during a class, “it’s funny how Black people will watch White and other cultures movies; White people in particular tend to not to watch Black things.” And, it is true Black people are exposed to mainstream media which depicts various White gay individuals in nuanced manners.
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With shows such as “Heartstopper''on Netflix and movies such as “Call Me by Your Name,” there is more and more gay media centered around the cisgender White gay man. But, that is not the only group of LGBTQ+ people in need of representation.
It could be discussed that this boils down to privilege and wealth. But, in that I must acknowledge my own privilege in being able to speak on these issues. And, that would deviate from the point at hand. Queer communities of color need more representation and a PR upgrade.
For example, some Black queer individuals are award-winning scientists, impactful professors, featured Forbes CEOs and generally interesting people. Hello, my name is Patrick, pronoun he/they.
You never know, your ethnically ambiguous office-mate in the cubicle across from you could be a part of the LGBT community. This does not mean go up to every person and start asking probing questions. Your feelings will probably end up hurt. But until then the mystery will continue to resound. What does it mean to be queer and of color?
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Biography: Patrick D. Anderson, Jr. (pronouns: he/they) is a story-teller, photographer, freelance publicist, web-designer, business owner, certified art director, and visual communicator originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, currently residing in Los Angeles. He currently serves as creative editor at CSUN’s Black Scholars Matter and Art Director at the upcoming video-production house ‘Straight Trippin’ Productions.
In his 9 years of working in the creative space, Anderson has had work featured in galleries and on billboards. Having worked with brands like Peaceout Skincare and SoulBeat, Patrick not only creates calls to action, but also community wherever he goes. The visual communicator facilitates safe spaces through LGBTQ+ advocacy and his podcast “Straight Trippin with Patrick”. Anderson empowers others with tools to walk in similar paths of success.
Sending shine✨!