DC comic Sampson McCormick is trailblazer for LGBTQ community

WASHINGTON - Sampson McCormick has been a trailblazer for the LGBTQ community as one of the first openly gay black comedians in the country.

Sampson, a DC native, got his start right here in Washington.

"I never wanted to come out," Sampson said. "But listening one night to a straight comic get up on stage and make all these disgusting jokes about how his gay neighbors were giving him AIDS through the wall, I just sat in the back of the bar and it crushed me. I felt like if people got to get up there and give their opinion about that, why not get up and start giving my honest opinion about things?"

Sampson said he's faced many adversaries in his career, including having bottles thrown at him in a parking lot and dealing with a hostile audience that made him fear for his safety.

Through all the struggles, Sampson has persevered, even becoming the first LGBTQ comic to headline at Howard Theatre.

Watch Sampson's story in the video player above.