Today’s pop culture is packed with young, vibrant teens and young adults who have challenged societal norms all while providing a safe-space and exposure to underrepresented groups. We will highlight three individuals who have unapologetically paved the way for Black LGBTQIA community and many more.
First off, we have Zach Campbell. He’s been a Youtuber since 2013 sharing videos about the latest gossip, songs, and food trends along with reaction videos and celebrity guests. His reaction videos highlight Black R&B singers, K-pop groups, rappers, and today’s top hit singers and artists. He currently has over half a million subscribers on Youtube and is still growing today.
As an outspoken gay Black man, he does not hold back on the commentary; he speaks his true and honest opinion about the topic all with his own personal (and addicting) flair. You can find Campbell being featured on several other platforms such as Netflix, Tinder, and Beyoncé’s Formation Tour to name a few. If you want to see more of Zach Campbell, go check out his newest video and make sure to follow him on Instagram and Twitter for more content.
Next we have Denzel Dion. Dion is a 22-year old Youtuber and actor who is also known for being unapologetically funny and real. His videos are more vlog-based with mukbangs, self-care, Q&A’s, and celebrity fashion reviews; or as Denzel himself puts it “new videos about nothing every week.” He has amassed a following of 1.49 subscribers on Youtube and 1.8 million on Instagram. His immense popularity is continuously growing among younger audiences who find Dion’s blunt and honest commentary entertaining. Make sure to check out his Youtube Channel, his aesthetic Instagram page for fashion inspiration, and his Twitter.
Last but certainly not least is Rickey Thompson. Thompson is a 24-year old Youtuber, actor, comedian, and model. His videos range from vlogs, story times, mukbangs, fashion and so much more. Much of his internet presence comes from the platform Vine, which is, unfortunately, no longer available. Vine, much like Tik-Tok, allowed users to create short videos with small editing and so forth. After Vine, Thompson rose to more success by presenting his videos on Instagram and his Youtube Channel. Currently, Thompson has amassed 5.9 million followers on Instagram and 1.24 million subscribers on Youtube. Known for his tall composition, roaring voice, and dramatics, Thompson has accrued a following of both teens and young adults who identify as LGBTQIA and others.
Additionally, Thompson and Dion are good friends who frequently film Youtube videos together. The two are expected to release a podcast through Spotify which will dive into more of their personal lives. Thompson has also featured on the Portland rapper Aminé for his album OnePointFive. You can hear Thompson’s voice in the beginning of the first track of the album, (it’s very hard to miss).
In July, Thompson and Dion partnered with Snapchat for a hilarious docuseries, Road Trippin’. On each episode, the duo traveled across rural America for wild adventures inspired by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s reality show, The Simple Life. From taking part in skydiving to feeding hungry alligators, Road Trippin’ was a wild experience.
All of the three featured men have brought a unique type of comedy and humor that can resonate with all kinds of people but especially for Black men identifying with the LGBTQIA community. They have paved the way to dismantle the societal structures that enforce how a man is expected to behave and allowed their viewers to feel comfortable with who they truly are and to never apologize for it. They have inspired millions of young Black gay men from all aross the globe. We celebrate them today.
About GBGMC
Founded in 2018, Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) is a group of Black, gay,bisexual and same-loving men forming a movement internationally to empower our communities, foster resilience against oppression and initiate an ever-growing platform for our collective voices to be heard. As a collective, GBGMC fosters an activist-led movement with the goal of building local power to intervene in discrimination and violence inflicted on Black Gay communities and men wherever they live. We strive to facilitate intentional involvement by engaging Black gay men across the world and developing the capacity to rapidly intervene on human rights issues surrounding mental and physical health, police brutality, immigration, and general well-being
