In this episode, we’re joined by actor Laquarn Lewis, known for \*What It Feels Like for a Girl* and \*Jamie Johnson\*, for an honest conversation about growing up Black and gay, code-switching, masculinity and finding your place in a queer community that doesn’t always reflect your own experiences.
Laquarn opens up about the reality of being a Black queer actor and why opportunities can still feel limited for people who don’t fit what the industry is looking for. We get into playing Lady Die in \*What It Feels Like for a Girl\*, how stepping into the role introduced him to a side of queer culture he’d never experienced before and why he was warned that taking the part could lead to him being typecast.
We also explore Laquarn’s relationship with masculinity and femininity, growing up pretending to be straight and becoming so good at code-switching that he felt like he had “100 personalities”. He reflects on entering queer spaces for the first time, feeling disconnected from parts of gay culture and learning that being queer doesn’t mean having to fit into one particular version of what a gay man should be.
From his parents’ reactions to his sexuality to learning to stop editing himself depending on who was around him, Laquarn reflects on what it took to finally become comfortable with every side of himself and the advice he would give to the younger version of himself who was terrified of being found out.
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Laquarn LewisGuestAMAABF HostHostAMAABF Co-HostHost