As this year draws to a close, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the stories that helped make The Reckoning a must-visit site for unique and thoughtful stories about Black gay men and Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community in 2021. We’d also like to thank you for supporting the work we do with over 200,000 page views, countless shares and retweets on social media, award recognition, and, for some, your willingness to share your personal life experiences in the stories we tell. At CNP and The Reckoning, we believe great storytelling can shift the narrative about how society views us as Black LGBTQ+ people and how we view ourselves.

In 2021, our top ten stories more than lived up to our promise of publishing well-written content that reflects the authenticity and diversity of Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Because of you, these stories soared. Let’s look back on the top ten stories on The Reckoning for 2021. 

1. Filmmaking Duo Set To Shake Up Animation With Historic Black Queer Film ‘Pritty’

“What happens when a Black boy puts a flower behind his ear?” 

In a perfect world, free from the constraints of societal and cultural expectations, a Black queer boy would have the permission to just be. But we don’t live in a perfect world, which is why the imaginations of Keith F. Miller, Jr. and Terrance Daye, the creative forces behind the upcoming animated film “Pritty: The Animation,” have created a world that shows how life could be when Black queer boys have the freedom to love, play, and heal. 

2. Giving And Getting Some: Reflecting On The Penetration Of My Manhood And My Ass

Black gay men’s shade about bottoming is deeply rooted in shame. Gay boys are coached from the same patriarchal playbook as their hetero playmates. We learn that of all our acts and desires that disqualify us as men, taking dick is the ultimate form of emasculation. Hard as they may try, men who choose to assimilate, rather than reject, patriarchal values cannot compensate their way out of shame. 

3. Through With Love: Why These Black Gay Men Are Preparing For Life Alone

During a time when social media and digital apps have made it easier for people to connect, many of its users report never feeling more alone. It’s a complicated dichotomy that has forced many Black gay men to make tough decisions about their future and whether it will include a romantic life partner. 

4. ‘Black Women Are Marrying—We’re Marrying Each Other:’ Lesbian Marriage Grows as Black Women Defy Marriage Trends

“Gay marriage gives you the language that heterosexual people have had all along – ‘This is my spouse, this is not my friend, this is not my cousin.’ That’s really important because what it does is it gives Black lesbians visibility in a lot of our communities in a way that we haven’t had it before.” - Siobhan Brooks 

5. Twice-Married Metro Atlanta Couple Blends Love and Authenticity Into ‘Forks & Flavors’

Morgan, an Atlanta native and former nurse who runs the restaurant’s front of house, and Wilmott, a Greensboro, NC native and former accountant who runs the kitchen as Executive Chef, met on Twitter 11 years ago. The pair initially married in 2015 and by 2017 were finalizing their divorce. 

6. Meet The Browns: Gay Polyamorous Triad Spills The Tea On How Two Became Three

Three is not a crowd for Que Brown, 28, Tye Brown, 26, and Martel Star, 27. The Tallahassee, FL and Mansfield, OH transplants are one of many Black gay polyamorous triads or “throuples” in Atlanta who are finding and creating healthy romantic partnerships outside of the traditional two-person monogamous relationship model. 

7. After An 11 Year Absence, Gay Filmmakers Make Triumphant Return At Tribeca Film Festival

“I also wanted to comment on male intimacy and how there's this incessant need for it, especially in the Black community. It doesn't mean physical, just platonic male-to-male intimacy with our fathers, with our brothers, and cousins. It's something that we just don't do. The slightest touch that lingers too long. I think it creates this thing that keeps feeding itself. And I think we become malnourished emotionally.” - Deondray Gossfield 

8. Invisible No More: Black Gay Men Over 50 Are Finding The Silver Lining

“I found a base, a brotherhood that looked just like me. Many times, people look at seniors and think that they're at the end or that they're just living from memory to memory. We’re still creating. We still have purpose. We still have meaning. We still have value. And to be in a place where I never thought I would be, I'm actually living just like you, because every day is a new beginning.” - Nathan Townsend 

9. The House of Perry: How an Atlanta barbershop serving LGBTQ+ clientele is changing the game

The Grain is nestled on the corner of North Fulton Drive before a row of beautiful homes in Buckhead, and if you drive too fast you’ll most likely miss it. But the same can’t be said for the Black gay men and other members of the community who regularly flock to Perry Meeks’ shop for his cutting expertise and the de facto community center environment he’s created in the absence of an actual LGBTQ center in Atlanta.

10. Songwriter Kipper Jones On Penning Hits For Brandy, Vanessa Williams, and His Journey to Liberation

If Kipper Jones, 59, could go back in time to give himself advice, the celebrated songwriter and vocalist says he would simply say, “don’t be afraid.” For the man who famously penned hits for Vanessa Williams (“The Right Stuff,” “Comfort Zone'') and Brandy (“I Wanna Be Down,” “Brokenhearted”) that catapulted their careers and made them superstars, Jones has spent most of his life running towards success and running away from himself.