Rising Stars: Meet Jamilla and Que

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamilla and Que.

Jamilla and Que, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My wife and I met in 2011 at a job. She conducted an on the job training and we ended up talking about SO much more than the job. We dated on and off until 2013, got engaged in 2014 and married in 2016. When we first met, I was in my early twenties and in my first relationship with a woman. I immediately wanted to be immersed in the LGBTQ+ world but did not see much for Black twenty-something lesbians. That drew me to YouTube. We started vlogging our engagement to be that representation for other young and dating lesbians. We created a community on YouTube that grew with us. This community supported us through our wedding, my wife carrying our first daughter, Harper and when I carried our second daughter, Holland. Now we share our daily life, our family antics and our thoughts about important topics in our community.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Being in a same sex relationship is not easy. From family members who no longer talk to us to discrimination at doctor’s offices. It has been important for us to highlight these obstacles for representation and awareness. We hope to continue to shed light on conversations about healthcare and mental health for Black LGBTQ+ people. Many feel alone in the family planning process and are turned away and shunned from health care providers. Being gay in corporate America also presents unique obstacles for individuals who do not fit “neatly” in checked boxes. Now the ‘Don’t Say Gay” bill has come to Georgia. This bill would attempt to stifle the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ students and those students who come from LGBTQ+ families in classrooms. This directly impacts our children as they would not be able to discuss our family at school.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Recently I left my corporate career to work full time as a content creator. I have been most proud of our accomplishments on YouTube. We were a part of YouTube NextUp to highlight up and coming creators on the platform in 2018, YouTube Black in 2019, and selected to be a part of the inaugural YouTube Black Voices Fund in 2021. My wife and I create content to spread awareness and understanding through visual storytelling. We are known for our family vlogs on YouTube and silly family moments on Instagram.

How do you define success?
I used to measure success through a monetary lens. I “felt” successful in my corporate career because of the promotions I earned and titles I received. When I found out how quickly you can be recycled in the corporate world, I realized I could not measure my self-worth or success through those parameters. Success is individual and personal. To me, success is alignment with your purpose. To be able to support your family through your passion and not compromise your ethics is the pinnacle of success. When we receive messages of support from our community in countries where being gay is outlawed, I feel the message through our content is being received well and is successful.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamillaandque/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/JamillaQue

Image Credits:
Shekeidra Booker of S. Marche Photography