"Blackness is inherently queer," writes George M. Johnson (We Are Not Broken; All Boys Aren't Blue) in Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known, a triumphant and deeply personal illustrated essay collection that pays homage to 12 LGBTQ+ Black artists and the resounding impact they've made on future generations.
In refreshingly approachable language, Johnson highlights individuals from the prolific 1920s arts movement--including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ma Rainey--noting that many weren't public about their sexuality but expressed it through their art, "leaving us a road map for the future." The author's unapologetic perspective includes critiques, such as a discussion of Josephine Baker's apparent internalized homophobia, saying that "Fame doesn't always allow you to be who you are" and "it's okay to talk about people in their totality." Johnson emphasizes parts of the subjects' queer identities that were previously hidden, "suppressed or told inaccurately" and includes personal pieces, recounting feelings of rejection and confusion due to a lack of access to Black queer peoples' stories as a youth.
Each person from the queer Harlem Renaissance is captured in a stunning, brilliantly colored double-page illustration by Charly Palmer (The New Brownies' Book). Palmer's telltale bold brushstrokes and vivid hues depict the artists in close-up, with meaningful collaged items surrounding them. The images, much like the queer icons they depict, beg to be studied and proudly displayed. Flamboyants, through Johnson's dedicated research and devotion to their subjects, successfully demonstrates how "what was once done in silence and in the dark has moved toward the light." --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms