There's so much toxic masculinity out there. I grew up with the notion that the more masculine you are and the less you show emotion, the more of a man you are.
Karamo Brown
My family is Jamaican and Cuban, but we would go to see our Jamaican side every summer for three months and every Christmas. One of the things I used to love was climbing trees and picking ackee fruit for breakfast.
Bomber jackets, for me, are the new blazers. They're something I can wear with suit pants or slacks - or I can go really urban with it. I think, as men, we don't have the little black dress that women do to go from day to nighttime, but the bomber can be the LBD for men.
Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength.
Historically, hip-hop is about a generation of artists rapping about the realities they see in their neighborhoods or the 'truths' they hear growing up in their homes.
Meghan Trainor is my female crush because she's just fierce.
There's a lot of 'how to adopt' books, but there's no practical resource for, say, school supplies.
I was on MTV's 'Real World' at the time when 'Queer Eye' came out. I remember, the first time I won an award, I got the award, and they were like, 'It's a tie! With 'Queer Eye!'' I never thought that I would one day follow in their footsteps.
My father loved me and was devoted to me until he knew I was gay, and then our relationship went south. So I always make sure that I let my sons know that I will love them, no matter what they do or who they become, for the rest of their lives.
I own about 70 L.A. Dodgers snapbacks in different colors.
The perpetuation of family and cultural pressures to conform to prescribed masculine behaviors is what creates social isolation and distress in many young gay and trans people of color.
The worst thing about our political system is that people debate; I wish our politicians were able to talk to each other rather than scream while trying to gain sound bites.
Yes, I would definitely let the 'Queer Eye' - I mean, cameras - follow me for my marriage.
Any parent who says parenting came easily to them is not being honest with themselves. Parenting is hard.
Really, I think the extra layer of raising a son as a gay black man comes from trying to raise a son who doesn't subscribe to masculine stereotypes.
We must do our part to make ourselves visible to the world. Let everyone see that being a queer parent of color is normal and happening right next door to them.
Even when you look at, like, movies with some of our famous celebrities, they don't really cry and bring out their tears until, like, forced.
Love is love, and people need to just accept that.
That's the beauty of 'Queer Eye' coming back. No matter how far you think we've come as a society, there's still work that needs to be done.
Parents don't even know what's going on on Snapchat.
I think it's just so important that parents actually really study the apps on the phones and figure out what's going on.
I think dating apps are keeping us apart.
By no means am I excusing homophobic rap lyrics, but as a product of the same environments that birthed hip-hop, I fully understand why those lyrics existed.
In our country, being from immigrant parents, growing up black in the South, coming out at 16 years old, being a teen parent... you would assume that my life would amount to nothing. And here I stand today. So, if I can do it... you can, too!
Fatherhood is an honor, and men should be strong enough to step up to the plate.
Being an openly gay black man, unfortunately I've had experiences working with individuals who've tried to exploit my blackness or my gayness in a way that doesn't make me feel comfortable, or they try to manipulate me into being a caricature of myself.
We all are scared. First of all, as a culture, we're constantly told that if you start to express yourself or express your needs, you're needy. You're too emotional. And they put all these negative connotations on it. That has started since we were kids, especially for men.
Every show I've been on, my kids pay no attention. They're just like, 'Who cares. It's just dad's job.'
I don't like the term 'coming out' because it gives the power to the other person.
I have such a deeper respect for firemen knowing how much they get paid and how much they put themselves on the line.
My goal has always been to help as many people as I can.
It's been more than a decade since 'The Real World: Philadelphia' aired. I've grown up. My views have evolved, as has the media landscape.
Most of the time, people are afraid of silence, and I'm not.
We have to start making sure that churches start to talk about... black queerness in a way that's affirming. Because a lot of young black men are in the church, and that's where they start to learn this self-hate behavior.
I always encourage people to get out there, travel the world, see new things, experience new people, experience new food, experience new culture. What happens is that helps you to grow and be your best self.
We, as communities that are marginalized, need to open up our minds and realize that we should be asking and advocating for more of everyone. Let's get more gay black men; let's get more trans women.
What defines someone as a 'man' should not be the clothes they wear or how deep their voice is. It should be the content of his character, his strength in the face of overwhelming adversity, and his ability to still love and help others when the world has turned its back on him.
I want a big wedding.
My main thing is obviously mental health and well-being, and then my second passion would be politics; the third would be fashion.
I was a social worker most of my life while raising my two boys.
Hollywood, at the bottom of it, is about money.
My favorite job, and definitely the one that means the most to me, is 'Queer Eye.'
The challenges of me being a father are just the same as any other father.
Often, men forget to buy their grooming supplies.
The marginalization of African-Americans within their own community based on sexuality is a construct that is more complex than the idea that 'blacks just hate gays.'
As one of the first African-Americans to be out on a reality program, MTV's 'The Real World: Philadelphia,' I understand the courage it takes to live your truth on a national platform, the importance it holds to LGBT communities of color, and the power it has to create a greater conversation within American culture.
Encourage your friend and family member who are queer parents of color to post their stories and share it with the world. It's time for us to be seen.
I can be walking down the street, and someone will stop me and ask me for one of my hugs. They feel like I'm their friend, which I love - though sometimes my kids get a little weirded out by it.
What does culture mean? It's not a physical thing. I love a museum, but that, for me, doesn't make you a better person.
So often, we take photos on our iPhone, and then they're gone in a year, and we don't even remember them. I like to experience life and disconnect from that.
