Issa Rae Discusses INSECURE and How She Creates on Her Own Terms with Glamour Magazine

"All I know is who I am," Issa Rae tells Angelica Nwandu in her cover story for the October issue of Glamour. "At the end of the day, all I know is my intentions, and no matter what you take out of context, no matter what pictures you post, I know that I am aligned with. I know what my truth is."

Insecure is Rae's creation, and HBO has allowed her the creative freedom to execute it flawlessly. "I could never do this show and have a predominantly white staff," she says, attributing the show's authenticity to her team's personal experiences. "Sometimes the white writers will be like, 'I didn't even know what that line meant until I watched the show,' and I'm like, 'That's OK. There are some things that are just for us.'" In that same way, Rae recalls talking about the show with Michelle Obama. "I was like, 'You really watch it?' She was like, "Yes. Sasha and Malia put me on to it.'" Rae, like many, misses the Obama administration. "It bums me out that I will never have that feeling again of THE FIRST FAMILY fing with us so hard and getting us. If Melania said that to me, I would be like, 'Well, I guess it's canceled. We're not making this show. It's not ours anymore.'"

Beyond Insecure, Rae's partnership with HBO is expanding. She is producing a show for the network, called Him or Her, about the dating life of a bisexual black male comedian. The announcement was met with backlash in the black community, which historically has difficult relationship with homosexuality. Rae was disappointed by the blowback. "[Being queer] is the experience of lots of black men, and it's like, 'Why would you try to prevent that story from being told? Who are you to tell him that his story isn't valid." Despite the criticisms, Rae has learned to maintain her calm. She used to fight back more, but now reigns it in. "I just don't want to give stupidity an energy."

Read the full feature, with photos by Petra Collins, here.

The October issue of Glamour is on stands now.

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