Monthly archive of October 2006

A Police Bust Gone Wrong

I'm walking through Times Square yesterday afternoon when I spot a black street vendor maneuvering a cart of goods off a curb and onto the sidewalk. A moment later, a white man in a baseball cap and sweatshirt confronts the vendor. The vendor responds loudly that he is not selling anything anymore. "But I saw you earlier," the white man responds. The defiant vendor continues to explain until the white man grabs the vendor and pulls the man's outer garment. The vendor keeps yelling something about how he's not selling anything.

Within a few seconds, the altercation turns violent. As the vendor tries to break loose from the other man's grip, the man shoves the vendor across the sidewalk and into a nearby doorway. The horrified crowd across from the Broadway theaters watches the scene unfold. Several people, including myself, pull out our cell phone cameras to document the incident. We assume the white guy is an undercover cop, but he's not behaving like one.

Posted in politics on October 2 2006, 4:35AM | Read More | Comments (6)

The Politics of Hypocrisy

A few weeks ago I found myself on "The O'Reilly Factor" debating with Bill O'Reilly and Fox News commentator Tammy Bruce about Jim McGreevey's tell-all confessional memoir. Bruce said that McGreevey's story was the creepiest thing she had ever seen, and O'Reilly chimed in his agreement. Fast forward to Friday, when U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) abruptly resigned from Congress in the midst of an email scandal. Foley allegedly sent sexually suggestive emails to teenage boys in the congressional page system. And to make matters worse, Foley was the chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. Now that's hypocrisy.

But before the Republicans try to sweep it under the rug and claim that he was one bad apple, let's not forget that Republican officials, as high up as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, knew about Foley's misconduct months ago. Some knew even a year ago, but they did virtually nothing to reprimand him or remove him from his position. No, this is not a story about one sick individual, as the GOP would like to frame it. This is a story about a sick political party so corrupted by the allure of political power and blinded by its own moral hypocrisy that it cannot see past an election cycle long enough to do the right thing.

Posted in politics on October 2 2006, 12:57PM | Read More | Comments (23)

Staceyann Chin's Redemption Song

As the controversy continues to grow over the issue of homophobic music performed by some reggae and dancehall artists, I thought it would be a good time to have a conversation with Staceyann Chin. The Jamaican-born New York resident is a poet, performing artist and political activist, and so much more.

This year I've had a chance to get to know Staceyann a little better as one of my co-hosts on the BET TV show "My Two Cents." And a few months ago I sat in Soldier Field in Chicago and watched as she electrified the audience with a provocative and controversial speech/poem at The Gay Games. I interviewed Staceyann last week, just as the heat was rising in the Buju Banton controversy.

Posted in sexuality on October 3 2006, 8:37AM | Read More | Comments (39)

The Gay Basher v. The Gay Man

Not to be outdone by Buju Banton and Beenie Man, a popular French dancehall singer named Krys has recorded a song called “McDoom Dead,” which encourages people to kill and burn Vincent McDoom, a real life black gay TV personality in France. “Burn all bisexuals, transsexuals, homosexuals and transvestites," the song says. "They make me allergic. Now, that’s enough! Gay people stink! I want to kill them with my music. I don’t want to deal with Vincent McDoom, I just want to shoot him, klik klak boom!”

The subject of the attack, Vincent McDoom, has received death threats as a result of the song, according to BabyBoy magazine. But Krys has largely escaped criticism, until recently. During a recent appearance on a French television show, Krys was surprised to find his target, Vincent McDoom, was also a guest. McDoom read Krys's homophobic lyrics on the air, outraging the audience and other guests on the set. Krys reportedly tried to downplay the lyrics, reminding the audience that he was younger when he recorded the song. That sounds a lot like Buju Banton's explanation for his early homophobic lyrics, but it's not an excuse

Posted in sexuality on October 4 2006, 11:38AM | Read More | Comments (19)

Noah's Arc Season Finale

It was just 8 episodes long, and now it's over. The season finale of Noah's Arc aired Wednesday night, bringing to a close the second season of the first black gay television series on national TV. If you saw the finale already, you know the season ended just as it began...with drama.

Will Noah and Wade reconcile? Will Ricky and Junito hook up or break up? Will Noah ever look good as a drag queen? Those are some of the pressing questions that will be answered in the final episode. Now that's it over, I think it's pretty clear the second season was much better than the first. The new characters and the new story lines helped to develop the season season for a much broader audience. But hopefully that's not the end.

Posted in pop culture on October 4 2006, 11:21PM | Read More | Comments (150)

Unacceptable!

U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert said today that he was "deeply sorry" but knew nothing of the inappropriate emails sent by Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) to congressional pages. Foley resigned his seat last week after the media learned that he had sent sexually explicit emails to teenage pages. But since Foley left office, the story has focused on Speaker Hastert, who according to many reports was warned at least months in advance about Foley's behavior.

Hastert's response today shows he still doesn't get it. He tried to look like he was taking responsibility when he announced that investigations are underway. But Foley spent a good deal of the press conference pointing fingers at the Democrats instead of fully taking responsibility for what the Republicans (who actually run the Congress) did and did not do.

Posted in politics on October 5 2006, 2:59PM | Read More | Comments (10)

Black Gays Meet the Democrats

Tomorrow afternoon, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will meet with black gays and lesbians in Baltimore. It's the first time a DNC official has ever taken part in a Black LGBT Pride Event. It took some coordination by the Stonewall Democrats Black Caucus and others to pull it off, but it's finally happening.

With a national election just a few weeks away, the Democrats understandably want to turn out their base to the polls. But Black LGBT Democrats shouldn't wilt in the presence of the party chairman. There are a lot of serious issues facing our community, and we need to know if the Democrats are seriously planning to address those issues. With that in mind, I asked our guest political columnist Ramon Gardenhire, a former DNC official, to share his thoughts with us about the Howard Dean meeting. Ramon gives us five questions we should ask Howard Dean.

Posted in politics on October 5 2006, 9:00PM | Read More | Comments (3)

In The Mirror with Keith Hamilton Cobb

I first remember seeing Keith Hamilton Cobb some time in the 1990s. He was on television even then. A tall, attractive, physically imposing man, he was memorable for his looks alone. When I found out we had the same name, however, I remembered that as well. Over the years I casually followed his career from the soap operas to the sci-fi shows, and most recently to Noah's Arc. I've even downloaded some pictures of him from the Internet in the past.

So of all the actors in this season's Noah's Arc, it's not surprising that I'm most intrigued by Keith Hamilton Cobb. It's not only who he is, but the character he plays that interests me. The character is a guy named Quincy, a black gay author, media personality, activist and blogger. If that sounds familiar to you, it's supposed to, as I found out when I spoke to Keith this week for my final interview in the Noah's Arc interview series.

Posted in pop culture on October 6 2006, 12:04AM | Read More | Comments (43)

Is HIV A Gay Disease?

A new ad campaign out of Los Angeles claims that HIV is a "gay disease." But the sponsors of the ad are not some right-wing anti-gay group. Instead, it's the LA Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Their purpose is not to stigmatize the disease or to stigmatize gay people. Instead, they hope the ad campaign (photographed by Duane Cramer) will prompt more gays and lesbians to "own" the epidemic and take responsibility for stopping it.

I'm not convinced this is a good strategy. Although it's certainly provocative to argue that AIDS is a gay disease, it's not entirely true. Worldwide, most cases of HIV are spread from heterosexual contact, not homosexual sex. Here in the U.S., however, gay men do make up a disproportionate share of HIV/AIDS cases, far more so than in Africa or the Caribbean, for example. But there's something about the message of the ad that doesn't seem to explain the complexity of the epidemic.

Posted in sexuality on October 6 2006, 12:00PM | Read More | Comments (20)

NBJC Adopts New Mission Statement

The National Black Justice Coalition today announced the formation of a new political action fund and the adoption of a new mission statement that will broaden the scope of the organization and set a clear direction for years to come. During a weekend board retreat in Oakland, California, the board of directors of the Coalition adopted the new statement to simplify the group's mission. The statement also adds the term "same-gender-loving" to the mission for the first time.

The board felt that adding the term "same-gender-loving" would reflect the sentiments of members of the organization and others in the community who do not identify with the terms "lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered." At the same time, the board also chose to keep the LGBT language in its mission statement to include those who do identify with the LGBT term.

Posted in sexuality on October 9 2006, 9:31AM | Read More | Comments (6)

A Black Gay Howard Beach?

They're already comparing it to Howard Beach, the notorious hate crime in which a black man was chased by a group of white men into traffic and killed by a passing car in Howard Beach, New York. In 1986, 23-year-old Michael Griffith was hit by a car after being beaten by a group of white men who chased him through the streets. In this case, another black man, 28-year-old Michael Sandy, was hit by a car on the same roadway after being attacked and chased by at least two white men. The difference is that this time the victim may also be gay.

Eyewitnesses told the police that the men fought with the victim in an area near a parking lot alongside Plumb Beach, near Sheepshead Bay, and then forced him into a roaring lane of traffic at 9:40 p.m. Sunday, the New York Times reported. Backing away from the men, Sandy was struck by a car and then dragged from oncoming traffic by one of the men, the Times continued. The incident took place near a known gay cruising spot.

Posted in sexuality on October 10 2006, 11:37AM | Read More | Comments (36)

Police Arrest Suspect in Sandy Case

New York police have arrested a suspect in the hate crime attack on 28-year-old Michael Sandy. Sandy was reportedly lured to the location where he was attacked by an Internet scheme targeting gay men. Once he arrived at the location, he was attacked by a group of four white men. Sandy escaped from his attackers and fled to the street, where he was struck by a car Sunday evening.

In the latest developments, police now consider the attack to be an anti-gay hate crime, although some see it more as a robbery. It's also not entirely clear what role the victim's race played in the attack. At many as four white suspects have been held in custody involving the attack. Sandy is reportedly close to death and unable to breathe on his own, and the family may decide as early as today whether to remove the life support that is preventing him from dying. If he were to die, that would potentially change the charges filed against the suspects. Some reports indicate that Sandy is currently brain dead.

Posted in sexuality on October 11 2006, 10:14AM | Read More | Comments (23)

Trial Begins in Murder of Bisexual Man

The trial of a suspect in the murder of a 23-year-old Cleveland man begins today. Deonte Conley was shot and killed on March 1. Conley was described as very active in Cleveland’s black LGBT community and volunteered his time to various community organizations. The suspect, Artez Williams, 24, is charged with killing Deonte Conley, who was walking down Gay Street in East Cleveland at the time of his death.

L. Michael Gipson, director of education for the Cleveland AIDS Taskforce and former director of its Beyond Identities Community Center, noted that Conley attended the youth center for some time, helped with the facility and volunteered to lead workshops. Conley also performed at drag shows under the name Unique. He was openly bisexual.

Posted on October 11 2006, 12:00PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Small Plane Crashes Into NY Bldg.

A small plane reportedly crashed into a Manhattan residential building this afternoon. The plane crashed some time around 3 p.m. today into a 50-story apartment building on East 72nd Street. CNN reported that the FAA closed down LaGuardia Airport and NORAD scrambled fighter jets over various American cities. However, the White House reports no evidence of terrorism related to the crash. The New York City Fire Department reports at least one fatality from the accident. As of 3:50 p.m., the fire appeared to be mostly contained. At 4:45 p.m., CNN reported that the plane was registered to New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle.

(Photo courtesy of Gothamist.)

Posted in politics on October 11 2006, 3:48PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Keith Boykin on CNN Sunday

I've finally uploaded the video from Sunday's appearance on CNN. Click on the photo above to go to the page and watch the video for yourself.

Posted in sexuality on October 12 2006, 1:19AM | Read More | Comments (11)

The Face of Hate?

New photos have emerged of the first suspect in the vicious hate crime attack on Michael Sandy. As we previously reported, police have arrested at least one suspect in the crime, and three others were being held in custody. The first suspect arrested was John Fox, 19, shown here, being led away in police custody.

Fox, a Brooklyn resident, is a sophomore at SUNY Maritime College. Other named suspects are Gary Timmins, 16, of Gerritsen Beach, and Ilye Shurova, 20, of Sheepshead Bay. All three three men were charged yesterday with first-degree assault as a hate crime, and first- and second-degree robbery, the police told The New York Times. Meanwhile, there's still no word on the condition of Michael Sandy, who was reportedly still in a coma last night. The family has indicated that they might make a decision about Sandy's fate as early as today, which is his 29th birthday.

Posted in sexuality on October 12 2006, 11:07AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

When Tyra & Kevin Met Shirley

If you ever had any doubt that some of the Christian homophobes are crazy, you weren't watching the Tyra Banks Show yesterday. After a moving interview with gay bashing victim Kevin Aviance, Tyra interviewed outspoken homophobe Shirley Phelps and two of her 11 children. Phelps, a lawyer, is a leader of a group that believes that "God hates fags" and that God intended September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and the tsunami as punishment for the world's wicked ways. But Phelps claims she loves gays. She loves them enough to tell them they're going to hell, she said.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Phelps clan are crazy. These are the same people who picketed Coretta Scott King's funeral and regularly picket the funerals of American soldiers who died in Iraq. They picket because they claim that God is punishing America for tolerating homosexuality. I'm not sure why these people are so hung up on homosexuality, but they clearly don't understand anything about the real world, about God, or about love. And as they sink into their obsession, they have isolated themselves into their own backward, homophobic, pseudo-theocratic cult of ignorance.

Posted in spirituality on October 13 2006, 12:22AM | Read More | Comments (40)

Report: Michael Sandy Taken Off Ventilator

At least one news source is reporting that gay bashing victim Michael Sandy was taken off a ventilator late last night. Queerty, a gay news source, reports that Sandy's life support respirator was removed around 9 p.m. on Thursday. The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, which has been in contact with the Sandy family, could not confirm the report as of 11 this morning.

Meanwhile, one of the four suspects in the beating attack has been released from police custody. The other four suspects are still being held by police. We will keep you up to date on any important new developments as they are reported and confirmed.

Posted in sexuality on October 13 2006, 11:09AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Michael Sandy Dies; Monday Press Conference Planned At NY City Hall

Michael Sandy, the 29-year-old black gay man who was attacked in a gay bashing incident last Sunday, has died. Sandy reportedly died around noon today after the family decided to remove the life support respirator that had kept him alive. That information has been confirmed by sources close to his family. Police are reportedly considering whether to elevate the charges against the suspects as a result of Sandy's death.

Black LGBT organizers and activists vowed to hold a public press conference on Monday to demand an end to hate violence in the city and to hold city leaders accountable. The event is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on Monday at New York City Hall. The rally is being sponsored by People of Color In Crisis, the New York State Black Gay Network, Gay Men of African Descent, the New York City Anti-Violence Project and the National Black Justice Coalition.

Posted in sexuality on October 13 2006, 4:45PM | Read More | Comments (50)

In Memory of Michael Sandy

He was 28 years old the night he drove his car to Sheepshead Bay. An interior designer at Ikea, Michael Sandy liked dancing, good conversation, Thai and Indian cuisine, photography, Kung Fu and Mui Thai boxing. He was intrigued by the assassination of John F. Kennedy. And he liked a wide variety of movies from The Color Purple to Kill Bill. And of course he liked Oliver Stone's film JFK.

His musical tastes were also eclectic, ranging from Bjork to Everything But The Girl to Brandy, Patti Labelle, Amel Larrieux, James Brown and Prince. On television, he liked watching In Living Color, American Idol, The Real World, Mad TV, and The Snake Master. That's all part of the picture of Michael Sandy that has emerged since he passed away on Friday.

Posted in sexuality on October 15 2006, 2:44PM | Read More | Comments (35)

Once You Go Black...

Angelina Jolie is becoming black. Well, not exactly, but she will be playing the role of a black woman in a new film that depicts Mariane Pearl, the wife of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl. She's currently in Italy filming for the movie, titled "A Mighty Heart."

I have no problem with Angelina Jolie. I respect the work she's done in Africa and I respect her humanitarian values. But I do wonder about the producers' decision to cast her in this role. With so few roles for black actors and actresses, one of the most common explanations we hear is that there aren't enough black stories being told. But when Hollywood finds a story of a black woman, why would they pick a white woman to play the role?

Posted in pop culture on October 16 2006, 1:12PM | Read More | Comments (47)

Pictures from Michael Sandy Event

All pictures courtesy of Andres Duque.

Posted in sexuality on October 16 2006, 10:57PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Deval Patrick for Governor

Three weeks from today, voters in Massachusetts will go to the polls to vote for their next governor. I strongly hope they choose Deval Patrick to lead their state. I've known Deval Patrick for more than a decade, and I consider him to be a friend. He's a courageous, intelligent, good, decent, fair-minded man. When no one else would speak up for the disenfranchised, Deval Patrick was there to do so. He stood up for civil rights for blacks, gays and women. And he helped the poor, the middle class and people with disabilities.

I remember sitting across the table from Patrick at a 1995 meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House where he spoke passionately in favor of the Employment Non Discrimination Act that would protect gays and lesbians from job discrimination. And I remember traveling with him on Air Force Two when he advised Vice President Gore on our way to a NAACP convention in Chicago. He was just as committed to protecting the civil rights of gays and lesbians as he was to protecting the civil rights of African Americans. In fact, he believed his job was to protect the civil rights of all Americans.

Posted in politics on October 17 2006, 9:00AM | Read More | Comments (8)

Is Gay History Anti-Black?

The story itself was shocking. A vocal group of black community residents in Philadelphia complained about the observance of a gay history month in the local public schools. The school district in Philadelphia had designated October as Gay and Lesbian History month to recognize the contributions of the LGBT community. But at a community forum, the black residents objected loudly. They shouted slurs at students and speakers. Some yelled for the creation of segregated schools that would exclude gay children from other kids. And they dismissed gay history as part of a white racist agenda.

When I heard about this, I was so concerned that I contacted Michael Hinson (shown here) in the mayor's office to find out more. Michael was there when it happened, and he was kind enough to share his thoughts about the incident below.

Posted in sexuality on October 17 2006, 5:13PM | Read More | Comments (34)

A Matter of Life and Death

Sources close to the family of Tyron Garner, the black gay plaintiff in the famous Lawrence v. Texas case, report that Garner's body has still not been buried or cremated, more than a month after he died on September 11, 2006.

As of this week, sources report that his family still does not have the money to bury Garner. Unless the money is raised immediately, they will have no choice but to relinquish Garner's body to Harris County, Texas, to be disposed of as a pauper. Ironically, it was a police officer in Harris County who barged into a private apartment and arrested Garner for having consensual sex with a male partner. And it was the state of Texas that spent an enormous amount of time and money in pursuing the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thus, the state that sought to control his body while he was living may end up controlling it in his death.

Posted in sexuality on October 18 2006, 12:29AM | Read More | Comments (14)

225 Dollars!

Apparently it is too late to bury Tyron Garner. I just received word from Mitchell Katine, the local attorney in the Lawrence v. Texas case, who informed me that Tyron Garner's brother Darnell signed the papers just this morning releasing Tyron's body to the county for cremation (at no cost). The fund which had been set up for his burial had raised only $225.00 in 6 weeks.

This should never have happened, and it should never happen again. This man was a hero to our community, and the community failed him. The average cost of a funeral and burial is $6,000, according to AARP. The group that created this fund could have written a check itself to cover the cost. Or they could have let the public know that they hadn't raised enough money. And the community that was solicited should have given up far more than $225, almost half of which came from the lawyer. Are the lives of black gay men disposable? Does no one care?

Although it is too late to preserve Garner's body, it is still possible to preserve his legacy and to help his family. The family would like for Tyron's ashes to be put in a metal urn (instead of a plastic bag), and they would like to print some obituaries for Garner. The total cost for the metal urn and the obituaries is $430.00, meaning they need an additional $205 on top of the $225 already raised.

Several people have already contacted me and offered to give more than that amount to the fund. I encourage anyone who is interested to make a contribution anyway. All excess funds will go to the family, the lawyer tells me. Contributions should be made payable to the Tyrone Garner Fund and sent directly to:

Preferred Bank
11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
281-556-6443

Posted in sexuality on October 18 2006, 1:19PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

Is This The Future of Hip Hop?

And now for something completely different. I'm in Ohio today and don't have full access to my own computer, so I'm just going to post something I saw in a magazine recently. I feel like I'm behind the curve because I don't know about G.C. of Soul Mafia. But Strive Magazine calls him "the future of hip hop." He's a waiter at the famous Pink Tea Cup restaurant in the West Village and he's a hip hop musician. Even more interesting, it looks like he's white.

Born in Boston, raised in the Midwest, and now based in Brooklyn, G.C. played harmonica, saxophone, guitar, flute, piano, and drums when he was young. His parents would play Jimi Hendrix, Keith Jarrett, Pink Floyd, and B.B. King at home. Inspired by Dr. Dre on The Chronic, he also got into rap music. And today he's considered the future, according to Strive. I had never heard of him before this article, but then I haven't been keeping up with my music that much lately. Did I miss out? Have you heard of him? What's the deal? I have no political agenda here. Honest. I'm just throwing out the topic if you'd like to discuss.

Posted in music on October 19 2006, 10:49AM | Permalink | Comments (52)

Barack Obama Is Running...

If you haven't heard the name Barack Obama at some point this week, chances are you probably weren't paying attention. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has scored something of a media trifecta -- releasing a new book, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and gracing the cover of TIME magazine all in the same week. If you turned on CNN last night, you may have seen him interviewed by Larry King. And if you read yesterday's New York Times, you probably saw an op-ed by the paper's conservative columnist David Brooks encouraging Obama to run for president.

I've followed Barack Obama's career closely since we attended law school together back in the early 1990s. He was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, and he was a celebrity even then. I've only spoken to him a few times and I don't know him well, but I have no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama is running. The only questions are when and for what.

Posted in politics on October 20 2006, 1:20AM | Read More | Comments (40)

A Double-Edged Board

Hello. Kenneth Winfrey here with another edition of what might be called "The Message Board Dispatch." Even though I'm living in Albuquerque now, I'm originally from St. Louis, where all good news publications have to have the word "Dispatch" in their titles.

Anyway, sorry it's been so long. It's been a busy week. No, it's been a busy month! And it's been no less busy around here on the board. Lots of interesting stuff to report. Gosh, where do I begin? Let's go all the way to the root of the matter, shall we?

Posted on October 23 2006, 12:40AM | Read More | Comments (12)

I Finally Did It

Well, I finally did it. I finally jumped into the whole myspace thing. It all started a few months ago after I participated in the Gay Games in Chicago. I decided to write something about my experience on myspace and suddenly I discovered that there's a lot of people out there in myspace land. I had met Jody Watley backstage in the Green Room of the Opening Ceremony at the Games, but I was surprised to find that she had a myspace page. So too did my friend Ben Patrick Johnson, who was the announcer for the Games.

Then as I did interviews with the cast of Noah's Arc this summer, I discovered that most of them had myspace pages too. Quite frankly, I'm shocked how many people have pages on myspace. Meanwhile, my plain old myspace page had just been sitting there gathering dust. So over the weekend, I finally decided to pimp my myspace page. And now it's done. Check it out for yourself.

Posted on October 23 2006, 12:58PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Throwing the Election

It's two weeks before the midterm elections, and the news just can't get any worse for the Republicans. The public has turned against the war in Iraq. The Taliban has started fighting again in Afghanistan. The CIA can't find Osama Bin Laden. And that's to say nothing of Hurricane Katrina, Donald Rumsfeld or Mark Foley. It's been one bad news cycle after another for the GOP the past year.

But as I was reading a story yesterday that New York GOP Senate candidate John Spencer is now accusing his opponent, Hillary Clinton, of having a face lift, I wondered what would cause him to make such a stupid, self-destructive statement two weeks before the election. Then it hit me. Could it be possible that the Republicans are trying to lose the election?

Posted in politics on October 24 2006, 12:52AM | Read More | Comments (14)

Want a Massage? Not Here

If you're looking for a good massage to loosen up your muscles and soothe your aching bones, Virginia may not be the place to visit. At least not Manassas, Virginia. That's the place where the local city council voted last night not to allow a local resident to open a massage business in his home. Howard Daniel had applied for a permit from the city to run a therapeutic massage business in his house, which is located in a residential area, three blocks from the city's commercial district.

Daniel presented a petition to the city council that showed overwhelming support from his neighbors for the business. But the city council was divided, splitting in a 3-3 tie that forced a deciding vote from Mayor Douglas Waldron. The mayor voted no. That was odd. After all, the city council had received two similar applications over the last three years and approved both of them. So why would the city disallow an application for Daniel's business? Did I mention that Daniel is black and gay?

Posted in sexuality on October 24 2006, 11:49AM | Read More | Comments (14)

The Worst Speech of My Life

Dayton, OH --Last night was an eye opener. In the 10 years I've been giving public speeches, I've never faced a crowd like the one in Wilberforce, Ohio Tuesday evening. I often talk about sensitive issues in my speeches, so I don't expect everyone to agree with me when I take to the podium. Although most of my speeches go off smoothly, there have been a few times when things went wrong. I've been protested, challenged and questioned several times before. I've even seen a few people get up and walk out in the middle of a speech. But I have never spoken to any audience where dozens of students actually booed and jeered and hissed. Until last night.

Last night I was a keynote speaker for the annual convocation at Central State University in Ohio. Central State is a historically black college with a long and proud tradition of educating African Americans. So I was really looking forward to speaking to an educated black audience about homophobia in the black community. I was also looking forward to joining my friend and colleague Staceyann Chin, who was the other keynote speaker for the event. But my optimism quickly turned to disappointment only moments after I walked on stage.

Posted in sexuality on October 25 2006, 2:38AM | Read More | Comments (168)

New Jersey Court Rules on Gay Marriage

Saundra Toby-Heath and Alicia Heath-Toby may be heading to the chapel soon. The black lesbian couple we met three years ago will be direct beneficiaries of New Jersey's historic Supreme Court decision today authorizing same-sex marriage. In a complex ruling, the highest court in New Jersey ruled that marriage discrimination violates the state's constitution and ordered the state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, or the full rights thereof, within 180 days.

The decision was immediately hailed by gay rights advocates, but it comes at an awkward time just two weeks before a major midterm election in this country. For the first time in years, the voting public is focused on the failed war in Iraq instead of divisive social issues like marriage and abortion. Now with the New Jersey case, if the Republicans are able to exploit this decision and use it to resurrect fear among their conservative base, the Democrats' hopes of taking back both houses of Congress could easily be dashed.

Posted in sexuality on October 25 2006, 3:15PM | Read More | Comments (21)

Central State, Part II

Yesterday I wrote about my experience speaking at Central State University. Now my colleague Staceyann Chin, who also spoke at the event, has written about it as well. She's written her thoughts in the form of a poem she's posted on her cyberjournal. It's a poem called "Me and Jesus."

Needless to say, Staceyann is much more direct than I am. "By the time I took the stage I was ready to shock the shit out of those bible-quoting amen and hallelujahs," she writes. "And so Black folk continue to be caught wheel and hamster between racism and under-education and misguided loyalty disguised as religion...same Bible that told niggers 'be happy they got nice Masters!'”

You have to read the whole thing. It's a short poem but it's powerful. Read the full poem here or on Staceyann's myspace page.

Posted in sexuality on October 26 2006, 11:19AM | Permalink | Comments (50)

Dirtier By The Day

I knew it would come down to this. With just a week and a half before the election, the Republicans are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Democrats. President Bush and top Republicans wasted no time in playing the "gay card" on Thursday, citing the New Jersey marriage decision as a reason why Democrats can't be trusted to run the Congress.

“Yesterday in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage,” the president said on Thursday. Bush's audience at an Iowa fundraiser (notice they don't let him out at the rallies, only the fundraisers) applauded when he declared that marriage is “a union between a man and a woman." He added, “I believe it’s a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended.”

Presto! And we're back to the 2004 campaign.

Posted in politics on October 27 2006, 1:18AM | Read More | Comments (15)

World Series Champs!!

Posted in sports on October 28 2006, 12:14AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The City Too Busy To Hate?

It was only a few days after we learned about Michael Sandy in New York and Tyron Garner in Houston when the news came of fresh new victims in Atlanta. Once again, black gay men had been attacked. This time the victims were robbed, beaten and pistol-whipped. And all because the men were thought to be gay.

When the news was reported about the Atlanta incident, I immediately thought about Craig Washington. Craig is one of the leading black gay activists in Atlanta, and he writes with a firm knowledge of history and a powerful voice of candor and personal responsibility. With that in mind, I asked Craig to write about his unique perspective on the situation in Atlanta. What he wrote even surprised me.

Posted in sexuality on October 30 2006, 12:05AM | Read More | Comments (31)

One Week To Go

With just one week to go before the crucial midterm elections, the contest is coming down to three races. All eyes are on Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia, the three states that will likely determine control of the U.S. Senate. Democrats are widely expected to pick up more than the 15 seats they need to regain control of the House of Representatives, but winning 6 seats to take control of the Senate will be more difficult.

Polls show the Democrats are running ahead in Senate races in Ohio (Sherrod Brown leads Mike DeWine), Pennsylvania (Bob Casey leads Rick Santorum), Montana (Jon Tester leads Conrad Burns) and Rhode Island (Sheldon Whitehouse leads Lincoln Chafee). That gives them four seats, meaning they have to pick up two of the three contested seats in Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia. At this point, it's too close to call, but there is one sign of the times that shows how bad it is for the GOP. Yesterday, President Bush was out campaigning for Republicans in Georgia and Texas. If the Republicans need Bush's help in those red states, they're really in trouble.

Posted in politics on October 31 2006, 1:34AM | Read More | Comments (7)

Black and Gay in the Church

I've often said that homophobia would end in the black church if every black LGBT person simply came out. The first thing we would realize is that many of the people running the churches are themselves gay. And I'm not just talking about the choir members, the organists and the music directors. I'm talking about the ushers, the deacons and the pastors themselves. Thus, it was noticeable last weekend when a prominent black pastor in Colorado came out of the closet.

The Rev. Benjamin Reynolds preached his last sermon at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday. Reynolds, the senior pastor of the Colorado church, stepped down after telling the congregation that he is gay. Although his decision to come out may have caught some off guard, his support for the gay and lesbian community is not new. He has been a longtime advocate for gay and lesbian rights. But then he did the unthinkable. He revealed his sexual orientation.

Posted in spirituality on October 31 2006, 1:46PM | Read More | Comments (67)