“Empire” creator Lee Daniels has repeatedly referred to the series as his black version of the 80s prime time soap “Dynasty.” Perhaps this story line serves as further homage to the original, wherein token gay character Steven Carrington slept with far more women than men. However, doing so foolishly ignores all of the progress toward mainstream acceptance that LGBT Americans have made in the last 30 years. The Jamal/Skye story line feels dated, contrived, and like a bone thrown to the more homophobic elements of the hip hop audience, which is why I must call “BS” on the whole thing. As the second season of “Empire” progresses, I’m becoming more disenchanted with each ensuing episode.

The message this “plot device” sends is that one woman can change a gay man. Even once. It is the wrong message. Of course the creator and actor in the series are going to defend the story point. If they don’t support it, they won’t be employed. I find it cowardly to say that every gay man will sleep with a woman if the “right” one presents themselves. Let’s be honest and admit that the average gay man does not want to get it on with a woman. No matter what the situation is. Don’t call it being “a sexual being”. Being sexual means you like to have sex with the person you’re attracted to. Don’t try to make it sound more honorable to screw around with a woman than a man. Mixed messages in this day and age are important to avoid. Youth watches these signals we are sending. The message sent is “it’s okay to be gay IF you occasionally do it with a woman”. I think that Empire is quickly running into a wall. The episodes get less enjoyable. I hope they can turn it around. Right now the ONLY reason I watch is for Tariji (Cookie). It is her skill and character portrayal that make the hour enjoyable.

I say go for it! Why the heck not?

This is always the case with women who are supposed to be straight, and then they end up hooking up with women. But that is supposed to be “sexy,” right? They’re just experimenting, right?

So, why can’t a man be gay, and then turn around and sleep with a woman? Why isn’t that just as “sexy”? Why isn’t he encouraged to “just experiment” as well?

So, when a gay man does this back and forth, it’s supposed to be appalling and insulting to the gay community. BUT when a woman does the back and forth, it’s what? Let me guess… sexy. Gimme a break.

Not surprised.

Soap writers always seem to think that every gay man (Dynasty’s Steven Carrington, OLTL’s Oliver Fish, DOOL’s Will Horton) ends up in bed with a woman at some point in his life (we don’t) yet NEVER consider having their straight male characters experiment with same sex interactions (Y&R’s Adam Newman/Rafe Torres fling being the sole exception). I suppose the former situations are to make gay men more palatable to the mainstream and the lack of the latter is so that straight male characters are seen as real men.

EMPIRE has definitely hit its sophomore slump and needs to branch out in its storytelling (not every plot has to be music related) and stop stunt casting so that stories can play out over the course of several episodes instead of being rushed to meet the availability of this week’s guest star. As for the plot point, it rings false to me as a gay man and smacks of desperation to keep people talking over the winter break.

I’m insulted and honestly turned-off right now by this show, and how it’s handling Jamal’s sexuality. It’s insulting and it reinforces the belief that being gay is a “choice”, which it is not.

This is wicked crazy because over a month ago I posted on blog about this very thing. I wanted to understand why it was acceptable in the homosexual community for a heterosexual to dip into the homosexual life but they get all bent out of shape if a homosexual dips into the heterosexual life. People are wired differently rather your gay, bi, tri or straight. It’s ridiculous to assume what Daniels did takes away from what LGBT have achieved and still achieving in the 21st Century. IMO this has nothing to do with someone’s choice of sexuality but more to someone acting on feelings and attraction in that moment.

I’m a straight, white woman, older than Jessie Smolett, and totally attracted to him. Sexuality IS fluid…and connecting to another human being can cause a spark which might not have ignited on physical attraction alone. I found Jamal and Alicia Keys character connection from the beginning and thought they were great together. The way they bonded over the lyrics to the song as they sang together, the shared, meaningful glances…incredible chemistry! Totally plausible. In that moment they weren’t defined preferences, they were two human beings feeling their connection. When he wrapped himself around her during rehearsal, drawing nearer, sweeping back her hair…lol…you could feel the heat. Ahem. Can someone open a window? Lol…loved it!

It seems that some in the gay community feel insecure about their identity as gay people. Sexuality is fluid. Bisexual people exist and are real. I don’t see this need to pretend that bisexuality does not exist in the gay and straight communities.

I honestly took Jamal and Skye’s “romance” as Jamal living out a childhood fantasy. The character – Jamal said he grew as a superfan of the Skye Summers character and I think at that young age, sexuality isn’t a factor. I think Jamal is attracted to the persona that he sees in Skye, and it just so happens that she’s a woman. I honestly think he is FAR from straight or bisexual, he just seems to be living out a fantasy.

And I honestly can’t speak on this subject because I’m not a gay man. However, I trust Lee Daniels to touch on the subject because I’ve actually witnessed how he interacts with female friends and I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he admitted to being interested in a particular woman.

By the looks of many comments in this thread and elsewhere at this site, many gay men would love to have the “B” taken out of the LGBT or do they think the “B” stands for Bitches?

I am a gay guy……i like guys bt dat dosent mean am nt smtimes attracted to women…….the gay community has looked into jamal loved life and maybe dey felt hope through it and now that he kissed skye,everyone is condeming the show….no one knows whether jamal maybe gay or bisexual either way when I was wathching the episode….I saw two people connectin tru music…..jamal has had his up and down with men
None of dem bein able to understand him when it came to music bt when he was singing with skye,he forgot whether he was gay or not and maybe for the first time felt smtin he may have neva felt before but am sayin it is love just smtin…..so am nt one of those gay’s dat becos a character who act as a gay kiss a girl,I would start hatin empire……let just see how it goes,it may nt even work btw dem…so peace