Celebrating Pride: Marcellas Reynolds' art book, Supreme Sirens

Beautiful art books by a multi-talented Angeleno with his own LGBTQ+ backstory. As a gay teen Marcellas Reynolds says in fashion he found acceptance.  

For Pride Month, we celebrate Reynolds as example of finding success beyond the childhood bullies and abuse.

The multi-talented Reynolds got his TV start on Big Brother, season three, and notes he was the first openly gay Black man cast on a major network reality series.

His art books are on Black icons, women who revolutionized music, acting and modeling. It's a three-book series title Supreme Sirens. 

On Hollywood, he says, "There's no (art) book about Black actress."

Earlier this year, Reynolds appeared, not in his normal role, as fashion critic on FOX 11's Good Day LA. He was there to be interviewed on that book No. 3 on women in music:  Missy Elliot, the first rapper to be honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is on the cover.

He's been doing book signings all around the country. One buyer said, "It helps us understand more about the women in our culture, the pride we should have in them." 

A young African-American woman said "I feel that my life would have been so much better had I grown up with these books."

Reynold's LGBTQ backstory is raw and real. In book No. 1 of Supreme Models, he writes "I grew up on Chicago's south side... there were drugs, gangs, and violence. Nothing is worse in an African American neighborhood than being the gay kid. A good day was not being beaten up or bullied."

Reynolds has been a longtime advocate for gay pride.

As for the books, he says, "I hope people are reading the books and not just looking at them." 

He writes about women who inspired him. 

"The words are so beautiful and so important," he said.

Supreme Models led to a six-part documentary on the Black model on Vogue's YouTube channel. In his introduction in the book he writes, "In the fashion world... As a gay teen I found acceptance." 

Marcellas became a model himself, traveling the world. 

The Supreme Sirens series is meant to inspire "especially little Black girls who need to see these books, who need to see themselves represented."

Book 2  is on Supreme actresses. On the cover is EGOT winner Viola Davis. 

"Viola is the gold standard," he exclaims.

What's next for Supreme Sirens? Reynolds says he's working on museum exhibitions partnering with artist Mickalene, whom FOX 11 also profiled.