August 8, 2012 – I attended the panel “Live to Tell: The Life and Legacy of Black Queer Literature,” which was presented by the Black Gay & Lesbian Archive Program Series at the Schomburg Center for Research into Black Culture. The event was presented by Terrance Dean, author of Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry–from Music to Hollywood and Straight from Your Gay Best Friend: The Straight-Up Truth About Relationships, Work, and Having a Fabulous Life; and moderated by Steven Fullwood, publisher, scholar, and activist.

Panelist included Stanley Bennett Clay, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, Terrance, James Earl Hardy, Imani Henry, and G. Winston James. All the panelist brought various angles to the conversation often sharing like experiences but different journies. Like many writers the consistant problem remains what it means to be successfully published in an age where book publishing is being deconstructed and minimized, while finding ways to keep queer literature from being further marginalized.

by Ron Kavanaugh
photo credit: WideVision Photography/Marcia E. Wilson