What our TV series means for the black community

This piece is written by two authors. The first part is written by Deondray Gossett and the second part by Quincy LeNear.

The DL Chronicles, a small, gay-themed TV show about the sexually duplicitous lives of African American men, is rapidly becoming the cornerstone for dialogue and enlightenment about an otherwise obscure and taboo subject in the African American community.

Just shy of its first season's bow on the gay and lesbian network, here! TV and the 2nd season currently in production, The DL Chronicles has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini Series, or Anthology, putting it and the subject matter once again in the media limelight.  The only difference this time is we get the whole, unbiased story.

It seems hardly anyone is unaware of the DL phenomenon with the subject making headlines from the columns of The New York Times to BET specials, but so often these pieces only succeed at recognizing the symptom, and do little to explain the causes.  The DL Chronicles stubbornly keeps begging the question, why? Through its character explorations, you come to find out that there is never any one answer, nor is there any one particular way to be on the DL.  The series never takes a side, but simply holds a mirror up to society and lets it decide what the DL is, why it happens, and what parts they play in the phenomenon.

Whatever the black community thought they knew about the DL or black, gay men in general, this show will force them to grapple with new information and insight.

We are proud to learn that our audience has now reached past "the choir" and is now watched by straight, black men and women across the country and overseas, as well as Latinos and Whites. By watching the show, it seems that the burning questions and curiosities that were on the minds of so many straight people can now be answered in a discrete way without the embarrassment or confrontation.  The show has become the hot topic at the barber shops and beauty salons, and having been eavesdropping on some of these discussions, I have found many of the conversations to be devoid of scandalous and sensational rhetoric, but rather full of questions, introspection, and people who are sincerely seeking clarity and understanding on a topic that is rarely openly discussed in a healthy and non-homophobic manner.

Claiming Your Power As An Artist

When we got the idea to create a series about African American men who lead double lives, we knew that it would be a hot topic and would probably get a little attention.  We had absolutely no idea of the wide reaching effects it would have nor the magnitude of its success.  Our goals were small - very small.   We simply wanted to create a worthy piece of art with integrity, artistry, and class and make a few bucks.  We didn't set out to change the world.  It all started with a small idea.

But what is the value of an idea when you assume that you are not in a position of power, nor armed with a surplus of cash?

We were just two starving artists, beating the pavement, and working day jobs to survive. We were also two young, black males from inner city communities who also happened to be gay.  What did we have?  What were our advantages?   We certainly had many believed disadvantages; however, we refused to submit to defeat.

Often times we abort our dreams believing that we lack.  Failure is often the inability to recognize your own power.  We can miss the forest for the trees.

One of the greatest lessons learned in creating The DL Chronicles was recognizing the abundance that surrounds me, and my ability to tap into it at any moment.  From absolutely zero, with the support of a lot of talented and passionate people, we created a successful TV series that is acknowledged and respected across the world.  On many occasions it seemed it wouldn't happen, but we forced ourselves to think out of the box and looked at the situation from a different perspective; a bookshelf thus became an Asian-styled dinner table, and so on.

Ultimately, The DL Chronicles represents the ingenuity and resourcefulness that is abundant to us all and is a reminder of the tenacity and creativity of our community. Claim your power as an artist.  We don't serve ourselves by thinking small but we serve the world by thinking big.