Mo'Nique Says Gay-Themed 'Blackbird' Will 'Save a Lot of Lives'

The coming-of-age drama "Blackbird" may raise eyebrows with its intimate same-sex encounters and Christian themes. But Mo'Nique, who headlines the film as the mentally ill mother of a teenager struggling with his sexuality, says it will also spark dialogue. "It’s gonna save a lot of lives," said the Oscar-winning actress. "I’ve hung around in the gay community since I was 16 years old, so I got a chance to really hear their stories and most of their stories were the same — 'my family can't accept me, or my mom's really religious.'"

"Blackbird" centers on a deeply religious high school student in a small Mississippi town who struggles with the possibility that he may be gay. It co-stars newcomer Julian Walker as conflicted teen Randy Rousseau and actor Isaiah Washington as his father. Mo'Nique previously claimed that black Hollywood actors shunned the gay-themed "Blackbird" because 'everyone was afraid of it.'

Continue reading...
Credited Source: 
The Wrap
Post date: 
2 May 2015
Facebook logo
Twitter logo

  • A Hopeful Continent

    African lives have already greatly improved over the past decade. The next...

  • Being Black and Gay

    "It's 2015 and we live in a world that tolerates us but is a long way from...

  • Kings of Kings Road

    Ty Ogunkaya, Body Alves and Liam Gardner photographed by Olgaç Bozalp and...

  • ArtBeat Africa

    Artbeat Africa brings together some of the best cultural reports and...

  • Jody Jock

    A quiet man, born and raised amongst the dessert heat and twilight glitter...

  • Sex Without Fear

    The new pill that could revolutionize gay life is reawakening old arguments...