The Week In Review

By Keith Boykin, in pop culture
Wednesday, March 29 2006, 10:54AM

A Harlem minister, Rev. Phillip Mann of Blessed Trinity Baptist Church, may have been murdered because he was gay. Admitted killer David Jordan claims it was self defense and that the minister was making sexual advances. The reverend had helped the former homeless man get back on his feet but Jordan denies allegations that the two had been involved in a relationship: "I'm not homosexual," he said. Sounds like another case of the "gay panic" defense.

A new black gay men's health group has been formed that will focus on HIV/AIDS and other health disparities. Ernest Hopkins, Mark Colomb and Earl Fowlkes will serve as officers.

Busta Rhymes has been criticized for homophobic lyrics in a new remix song he made. Meanwhile, Towleroad reports another homophobic incident with Busta down at the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

New York's fabulous drag queen Harmonica Sunbeam is on hiatus and needs support. On her website, she writes: "There are many rumors out there as we speak but today I will tell you the deal. For the last 8 months i have been fighting a vicious battle with hiv/aids. At the current time things are somewhat bleak but I'm sure God will see me through this and bring me back to the stage and the loving arms of my supporters if this is His will."

A verdict was reached in the Dwan Prince case. A jury found Steven Pomie guilty of beating Prince. Meanwhile, there are still no leads in the Rashawn Brazell case.

Sharpe James bows out of the mayor's race in Newark. Maybe he realized it was time for him to go, or maybe he read the criticism about him on this site.

And finally, while we're on the subject of good news, black gay Broadway actor Jermaine Taylor will be a co-host of the new GSN TV series "I've Got A Secret." Taylor joins Frank DeCaro, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Billy Bean in this remake of the 1950s television series.