Queer Eye's Karamo Brown Calls Out Racism in LGBT+ Community

Karamo Brown is calling for an acknowledgment of the racism that still persists within the LGBT+ community amid the Black Live Matter protests.

During an interview with the Reuters published Wednesday, the "Queer Eye" star said he wanted to shine a spotlight on the issue, as it can go unrecognized in a community often celebrated for its acceptance of diversity.

"There's a lot of racism that exists in the LGBT community," the 39-year-old explained. "The things I've seen outside (in society) I've only seen perpetuated in the LGBT community."

"Yeah, you might have had a struggle because you're gay, but white privilege still exists."

Brown argued one only need look at the backlash online after the dating app Grindr announced it would remove its "ethnicity filter" in support of Black Lives Matter and following criticism of hypocrisy, according to The Guardian.

"White gay men were like 'this is wrong, I should have the right to be like I don't want blacks, I don't want Asians,'" Brown explained. "If you inherently don't understand why that is wrong, as a gay person -- then you need to check yourself."

As protests have erupted over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died while being forcefully detained by a white police officer, the issues of police brutality and systemic racism has been thrust on the national stage.

For Brown, however, the awareness has been a lifelong, albeit unwanted, companion.

"Growing up as a black man in America with immigrant parents raising two black sons, this is a constant conversation that I've been having," he said.

"These are constant things that I've seen with my friends and family members being harassed by police, being brutalized by police."

And Brown would like the LGBT+ community to remember its rich history of protests, as June kicks off Pride month, which was originally intended to commemorate the member-led riots against anti-queer police brutality.

“Protests are always part of Pride," he said. "It's just they get overshadowed by boys and girls with rainbows painted on their faces."

"What should be shifting is that the LGBT community should be highlighting -- the fact that this is where our history lies: in protesting."

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