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I could count the number of out gay students on campus using one hand - maybe two if I speculate. The dating pool at my school was limited because not everyone felt as safe being out on campus. I had expected the other brothers to disown me, but they were surprisingly understanding and encouraged me to be myself. I got caught kissing a guy at one of my fraternity’s rush parties by a pledge. When it came to telling my classmates I was gay, I never did.
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There was no grandiose over the top speech delivered to friends, I didn’t write a lengthy emotional status on Facebook, nor did I come out via a heartwarming YouTube video (which is in vogue at the moment). Watching Dear White People, I was reminded of my own experience of coming out at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Sometimes sex is unsexy, especially if you're doing anal for the first time, which is fine - as long as there's consent.
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When Lionel finally does have a sexual encounter it’s not a steamy softcore porn scene, but instead a series of bumbling mishaps, several apologies, and an unintentionally toothy blowjob. The character has to deal with the harsh reality of modern dating, which is hard for everyone, but especially difficult for marginalized groups such as queer people of color who have to deal with being fetishized or ignored. Oftentimes gay characters in mostly straight ensemble casts don’t get to experience romance on screen, but Dear White People chooses to break that mold. In the second season, Lionel now has to navigate queer spaces while being black, which is a whole new can of worms. It’s not until he writes about the racial unrest on campus that the other black students take him into their fold, not merely tolerating his sexuality but actively celebrating it. He struggles to find acceptance from other people of color - mainly straight, cisgender black men - in environments with anti-LGBTQ attitudes. In the first season, much of Lionel’s journey is navigating black spaces while being queer. Lionel, played by DeRon Horton, is a journalism nerd who dreams of winning a Pulitzer and has a crush on the editor of the school paper.