The DL Chronicles, GLAAD's First African American Gay TV Series Media Award Nominee, Mirrors Presidential Race

here! TV's "The DL Chronicles" vs. Logo's "Daphne" Like Obama vs. Clinton

Hollwood, CA (PRWEB) January 28, 2008 -- The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Nominations of here! TV's, "The DL Chronicles" and. LOGO's "Daphne" is likened to the Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton Democratic Nomination Race.

here! TV's, "The DL Chronicles," nominated for Outstanding TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Anthology, is the first Gay TV series of color to be nominated by GLAAD and is the first TV series nomination for a gay network. This is also GLAAD's first year to include media produced by LGBT Television Networks, which puts both projects in a historical race likened to the 2008 Democratic Presidential race.

Said to represent Experience vs. Change much like the Clinton vs. Obama platforms, the TV movie "Daphne," a story about a famed closeted British Lesbian author, was produced by LOGO, the LGBT network of the monolithic Viacom/MTV. In contrast, "The DL Chronicles," an anthology series about closeted gay and bisexual African American men, is produced by newcomers, Quincy LeNear and Deondray Gossett, and distributed by here! TV: an independent premium LGBT cable network.

"We don't mind the comparison to the presidential race at all," say creators LeNear and Gossett. "Mahatma Gandhi said, 'to be the change you want to see in the world.' So, if we represent change, like Obama, it is a comparison we gladly accept."

The DL Chronicles is the Little Train that Could

In 2006, LeNear and Gossett directed a second episode, which went on to win top awards at national and international film festivals. Soon "The DL Chronicles" was being seen as an important cultural work in LGBT history.

"As artist we just wanted to create something beautiful. As gay African American men, we wanted to create something honest," says Gossett. "We never imagined that it would be this far reaching."

With the series, the creators took the road less traveled to address the controversial topic of the "Down Low" from a sociological and psychological perspective; a perspective otherwise ignored by the media.

Before finding a home at here! TV, "The DL Chronicles" came across the desks of three major networks. One said their African American audience wasn't ready for a series about Gay African Americans. Another said they had enough gay content their gay audience. The last network said the series didn't represent gay pride.

However, knowing the hunger for African American gay individuals to see themselves reflected with honesty and integrity in film and Television, LeNear and Gossett persevered with intentions of distributing directly to DVD before being nabbed by here! TV in 2006. On May 5, 2007, "The DL Chronicles" premiered internationally on the network.

"here! TV recognized the potential and took a chance to diversify their lineup," says LeNear of "The DL Chronicles," which is also up against the BBC America mini-series, "The State Within."

"We are extremely thankful and proud to be here! Network's first series nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. This nomination represents the viability of diversity in media. It's also a positive step towards recognition of LGBT communities of color."

"The DL Chronicles, The Complete First Season" DVD will be released on Feb 5th, coincidentally, the same day as the primary presidential elections.

For more information, please visit www.heretv.com.

For more information about GLAAD, please visit www.glaad.org