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human desires, I have essentially always heard black gay and queer

men say that they want a “masculine” man. Their presentation

notwithstanding, a large number of black gay men have made

masculinity their standard for love; and thereby, have attached much

of their happiness to something that – many would say – is largely

external and performative. That begs the question what is invaluable

or superior about masculinity? What gives masculinity its privilege?

And importantly from what power structure or binding source have so

many of us gotten that perception of masculinity from?

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• The traditional image of gay or queer black men in tv, film, music, etc. has usually been a more feminine-based presentation or spectacle 
• Commonly used lingo of gay black men (sis, girl, bitch, read, yasss, the tea, Judy, the gods, etc.) present as feminine-based
• Those popularly referred to as “gay icons” are usually women (e.g. Cher, Patti Labelle, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Judy Garland, Diana Ross, Beyonce, etc.)
• Presenting with flamboyant or feminine-based mannerisms is seemingly expected by some black gay men 
• Black gay men have often prefer dating “masculine” men 

Therefore, I ask Do Some Black Gay Men See Themselves Through a Feminine-based Lens? To help us navigate this sensitive and complex topic, I am joined by (intro the guests) 

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manic cycle of corruption, greed, and cruelty. So much so, that many Americans 

have been shocked into thinking that this is unlike any presidency in US history. 

But I am reminded of the wisdom of James Baldwin in Notes of a Native Son. Mr 

Baldwin said that “the past is all that makes the present coherent”, and America’s 

past makes clear that President Trump’s anti-black racism and nativism – 

animosity aimed at perceptions of alien contamination by minority and immigrant 

groups – are well known to American history. Said differently, Donald Trump’s ilk 

of white man is not new to the presidency. So please take a brief walk with me as 

America’s past makes our present coherent.  

To understand why Trump’s hate is on-brand for the presidency we will briefly look 

at race through the eyes of Presidential giants George Washington, Thomas 

Jefferson, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald 

Reagan. Then, we’ll see racism in public policy by looking at the immigration 

policies of, again, President’s Jefferson and Lincoln and Herbert Hoover and 

Dwight Eisenhower.  

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The question becomes why did it take the threat of litigation to persuade Santa Clarita’s leadership to become serious inclusion? Did Santa Clarita want inclusive city leadership? My guest today was one of the plaintiffs in the CVRA lawsuit. 

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Today, I welcome Valerie Bradford to Thought and Opinion. She is the founding President of the Santa Clarita chapter of the NAACP and a candidate for Santa Clarita City Council. Her candidacy is historic. She is only the 2nd black women to run for City Council in Santa Clarita’s 38 yr history as a city. If she wins, she would be only the 3nd newly elected woman to the Council since 2008, and the first black City Council member in Santa Clarita’s history. 

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I pose this topic because the identity markers of black and gay have always been exploited as barriers to equality and self-determination in America. Yet despite racism, classism, and homophobia black gay men are openly flourishing in ways not seen even 20 years ago. What has caused this triumph? Let's hear thriving gay black men talk about how they define themselves, navigate intersectional trauma, and what their triumph is made of. 

• Dr Ed Rice is an accomplished educator, author, and journalist. After having taught at the elementary through postsecondary levels and holding various professorships for 20 yrs, Dr. Rice published his first children's book in 2023 called "Cosmic Granny, In a Score to Settle." Prior to Cosmic Granny, In a Score to Settle, Dr. Rice was a distinguished journalist. His work appeared in The Orange County Register, The Source and Vibe Magazines. And, he served as Contributing Editor for the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper. 

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• Martel Okonji is the Executive Partner and Founder of Developing Communities Together LLC. He is also a faculty member of Cal State University Northridge and serves as the leader of CSUN's Pride Center. He has served as a Commissioner with the LA County Dept of Mental Health and will soon be Dr. Okonji as he is completing his PhD in Leadership and Change, where his focus is leadership, equity, and community development. 

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I present this topic because Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza is one of the sweeping atrocities of our time and necessitates our attention. The human toll bogles the mind. As of early September 2025, estimates are that 38 percent of Gaza’s pre-Oct 7th population has been displaced. Of the more than 67,000 killed, children account for 30 percent of the dead. Within that estimated 67,000 dead is also more than 1,200 whole families who have been wiped off the face of the Earth. Gaza itself, roughly twice the size of Washington D.C. at 149 sq miles, has been largely reduced to ruble. Eight out of every 10 buildings that stood in pre-Oct 7th Gaza have either been damaged or destroyed. This is genocide. 

• Our televisions, phones, etc have been inundated with pictures of carnage and death in Gaza for the past 2 yrs. Why is said destruction genocide and not crimes against humanity or war crimes? 
• To give my listeners the clearest picture possible when Russia bombs a children’s hospital or a school in Ukraine, how are those attacks different in nature from what we have seen in Gaza? 
• Genocide, the “crime of crimes”, is a legal term that carries prosecution as a means towards justice. Why has it been difficult to prosecute someone for the crime of genocide? 
• Looking at Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar as examples. As one who has devoted themselves to understanding and preventing genocide, what does your expertise taught you about humanity? 

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On this episode of Thought & Opinion, Andre Hollings dives into how the church rallied behind Donald Trump despite of him having a long history of doing the very things that goes against the American Evangelical Church

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Thought and Opinion is your platform for a clearer understanding of where we find ourselves in their America and how we define ourselves within it. We will go beyond the accepted discourse. To the ideas, and consequences, that we sometimes hesitate to engage. Join andre and various guests on Sundays at noon PDT as we reframe our politics and Identity in their America.

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