‘Finally a black gay couple’



Gay fathers respond to twitter backlash over Instagram photosOlivia Sylvain




Kaleb and Kordale are an interesting site to see; two handsome Black men resembling male models and toting three cute little children. Their Instagram page is flooded with photos of them raising their kids; helping with homework, combing their hair, and reading bedtime stories. It is the kind of family that some Americans claim they are ready to see, yet the parents have received quite a bit of negativity in response to their lifestyle.

Last week The Huffington Post highlighted the photo that had gone viral. In it Kaleb and Kordale are getting their daughters ready for school, the caption read:




Being fathers is getting our daughters up at 5:30 am making breakfast getting them dressed for school and putting them on the us by 6:30 .This is a typical day in our household. It’s not easy but we enjoy every moment and every minute of #fatherhood. #proudfathers #blackfathers #prouddads #gaydads


Many of the tweets and comments were positive, but some twitter users on “Black Twitter” (the realm of twitter where users, issues, hashtags, and topics are predominately Black) had mixed feelings about the issue. Comments like “Finally a black gay couple” expressed the notion that it is fine time for the visibility of African-American gay couples and the end of the “down low” mentality.
The couple expressed their feelings when The Huffington Post reached out to them. They stated that they “do what is necessary for [their children] to succeed in this ever-changing world” and that although they are discriminated against because of what they do “behind closed doors”, it is still no one’s business.

The issue raises many questions about the invisibility and/or visibility of Black gay men, especially those raising children. Which is more taboo about Kaleb and Kordale, their homos3xuality, their skin color, or their family?

Social media, especially Twitter and Instagram, has become a space for open expression whether political, s3xual, cultural or gender-based. People like Kaleb and Kordale are no different from any other Instagram users; their goal, like yours, is to show friends and family the joyful and interesting moments that take place in their lives—and occasionally post a flattering selfie or two.