People face social isolation from their immediate communities for various reasons. Including but not limited to sexual orientation, gender expression, and as of recently, a global pandemic.
According to a global study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, out of 20,398 respondents, 4,284 faced severe loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 2,000 people admitted that their social isolation increased during the pandemic. Situations of social isolation can be a major burden for LGBTQIA+ people. Severe isolation can lead to depression, self-harm, and risky sexual behaviors.
Founders of BLACK, GAY, stuck at home, Joshua Jenkins, and Michael Ward display how the digital community can help with social isolation. Formed in April 2020, BGSAH is a bi-weekly virtual community meetup highlighting independent and mainstream films and series.
The Black Wall Street Times interviewed the duo, and they shared that the creation of BGSAH came naturally. Jenkins said, “Michael had just posted about wanting to watch the movie ‘Punks’ and I was bored at home and had just pulled out my copy of ‘Punks’ around the same time, which was in alignment. So, I hit him up and was like, we should just show a film and see if some of our friends want to come, and it will be cute cause we will be stuck in the house. Then I thought about it, maybe we should brand it.”
Around 500 people RSVP’d to the first screening, which included a conversation with the writer and director of “Punks,” Patrick Ian Polk.
From observations and firsthand experiences, the pair understands the experience of social isolation within the Queer community. They provide a safe space to help the sense of loneliness and encourage creatives to continue their journey.
Ward said, “Wherever you are, filmmaker, playwright, actor, do it where you are now. Create what you don’t see because there are stories that need to be told.”
Community Engagement Reduces Social Isolation
The efforts of BGSAH have helped individuals feel less social isolation while building worldwide connections. BGSAH is an inclusive virtual safe space for all LGBTQIA+ walks of life.
Jenkins said, “Loneliness existed in our community way before the pandemic, the pandemic exacerbated that for a lot of people… People are still trying to grapple with what is my relationship with the community if I don’t have access to things like going out and how do I engage in community.”
Rightfully so, community members are hungry for more, with an average of 150 RSVPs for each screening. The duo strongly believes Black Queer creatives and films deserve celebration and support.
Jenkins shared, “It quickly came into focus that we should be lifting Black Queer narratives. Once we got into that groove, it supported that there are a lot of stories and a lot of undiscovered gems that people didn’t necessarily know about that were important to bring to light… It sort of shows the gaps where there still aren’t enough stories being told.”
The project is also a community effort where viewers dig into their film archives and share movie suggestions.
Open Access and Sharing Resources
Accessibility for all is important to BGSAH to eliminate social isolation. Ward believes it is important to strive to be inclusive of all people with differing abilities.
Ward expressed, “It’s the community; it’s a whole group of folks who expect us to be there every two weeks because they’ve had a stressful week, and they just want to let some steam off with a good film around people that they know.” BGSAH provides a space for Queer community members who may not have the luxury of a nearby in-person community.
With that, Ward encourages Queer people from big cities to be more welcoming to small-city Queer transplants and visitors.
“I grew up in a small Southern town that was very military and white Christian-based, and I felt like I was the only person who I knew who was like me up until high school… [People] would graduate, and they’d go and leave for Miami and Atlanta in search of community,” he shared.
Ward gives props to the Black Queer community in Atlanta and acknowledges the importance of peer learning. He said, “During the pandemic, we were able to spread information, accurate factual information about COVID and where we could get vaccinated as well with MPox.”
Both agree that community diversity and support enhance people’s lives and help with social isolation.
“We gather folks across many different generations and experiences and identities,” Jenkins added, “There were folks who had never seen ‘Paris Is Burning’ in the room and there were folks who really were intimately part of the communities being represented in ‘Paris Is Burning.’”
The Need for Equitable Queer Representation in Entertainment
Ward is a multi-talented actor and creator. He believes the lack of funding, resources, and overall opportunities distributed to Black Queer creatives prevents massive productions.
“It baffled me being in the space of Atlanta where we’re the Black Queer, Black gay mecca, and I would think that there would be more roles that talk about our humanity, that talk about more than our trauma. Talk about our joy,” Ward expressed.
In addition, Jenkins shared some insight from virtual talks with filmmakers. He said, “The one talking point that comes up is how quickly they made these films, how under-resourced they were, and how sometimes they even speak about what they wish they could have done differently, but they had to get it done. I imagine a universe where we didn’t have those restraints as much and where there was more for everyone.”
Nevertheless, Black Queer filmmakers and theatremakers have become more creative and innovative to bring their stories to life. Virtual writing sessions with creatives across the country have helped sharpen ideas and build momentum.
Ward said, “There is still so much of it that can be done at home, there are communities and there are people that are banning together and writing stories.”
Peer and Organizational Support Combats Isolation
Positive and fair queer representation matters. BGSAH gives flowers to GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media Department for highlighting “Black LGBTQ+ people, people living with HIV (PLWH), and queer communities of color in the realm of entertainment and media.” Their work has opened doors, bringing Black creators to the 2024 American Black Film Festival, which Issa Rae creatively directed.
Ward said, “To be able to get these folks in these rooms: it takes money, it takes resources, but most of all, it takes the passion and the love.”
BGSAH encourages filmmakers to reach out and become a part of their community to showcase their projects. Special guests have included, James Earl Hardy, Jussie Smollett, Brandee Evans, Patrik-Ian Polk, majority-cast of Noah’s Arc, Vanessa Williams, Brontez Purnell, James Ijames, and more.
The Future Vision for BGSAH
BLACK, GAY, stuck at home, hopes to expand its platform to support independent creatives and community members. Jenkins said, “We want to make sure we are making a real impact. We are in the stages of planning and plotting and figuring out what that looks like.”
In the spirit of art and community investing, BGSAH wants to position itself as a funder, especially for Black Queer film and theatre projects. Ward said, “It takes a lot of money and resources… It gets tough fighting for the one spot because there are so many talented folks out there.”
Their future may include mutual aid initiatives to fund projects, creative community support, and fun in-person activations. “We’re part of hopefully a lot more other efforts that are getting our stories out there,” Jenkins said.