Chris Didion

Chris Didion has problems: he was recently in a mental institution and is prone to semi-violent outbursts when provoked. What isn’t a problem for the private detective is being a black gay man. He is not private about his sexuality, or his mental issues, which are presented as a matter of fact. Didion and Judd have been friends for years, and you get the sense that Didion owes Judd for more than getting him a good job once he got out.

Didion experienced some damage to his psyche, and by attempting to reconcile his smooth exterior with his violent inner struggles, he is a man who defies easy categorization on almost any level. That his inner struggles have nothing to do with his sexuality is a bold statement in and of itself.

Chris Didion turns some of that around, presenting us with a gay man who is not only fully capable of defending himself and anyone he's working for, but who is also a potential threat. He is not the "nice, safe" gay man that, like the SuperNegro, was created, in many ways, to make straight Hollywood feel good about itself and straight American feel safe around the harmless homosexuals.

When provoked, Didion is menacing, telling a would-be thug, "I'm crazy. I'm really crazy." The thug in question, a gay-bashing Nazi-type character, had the misfortune of harassing Didion's ex-boyfriend. "You like to beat up faggots, right?" Didion asks the sneering gay-basher, adding "I grew up gay in a world full of people just like you. You think I don't know how to hit back?"

And that's the beauty of Didion's character: he's a "good guy" who might do bad things to you if you mess with him. A gay man who does not need saving, but one you might call, straight or gay, if you were in trouble. (Courtesy of AfterElton.com.)