Same-Gender-Loving Black Male Television Characters: A Case Study of the Scripted Television Series Designated Survivor

Abstract

Descriptive analyses of same-gender-loving (SGL) Black male characters in scripted television series are lacking. This content may expose SGL Black viewers to distinct narratives. Accordingly, I adopt queer theory and Black queer studies, specifically the visibility of sexual identities, and examined the Netflix series Designated Survivor’s two SGL Black male characters, Dontae Evans and Troy Bae. Findings illustrated themes including sexual intimacy, visual representations of safe sex practices, and discussions of emotional and physical health. I argue that visibility, not to be confused with numerical representation, offers SGL Black men the lens to see their complex and layered existence on-screen.