Dear Mom, I’m Gay – Harlem’s Poets, Their Truth, and Our Stories
There’s a certain kind of bravery it takes to put pen to paper, to speak your truth, and to exist fully in a world that doesn’t always make space for you. For generations, Harlem has been a cradle for voices that dared to do just that. And among those voices were poets whose lives and works continue to resonate—not just as art, but as declarations of identity, love, and courage.
Langston Hughes, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, captured the everyday joys, pains, and aspirations of Black life in America. His poems, with their rhythmic cadences and piercing insight, celebrated the humanity and complexity of Black experience. Though Hughes’ own life contained a quiet queerness that informed his perspective, his work spoke loudly, allowing readers to see the beauty and struggle in lives often overlooked.
Countee Cullen, another luminary of the Harlem Renaissance, balanced elegance and social consciousness in his poetry. He explored themes of race, spirituality, and selfhood with precision and grace. While Cullen’s sexuality was less publicly documented, his poetry—imbued with longing, reflection, and inner conflict—offers a window into the nuanced interior worlds of Black queer men navigating early 20th-century America.
And then there is James Baldwin, whose legacy as a gay Black writer and intellectual continues to shape our understanding of race, sexuality, and identity. Baldwin’s words were fearless, questioning the systems that sought to define him, while celebrating the fullness of his humanity. His writing reminds us that telling your truth is a revolutionary act, that love in all its forms is worthy of expression, and that identity is not a compromise but a declaration.
Today, “Dear Mom, I’m Gay” is more than a letter—it is a celebration of these literary voices and the stories they dared to tell. It is a reminder that the journey to self-expression, authenticity, and courage is timeless. Their work paved the way for the artists, writers, and poets we celebrate today, and it continues to inspire the next generation of voices in Harlem and beyond.
As we look forward to our show, The Poets, audiences will experience a living homage to these writers—voices brought to life on stage, reminding us that literature, love, and identity are inseparable threads in the tapestry of Black culture. Come witness their words, their rhythm, their truth.
Tickets available now: www.moodmagazinenyc.org/shop
