Rasheed Newson (he/him) is the author of “My Government Means to Kill Me,” which examines the political and sexual coming of age of a young, gay, Black man in New York City in the mid-1980s. The novel was a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times.

Rasheed is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. Along with his television writing partner, T.J. Brady, he co-developed and is an executive producer of the drama series Bel-Air. Rasheed and T.J. have also worked on The Chi, Animal Kingdom, and Narcos, among other drama series.

Behind the scenes, Rasheed has been a significant partner to organizations working for both racial justice and LGBTQ+ thriving, including GLAAD and the Trevor Project. He is a board member for the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice and One Institute, as well as a longtime supporter of LA Voice. Rasheed lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena.