LGBTQ Actors of Color to Lead Panel on Diversity And Inclusion in Film

On March 8, Outfest Fusion will be hosting a panel with up-and-coming queer-identified actors of color to discuss their pathway to success in the industry, the evolving visibility of LGBTQ people of color in film and television, and their advice to other young queer artists hoping to break in.

The Fusion Rising Stars Panel will be moderated by The Advocate's managing editor, David Artavia (pictured top, second from left), and will include Zuri Adele (Good Trouble), Adam Faison (Everything's Gonna Be Okay), Alexandra Grey (Empire), Poppy Liu (Sunnyside), Leo Sheng (Adam, The L Word: Generation Q), and Tonatiuh (Vida).

Outfest Fusion is Outfest's people of color-focused and international film, music and storytelling festival that spotlights breakthrough works from today's most exciting underground artists, musicians, and creators. It is where the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered.

Outfest Fusion will be hosting events and programs from March 6 - 10 in Los Angeles, Calif. Get to know the panelists below:

Poppy Liu

POPPY LIU is a first generation Chinese American actor and producer who brings their identity as a queer migrant person of the API diaspora to art and entertainment. Recently Poppy starred in NBC's Sunnyside and was named one of "Fall TV Breakout Stars" by TVLine for her portrayal of Mei Lin on the show. They can also be seen in guest appearances on New Amsterdam, Law & Order: SVU, and Better Call Saul (upcoming).

Aside from network television, Poppy's heart is really with making art and telling stories with their communities. Of their community-grown projects, most notably, Poppy stars in the viral web series Mercy Mistress as Mistress Yin, written by Yin Q. and based on Yin's life as a professional dominatrix. They also created a short film about their abortion story titled Names of Women which toured across the country three times including two Bible Belt Abortion Storytelling tours.

In addition to acting, Poppy is a full spectrum doula and serves on the Board of Directors of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. (@PoppyRepublic)

"I personally didn't identify with the word queer until relatively recently because it always felt like something that only belonged to white people," Liu tells The Advocate. "It wasn't until I found space to understand myself as a migrant chinese person that I began understanding myself as a queer person. I can't separate being queer from being chinese and it feels impossible to talk about either of those two things in isolation. There are particular manifestations of homophobia and transphobia specific to our cultures of origin, and also particular manifestations of queer joy and celebration specific to our communities and chosen families. So when there is a white-washing of queerness it misses all of these important complexities and nuances that help us tell our stories and understand ourselves.

She continues: "When I say 'representation,' it's not just jargon for checking off boxes, I mean representation as in creating visual maps to navigate us to our chosen families and chosen homes, I mean representation as in creating emotional tuning forks that vibrate at the right frequencies to hit those points in our gut that make us go, 'Oooooh yes, Ha! I recognize that, that's me, that's my family, that's my people.' Representation is about a feeling of recognition and we deserve to have that feeling."

Adam Faison

ADAM FAISON can be seen starring opposite Josh Thomas in Freeform's comedy series Everything's Gonna Be Okay. Faison shines as Alex, an earnest, genuine, and occasionally awkward 20-something-year-old dental student who is Thomas's romantic interest throughout the season. Everything's Gonna Be Okay debuted on January 17 to rave reviews on Freeform, and is also available on HULU, freeform.com, and the Freeform app.

On the film front, Faison will next appear opposite Jennifer Garner in Yes Day for Netflix, which is currently in production. In 2019, he starred in Hulu's horror/thriller anthology series Into the Dark opposite Lukas Gage, Chester Lockhart, Ayden Mayeri, Scott Evans, and Augustus Prew.

Born and raised in San Diego, Faison had a love for performing from a young age. As a child, his parents encouraged him to audition for a local production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat where he was cast in a small role, and he continued to hone his craft through local theatre productions growing up. Faison went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Film Studies from the prestigious Pitzer College, a private residential liberal arts college in Claremont, California.

Additionally, Faison recently did voiceover for a documentary by Michael Seligman and Jennifer Tiexiera called P.S. Burn This Letter Please, about a series of unearthed letters between drag queens in the '50s and '60s. (@AdamFaison)

"It's so important to represent LGBTQ people of color because if we see ourselves reflected on screen we know that we exist and that we are not alone," says Faison.

Alexandra Grey

ALEXANDRA GREYis an actress and musician best known for her role as transgender superstar singer and songwriter Melody Barnes on the Fox musical drama series Empire and as Elizah Parks on the Amazon series Transparent. Alexandra also recurs as Denise Lockwood on Chicago Med (NBC). She plays the title role of Gossamer in the upcoming feature Gossamer Folds, directed by Lisa Donato (Paperclip Ltd and Mill House Motion Pictures). (@AlexandraGreyOfficial)

"The conversation is so important, because we have to reflect what's going on in the world," says Grey. "LGBTQ folks deserve to see themselves represented in film and television. I only wish that when I was growing up, I had even a third of the representation we are now starting to see. I wonder how different my experience could've been knowing that I was not alone in the world. Or having someone to relate to. I think that's what film and television is all about, it's about entertaining and letting folks see themselves up on the screen. My part is making sure that little black and brown trans folks see themselves represented. That's the part that I play in all of this. It's not just for me. It's because I don't want to sit back and see another one of my trans sisters murdered because of ignorance. So if by some miracle, people can see me on television and through my characters inspire them to start seeing trans people as just human beings and every day folk."

She adds, "We have a new wave of trans people on television, and that's wonderful. But I want to start seeing more of the diversity. I want to start seeing more roles for trans women of color, not just as supporting, and one offs. I want to start seeing them playing doctors and lawyers because we're out here and we do all of those things. So I'm more so excited to just start seeing us implemented in every aspect. And I think we've made some tremendous progress."

Born in Hunan, China, LEO SHENG grew up outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied sociology at the University of Michigan and graduated in 2017. While there, Leo wrote and directed two student films, both of which were shown at the Michigan Theater. He was cast in his first on-screen role, Adam (2018), before starting his master's program focusing on social work.

After filming, Leo completed his first year of his graduate studies before going on to star as Micah in The L Word: Generation Q (2019). Leo is committed to representation of trans people of color. He works to challenge himself and the filmmaking industry on what positive representation means and looks like on screen. (@ILeoSheng)

Tonatiuh

TONATIUH is most recognizable for his role as Marcos Zamora in Starz's Vida. He can also be seen in the upcoming limited series for Peacock, Angelyne, based on The Hollywood Reporter feature that explored the identity of L.A.'s mysterious billboard bombshell. Tonatiuh will play Andre in the series alongside Emmy Rossum as Angelyne.

A native Los Angelino, Tonatiuh graduated from USC's School of Dramatic Arts and is a member of Young Entertainment Activists (YEA), Sokamba, and Echo Theatre Company. An advocate of storytelling for social change, Tonatiuh believes that it is the artist's responsibility to foster a more empathetic and tolerant society through storytelling. If media can be weaponized to separate and isolate, it then must be used to unite and to heal. (@IAmTonatiuh)

"Queerness doesn't look any one way," he says. "It is heavily influenced by our cultural, socio-economic, and racial identities as well. Our expectations, dreams, and fears are deeply intertwined. By representing queer POC in TV/Film, we amplify the many different options of living while validating those who don't see their stories in the mainstream. Not to mention, they're fun as hell and these communities have yet to be represented fully: the creative possibilities are endless."

As far as what he's looking forward to in 2020, Tonatiuh says he's "definitely excited about having a new President," adding, "The engagement of young people of color in the political process and their mobilization this election cycle is inspiring. We are coming together and mobilizing like never before."

Zuri Adele

ZURI ADELE is most well-known for her portrayal of Malika on Freeform's Good Trouble (acclaimed millennial spinoff of The Fosters). Having grown up in both the Bay Area and Brooklyn, and studying at Spelman before her MFA training at UCLA, intersectionality, identity, and inclusion are at the forefront of her artistry. As a queer woman of acknowledged African Descent working on a series that reflects and celebrates the LGBTQIA community, Zuri is excited to dig deeper in these conversations as we continue to pave the way for more inclusivity in front of and behind the scenes of episodic storytelling. (@ZuriAdele)

"Conversations about making sure everyone is seen and safe in the world are underscored by the stories, images, and perspectives highlighted in the media," Adele says. "Therefore, intersectionality and inclusion need to be at the forefront of every conversation we have about storytelling -- both in front of and behind the scenes."

"I am most excited about the collective public encouragement to make our mental health a priority and invest in therapy and other consistent wellness practices," she adds of the year ahead. "Our next step is to make these practices as accessible as we possibly can for every human being."