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Yet there is still a sense of tokenism that pervades the entertainment business when it comes to showing black gay characters, even in productions that are helmed by gays. Polk describes the current state of affairs as “an extreme … either we're not there or we're there because we're black.”

Rod McCollum of Rod 2.0 points out: “We still have a long way to go. The explosion in gay-themed productions has not corresponded in an explosion of the rainbow. Often, the colors we see are only white. For instance,  Queer as Folk allegedly took place in Pittsburgh, but it could have been Vermont. West Hollywood has more diversity. In the entire history of QAF, I only recall one black character — a young boyfriend to a successful, older white gay, who had several lines and basically was a prop.”

To many writers and producers, this presents a catch-22 situation: They want to be inclusive, but they don't want to make a mistake and risk offense. There is a frequent mantra among writers which is “write what you know,” but this argument doesn't necessarily have any weight to it, according to Polk. “It's a cop-out,” he says. “It's shameful and inexcusable that [writers and producers] would be afraid. Hire a black writer if you don't think you can do the job. There are many qualified black writers out there.”

Emmanuel also makes this distinction: “Let's put a black, masculine Will in front of a camera and a masculine, black Jack — how would people react? Hell, I bet people's opinions would change about the stereotypical inadequacies brought upon the black gay community.”

Mere changes on the casting side would make a world of difference. “Let's face it: Mainstream media isn't ever going to support accurate, black, gay images as they should be supported,” Emmanuel says. “No matter how much the black gay community tries to amend them. …

He continues: “Now that I think of it, how come all the white gay men I see are more masculine then our black gay brothers? Brokeback Mountain … was about two masculine, white men on the down low. Everyone thought Brokeback Mountain was a love story. I beg to differ. It was a gay cowboy love story. Gay in the sense that they were both gay, cowboy in the sense that they were both cowboys, love in the sense that they were both in love, and let's just throw in the words ‘down low' since they had female partners while being together. There's your gay cowboy love story. My point: The reaction to the film would have been different if it was two masculine black men who were closeted. It wouldn't have been a love story. It would have been a black gay love story about two men on the down low who play basketball.”

In respect to getting accurate and complex images out there, there is a major difference between what can be changed and what needs to be changed. As Boykin writes, “Like its heterosexual counterpart, the white gay media usually projects Eurocentric images of beauty that transmit messages of inferiority to blacks and others who do not fit the white stereotype.” How is it possible to reach out to the many black gays out there, if they aren't even being acknowledged?

Boykin points out a particular irony that continues to this day: “The other popular image [in gay popular culture] is that of the black diva, like Diana Ross or Patti LaBelle. These women are glorified because of their theatrics or performing ability, but their acceptance into the white gay culture exposes a contradiction, since most black women are still neglected or disrespected by the same culture.” The inability to even get to the proverbial table is the main challenge, because often times no one looks at gay pop culture in terms of what it is transmitting.

“I've always felt that writers have a responsibility to be diverse and representative,” says Polk. “If you don't express a desire to do it, it won't happen. Why didn't someone ask if all five of those guys in Queer as Folk have to be white? No one at Showtime did.”

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