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ParKer: Who is G beyond the community media maven and activist?
G: I am so many things beyond the community media maven and activist. Where do I start? I’m a writer—I’m working on my memoirs. I also write a weekly opinion for the SunSentinel newspaper and write for the Island Origins magazine. I’m a mother of two amazing young men; I don’t share them much on social media for their own privacy’s sake, but they are both brilliant, intriguing and pretty entertaining. I love traveling—some of my activism has given me the opportunity to travel and take my girlfriend, and I also love traveling with my sons. What else? I’m also a lawyer. In recent years I’m practicing less and less, but had many many years of being a litigator full-time. I’m a Jamaican-American that is very passionate and proud of my ancestry and culture. And yes, I am a girlfriend—working hard to keep my woman happy #lolbutseriously
ParKer: You speak of a time in your life when you did not know you were gay, and being very resentful when you finally "realized" you were. What was the dawning moment for you revealing your true identity?
G: When I realized that sharing who I am will help me and not hurt me, that was my dawning moment. I was experiencing a great deal of anxiety and the source of that pain was primarily from carrying that secret. My former husband is the first person I told… and I was terrified. After telling him, I continued to come out to my closest friends and family members. Then as I approached a milestone birthday, I decided I would no longer attempt to hide who I was and finally found the courage to be my authentic self in all I do.
ParKer: What did you wrestle with the most in the stages of coming to terms with being a lesbian?
G: My biggest struggle was shedding my belief that it was wrong and disgusting to be a lesbian. It took me years to evolve and accept that there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian and that it is in fact beautiful.
ParKer: In your opinion, what do you believe are the main causes of women still denying their true love identity even in their adulthood and after being involved with women? Women who are very involved with women, but say, "I'm not a lesbian, I just like what I like when I like it."
G: Women who deny their true identity may be afraid of how society might judge them. Although the LGBTQ community has come a long way, there are still many people who are homophobic. Some women may be in denial because they want to have a “traditional” life with a husband and children, and that life could just be an easier path... with less struggle. Many also still judge themselves; we can be pretty hard on ourselves—I certainly was.
ParKer: How has Very G TV served as an evolutionary tool for you personally and as a community leader?
G: I had come out pretty publicly and many people on my personal profile shared how much they enjoyed and were inspired by me sharing my authentic self. Very G TV became a tool to share my life and advocacy to a wider audience and gave me a platform to share other LGBTQ stories and promote my signature event “Thou Art Woman.”
G: My weekly series “Queer Qonversations” which is broadcasted live on the Very G TV Facebook page every Tuesday at 6pm EST is an incredible platform where anyone in the world can be exposed to and engage with our community.
ParKer: Being the G you are today, what are some of your proudest moments you've experienced on your journey being Very Gay (lol)?
G: On my journey to becoming Very Gay I’ve had so many proud moments. My proudest moment is when I found the courage to completely disregard what people felt and decided to be openly gay and gender non-conforming. I’m also very proud to be surrounded by friends and family members who are accepting and supportive. I’m also always so proud to hear how my story inspires others—some are inspired to be openly gay as well, and some are inspired to be an ally. Other proud moments include seeing the growth of my event for LGBTQ women—“Thou Art Woman,” receiving the Florida Diversity Council’s LGBT Leader Award and I am always appreciative of the ability to live freely while encouraging others to do the same.
ParKer: Being from a culture that has anti-homosexuality rooted in its threads, also, in your bio you write Sorry Jamaica. Even in today's era of sexual freedoms and expressions, how are you bridging the gap and educating those who still hold traditional beliefs regarding the LGBT community?
G: I do this by being visible and sharing our stories. It’s easy to be homophobic when you don’t think you know anyone who is gay, but once you are exposed to or connected to someone who is gay, it’s harder to hate. Showing our community from many different angles helps those who still hold “traditional” homophobic beliefs to change their hearts and minds and be more accepting.
ParKer: Why did you start Very G TV and what are your big goals for it?
G: I saw this as a chance to amplify the voice and visibility of LGBTQ community. I was initially sharing my life on my personal Facebook profile and people encouraged me to share with a wider audience. I thought of using the word “TV” since I was inviting people to watch how our community lives and loves.
G: I did not see openly gay people when I was growing up in Jamaica and that made it harder for me to envision myself as gay. It’s hard to be what you cannot see. Also, my shift from being a homophobic person started with learning that my close friends were gay—they were actually twin brothers. Their visibility made it hard for me to continue to be homophobic. The more people see our lives and know our stories, the more people will be accepting of who we are.
G: Very G TV produces Thou Art Woman. I would like to see Thou Art Woman grow to a larger event that people travel from anywhere in the world to attend. And I would like to see Thou Art Woman travel to other locations to give LGBTQ women and allies the platform to be themselves. I also host a weekly live series called “Queer Qonversations” on the Very G TV Facebook page. We are live every Tuesday at 6pm EST and I interview people from our community. I would like to see the viewership grow tremendously.
ParKer: Can you give us a little insight on Thou Art Woman? How can you get involved or enjoy the show?
G: Thou Art Woman is an event series celebrating LGBTQ women and their allies through performance and visual art. I started Thou Art Woman in 2014 to fill a void for LGBTQ women, who are looking for an alternative place to socialize. The event has both an open mic segment where anyone can perform and a segment of feature professional performers. The night is pretty magical.
G: Our next show is in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, March 10 at ArtServe.Tickets are available on Eventbrite. You can follow @thouartwoman on Instagram and on Facebook to get details on future events. We are also happy to bring the Thou Art Woman experience to any city in the world.
ParKer: If the G today could interview the resentful G from years ago on Very G TV, what would be one question you ask her and what would be the advice you would give her?
G: Wow, what an interview that would be! I guess I would ask resentful G at what point did she really know she was gay? And oh man, I would have so much advice for her. Primarily, I would advise her to stop judging herself and fearing the judgment of others. I would advise her to hurry up and kick down the closet door and promise her that greatness awaits her. I would let her know that when she’s her true self, she will be truly liberated and she will love it!
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