When Wayne Brady shared with the world that he is pansexual–meaning attraction regardless of sex or gender–it came as a shock to many who saw him as an actor, comedian, and game show host.
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Brady, 52, made the revelation to People Magazine last year, and at the time, he described his coming out as “bisexual — with an open mind.”
In data collected by Gallup, bisexual adults make up the most significant percentage of the LGBTQ+ community — 57.3%.
However, within the Black community, the number of men who openly say they are bisexual tends to be smaller. Acceptance, religious beliefs, and cultural identities all play a role in why this group of men remains in the closet.
The idea of “coming out” can be both empowering and challenging. It involves multiple layers of identity in a world that often imposes unwanted expectations and stereotypes.
Being Black but also bisexual means confronting those societal pressures and living in your truth. David J. Corke and Brandon M. Weber are pulling back the veil and inviting you inside a world where they have found liberation, acceptance, and the freedom to live their most authentic lives.
At 17, David, an actor and writer, embraced the term bisexual after a few years of coming to terms with the fact, internally, that he was attracted to both genders.
“I was developing curiosities around my gender, different genders at a very early age, and I was told that I could only experience love from one place, but in reality, I found that I can experience pleasure and love from different places,” he says.
As an actor, David was experienced in taking on different roles, but what he was experiencing in his own life persuaded him that art should imitate his life. He created, wrote, and starred in the popular web series Bi: The Web Series.
“I used the web series as my coming out; it was my announcement of this is who I am and what I’ve been dealing with as a Black fluid man. So I think exploring and showcasing some of the things I felt through my art was my way of letting people know and inviting them in,” he says.
Meanwhile, Brandon felt compelled to disclose because society tried putting him into a box. As he grew up, he was attracted to women and discovered that he was also experiencing romantic feelings for men once he left home for college.
“I’m happy to be having this conversation because we don’t hear enough about Black men and their freedom of sexual and romantic expression,” says Brandon.
The Human Rights Campaign earlier this year highlighted a report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) that shows 28% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+ and that Americans are more accepting of the community compared to that of older generations.
Some high-profile celebrities, Lil Nas X, Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator, Steve Lacy, and Darnell Moore, are visible representations of Black men challenging the status quo of what it means to be fluid in love and lust. They have created spaces where they can provide a community for each other, such as the Instagram account @bisexualblackmen.
For Brandon, community is essential because dating as bisexual isn’t always the easiest; it comes with some challenges.
“There are some women who aren’t keen on being in a relationship with someone who is bisexual or pansexual because the belief system is that man can’t be masculine if he dates other men,” he says.
There’s an emphasis on masculinity in many Black communities, where strength, toughness, and heterosexuality are equated with manhood. Bisexuality can be perceived as a challenge to traditional ideas of masculinity, which is a way sharing stories of Black men living out loud in their truth continues to break down barriers and provide visibility to a subsection of the community that feels overlooked.
“I think if there’s more space for Black men to express themselves and feel safe and not judged, then more people would come forward,” David said.
Kangol2
Wayne Brady has repeatedly said he’s “pansexual.” IJS