Too Gay-Looking To Give Blood

Via The Chicago Sun Times:

An Indiana man says he was turned away from giving blood because he looks too gay. Twenty-two year old Aaron Pace says he went Bio Blood Components, and was rejected during the screening process because he"appears to be a homosexual."

“I was humiliated and embarrassed,” he said. “It’s not right that homeless people can give blood but homosexuals can’t. And I’m not even a homosexual.”


Men who have had sex with men since 1977 have been barred from giving blood because the supposed risk of spreading HIV, even though all blood donated is tested for not only the HIV virus, but syphilis, forms of hepatitis, and other diseases.

Read the rest HERE.

New York Clerk Quits Rather Than Issue Gay Marriage Licenses

A town clerk in rural New York has quit her post rather than grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, explaining that doing so would go against her beliefs.

“I would be compromising my moral conscience by participating in licensing same-sex couples,” Laura Fotusky, the clerk of the Town of Barker, told Politico. “I had to choose between my job and my god.”



The 56-year-old posted her resignation letter on Monday evening to the website of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a self-declared Christian ministry that “exists to influence legislation and legislators for the Lord Jesus Christ.”


A current poll on the group’s website asks: “Who bears the most blame for allowing gay ‘marriage’ to become law in New York?”

Fotusky’s resignation letter reads, in part: “The Bible clearly teaches that God created marriage between male and female as a divine gift that preserves families and cultures. Since I love and follow Him, I cannot put my signature on something that is against God."


Fotusky's resignation becomes effective July 21, three days before the state will begin handing out marriage licenses to gay couples. I say let her walk: if she can't separate her personal beliefs from doing her job(while supporting an organization that seeks to police everyone else's morality), then let someone who truly understands what separation of church and state means take her place.

Read the rest HERE.

A Husband And A Husband?

Via Boy Culture:

This video is so cute, I had to post it. A little boy figures out that two guys are together, married and not only accepts it (and expressing surprise the way only a little kid can), but invites the two men to play ping pong. Watch and try not to say "Awww" below

Random Question: Will A Black Gay Male Superstar Ever Break Through?



Note: this pic is not intended to throw tea or shade about MJ's orientation. Just an example of the level of success I'm talking about! Plus it's a cool pic lol!


This question came to me after reading Rolling Stone's top 10 Queen of Pop list (a list where Madonna sat at number one, where she rightly belongs. But I digress). One of the 'queens' on the list was none other than Ms. Elton John herself. Now while we can debate whether or not Sir Elton belongs on this list (after I think the editors meant queen as in woman, but, hey the fans voted!), it got me to thinking: Will there ever be a time when an openly gay, black male artist will infiltrate the mainstream to the point where he could be considered a contender for such a list? Do you feel that American pop culture is ready for a black gay male superstar in the vein of Elton, George Michael or Adam Lambert? Do you think the mainstream pop audience, the larger black community, and we as a black LGBT community are at the point where we would embrace such an artist? Yes I know we have the legendary and fabulous Sylvester, but I'm talking Prince/Michael Jackson-level, pop culture icon status.

After all, it's easy to pop and snap along with Beyonce, Ri Ri, Janet and the rest of the diva brigade: they're glamorous, flamboyant and larger-than-life, and they fit into preconceived notions of what a female artist should be. But would we be as quick to support a male artist singing songs about loving and sexing another man? Showing affection in videos and bumping and grinding with other guys onstage? Walking the red carpet with their lover and talking about their relationships in interviews? Or would that be "too gay" for some of us?  Lastly, out of all the LGBT artists bubbling underground at the moment (B. Slade, Kaoz, etc.) which do you believe have a realistic chance of blowing up?

Discuss.

Black Enterprise Examines Being Black And Gay In Corporate America

Via Living Out Loud With Darian:

In a bold move, Black Enterprise is taking a look at what it means to be black and gay in the corporate world. Writer Sonia Alleyne says finding black LGBT professionals that were willing to talk was not an easy task.

"Editor-at-Large Carolyn M. Brown and I spent months producing this feature," Alleyne writes. "Due to the topic’s controversial nature, we had some difficulty finding subjects. Even some of those who agreed to participate in our cover story,  "Black and Gay in Corporate America," felt some trepidation about how revealing their sexual orientation would affect relationships with family, friends, and associates outside the workplace."

In a short excerpt, the common stereotypes and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" environment many LGBT employees work in are discussed.

Who is the gay Black professional? If you were to rely on media images, they are overtly flamboyant and dramatic male hairstylists and fashion designers. Depictions are often skewed comedic renderings of members of a community who in real life too often lead separate lives to buffer themselves—and their families—from ridicule. “Many professionals are out in their community but private in the world,” says Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization that seeks to empower the African American LGBT population. “There’s a healthy Black, educated professional class of the gay, lesbian, and transgender community in this country. But there’s no recognition of their existence. There’s no protection for their rights—for silent or overt discrimination. Black people in general treat the existence of gays and lesbians and transgender people in the African American community like ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” the former U.S. policy governing homosexuality in the military.

It looks like this could be a very interesting conversation piece. Read the rest of the excerpt HERE.

Oh Snap! Marcus Bachmann Calls Gays "Barbarians"

"

Just when I think I've heard every single nasty slur or insult a conservative blowhard can come up with, tada! Here's another one! In a short clip, Michele Bachmann's husband Marcus came up out of her face and compared gays to savage barbarians that need to be taught to be civilized little people, lest they run amok and corrupt the children. Well I guess it's a step up from being possessed by/called a demon. Listen to this crap below.



If there's one thing that disgusts me more than an ignorant straight homophobe, it' a self-hating queen, and trust and believe this gal falls into the latter category. Most of us know firsthand how hard it can be to embrace your sexuality as something normal when everyone and everything around you is sending a message that is the exact opposite. But what I cannot tolerate is someone actively encouraging anti-gay sentiment and spouting vicious lies about LGBT people when they are clearly gay themselves. If you're not at the place where you're ready to wave your rainbow flag high, then so be it. But don't project your internalized homophobia onto the entire community and make life harder for the rest of us.

Because when you do get caught smoking crystal meth with that male prostitute, tapping your foot in an airport bathroom or tricking on young boys with church funds, you'll have no one to blame but your gay ole' self. Unless you have a legion of pathologically delusional followers that give you bundles of their personal income without a second thought (I see you Ms. Eddie girl!) and a fellow pimp to put your hoes in their place for having the audacity to think for themselves (sup Creflo!). In that case, let the fleecing continue! Somebody needs to out this girl. Stat!

Rant over.

The First Husband....

If the reality of Michele Bachmann becoming a GOP frontrunner for the 2012 election disturbs you and the thought of her becoming president is just too disturbing for you to fathom, this short video of Bachmann's hubby Marcus will provide some much needed levity. To sum it up, chile Ms. Marcus is a good gal! You can just feel the rainbows bursting out of the computer the minute he sashays across the screen. Ironic behavior for a man, who according to some, "ungays" people as part of his therapy. As one commenter on Boy Culture said, "Bachmann may become the first female POTUS but if this video is any indication, we will still have a First Lady." Watch below.

Tracy Morgan Meets With Homeless Gay Teens

H/t Wonderman

If I can dish out the vitriol than I also have to serve up the praise, which in this case is certainly due. While the sincerity of Tracy Morgan's "I'm sorry" statement can be easily discounted, actually sitting down with the victims of homophobia shows some actual remorse on his part, IMO. While Morgan may still have some ground to cover before we can call him a full-fledge ally, he does seem to be putting real effort into repairing the damage caused by his Nashville rant. Read about the meeting over at TMZ.

Pimpin' Ain't Easy....

Well, apparently it is! It looks like Eddie Long is back in business, fleecing the church folks like a desperate gold digger trying to jump in the last balla's car after the club closes! But seriously, this is so sad I almost thought Aaron McGruder had launched a live action version of The Boondocks! How can people be so willing to not only forgive and forget (especially when you've been given so little to base your forgiveness on), but to give all their money away as well? It's beyond denial; it's almost pathological. Watch this crap and try not to hurl below.

Tina On Tracy

As commentor Damien Oz said over at Wonderman's blog, "Tina brings the professional, classy, but clear smackdown on Tracy's ass!" Read her comments about Tracy's homophobic tirade below.

"I'm glad to hear that Tracy apologized for his comments. Stand-up comics may have the right to 'work out' their material in its ugliest and rawest form in front of an audience, but the violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community."


"It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person. I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at '30 Rock', without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket. The other producers and I pride ourselves on '30 Rock' being a diverse, safe, and fair workplace.

Creflo Dollar Defends Eddie Long

Via Rod 2.0

All I can say is birds of a fucking feather...hell you know the rest. Fellow Atlanta mega-church pastor Creflo Dollar has come to the defense of Ms. Eddie Long, who recently settled with the four young men accusing him of luring them into sexual relationships with cars, cash and other goodies.

In his defense of his "brother in the Lord," Dollar (how appropriate is that last name) compares Long's situation to a car wreck, praises him for having "insurance" and criticizes ex-New Birth members for leaving. I think I'm gonna be sick.

"I can't believe people would believe their preacher because he had a wreck instead of praying for him," said Dollar. "He's loved them and he's taken care of them ... and he had a wreck. Here's the good news: He got insurance! He's still anointed!" 

Pardon my french, but how can people sit there and applaud this bullshit? Just when I think I've seen how low church folks will go in the worship of their "holy men" I'm proven wrong. So now we're supposed to look at Eddie and think "Well he may have preyed on those young boys (who were actually spirits of lust or some other stupid interpretation) with the finesse of a street corner pimp and then used our cash to cover up all the details, and he hasn't said a word to us about a case he vowed to fight. But hey, he's still anointed and appointed!"

Seriously, if this was a white mega church, Eddie would been out on his ass long ago (Ted Haggard anyone), but since it's a black church we gotta lift pastor up, even when he's been exposed as an arrogant, deceitful, manipulative, hypocritical, self-hating charlatan. Are we really that hard up for leadership in the black community that we have to accept this? As The Boondocks' Huey Freeman once said, "What happened to standards?"

This whole fiasco could've been a wonderful opportunity for Long to come clean about his own struggles with his sexuality. True, it would've cost him dearly, but if he'd had the courage to endure it, something good could've come out of it. He could've apologized to the LGBT community for marching and speaking out against us, and starting working towards mending wounds caused by his past actions. It could've sparked a still much needed discussion about sexuality and homophobia in the black church, which, whether you're religious or nonreligious, affects your life in some way.

But now all we're left with is the same old crap--a church full of homophobic, sycophantic straight folks and closet queens giving their time and coins to a pimp in preacher's clothing. Anyone who still attends his church might as well carry a sign that says "Fleece me baby!" If Long, Dollar, Joel Osteen (Lawd it's just something his cheesy smilin' ass I don't trust) and the rest of the holy rolling brigade are God's chosen, then I will gladly do a double-backhand spring into the jaws of Satan.

Enough ranting. Watch Creflo unload his big barrel of crap below.

Kurt Weston's "Blind Vision"

With tomorrow marking the 30 anniversary of the AIDS epidemic, CNN posted an interesting article about artist and photographer Kurt Weston's "Blind Vision" a series of stark self-potraits created with tinsel and foam meant to illustrate his feelings about losing his sight due to retinitis. Living with HIV since the early 80's, Weston was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS in 1991 after a bout of pneumocystis pneumonia, a common infection in AIDS patients. Cytomegalovirus retinitis, another known complication, took away his sight in 1993.

The former commerical fashion photographer decided to funnel his frustration into art. "You can see my hand gesturing as if I kind of want to wipe away the obstruction in front of my vision," he told CNN. "That was my way of wanting to illustrate the desire to get rid of that obstruction in my vision."

You kind of have to take a warrior mentality," he says of living with AIDS. "I'm not going to let these things beat me. I'm not going to let these things cheat me out of the life I want to have."

Read the full CNN article HERE, and view more of Weston's work below and at his official site.

New York Pastor Calls Harlem Pride Celebration An "Abomination"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Keith Boykin Accepting Submissions For "For Colored Boys.." Anthology

Via Rod 2.0:

Author and retired activist Keith Boykin will be accepting submissions until July 20th for a forthcoming anthology: For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Still Not Enough. According to Boykin, the project was inspired by "young Black gay men literally committing suicide in the silence of their own communities."

Boykin told Rod 2.0 :

"The immediate inspiration for the book was your web site. As you know, I've retired from black gay activism, I'm not as involved as I used to be and your web site is the first place I go to find out news about our community. Then last fall I remember seeing all those sad articles on your site about young black gay men who were committing suicide, and I was concerned that those stories weren't getting as much attention as other stories in the mainstream media. That's when I sent off an email to Don Weise, the publisher at Magnus Books, suggesting that he should get somebody to do an inspirational book for black gay men in light of all the suicides going on.



Since we announced the book on Thursday, we've already been flooded with submissions. I can tell this is going to be a lot of hard work figuring out what to include, but I think it's going to be an amazing book, and probably the most important book I've ever done."

I am loving this idea. So often our experiences as black and latino gay/bisexual men are ignored or dismissed as irrelevant in the larger black and Hispanic communities. This book could inspire and save so many lives. To learn more about the project and the submission guidelines, click HERE.

Gay Parents Segment On "What Would You Do?"

This clip was particularly touching. ABC conducted their regular "What Would You Do?" segment by seeing how patrons would react when a waitress harassed a lesbian couple and their children (they're all actors by the way) at a Texas restaraunt. I'll admit that I was pleasantly surprised when many of the fellow diners stood up for the two women, especially one man named Donovan.

Unfortunately my suspicion that the situation would be different if it were two men with children was confirmed slightly, but people still came to their defense as well. The clip also challenges some common-held assumptions about tolerance for gay parents in liberal and conservative states.

CNN Anchor Don Lemon Comes Out

CNN anchor Don Lemon has come out in his new memoir Transparent. I particularly like this quote he gave in an interview with the New York Times:

“It’s quite different for an African-American male,” he said. “It’s about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You’re taught you have to be a man; you have to be masculine. In the black community they think you can pray the gay away.” He said he believed the negative reaction to male homosexuality had to do with the history of discrimination that still affects many black Americans, as well as the attitudes of some black women.



“You’re afraid that black women will say the same things they do about how black men should be dating black women.” He added, “I guess this makes me a double minority now.”

Lemon says he knows his coming out will cause speculation about other TV personalities (What's up Anderson:), and says he wishes everyone could be out.

“I think it would be great if everybody could be out,” he said. “But it’s such a personal choice. People have to do it at their own speed. I respect that. I do have to say that the more people who come out, the better it is for everyone, certainly for the Tyler Clementis of the world.”



“I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn’t have taken me 45 years to say it.”

Being that there are so few openly gay journalists (let alone black gay ones) this is great news. The fact that Lemon is a high profile figure will further breakdown people's stereotypes about black gays and increase visibility. I've never clocked his tea, but I'm not shocked either, if that's makes any sense. And 45? I've got to learn his skin regimen lol.

Eddie Long Sexual Coercion Lawsuits Heading To Trial

Via Rod 2.0:

Just when it looked like the four sexual coercion lawsuits against mega church pastor Eddie Long would be settled out of court,  Judge Johnny Panos says he is now preparing for a trial in the fall. According to WSBTV "Panos said he is preparing for a trial in August or September. He wouldn't say why he no longer believes the two sides are close to a settlement...Bishop Long's spokesperson would only say there is nothing to report when asked about a settlement in the case. Attorneys for both sides did not return phone calls seeking a comment."

In case you forgot, Ms. Long has been charged with coercing the four young men--Jamal Parris, Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson and Spencer LaGrande--into sexual relationships and using church funds to buy them cars, clothes, jewelry and cash. Time to throw those five rocks you were bleating about Bishop.

For a recap of Eddie Long coverage (lol, look at me sounding all CNN:) click HERE.

A Heathen And A Saint: Can Christian/Atheist Romances Work?

"Be not unequally yoked." That was a phrase I heard often growing up in church, particularly during those "True Love Waits" sex/relationship sessions when they separate the guys and girls from one another. While there we discussed the perils of pre-marital sex, masturbation, pornography and of course.....the evuuuls of homosexuality and lesbianism! *cues Psycho shower scene music* And forget about mentioning protection or STDs, cause every single teenager always remains abstinent until their wedding night with their equally inexperienced spouse.

If you've sat through one of these things, you know the deal: you basically sign a pledge/promise to take your libido out to pasture and shoot it until you find that virtuous man/woman and get married. Or slip up and have a prom night baby and beg forgiveness, whichever comes first.  Unless you're gay, of course. Then it's time to get on those knees and pray the rainbow demon flees your spirit!  I swear, sometimes I felt my inner Bea Arthur bubbling up inside, wanting to scream "Condoms Rose! Condoms, condoms, condoms!" But I digress.

While I've since discarded most of these teachings, I'll admit the aforementioned biblical quote does have a certain ring of practicality to it. A person's religious beliefs, or lack thereof, usually serve as the foundation for their entire worldview, affecting attitudes and perceptions toward birth, death, sickness, suffering, money, sex and love. Can two people form a lasting, genuine connection when they disagree about something that is often so central to who they are? Perhaps they could. While some atheists are militant, aggressive anti-theists ala Christopher Hitchens, most could be classified as secular humanists who have a live-and-let-live attitude towards religion. And for every Fred Phelps, there's a liberal believer who is open to different points of view.

So for my non-religious/atheist/agnostic readers, would you ever date someone who is religious or is it a faith-breaker? And for my religious folk, could you date someone that didn't believe in God? Or what if you both started out as non-religious/religious, both one of you deconverted/converted during the course of the relationship? How would you react?

Discuss.

South Africa Task Force Formed To Fight Hate Crimes, "Corrective Rape"

 
Via Rod. 2.0.

South Africa has announced it will assemble a task force to combat the recent increase in anti-LGBT attacks in the country, particularly in the impoverished townships. The most recent attack involved the horrible gang "corrective rape" and murder of a lesbian near Johannesburg last month.

According to ABC News: "More than 170,000 people from all around the world signed a petition calling for the South African government to act after Noxolo Nogwaza, a 24-year-old lesbian, was gang raped, stoned and stabbed to death using shards of broken glass nearly two weeks ago. The petition was sponsored by Change.org, a global human rights campaigning website.

The new task force will tackle issues such as whether crimes against the homosexual and transgender community should be considered hate crimes, whether a rape motivated by sexual orientation should receive a harsher sentence and increased sensitivity training for police, social workers and judiciary officials. The team is scheduled to begin work in July.

Although same-sex marriage is legal in South Africa, the country has highest rates of rape and HIV positive persons in the world. Hopefully this new task force can decrease the violence.

Required Gay Viewing: But I'm A Cheerleader

For anyone who's more than a little skeptical (*raises hand*) of the effectiveness of "ex-gay" therapy, But I'm A Cheerleader is the movie night pick for you. A funny-as-hell satire of reparative therapy and gender norms, Cheerleader stars Natasha Lyonne(a.k.a Tara Reid's friend in American Pie) as Megan Bloomfield, an otherwise happy 17-year-old girl who loves cheerleading and has a football-player boyfriend named Jared. But she doesn't like kissing him. And is a vegan. And listens to Melissa Etheridge. Oh no! Soon enough her family suspects she's a lesbian and with the help of ex-gay Mike (RuPaul) ship her off to True Directions, an ex-gay camp run by Mary Brown and her raging queen of a son Rock, to "cure" her of her lesbianism.

Needless to say, hilarity ensues. The campers undergo ridiculous exercises like chopping wood (I could turn a pun out of that but will resist:), working on cars, cooking, cleaning and changing diapers in an attempt to "reclaim" their gender identity, picket ex-ex-gays who left the camp, and awkward but sweet teenage romances. The look of the film, particularly the camp scenes, are also an artful attraction, with the intense blue and hot pink colors and Mary Brown's overly manicured home, replete with plastic plants, driving the point home of how fake the world of True Directions truly is. True, the movie's message is pretty obvious and little heavy-handed, but it's fun and enjoyable nonetheless.

Some of my favorite lines (most of them are from Andre lol).

Andre(when asked what is the "root" of his gayness): "Shit Miss Mary, I ain't the only that don't got no root!

Andre: "She's just upset 'cause the fish on her plate is the only kind she can eat."

Andre: "Congratulations! Liars! You know who you are and you know who you want! Ain't nobody gonna change that...Sheeit!"

"We are here! We're not queer! We're not going anywhere!"

"Wow. You are so good at being straight."

"You wanna like dick? You better start training yourself."

Watch below.


But I'm a cheerleader p1 by rachoute


But I'm a cheerleader p2 by rachoute


But I'm a cheerleader p3 by rachoute


But I'm a cheerleader p4 by rachoute


But I'm a cheerleader p5 by rachoute