Darian Aaron is the Director of Local News: US South at GLAAD, where he develops and places original LGBTQ stories in local, regional, and national media outlets across all platforms with an unrelenting focus on LGBTQ people of color and people living with HIV in the South. In May 2024, he launched the inaugural "GLAAD Down South" media event, amplifying GLAAD's growing quantity and quality of Southern LGBTQ and HIV narratives while simultaneously providing a platform to elevate the contributions of Black LGBTQ journalists in the Southeast.
Darian's career in media spans nearly two decades. He is the former Communications Director of The Counter Narrative Project (CNP) and former Editor-At-Large of The Reckoning, a digital publication covering Atlanta's Black LGBTQ+community.
As an undergraduate student at Alabama State University, he founded AMPLIFIED, the first-ever LGBT+ chartered student organization in the university's history. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, he resides in Atlanta, GA, with his fiancé.
Summary:
Happy Pride! Darian Aaron, a gay black man, shares his journey of self-acceptance and the challenges he faced in coming out. In this conversation, Darian and Alicia discuss various topics related to LGBTQ+ issues, including the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the South, the importance of storytelling to combat stereotypes, and the ongoing HIV epidemic. Darian shares his work at GLAAD, where he amplifies the stories of LGBTQ+ people of color and those living with HIV in the South.
Keywords:
coming out, LGBTQ+, black church, representation, performing arts, journalism, marriage equality, wedding, LGBTQ+, South, stereotypes, storytelling, GLAAD, HIV, stigma, education
Takeaways:
The challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in coming out and living authentically
The journey of self-acceptance and finding one's true identity The majority of LGBTQ+ people in America live in the South, and their stories need to be told and amplified.
Stigma is a significant barrier for people living with HIV to access care, and education and sensitivity training for medical professionals can help break down these barriers.
It is important to challenge stereotypes and recognize the humanity of LGBTQ+ individuals, no matter how they identify.
Sound Bites:
"Living a life of shame and secrecy was not the path that I was meant to go down."
"The Black Church is still regressive. They're still far behind in terms of equality for LGBTQ Christians."
"They refuse to acknowledge our humanity."
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Friendship
02:18 Navigating the Black Church as an LGBTQ+ Individual
06:02 The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Black Church
09:56 Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Individuals in Coming Out
13:56 From Performing Arts to Journalism: Darian's Journey
21:32 Finding Self-Acceptance and Embracing Identity
21:44 Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Individuals in the South
25:00 Breaking Down Stigma and Stereotypes
26:29 The Ongoing HIV Epidemic
32:07 GLAAD's Work in Amplifying LGBTQ+ Stories
36:11 Education and Sensitivity Training for Medical Professionals
39:09 Discreet Access to HIV Treatment
43:26 Recognizing the Humanity of LGBTQ+ Individuals
GLAAD: https://glaad.org/
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