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So who is this lesbian power couple? “We are Bria and Chrissy and we are a lesbian duo act promoting equality through spoof videos,” Kam says.
Being direct is something that comes easily for the girls, but being gay is fairly new for Chambers. The girls met 10 months ago after Chambers decided that she wanted to be with a woman.
“I had never dated a woman before,” Chambers says. “I’d been watching all of these lesbian films including ‘Loving Annabelle’ and decided that I wanted to fall in love with a woman. I went to Mary’s to find her thinking that she would just be there waiting for me. She wasn’t so I left.
“I walked out onto the street, saw a crowd of people and Bria was in the middle of them. She walked right up to me and said, ‘Hi. I’m Bria. You’re really beautiful’ and we just hit it off right then,” she says.
Chambers is a transplant from Mississippi who came here to pursue an acting career. She explains, “Atlanta is a much safer place to start than Los Angeles. There’s plenty of work here – a great place to get small parts and guest appearances. If I move to New York or L.A., I’ll have more credentials and it will be easier for me to get work since I’ve already been working.”
Adds Kam excitedly, “She just finished shooting a movie called ‘Plus One.’ It’ll be released next summer.”
Chambers notes that she grew up in Clinton, Miss. — “the heart of the Bible belt.”
“I’ve had people from back home refuse to speak to me except to tell me that they’re praying for my soul. It’s different here,” she says.
Kam, an Atlanta native, had a more accepting experience.
“I came out when I was 16. I’ve lived here my entire life. I had a liberal upbringing — almost to the point that I had no idea that people weren’t open minded. When we put these videos out, some people starting leaving hateful comments about them. I was shocked. I knew it was out there in the world but I never really had to face it,” she says.
They seem to keep full schedules.
“Things are starting to snowball. We’ve been doing radio shows, phone and television interviews. We’ve had agent-type companies who have contacted us to represent us. We also have someone at the Huffington Post doing a story about us. He invited us to the Democratic Convention,” Chambers says.
Did they go?
“We went! We went to a gay party and did a lot of networking,” Kam says. “We attended the parade dressed as Mitt and Ann Romney. We made T-shirts and cards with our YouTube channel printed on them. It was so fun!”
But is it a career path?
“In the last couple of weeks, we realized that we can make money doing it,” she says.
Chambers quickly notes, “Doing these videos has been an excellent coming together of our respective talents: me with the acting and Bria with the music. We think we will continue to progress. We have no intensions of stopping. We are reaching so many people and it’s a great creative outlet.”
One aspect that the couple seems particularly keen on is the way that fans have been reaching out to them.
“Bria got an e-mail that made her cry for three days,” Chambers says.
“Yes,” Kam agrees. “It was so moving! This woman ran an organization for gay teens and she is working with a young girl who is a singer/songwriter and came from a very close-minded family. She wants to use our videos to give that girl hope that she can be successful and make a difference. We are thrilled.”
All of the success and fame can take a toll on a relationship but these girls think it has only helped.
“It’s strengthening us that we know we are making a different together. We are fulfilled,” Chambers says.
The fans can tell. One of the fan favorites of the videos is their trademark kiss in each one.
“People like the kiss. It’s cute that people look for it,” Chambers says. “When we don’t kiss each other, people complain.”
Top photo: Atlanta’s own Bria and Chrissy, Bria Kam and Chrissy Chambers, are finding fame on YouTube with their spoofs of anti-gay causes and conservative politicians. (Courtesy photo)