"Shameless" — A Book by Terrell J. A. Winder on the Making of Black Gay Identities in Los Angeles

In June 2026, New York-based publisher NYU Press released the book Shameless: The Making of Black Gay Identities in LA. It was written by Terrell J. A. Winder — a sociologist and Assistant Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The book was published in English.

The study focuses on young Black gay men in Los Angeles and how they navigate the double stigma of race and sexuality. In sociology, stigma refers to a social marker that devalues a person in the eyes of others and forces them to conceal or explain part of their identity. Young Black gay men in the United States face racism and homophobia simultaneously, which places them in a particularly vulnerable position.

Winder spent four years doing fieldwork at a community health organisation in Los Angeles, where he observed interactions involving more than 200 young men. He also interviewed Black queer men and studied media coverage and chosen families.

The book’s central argument is that traditional stigma management strategies — concealing or downplaying part of one’s identity — stop working when a person faces multiple forms of social rejection at the same time. Winder shows how young Black gay men instead cultivate pride in their identities, turning a “shameless” stance into a way of living. The book’s title reflects this strategy directly.

Terrell J. A. Winder is a sociologist whose research draws in part on his own personal experience. He grew up in Baltimore and lived in New York City during his college years. He currently teaches sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.