Black LBGT Characters on TV and Film

The most famous LBGT characters in film and television.

The Entourage: The Athlete's Other Team - There's a team that most star athletes have other than the one they play for — and that would be their entourage (although in Darkanian's case, he also plays for the "other" team, but we digress). Check out these other great athlete entourages that have made noise for not only their sports leader but for having a reputation of their own. (Photo: BET)

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Darkanian, Let's Stay Together - On Let's Stay Together, Darkanian is a hugely talented and handsome athlete...and also a closeted gay man. He's not the only Black gay character to appear in TV and film. Here are a few more. (Photo: BET)

Alike, Pariah - In the movie Pariah, Adepero Oduye played Alike, a teenage lesbian coming to grips with her sexuality in Brooklyn. Kim Wayans plays Alike's disapproving mother, who can't believe her daughter is gay. (Photo: Focus Features)

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In the 2011 movie Pariah, Adepero Oduye played Alike, a teenage lesbian coming to grips with her sexuality in Brooklyn. Kim Wayans delivered a powerful performance as her homophobic mother. (Photo: Focus Features)

Noah, Alex, Ricky and Chance, Noah's Arc - The Logo show Noah's Arc centered around four gay Black men living in Los Angeles: Noah, Alex, Ricky and Chase. The show was also broadcast on BET J, which later became Centric. (Photo: Logo)

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The Logo show Noah's Arc centered around four gay Black men living in Los Angeles: Noah, Alex, Ricky and Chase. The show was also broadcast on BET J, which later became Centric. The series aired for two seasons but is expected to make a comeback. (Photo: Logo)

Cleo, Set It Off - In Set It Off, Queen Latifah played Cleo, a tough lesbian who decides to rob banks with her friends. In the movie, Latifah proved that a woman could play a gangster as good as any man. (Photo: New Line Cinema)

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In 1996's Set It Off, Queen Latifah played Cleo, a tough lesbian who decides to rob banks with her friends. In the movie, Latifah proved that a woman could play a gangster as good as any man. (Photo: New Line Cinema)

Kima, The Wire - Sonya Sohn played Detective Kima Greggs for all five seasons of The Wire. Fans of the show got to see her relationship with her girlfriend, the child they had together and her eventual breakup. (Photo: HBO)

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Sonya Sohn played Detective Kima Greggs for all five seasons of The Wire. Fans of the show got to see her relationship with her girlfriend, the child they had together and her eventual breakup. (Photo: HBO)

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Kyle and Randall, Get on the Bus - In Get on the Bus, Spike Lee's movie about a bus trip to the Million Man March, Isaiah Washington and Harry J. Lennix played gay couple Kyle and Randall. One of the film's most powerful moments is when Kyle beats up a homophobic felloe passenger over his comments. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

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In Get on the Bus, Spike Lee's movie about a bus trip to the Million Man March, Isaiah Washington and Harry J. Lennix played gay couple Kyle and Randall. One of the film's most powerful moments is when Kyle beats up a homophobic passenger. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

Omar Little, The Wire - On The Wire, Michael K. Williams played the infamous Omar Little, a homosexual gangster who made his living robbing drug dealers. Throughout the series, Omar would have his boyfriends kidnapped, tortured and even murdered. Still, Omar managed to break gay stereotypes and gain the admiration of gangsters in Baltimore and the world. (Photo: HBO)

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On The Wire, the late-great Michael K. Williams played the infamous Omar Little, a gangster who was gay and made his living robbing drug dealers. Throughout the series, Omar would have his boyfriends kidnapped, tortured and even murdered. Omar was groundbreaking for televison. (Photo: HBO)

Lindy, Car Wash - In the comedy Car Wash, Antonio Fargas played the flamboyant Lindy. In the movie, when confronted by another man about his cross dressing, Lindy said "I'm twice the man you'll ever be and more woman than you'll ever get." (Photo: Universal Pictures)

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Lindy, Car Wash - In the comedy Car Wash, Antonio Fargas played the flamboyant Lindy. In the movie, when confronted by another man about his cross dressing, Lindy said "I'm twice the man you'll ever be and more woman than you'll ever get." (Photo: Universal Pictures)

Belize, Angels in America - In Angels in America, Jeffrey Wright played Belize, a drag queen who was close friends with a man dying of AIDS. The film aired on HBO to rave reviews. (Photo: HBO Films)

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In Angels in America, Jeffrey Wright played Belize, a drag queen who was close friends with a man dying of AIDS. The 2003 miniseries aired on HBO to rave reviews. (Photo: HBO Films)

KIDRON

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In the drag queen comedy To Wong Fu, Wesley Snipes played Noxeema Jackson, a drag queen who travels to California with two others to win a pageant. On the way, he deals with homophobia, racism and bonds with fellow queens. (Photo: Universal Pictures)

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Damon, Friday After Next - In Friday After Next, Terry Crews played Damon, a gay ex-convict with a strong attraction to pimp Money Mike, played by Katt Williams. (Photo: New Line Cinema)

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Damon, Friday After Next - In Friday After Next, Terry Crews played Damon, a gay ex-convict with a strong attraction to pimp Money Mike, played by Katt Williams. (Photo: New Line Cinema)

Elliot, Be Cool - In the movie Be Cool, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played Elliot, a music executive's gay bodyguard and aspiring actor. Elliot took a lot of gay jokes from his bosses and turns on them after they ask him to kill John Travolta's character, Chili Palmer. (Photo: MGM)

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Elliot, Be Cool - In the movie Be Cool, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played Elliot, a music executive's gay bodyguard and aspiring actor. Elliot took a lot of gay jokes from his bosses and turns on them after they ask him to kill John Travolta's character, Chili Palmer. (Photo: MGM)

Carl, For Colored Girls - In Tyler Perry's adaptation of Ntozake Shange's classic play For Colored Girls, Omari Hardwick played Carl, the down low husband of Joana Bradmore, played by Janet Jackson.  (Photo: Lionsgate)

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Carl, For Colored Girls - In Tyler Perry's adaptation of Ntozake Shange's classic play For Colored Girls, Omari Hardwick played Carl, the down low husband of Joana Bradmore, played by Janet Jackson.  (Photo: Lionsgate)

Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather, In Living Color - Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather were an over-the-top flamboyan team of critics on the comedy sketch show In Living Color. The two would review movies and other things, using their catch phrase "Two Snaps Up." They were played by comedians Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier. (Photo: FOX)

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Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather, In Living Color - Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather were an over-the-top flamboyan team of critics on the comedy sketch show In Living Color. The two would review movies and other things, using their catch phrase "Two Snaps Up." They were played by comedians Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier. (Photo: FOX)

Bette Porter, The L Word - On Showtime's The L Word, Jennifer Beals played Bette Porter, a lesbian and the show's main character. For her perfomance, Beals won an NAACP Image Award and received a Golden Globe nomination. (Photo: Showtime)

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Bette Porter, The L Word - On Showtime's The L Word, Jennifer Beals played Bette Porter, a lesbian and the show's main character. For her perfomance, Beals won an NAACP Image Award and received a Golden Globe nomination. (Photo: Showtime)

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Paul, Six Degrees of Separation - Will Smith played gay con man Paul in Six Degrees of Separation. In the film, he cons a rich white family by claiming he is friends with their children and is the son of Sidney Poitier. (Photo: MGM)

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Will Smith played a gay con man Paul in Six Degrees of Separation back in 1993. In the film, he cons a rich white family by claiming he is friends with their children and the son of Sidney Poitier. (Photo: MGM)

Snoop, The Wire - During the last three seasons of The Wire, Felicia Pearson played heartless lesbian gangster Snoop. Snoop was one of crime boss Marlo Stanfield's most feared and trusted lieutenants. (Photo: HBO)

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Snoop, The Wire - During the last three seasons of The Wire, Felicia Pearson played heartless lesbian gangster Snoop. Snoop was one of crime boss Marlo Stanfield's most feared and trusted lieutenants. (Photo: HBO)

Lorraine and Theresa, The Women of Brewster Place - In the mini-series based on the book The Women Of Brewster Place, Lonette McKee and Paula Kelly played lesbian couple Lorraine andTheresa, who lived in the projects and struggled with racism, homophobia and poverty. (Photo: Harpo Productions)

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In the 1989 mini-series based on the book The Women Of Brewster Place, Lonette McKee and Paula Kelly played lesbian couple Lorraine andTheresa, who struggled with racism, homophobia and poverty -- certainly ahead of its time. (Photo: Harpo Productions)

Fatima and Alex, She Hate Me - In Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Kerry Washington and Dania Ramirez played a lesbian couple who pay an ex boyfriend of Fatima's, played by Anthony Mackie, to impregnate them both. (Photo: 40 Acres and a Mule)

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Fatima and Alex, She Hate Me - In Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Kerry Washington and Dania Ramirez played a lesbian couple who pay an ex boyfriend of Fatima's, played by Anthony Mackie, to impregnate them both. (Photo: 40 Acres and a Mule)