Arts & Entertainment
Issa Rae reveals backlash for new series focused on a bisexual black man
The ‘Insecure’ star says she was ‘pissed all day’ from the criticism
Issa Rae (Photo via Instagram.)
“Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae revealed she received some backlash when she announced her upcoming series “Him or Her” which follows a bisexual black man’s dating life.
Rae will serve as executive producer for the HBO comedy. In an interview with Deadline, Rae says she faced some criticism for the subject matter.
“I remember just being pissed all day,” Rae says. “Sometimes you live in a bubble, you live in a liberal bubble where you think that everyone is open, and in my eyes progressive in a way where there are so many human experiences, black experiences, gender experiences. There are so many stories to tell. The fear that a story like that would be told when it’s the story of so many other people is just absolutely ridiculous. The censorship and the idea that black men can’t be all things and still be black men is just absurd, it is.”
Despite the negative reactions, Rae says she’s excited for the project which is created and written by former “Daily Show” writer Travon Free. The series will be based on his own experiences dating as a bisexual black man.
“Travon Free—the writer, the creator of the project—approached us with it,” Rae says. “And he said [an] episode of ‘Insecure’ was a first time that he had felt like his story was being told in a way. And that conversation reflected so much of his personal experience. We were looking for fresh voices and he pitched that, and it really excited me, because I’ve just never seen anything on TV like that. I’m just rooting for his show.”
In the meantime, the third season of “Insecure” premieres on August 12 on HBO.
Baltimore
This John Waters interview has been edited for readability — but perhaps not human decency
Pope of Trash dishes on Trump, plane etiquette, last meal, and more
By WESLEY CASE | At 80 years old, John Waters is still the ideal dinner guest — incisively sharp, quick-witted and funny as hell.
The chic Baltimore native proved it again and again in a recent Zoom interview, calling from his summer home in Provincetown, Mass.
The occasion was the Blu-ray releases of two of his movies — the 1977 dark comedy “Desperate Living” and his enduring 1988 musical “Hairspray” — on June 23 by the Criterion Collection, which publishes restorations of films it deems culturally important. The Criterion stamp of approval has become the gold standard among cinephiles.
“It’s like getting an award,” said Waters, who wrote and directed both films.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
The Washington Blade held the seventh annual Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC on Saturday, June 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
The 2026 Lost River Pride Festival was held on the scenic grounds of the Lost River Farmers Market in Lost City, W.Va. on Saturday, June 13. Headliner Tom Goss performed at the festival and gave a second performance at the nearby Guesthouse Lost River.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
View on Threads
Queer candidates, allies on the ballot in Md. primary
Netherlands to ban conversion therapy
Lewis George holds strong lead over McDuffie in D.C. mayor’s race
War, geopolitical tensions with U.S. overshadow Pride month events
Confronting homophobia at school
PHOTOS: Lost River Pride
PHOTOS: Pride on the Pier
David Archuleta on Mormon faith, ‘Idol,’ more in new book
The advantages of owning your home
