Lena Waithe Centers “a Queer Black Girl” in Her Latest Comedy Twenties for TBS
#NoMoreSidekicks
Apparently working on two shows, one of which she created, isn’t enough for Emmy Award-winning writer Lena Waithe. Now, another one of her shows has received a pilot order, and if all goes well, the result will be a show that puts a queer girl of color at the center of the storytelling.
TBS has ordered a pilot for a comedy from Waithe called Twenties which, according to Variety, “revolves around “a queer black girl” named Hattie and her two straight best friends.” It’s a pilot that she wrote long before Master of None, and it’s been sitting around collecting dust for almost ten years.
“I wrote Twenties back in 2009,” Waithe told Variety. “I always wanted to tell a story where a queer black woman was the protagonist and I’m so grateful to TBS for giving me a platform to tell this story. Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough, it’s time for us to finally take the lead.”
She reiterated that sentiment on her personal Instagram, where she used the hashtag #NoMoreSidekicks.
We still have to wait and see whether or not the pilot they end up creating sells the show and delivers a full season. However, after Waithe’s Emmy win for her work on Master of None, and her current success with The Chi on Showtime, I have a hard time believing that any network wouldn’t be lining up to make anything she wants to put out there.
Here’s to more representation for queer people of color, and here’s hoping TBS has the good sense to recognize that the TV-viewing audience is so ready for a show like this.
(image: Netflix)
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