Queers in Demand
Queers in Demand is a web series spotlighting queer-identifying folk who are making an impact in their respective fields.
Through Queers in Demand, we amplify queer entrepreneurs, community leaders, and creatives by providing a platform to share their work. We have established an autonomous network of leaders and a pipeline for mentorship for Black queer youth.
Featured Guest: Gerald Dessus
Gerald Dessus has dedicated his career to serving marginalized youth. He graduated from Lincoln University with a degree in English Education and the University of Kansas with a degree in Curriculum and Teaching. Gerald has taught English and Social Justice in charter and private schools since 2011. In 2016, he designed a social justice curriculum implemented in more than 12 schools in PA and NJ. In 2019, the International Literacy Association selected Gerald as a 30 Under 30 Honoree. Gerald has gone on to receive countless awards and honors. Today Gerald serves as the Executive Director of Beta Gamma Chi Fraternity, a queer-affirming siblinghood he co-founded in 2009. In this episode, Gerald speaks to the need for safe and affirming spaces that center Black queer voices.
Featured Guest: Guy Anthony
Guy Anthony is an award-winning ARTivist, community leader, and philanthropist. Diagnosed with HIV as a teen, Guy has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of neutralizing local and global HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. This collection of inspiring narratives, raw imagery, and affirming anecdotes have earned Guy much acclaim, including being named one of the top 100 HIV prevention leaders under 30 by POZ Magazine, one of the top 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to watch by National Black Justice Coalition, and one of DBQ Magazine’s LOUD 100 which happens to be the only LGBTQ list of 100 influential people of color.
Guy is the Founder of the Black, Gifted & Whole Foundation, a two-fold intermediary organization that provides scholarships to Black gay men attending college. In 2018, Guy was named one of the Top 35 Millennial Influencers by Next Bing Thing Inc., and Black Gifted & Whole was named as one of six “Black Companies You Should Know” by Ebony Magazine.
