Honoring Essex Hemphill and Joseph Beam who gathered Black gay writers in the anthology Brother to Brother to “tell the story that laughs and cries and sings and celebrates” of Black gay men in the wake of the AIDS crisis, we present the Native Son 101.
The Native Son 101 is a list in alphabetical order of the Black gay/queer men who made an impact in our community and in the world in 2020. These are the Brothers who pushed through one of the most horrific years in history and made a difference, created something new, and broke barriers. It is 101 because we believe that the extra person in our community can create change. It’s also a double entendres because this is a lesson in the beauty, boldness and brilliance of Black gay/queer men.
Illustrations by CJ Robinson
Writing by Juan Michael Porter II
Special thanks to Kiwan Anderson, Ricky Day, Cordey Lash, Reginald Nash, Ryan Staley, Yvonne McNair, Steven Psyllos