Pre-Oscars, Lena Waithe urges colleagues to come out at ‘Essence’ luncheon

BEVERLY HILLS — Lena Waithe didn't mince words on Oscars weekend, using her platform at Thursday's Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards luncheon to urge her colleagues to be more open about their sexuality.

Waithe, who is gay and engaged to fiancée Alana Mayo, memorably won an Emmy last fall for writing the Thanksgiving episode of Master of None, in which her character builds up the courage to come out to her mother (played by Angela Bassett).

Waithe, who based the episode on her own experience coming out, pronounced her love and gratitude for Mayo from the podium at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “I’m glad I can do that — profess my love to my love out loud in front of all of you," she said. "Who knew that in 2018 that would still be considered a revolutionary act?”

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The actress/writer/producer continued, saying she knows why those in the spotlight are “still hiding. Hiding because we don’t want to lose an endorsement deal. Hiding because they want to be ‘normal.’ Hiding because we don’t want to make white folks uneasy. But most of all, hiding because we don’t want to make our own people uncomfortable.”

Source: usatoday