Billy Porter: 'Pose is changing roles for gay black men for the better'

Billy Porter has praised his hit series Pose for altering the way gay black men are perceived in the media.

The 49-year-old has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Pray Tell in the Ryan Murphy show. Speaking at the 92nd Street Y community centre in New York on Tuesday, he explained how roles for black gay men are changing fast.

"You get used to being (cast as) the funny friend," he told a crowd, according to the New York Post. "You get used to the industry cutting your d**k off because you're a queen."

He went on to laud Murphy and bosses at the network for commissioning the show, about New York City's African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming ballroom culture scene in the 1980s, insisting he's "grateful" for the impact the series has had.

"When we have these moments where we can create a space that shows African-American men trying to figure out how to love each other as opposed to how to kill each other," the star continued. "I am so grateful to be a part of what I see as the change."

The season two finale of Pose airs on FX next Tuesday.