Clay Cane

Interview & White House talk video links below

Clay Cane is a New York City-based award-winning journalist, author, television personality & documentary filmmaker.  His work covers various topics: pop culture, sexuality, race, religion and social justice. Clay is the creator and director of the BET.com original documentary “Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church,” which earned a 2016 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Digital Journalism. He is recipient of the 2016 Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) “James Baldwin Revolutionary Award.”   

His new book, Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality, God, and Race, is published by Cleis Press. This powerful book couldn’t come at a more timely juncture. With our deep misunderstanding of racial identity, the murder of transgender women increasing at an alarming rate and the battle of faith and sexual orientation at churches across the country, we are in a cultural war of ideologies. Overwhelming prejudices have constricted our basic capacity for compassion and understanding.

Live Through This is a collection of Clay's intimate essays about one man’s journey to self-acceptance when his faith, sexuality, and race battled with societal norms. These insightful writings will plant seeds of consideration and inspire readers to stretch beyond stereotypes. By reading stories about the demographics that live on the fringe of traditions, we gain a deeper awareness of our cultural climate and how we can improve it, starting with ourselves .  

Clay grew up in Washington State and West Philadelphia. Separately raised by a white mother and a black father, he existed at society's complex intersections. From enduring spiritual violence in the African-American church, to learning unique lessons from transgender sex workers, to living in the double consciousness of blackness and gayness. Each essay combines personal stories with both researched and individual social analysis, using his narrative to highlight the most sidelined of communities. Cane's tender writing in Live Through This gives voice to the voiceless, he tells the stories that haven't been told by traveling beyond the lens of race and sexuality. Live Through This is the new American story.  Clay’s diverse racial and socio-economic background has fueled him to consistently deliver edgy commentary and writing that provides sharp, witty, incisive and raw analysis on social justice as it relates to the current news cycle and our culture. 

Clay is the co-editor and contributing writer of the anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Still Not Enough: Coming of Age, Coming Out, and Coming Home. He also contributed to Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African-American Community. 

On the speaking circuit, he presents keynote addresses, screenings of his documentary film followed by an in-depth conversation about intersectionality of religion, LGBTQ issues, sexuality and race; and is also available for panels ranging from African American history to social justice.  President Obama's White House featured Clay in February 2016 as a Black History Month speaker along with a screening of the documentary.  You can view a segment of Clay's talk at The White House with private video link & password below. Cane was also presented on a panel discussion, which focused on the film, faith, sexuality and the African American community. Other engagements have included the National Black Justice Coalition, Johnson C. Smith University, Salem College, Hofstra University, New York University (NYU), University of Miami, Baruch College, Howard University, among others.

Clay’s commentary is heard on television networks such as MTV, HLN, ABC, MSNBC, BET, FOX and CNN. He contributes to numerous print and online publications including The Advocate, Huffington Post, The Root and Gawker. He has interviewed various celebrities, including Clive Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Beyoncé Knowles, Denzel Washington, Wes Craven, Hilary Swank, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Jodie Foster, 50 Cent, T.I., Jada Pinkett-Smith, Chris Rock, Tyler Perry, Kevin Hart, Diana Ross and others.

Clay was the host of Clay Cane Live, a weekly call-in radio show on the legendary WWRL 1600AM.  After 86 years, the station aired its final broadcast in December 2013.  WWRL 1600AM in later years was home to radio programs from Reverend Al Sharpton and Ed Schultz.  Clay Cane Live was featured by Jet Magazine, The Advocate, GLAAD and MSNBC’s theGrio.com.

Clay is a member of New York Film Critics Online and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.  He is a graduate from Rutgers University, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in English and African-American Studies.

Video Links:

Melissa Harris-Perry's MSNBC interview with Clay on "Holler If You Hear Me"

FILM TRAILER - "Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church"

Clay's talk at The White House is a private link
REQUIRES PASSWORD: WH2016

Clay Cane Speech (excerpt) at The White House

Clay’s segment on HuffPost Live on the black church back in November of 2014, which sparked the doc.