When I arrived at the Sofitel Los Angeles for the 2025 Black Queer Creative Summit (BQCS) partnered with P&G, BET, Zillow, Starz #TakeTheLead, Lyft, Crocs and Hinge’s One More Hour initiative as Official Sponsors and Spotify as a Supporting Sponsor, the air was electric. It was the kind of energy that feels both ancient and new, the hum of possibility when Black queer people gather to dream, build, and be seen.
This year’s Summit marked the second annual gathering of Black LGBTQ+ creatives across television, film, music, digital media, and journalism, a collaborative effort between GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media Department and partnering with . As someone who had the honor of working behind the scenes to help bring it to life, we knew this weekend was bigger than any one event. It was a declaration: we are here, we are thriving, and our stories matter.
Months of planning went into curating a weekend that felt intentional at every turn. Our goal wasn’t simply to host panels or keynotes, it was to create an ecosystem of care and community. Each session, from our wellness gatherings to our industry workshops, was rooted in a simple belief: when Black queer creatives feel safe and supported, they create work that can change the world.
Over 200 creatives joined us this year, representing a spectrum of disciplines and geographies. Many received full scholarships covering travel and lodging, removing the financial barriers that too often exclude our community from industry spaces.
One cohort member, a filmmaker from Dallas, said, “this is the first time I’ve been in a room like this anywhere. Not LA, not Dallas, nowhere. To be able to feel so centered and safe to be myself and fully stand in my art, even for just this weekend, it’s everything”
Welcoming night partnered with BET and P&G, attendees were introduced to the GLAAD Communities of Color and Media Team and the purpose for the next full weekend. The team included GLAAD VP of Communities of Color and Media, DaShawn Usher, Associate Director, Julian J. Walker, Associate, Shiko Njoroge, Junior Associates, Tymia Ballard and Alexander King, and Entertainment Consultants and BQCS Program Co-Leaders, Shar Jossell and Ryan Mitchell.
This led into the moderated conversation by Kalen Allen. The evening gathered a powerhouse of cultural architects: RaeShanda Lias, the dynamic entrepreneur and viral storyteller behind @shopaif on TikTok; Luchina Fisher, Emmy-winning filmmaker and educator whose work (The Dads, The D Word, Mama Gloria) continues to reframe Black queer narratives; and Dyllón Burnside, actor, singer, and producer celebrated for his roles in Pose and Prideland.
As dinner plates clinked and laughter echoed, the conversation flowed easily. From virality and visibility to legacy and liberation. RaeShanda spoke “The moment people started repeating my words, I realized I was shaping something bigger than a trend. I had to decide what values I wanted my visibility to stand for.” With Luchina chiming in on creative boundaries and integrity, adding, “When brands come to me, I ask one question: Who’s in the room making the
As the night drew to a close, each panelist offered a one-word definition of “Black + Iconic.” The responses? fearless, faith, future: a mantra and a mission statement for the days ahead.
On the official first day, DaShawn Usher, opened the summit at the Creative Arts Agency (CAA) with equal parts affirmation and challenge. “We aren’t here to wait for permission,” he said, his voice steady but charged. “We’re here to build the spaces our ancestors dreamed of and our peers still search for.” There the Communities of Color Team presented an official letter signed by the mayor of Los Angeles. This move wasn’t just to motivate the attendees and thank them for their drive and contributions in queer liberation and the arts. But this also served as a way of creating legacy and marking this day in queer history as something to be documented and looked back on.
One of the sessions attendees had the opportunity to participate in was “The Power of Legacy with Lena Waithe,” a conversation between Lena Waithe, Emmy Award–winning writer, producer, and founder of Hillman Grad Productions (Twenties, The Chi, Master of None), and Cree Summer, the beloved actor, voice artist, and musician who defined a generation through roles in A Different World, Atlantis, and Rugrats.
The conversation was warm, funny, and deeply rooted. Together, the two traded stories about mentorship, movement, and meaning , how their crafts have evolved in an industry that still struggles to hold the fullness of Black and queer identity.
The final day of the Summit back at Sofitel carried the weight and warmth of community — a reminder that the work ahead is collective. Saturday’s programming brought together a powerful range of voices, from executives and directors to independent artists and cultural strategists, all exploring what it means to build beyond visibility.
The morning began with “What Makes Us Say Yes: How Executives Decide to Invest,” featuring Pierre Phipps (Disney Entertainment Television), Nakia Stephens (Damn Write Originals), and Chazitear (Octet Productions), Joe Carroll (FIGHTING TO BE ME:THE DWEN CURRY STORY) and Darwin Thompson (Gilead Sciences) who shared candid insights on creative leadership and sustainable storytelling and how executives evaluate creative pitches, partnerships, and investments..
Later that afternoon, the “Face Value: The Art of the Day-to-Night Transformation [BEAUTY / STYLE MASTERCLASS]” had celebrity makeup artist, Merrell Hollis, share how to transition from a boardroom setting to an evening function with intention, care, and craft. Attendees will learn professional techniques for seamless day-to-night looks, long-wear strategies for all skin tones and textures, and product must-haves that honor both face and budget.
Every conversation felt like an extension of the same truth: that community is infrastructure. That our creativity is not a moment, but a movement.
Closing out the weekend, for the second year the BQCS held its second Pitch Competition but this time in partnership with Starz #TakeTheLead. With guest judges including Sidra Smith and Lee Daniels, three winners, Jules Crosby, Carlton V. Bell, and Chaz Jackson who each received cash prizes, A Global Membership to Soho House, and 8-Week Mentorship Lab through the STARZ team in partnership with GLAAD. Three Special Runner Ups were also chosen, Jonathan Horton, Amber J. Phillips, Azure D. Osborne-Lee, and awarded $1,000 as well as the 8-Week Mentorship Lab.
As we closed the Summit, the room pulsed with laughter, art, and gratitude. People danced barefoot. Poets shared verses. Filmmakers made spontaneous plans to collaborate. And amid it all, it was realized that this summit wasn’t just an event. It was a continuum: a bridge between what was, what is, and what’s coming.To create sustainable pipelines: mentorships, fellowships, and visibility platforms that ensure Black queer creatives are not just included but centered in the media landscape.
Because when we gather, when we build worlds where Black queer people can imagine freely, we aren’t just making art.
We’re making history.
