Cleo Manago

Cleo Manago is an African American activist and social architect who coined the term same gender loving (or SGL) for African descended or black people who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Along with his activism, he is also a blogger and columnist. Manago rejects the terms gay, bisexual and lesbian because he believes they are white, eurocentric-constructed identities which do not culturally affirm the culture and history of African descended people. Manago is also the founder and CEO of AmASSI Health and Cultural Centers and Black Men's Xchange (BMX).

Manago is a native of south-central Los Angeles and began a vocation in social services when he was 16 years of age. He was once a professional musician (a bassist). He is a blogger and has written several articles some of which have been published by Dogon Village. In 2011, he co-authored, produced, directed and starred in the educational documentary I AM A MAN: Black Manhood & Sexual Diversity.

Although usually referred to as a "social activist", Manago dislikes the term "activist" when applied to him. He believes black LGBT activism to be "tethered to mainstream white privilege, ideology, and single-focused gay organizations," which he views as culturally dissonant and too limited in scope to be meaningful and beneficial to African-American LGBTQ communities and the larger black community. It has been suggested that he credited the term men who have sex with men (MSM).

A.m.A.S.S.I. or AmASSI (The African, American Advocacy, Support-Services & Survival Institute) was founded in 1989 by Manago. It aims to end "health disparities, self-concept and inter-group conflict among diverse people of African descent." Since its foundation in 1989, it has become one of the replicated organizations in the United States, making Manago an early provider the AIDS movement of culturally specific HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services for African-Americans using a psychosocial, mental health model.

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