Instagramming family while Black and gay

Since last September, Kordale and Kaleb have been posting Instagram photos of their everyday lives as they raise their three kids in Atlanta, GA. They bought a beautiful 5-bedroom house, and are leading the fabulously ordinary family life of hard-working, corporate-employed, college grads. With this one exception: because they are both Black and gay, their family is criminally underrepresented in media depictions of family generally and gay family in particular.  The numbers to back that up: some 34 percent of African American same-sex couples are raising kids, a higher proportion relative to their straight counterparts than in any other queer demographic.

So when an audience beyond Kordale and Kaleb’s friends and family and fraternity brothers and community members began to see images of their family life, a Twitter-storm ensued, with raves and rants alike. And, as with all great social media moments, coverage of the media in the media (like with this post!) helps spread the essence of the story. Which in this case, after all the homophobic drivel is deleted, is this: these guys are great, and folks want to see and read more about them and dads like them.

The viral Instagram selfie of Kordale and Kaleb’s morning routine. [PHOTO CREDIT: KORDALENKALEB]

 As far as the positive; yes we are two gay men with three kids who have no problem with preparing them for their education every morning; that comes with anything and everything they may need for school! Our kids are blessed to have three parents (Kordale, Kaleb and their Mother) who love, care and support them in every decision they have made and will continue to make as they get older. We are blessed to have the ability to provide for them in ways that a lot of people cannot for their family, which ultimately makes us happy knowing that they don’t want for much! Our main objective as parents is to provide, love, educate, support, encourage, and love some more!

It helps that both the dads and their kids are easily ten on a 0-10 scale of photogenic and buff and not super-shy about the six-pack selfies. Okay so the kids aren’t buff, but but what they lack in muscle tone they make up in cute.

They have been much appreciated role models for other Black gay dads, as this comment to them on their Instagram page from Michael Bravado typifies:

I dont know if you will actually see this comment! But i wanted to just say that you guys are an inspiration to me and my husband. You guys have moved mountains unknowingly and youve shown the world via socialmedia that there is no one type of family expecially in the black community. Thankyou for your fearlessness and your freedom, im quite sure youve given hope to thousands if not millions thats a healthy and happy married for two men is possible. And your children are SO CUTE!

Twitterati like  communications strategist Chris Tuttle and  firebrand Erin Koteki Vest joined many more with Tweets of support; media mavens B. Scott and Necole Bitchie are behind the dads all the way, and Akoto Ofori-Atta at The Root wants a reality show of their family’s life.  Judging by the impact they’ve had after just four months online, I’d say she would not be the only one watching.