Over the last few years, Hollywood has seen a near explosion of LGBT characters, actors and celebrities rising to the forefront of TV and film in ways that America has never seen. One mogul who has definitely taken note of that progress is Oprah Winfrey, who is dedicating the next episode of her “Oprah’s Next Chapter” series to gay Hollywood.
In a preview for the episode, Winfrey sits down with three of TV’s most active gay actors, comedian Wanda Sykes, “Modern Family’s” Jessie Tyleer Ferguson and “Scandal’s” Dan Bucatinsky to discuss the importance of coming out and what it’s like to be gay in Hollywood.
Of course, as the only black gay woman in the discussion, Sykes discussed the “trifecta of discrimination” she’s had to deal with in Hollywood in regards to her sexuality, gender and race.
“So if you’re being discriminated against, how do you know if it’s because you’re a woman, or black or because you’re gay?” asks Oprah in another teaser clip.
“Ah there’s the problem—you can’t figure it out,” answers Sykes.
When asked if there’s another dimension of experience when you’re black and gay, Sykes, who came out to her family at the age of 40, explained that “there is.”
“To go back to my family, I think that also was a big problem with them because it’s, ‘what are people gonna say?’ And when I say people, I mean the black community,” Sykes explained.
The full interview airs this Sunday, October 27 at 9pm EST on OWN. But before then, you can check out a list of other famous LGBT minorities below. – nicholas robinson
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