Their beautiful kiss does not elude the ugliness of the realities that come with their identities.For example, if you are kissing a man with a beard, your approaching might be different than someone with a smooth face. Are they doing anything to secure our rights or our safety? Honestly, as lovely as Jharrel Jerome and Ashton Sanders's kiss was, the reality is that their young Black queer characters are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS than their white counterparts. While I’m encouraged by the progress Moonlight brought, I’m also cautious about the limits of symbolism and wary of those moved by works like Moonlight but not the human beings whose real life experiences are reflected in it.Ī lot of white liberals are patting themselves on the back for liking and rewarding Moonlight, but not doing any of the actual work to ensure young Black men can freely live an out life.
In 2017, the poignant story of a gay Black man coming to terms with himself won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and the kissing scene, which was gorgeous and stunning as everything else in the Barry Jenkins-helmed movie, didn’t ruin the actors’ careers-it won them awards. In 2016, Smith’s son, Jaden Smith, had the gay kiss his father refused to perform. And years later, we would learn that Smith sought the advice of Denzel Washington, who was said to have relayed the following warning : “Don’t be kissing no man.” Back then, Smith was reportedly concerned about the gay angle of his character and refused to do a passionate male-on-male kiss facing the camera.
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As a very young child, I remember Will Smith’s non-kiss of another man in the movie Six Degrees of Separation. And so this award is for that-for us artists who are out there who need to step out of the box to do whatever it takes to get people to wake up."īy stepping out of the box, Jerome signaled that it is okay for Black male thespians to not be so afraid of the real life implications for acts committed during their performance. I think it is okay to step out of the box and do whatever it takes to tell the story and do whatever it takes to make a change. It’s also a win for Black men in general.Īs Jerome thoughtfully noted during his acceptance remarks: "On a real note, I think it is safe to say that it is okay for us young performers-especially us minority performers-to step out of the box. It’s another step toward progress for gay Black men alongside the (few) others currently floating in the pop cultural zeitgeist, most recently Dear White People’s gay Black character, Lionel Higgens. Many people watching-particularly the younger people who are learning to accept who they are at a much earlier age than those of my generation have-needed to see that. The significance of its symbolism shouldn’t be discounted. And when it comes to two gay Black men kissing, the sight is even scarcer. And while two men kissing is as normal an act as two consenting folks of differing genders smooching, it’s still not often seen, let alone celebrated. Indeed, in accepting the award, and succeeding over La La Land, Beauty and the Beast, Empire, and Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, a perfectly delightful thing happened-a passionate kiss between two beautiful young gay Black men was normalized in a mainstream space. This is for those who feel like the others, the misfits this represents us." Sanders went on to add, "This represents more than a kiss.
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"This award is bigger than Jharrel and I," a measured Ashton Sanders noted as he graciously accepted the award for Best Kiss at the MTV Movie & TV Awards alongside his Moonlight co-star, Jharrel Jerome, on Sunday night.