Arts & Entertainment
Jussie Smollett didn’t want his ‘Empire’ character to have a white boyfriend
The actor wanted to portray a relationship with two black men
Jussie Smollett (Screenshot via YouTube.)
Jussie Smollett was adamant that his character Jamal Lyon not have a white boyfriend on the Fox series “Empire.”
Speaking on the SiriusXM radio show “The Clay Cane Show,” the 35-year-old out actor says it was important for him to show a loving relationship between two black men.
“There was talk about Jamal having a white boyfriend and I said, ‘F**k no!’ Not for any reason except we have a responsibility and we have a such a beautiful opportunity to show two black men in a relationship together, in a healthy relationship. But it was important to say and that wasn’t anything against white men. It was just a thing of no, no, no, no… this is what I hope, this what I want to see, this what I wished I had seen as a kid because if I had seen certain things as an adolescent I would have had a much different understanding of who I am in an earlier space. I do think that is important to show,” Smollett says.
Smollett also praised the film “Moonlight” for its portrayal of black, gay male sexuality and masculinity.
“It was just beautiful,” Smollett says. “It was also not about sexuality, it was actually about masculinity and the rules that are put on little boys, specifically little black boys, from the moment that they are born that we never really talk about.”
Listen below.
“Empire” airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox.
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
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