Our Black Gay Diaspora host, Erick, is joined by Blane Charles, founder and president of Blane Charles Design (BCD), a one-stop shop offering interior design, wardrobe styling, estate planning, and organizing services tailored to each client’s unique lifestyle needs. But Blane’s impact extends far beyond design.

A pioneering figure in Black queer history and HIV/AIDS activism, Blane co-founded ACT UP Montréal with activist Michael Hendricks in 1989 after attending the International AIDS Conference. Their fearless advocacy helped shape LGBTQ+ history in Montréal and beyond. Blane reflects on their journey in style, interior design, and queer activism, and the legacy they continue to build.

Photo from the Veejay Floresca’s Fall/Winter Collection (Collection Two).

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In this episode of Our Black Gay Diaspora, host Erick talks with Johanna Perez, founder of Reclaiming Us — an organization "born from the legacy of showing up for people, feeding families, caring for community, and helping people reclaim what life tried to take from them."

Johanna shares their journey of self-advocacy and healing, and how they built confidence within Black LGBTQ+ communities by founding Vegas Black Pride and San Bernardino County Black Pride. They speak candidly about the importance of supporting and representing Black and Brown communities.

AfroBuenaventura Transformative Travel: American founder Ronnell Perry joins Our Black Gay Diaspora host Erick to share his journey from the suburbs of Chicago to the Peace Corps in Paraguay and Costa Rica, and to creating creative travel experiences that spotlight Black communities across Latin America.

Ronnell is based in Salvador, Brazil, and highlights Afro-Brazilian culture in Brazil and what it means to show up as your truest, most authentic self — especially as a queer Black man living abroad. Whether you’re dreaming of traveling internationally to seek Black travel inspiration or looking for LGBTQ+ expat stories, this conversation will ignite your next chapter.

Filmmaker and singer-songwriter Marck Angel joins Our Black Gay Diaspora host Erick to discuss his journey as a Black queer multi-hyphenate artist. Marck shares how his talents and education shape his creative vision. He breaks down the making of the film SERAPHIM: The Motion Picture, a queer musical romance drama that tackles love and social justice for a Black same-gender-loving male couple. Marck opens up about navigating the music industry as an openly queer artist, his countertenor vocal range, and why authentic Black queer storytelling matters. From being influenced by Motown legends to honoring filmmakers like Patrik-Ian Polk and Roger Omeus Jr., this conversation explores representation and the importance of seeing Black gay male couples on-screen.

Our Black Gay Diaspora host Erick converses with Gaye Adegbalola — blues singer, guitarist, activist, educator, and co-founder of the legendary acoustic blues trio Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women. Gaye, a W.C. Handy Award winner and civil rights veteran, unpacks how blues music has always been a music of liberation — the “poor person’s psychiatrist.” This conversation weaves together race, class, gender, sexuality, and resilience. Gaye also reflects on her international touring career and her role as a griot preserving oral history. A rich, soulful, and eye-opening episode for blues lovers, LGBTQ+ history enthusiasts, and anyone who believes storytelling can change the world.

Our Black Gay Diaspora host Erick speaks with independent filmmaker, writer, director, and showrunner Lazarus X to explore the power of Black queer storytelling in arthouse cinema.

With over two decades of experience, Lazarus X discusses his journey as an auteur, from his early days in the web series movement to creating internationally filmed productions like the erotic drama Guap, set in Naples, Italy, and the critically intimate series A Beautiful Cruel Thing. He unpacks why authentic representation still falls short despite milestones like the 2016 film Moonlight and how arthouse cinema can transform how Black audiences see themselves.

Lazarus X also shares his passion for capturing intimacy, his exploration of Afrofuturism, and his vision for expanding Black storytelling to global stages. A must for fans of independent filmmaking, Black LGBTQ+ culture, and authentic creative expression.

Wayne Mertins-Brown is a British psychotherapeutic counsellor who works in and around the greater London area, offering one-to-one, couples, and group counseling.

American writer and novelist Doug Jones, Morehouse College alumnus, Columbia University MFA graduate, and Lambda Literary Fellow, discusses his powerful 2025 debut novel, The Fantasies of Future Things. Set against the backdrop of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and gentrification, the novel centers on two young Black gay men as they navigate identity, purpose, and community displacement. In this candid conversation, Doug explores the intersection of Black same-gender-loving identity, intimacy, and social justice. He also reflects on his journey as a Black gay writer, his real estate career, his deeply personal essay “Dear Dad” from the anthology Black Love Letters, and the healing power of Black LGBTQ storytelling.

Seattle-based Brad Blackburn III is “a public service professional, strategist, and community advocate committed to advancing equity, civic engagement, and systems change.” He is also the co-host of Identity Unboxed with Tiana Cole, a podcast featuring candid conversations with Black professionals about their career journeys, identities, and resilience.