Actress Raven-Symoné's established career enables her to post on Twitter about her same-sex relationship, but it's a freedom that eludes most actresses, Allison Samuels argues in a piece at the the Daily Beast.
“Interracial relationships and sex-same relationships are still subjects most famous people of color won’t discuss,” says black film historian and NYU film professor Donald Bogle. “The response from the black audience is still so unknown that it’s a risk that most really fear taking — and that’s understandable.”
A segment of the black community, particularly older African-Americans, harbor long-held conservative views toward same-sex relationships that usually trace back to strict Baptist-church teachings. Those ultraconservative beliefs can go a long way in deciding who is and who isn’t supported by the black community in Hollywood, Washington, D.C., and beyond.
“With those attitudes there is just no way to tell how revealing your sexual preferences will impact your career from the fan side or the business side. As a black performer struggling to work, you cannot afford to take that chance,” Bogle says …
“Raven is fearless for coming out, and I’m proud of her,” says a well-known black director. “But let’s face it, most black women in this business don’t have the clout or the money in the bank to risk it all. Look at how long it took Jodie Foster to come out, and she is a Hollywood institution. Raven has had a solid career that most black women don’t have and that affords her a certain amount of freedom.”
Read Allison Samuels' entire piece at the Daily Beast.
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