Doug Cooper Spencer is a novelist, short fiction writer, activist, archivist and producer. Greg Cooper Spencer is a hairstylist for Broadway, film, and tv as well as a photographer, activist, and producer. In 2008 and 2009 Doug and Greg produced The Eyes Open Festival, which is considered to be the first Black Pride festival in Cincinnati.

 

Coming out in 1972, Doug led many years as an activist for LGBTQA rights. He worked at The University of Cincinnati where he served on the LGBTQA faculty and staff advisory board and lectured. Doug also served as in-house lecturer at the Cincinnati branch of The National Urban League’s Leadership Training Forum, from 1989 to 1996. He also aided in the production of the award winning 1996 documentary All God’s Children, a film that looks at the role of black gays and the black church.

 

Cincinnati gave Greg fundamental life and business skills that allow him to continue to flourish years later as he embarks on 27 years as a hair professional. In 2014, he and Doug made the move to NYC where Greg’s career grew to not only include private clientele, and work with publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Esquire, but to eventually move on to Broadway, film and TV. He has worked for productions such as Broadway’s A Soldiers’s Play starring Blair Underwood, Kiss Me Kate, American Son; and TV shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the CBS show The Good Fight where he styles for six-time Tony award winning actress, Audra McDonald who stars on the show.

 

Doug and Greg have been married for 22 years. They continue to write and produce, giving voice and visibility to our community.