Writing My Way Home: Queer Black Love, Authenticity, and Empowerment

I write queer Black Romance because I’m a queer Black romantic.

As a young child, I didn’t understand that my urge to write came from the need to escape. I would spend hours in my bedroom weaving stories that highlighted love and focused on that undeniable feeling of belonging.

The first song that ever made me want to fall in love was Gotta Be by Jagged Edge. I was only twelve, but I wondered what it would be like to fall in love. I longed for that feeling—to experience the emotion of wanting to be with someone I couldn’t imagine life without. This fantasy of loving and being loved filled me with a warmth that I wanted to dive into like a heated pool on a cold winter day.

This transformation made me a poet. Instead of journaling, I would express my feelings through rhyming words that created rhythm on the page.

Alt text: Feather pen laid across a piece of paper with the word "love" written on it.

As an adult, I started writing erotica regularly on Tumblr and found joy in short scenes of adults exploring fantasies on the page. I could write whatever I wanted and share anonymously. I then began to share more serious work.

I shared a story called Temptation. It was an effort to illustrate how a woman navigates an abusive relationship. She had a life similar to mine, and I learned to share parts of myself through my work.

Something that initially served as an escape had now become my therapy. I wrote about her seeking revenge and her abuser losing everything. I knew that escaping on my own wouldn’t happen through imagination, only through action.

During my final year of that eye-opening relationship, I came to terms with my sexuality. I questioned why I had let myself be treated any way other than loved, and it shifted how I saw my life.

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison.

Since writing isn't going to make me rich anyway, I should fully immerse myself in what I enjoy reading.  When I first started to take writing seriously, I realized I couldn’t do it from a closet. The need to be authentic was constant. I learned to write women as flawed humans who still deserved unconditional love.

Alt text: A Black couple holding hands.

Writing queer characters helped me break through the limits of gender–related stories. Society often portrays men and women as opposites, but in reality, we are more similar than different. Whether the main character is a man, woman, or nonbinary, their gender doesn’t define them. Gender can affect how we are treated and the chances we get. However, it doesn’t change our feelings or how we love those around us.

The truth is, as a Black woman, writing about Black love is a dreamy experience for me. I often find that my support system consists of other Black women. I am not unique, but I cherish the space that Black women have created.

I aim to make Black women feel valued, chosen, and supported through the relationships depicted on the page. Life can be tough, but I create characters who find love in all the right places while staying unapologetically human. 

I currently run a blog on Medium that features short stories exploring speculative fiction. I am in the final revision of a sapphic romance novel that will be released early next year.

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Ashe T. Anthony is a queer romance author who focuses on love and connection. Her passion drives her to create complex, relatable characters who find love and overcome obstacles. From hot and steamy love scenes to the most diabolical betrayals, her stories tackle real-life issues that keep you invested and wanting more. Ashe resides in the Southeastern United States and maintains a blog that features short stories encompassing romance, magical realism, suspense, and more. She has a Bachelor's in English and Creative Writing. Her debut novel is scheduled for release in early 2026.