#TheGreat28: Lena Waithe Is Bringing More Queer Representation To Television
Lena Waithe, one of BET.com's #TheGreat28 honorees, is continuing to carry the torch of diversity in Hollywood by relating honest stories that exemplify real experiences of queer, minority and underrepresented beings.
In fact, she has recently signed on to bring this all to life in an upcoming comedy about three female friends.
According to Variety, TBS has given the Emmy Award-winning actress and writer a pilot order for a show titled Twenties, which revolves around "a queer Black girl" named Hattie and her two straight besties.
The site reports that despite just receiving the opportunity to bring it to life, Waithe wrote the script for the show a while back.
"I wrote Twenties back in 2009," she said. "I always wanted to tell a story where a queer Black woman was the protagonist and I'm so grateful to TBS for giving me a platform to tell this story. Queer Black characters have been the sidekick for long enough. It's time for us to finally take the lead."
Waithe has been hustling in the industry for years, but received major acclaim this past year for her work as a writer and actress in the Netflix original series Master of None. She also, more recently, created and executive produces the new Showtime drama series The Chi, which has since received major praise from critics and viewers alike.
As her star continues to rise and she pushes for more inclusion for queer and Black talent in Hollywood, we salute Lena Waithe as a deserving honoree in our Black History Month series, #TheGreat28.