Global Black Gay Men Connect has unveiled the cast for Red Light Diaries, a new seven-episode scripted drama series that brings together an ensemble of queer talent from across the globe.
The series stars Dashaun Wesley (Legendary), Toni Bryce (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), and breakout artist Billy The GOAT, alongside Brazilian-born actor Victor Hugo De Oliveira Mauricio (Gemini Man), Nigerian actor Towase Abayomi Alvin (MTV Shuga), and French actor Yann Kidou (Les Racines Ardentes).
Created and directed by Micheal Ighodaro—previously featured in HBO Documentary Films’ The Legend of the Underground—Red Light Diaries is currently in post-production and is being positioned for international release.
Described as a bold and intimate drama, the series explores the lives of queer people of color navigating love, intimacy, faith, HIV, and survival in environments where secrecy can be both protection and peril. Each episode functions as a stand-alone, character-driven story, centering lived experience rather than moral instruction.
Filmed on location across six global cities—Lagos, New York, Atlanta, London, Lyon, and Bangkok—the project brings together local performers, creatives, and cultural consultants in each region. This global approach allows each episode to reflect the specific social and emotional realities of its setting, grounding the series in authenticity while avoiding a one-size-fits-all perspective on queerness or HIV.
The project marks Ighodaro’s narrative directorial debut, drawing from his background in community-centered storytelling and global advocacy. Speaking on the intention behind the series, Ighodaro said:
“HIV has a way of flattening people into categories and outcomes. With Red Light Diaries, I wanted to pull back that veil — to see queer people of color, migrants, and sex workers not through the lens of the virus, but through their intimacy, contradictions, and resilience. The story begins with the human, not the condition.”
Red Light Diaries is produced by Global Black Gay Men Connect and supported by an international creative team that includes award-winning screenwriters Noni Salma and Collins Akon, and cinematographers Daniel Oshodin and Nouridine Zerhoun. Additional producers on the series include Joseph Adesunloye, Pamela Adie, and Sebastien Rossi.
With its global scope, character-first storytelling, and commitment to lived truth, Red Light Diaries positions itself as a vital addition to the expanding landscape of queer, Black, and diasporic storytelling on screen.