Emmy winner Lena Waithe wants to create a primetime show with a black lesbian lead
Lena Waithe. (Getty/ Alberto E Rodriguez)
Following her Emmy win, Lena Waithe has confirmed that she plans to make a primetime show in which the main character is a black lesbian.
Waithe became the first black woman to win the Emmy for Comedy Writing over the weekend.
(Photo by TIBRINA HOBSON/AFP/Getty Images)
The star won the award for co-writing the Master of None episode, Thanksgiving, with show creator Aziz Ansari.
She gave an acclaimed speech in which she thanked her LGBTQIA family, as well as her girlfriend Alana Mayo.
She said about the community: “I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are our superpowers.
“Every day when you walk out the door put on your imaginary cape, and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.”
The win has placed Waithe on the map and now talking to The Daily Beast she has revealed that she wants to create a show that focusses on a black, lesbian woman.
“We do still have a way to go,” she explained. “I want to create a show where a black gay woman is the lead, where she is the protagonist, she is the person whom we are following.
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
“That is still yet to be done. I have faith. I hope we can make it happen, we still don’t have that. We don’t have a show where a queer brown male person is the lead,” she added.
Waithe went on to explain that black woman such as Laverne Cox are helping to pave the way to her dream.
“I think Doubt with Laverne Cox was a huge leap forward,” she said. “Unfortunately, it was short-lived but it was still a notch on our belt.
“I think we need more of that. The world is ready. They are. Let my episode be an example. They’re ready for it,” she said.
The star added that she’s sure she will have to do some “heavy lifting” to create something “a network can get behind” but hopefully it’ll make way for more diverse shows that celebrate people of colour and queer culture.
Waithe is already “writing something” but wouldn’t give a clue as to what the character, plot or setting would be.
“All that stuff I can’t say. I’ll just say things are looking good and people should stay tuned,” she added.
