Thought and Opinion

Today, I welcome BOYSLOVEFLOWERS to Thought and Opinion. He is the founder and CEO of BOYSLOVERECORDS, a new LA-based record label that centers black gay and queer artists. Prior to founding BOYSLOVERECORDS, BOYSLOVEFLOWRS had established himself within LA’s gay and queer community as one of tomorrow’s leaders. It is the reputation as a proven quantity that he brings to his role of chief exec...

I present this topic because Hollywood has long been the epicenter of global popular entertainment. But that status partly hinges not only on the talent and grit of the actors who give a script life but also on their opportunity to work and be compensated justly for their talent. And it is that opportunity and just compensation that have been severely risked by in the last 5 yrs. COVID and the con...

I present this topic because the idea of fatherhood, wanting to become a father that is, has not always seemed desirable or achievable for out gay black men. Race and sexual identity, and class, were exploited to make fatherhood and out and proud conflicting choices. Intersectional trauma notwithstanding, many out black gay men made the decision to become fathers, and along with their children, ar...

I pose this topic because as black LGBTQ+ men we have more shared experiences, strengths, hopes, and joys than we sometimes take the opportunity to discover. There is more community to be experienced than we allow ourselves to feel. And at this moment; when the anti-black racism, homophobia, and transphobia that reelected Donald Trump have its jackboot on our throats, fellowship and connection are...

No one ever said that being out is gay. If you listen to all the noise that bombards you, being gay  and  out can be … overwhelming. How do you come out? What about finding community? And then there’s dating. And discovering who you authentically are, now. So let’s cover the bases and get some clarity. We’re talking Gay 101 on Thought and Opinion with special guest Glen Lawrence.  H...

I pose this question because as love and happiness are shared human desires, I have essentially always heard black gay and queer men say that they want a “masculine” man. Their presentation notwithstanding, a large number of black gay men have made masculinity their standard for love; and thereby, have attached much of their happiness to something that – many would say – is largely external and pe...

I pose this question because I wonder if black gay men have allowed heteronormative expectations to standardize how we define ourselves. By various means America deemed gay and queer identity as partly synonymous with femininity. Have some black gay men unknowingly allowed that standard to seep into their thinking? For example:  The traditional image of gay or queer black men in tv, film, mus...

I pose this question because President Donald Trump’s second term has been a  manic cycle of corruption, greed, and cruelty. So much so, that many Americans  have been shocked into thinking that this is unlike any presid...

I pose this question because in 2021, the city of Santa Clarita – the 3rd largest city in LA County and its last traditional republican stronghold – was sued for violating the CA Voting Rights Act. The CVRA lawsuit alleged that due to electing its City Council on an at-large basis, Santa Clarita“dilutes the votes of Latino citizens, suppresses the ability of their communities to recruit and suppor...

Today, I welcome Valerie Bradford to Thought and Opinion. She is the founding President of the Santa Clarita chapter of the NAACP and a candidate for Santa Clarita City Council. Her candidacy is historic. She is only the 2nd black women to run for City Council in Santa Clarita’s 38 yr history as a city. If she wins, she would be only the 3nd newly elected woman to the Council since 2008, and the f...

Part 2 of Black, Gay and Modern I pose this topic because the identity markers of black and gay have always been exploited as barriers to equality and self-determination in America. Yet despite racism, classism, and homophobia black gay men are openly flourishing in ways not seen even 20 years ago. What has caused this triumph? Let's hear thriving gay black men talk about how they define them...

I pose this topic because the identity markers of black and gay have always been exploited as barriers to equality and self-determination in America. Yet despite racism, classism, and homophobia black gay men are openly flourishing in ways not seen even 20 years ago. What has caused this triumph? Let's hear thriving gay black men talk about how they define themselves, navigate intersectional...

Israel and Genocide With Dr. Dirk Moses I present this topic because Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza is one of the sweeping atrocities of our time and necessitates our attention. The human toll bogles the mind. As of early September 2025, estimates are that 38 percent of Gaza’s pre-Oct 7th population has been displaced. Of the more than 67,000 killed, children account for 30 pe...

Has The American Evangelical Church Prostituted Itself By Supporting Donald Trump? On this episode of Thought & Opinion, Andre Hollings dives into how the church rallied behind Donald Trump despite of him having a long history of doing the very things that goes against the American Evangelical Church Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thought and Opinion is your platform for a clearer understanding of where we find ourselves in their America and how we define ourselves within it. We will go beyond the accepted discourse. To the ideas, and consequences, that we sometimes hesitate to engage. Join andre and various guests on Sundays at noon PDT as we reframe our politics and Identity in their America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...