Fighting Homophobic Bullying...

An Irish advertisement supporting the fight against homophobic bullying. One word: Amazing.

Victoria Jackson...

So some supposedly "famous" old bitch named Victoria Jackson has decided to use her so-called "Christian" values to condemn gays and gay rights after watching an episode of Glee where Kurt and Blaine shared an on-screen kiss. Apparently, society and youth innocence is being robbed and destroyed. She even brings up the "Christian's" most prized treasure written by mankind...the Bible. She decided to overlook all the other sins in God's "word" that some dude named James who was a King of something that I don't really care about  wrote as if God sat at the table and told him to write this book...which the timeline spans over thousands of years.

Don't get me wrong. I believe in God. I just don't believe in religion.

But somebody please tell me...who the fuck is this bitch?

Gays v. Blacks and the Civil Rights Movement

I don't think people really understand the meaning of "Civil Rights".

Let me break it down for you.

IT DOES NOT MEAN BASIC RIGHTS FOR BLACK FOLKS.

Did you get that? No? Read it again. And again. And a-fucking-gain.

Sorry I had to use a little bit of profanity but I’m going to need for my people to get that “civil rights is a black people only thing” out of their heads. Yes, African Americans started the Civil Rights movement but the fight never ended. Not just for blacks but also for other minority groups such as Asians, Hispanics and the GLBT community. Yes, the gays are fighting for their rights too.

Let me break out the Wikipedia because my brain is mush from being up since 3AM and it’s after 11pm, and I gotta be back up at 3AM again.

Civil rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one’s ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression. They include the ensuring of peoples’ physical integrity and safety; protection from discrimination on grounds such as physical or mental disability, gender, religion, race, national origin, age, or sexual orientation; and individual rights such as the freedoms of thought and conscience, speech and expression, religion, the press, and movement.

There you have it. So when you hear someone likening the gay rights fight to the black civil rights movement, they’re only expressing that from a minority viewpoint. Of course their fight isn’t the same as the black civil rights movement, where our mothers and fathers and grandparents were hosed, beaten or lynched for us to sit anywhere on the bus, to vote, to speak freely, to walk in the front of restaurants and sit at the counters, to share water fountains (ew, germ alert) to run for office and become the President of our country. We’ve achieved all of that and more but we still have a long way to go. The gay community, while not to the same extent of being hosed and lynched, are fighting for some things that we have. Benefits, marriage, adoption, tougher laws against hate crimes, the end of DADT. They want their voices heard just as we wanted ours heard. We are ALL American citizens and deserve to have our God-given rights as such without being discriminated and singled out for being different.

So again, my fellow African-Americans or Black people, however you want to refer to yourself: stop claiming “civil rights” as just a black thing. It’s not.

If you ask me, I'm ready...

No, I'm not talking about doing the unthinkable...although, I'm ready for that too.

I'm talking about finally coming out to the rest of my family and friends. I've become quite comfortable with who I am, not only as a person, but as a gay black man. Saying the words to a stranger, "I'm gay". The only thing is being able to talk about what happened to me as a child is not easy, and so is talking about the struggle in dealing with that and accepting myself. But last night, while talking to my friend, I realized that it's time. I can't keep this from them forever. My mom and sister chose to let me decide when I'm ready and, well, I'm ready.

But...the challenge is my best friend from back home. You know, the one that has more than just feelings for me? The church going choir director who says that she doesn't believe homosexuality is natural. She's kinda homophobic but not really. It's going to be really hard to tell her. I'm considering a written letter would be better to just lay everything out. I'm just not sure how to tell her yet but I know I want her to be the first person to know and that she should hear it from me, not anyone else. I owe her that much.

ATL Diaries: My First Pride...Part I

So I went out last night. I thought I’d be staying in for the 2nd night in a row this weekend when one of the biggest black gay pride events are going on in town but fortunately (and unfortunately) my cuzzo’s “fam” called me and asked if I wanted to hang out. ‘Course I said, “SUUUUUURRRREEEE!!!” They named me the designated driver. Mind you I’ve had like 4 Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktail Downhome Punch and Four Loko Lemonade. So basically I’d been drinking almost all day. And I still was going to drink at this party. Cooked, watched the UT v. Rice game, got my outfit together then realized around 8pm that I’d forgotten to get my uniforms from the cleaners that closed 3 hours earlier. The cleaners, to make matters worse, is directly across the street. I mean, literally, I can look out of my window right at the place. Even worse? They’re closed today…AND, thanks to the holiday, tomorrow. I fricking work tomorrow and Tuesday!!!

Oh, well, back to last night. Okay, so the “fam” arrives and we head out. Nice house in a nice neighborhood, I don’t even know if we were still in ATL. (We were) The party wasn’t much of an environment that I’m used to. We go get our drinks (I had four Coronas and 3 mixed drinks all night), they go off and mingle while I’m off to the side trying to take it all in. I tell you, the eyes that would not stop staring. It was like they were HUNGRY. Dudes did come up and speak and stuff. One thing I found out. The gheys love to hug. I’d rather shake hands and be done. As the night went on, I started to loosen up and danced a little bit. One of my people was pretty much wasted. I’m talking stumbling, slurring, can’t stop laughing, hungry ass wasted. Had to take him to the car for a minute, lol. But he was STILL pulling numbers. Got 3 of them in my phone since he left his in the car, smh. Back in the party, after all the drinks, I’m still sober. Him…smh. He kept having to check up on me but really, we had to check on him to make sure HE was alright. 

I "think" I saw Marquis Phifer at the party. Dope dude from LateBoots.com. He looked exactly like him but I couldn’t really be sure. He was a little more thicker, as in buff/meatier (did I say “meatier”?) than Marquis and he wasn’t dressed like only MP can dress. Didn’t seem like his type of environment. Does MP have any tatts on his arms?

Should’ve sneaked a pic….

Anyway, we left about 3:30 and got back to my place. Boy was falling out on my floor and in the parking garage…smh. Thankfully, he didn’t vomit at anytime. Now I gotta pick up my cuzzo from the airport in 3 and a half hours, sleep some more and go out again later today. This is becoming an interesting weekend. 

So I came out...

...the other day to my cousin, whom I'm staying with here in ATL. Yeah, he's gay too.

He had asked if I wanted to go out to the club with him and his friends, so I told him "sure". He then emphasized it's a gay club. I told him, "So."

A few days later, he wanted to see if I was sure if I'd have no problem going to a gay club, right? So he asked me why, and I told him "because I am."

"You are what?"
"Gay."
"Are you sure?"
*Blank stare*
"Fuck you mean, am I sure?"

Basically, he kept asking question after question. I had to explain how and why I was sure. I wasn't even prepared for where this conversation was going.

"Do you want to be with a guy?"
"Have you been with a girl? Did you like it? How was it?"
"When was the last time you've been with a guy?"
"How many guys?"
"Tell me about your first time."
"Did you give or receive?"
"How did you know about 'cleaning yourself'?"
"Where have you had sex?"
"How big were these dudes?"
"Do you still talk to them?"
"Are you talking to someone now?"
"Are you going to give up the goodies to him?"

Needless to say, this was the most craziest, awkward conversation I've ever had. Then he had to make me tell him the words "I'm gay" because I've never really spoke them before. Countless times. Until I got comfortable saying it. I think I was comfortable by the 2nd time but he was being an ass. I love my crazy kinfolk.

I'm not alone...

This past Sunday night (Fourth of July), my best friend and my mom threw me a going away party. It was amazing spending my last full day in Houston with my friends and family before I leave to Atlanta. As the evening winded down, my mom gathered my siblings and I into a room for a private discussion. My little brother walked out because he was "hurt". I didn't know what that was about but it was now just my mom, my sister and me. Next thing I knew, my worst fear was happening. They told me that they knew. They knew everything. I was scared, my heart started beating faster and my breathing began to speed up. A few weeks ago, my sister accidentally came across a four-page paper that I had written when I was having a bad moment. She had read it. She found out how I felt with everything I had been through in the past. She found out I was molested as a child by a family member I trusted...one I looked up to. (I didn't include the person's name) She found out that I felt alone and scared, that it seemed like I had nobody to be there for me. She found out...that I'm gay. My sister told my mom and brother about the note. They didn't care about the part about my sexuality. What hurt them the most was the fact that I had gotten to a point where I wanted to leave this life. Yes, I had also wrote about killing myself so I wouldn't have to deal with my family hating me. That part is what mattered to them. They assured me that I should have just told them the truth and that nothing would be different. All of them still love me no matter what. They accept me for who I am, and want what's best for me. They just want me to be who I am and not have to hide from them anymore. In fact, my sister thought me being gay was cool, lol. As for the person that did what they had done to me, my mom won't pressure me into telling their identity. She's leaving that up to me, if and when I feel that the time is right. However, I don't think she'd be able to handle it. I wouldn't be able to handle telling her. So it turned out that this was the reason my brother was hurt. He told me if he found how who it was, he'd kill them. This is my little bro, who I raised while my mom worked numerous jobs. I'm sitting here right now with tears in my eyes, remembering that look he had in his eyes. 

I feel relieved now, to know that my family has my back and that I am loved. I'm no longer faced with the fear of having to come out to them. I love them, and I've been saying this so much, but I'm going to miss them. As I leave for ATL tonight, I don't have to worry about them worrying about me. As for my extended family, I don't have to tell them (my fam is leaving that up to me). If they find out then they find out. Besides, my immediate family are the only ones that matter.

Homophobia

I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.

I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a fag everyday

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.

I am the one working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.

I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.

We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.

I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.

I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.

I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.

We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.

I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.

I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.

I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.

I am the woman who died when the EMTs stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.

I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didn’t have to always deal with society hating me.

I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don’t believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.

I am a warrior for my country serving proud, but can’t be my true self because gays aren’t allowed in the military.

I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.

I am the person ashamed to tell my own friends I’m a lesbian, because they constantly make fun of them.

I am the person who isn’t sure what she is. I am the who is rejected by her “best friends” because of a less-than-conventional crush.

I am the boy tied to a fence, beaten to a bloody pulp and left to die because two straight men wanted to “teach me a lesson.”

This is the boy, Matthew Shepard. On October 7, 1998 Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson lead him to a remote area east of Laramie where they demonstrated unimaginable acts of brutality . Matthew was tied to a split-rail fence where he was beaten and left to die in the cold of the night. Almost 18 hours later he was found by a cyclist who initially mistook him for a scarecrow. Matthew died on October 12 at 12:53 am at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. Murdered because he was gay.

Homosexuality & Religion

I saw this video earlier as someone tweeted it and the title alone caught my attention. I was half expecting some "religious zealot" to start speaking on how homosexuality was "wrong" and that God "hates" gay people, and blah blah blah. This video is amazing and speaks the same views I have. It's sad that these so-called CHRISTIANS only single out homosexuality from the Bible. The same Bible, as this guy said and I've been saying for years, that was used to justify slavery, racial discrimination and etc. The same Bible that contains only SIX admonishments to homosexuality but 362 admonishments to heterosexuality. What about tattoos, polygamy, adultery, divorcing and remarrying, promiscuity, premarital sex, rape, body piercing...see where I'm going with this? Don't even get me started on "Sodomy" when it has absolutely NOTHING to do with homosexuality. I wish these "Christians" would stop speaking and spreading what they're "taught" and actually pick up the Bible and really read it for themselves. The second testament is about "God is love" but these people who claim to walk with God are full of hate.

(Kinda) Hilariously (Mostly) Ridiculous...

*blank stare*

Yes...they're dudes.

Ladies...y'all better step it up.

Butch Queen. Smmfh.

Apparently, Tahj Mowry “came out the closet” tonight via Twitter. Because he says things like “YESSSSSS” and “WERK”, and he likes Lady Gaga and Twilight.

So naturally, the gays are congratulating him on “coming out”. I mean, he does seem a lil suspect but still. Now he's stuck trying to fight off the gays welcoming him to the team.

Maybe he's in denial, maybe not. But DAMMIT gays...every sexy man you see is not gay, so stop trying to make them that way!!!

Obviously not-so breaking news...

Ricky Martin has finally opened the door to the glass closet and stepped out. You may now return to your regularly boring life.

Seriously. Ellen, we knew it. Clay Aiken, we knew it. Lance Bass, we frickin' knew it! What's the difference between them and Ricky? NOT A DAMN THING!

In a public letter posted on his website, after many years of having to live in silence and being told by the industry *feigned shock* NOT to reveal is not-so secret sexual orientation, Martin has finally declared that he is "a fortunate homosexual man", and that he is "very blessed" to be who he is.

Since the letter is so damn long and I'm feeling too lazy to post it, you can read it HERE.

Can we get a REAL surprise coming out story, like T.I. or Denzel or Bow Wow. Well, Bow Wow wouldn't be so surprising...

*Throws confetti and twirls* Now we can sing "HE Bangs"...

Is He or Isn't He?

Earlier Sunday, the shocking news spread through Twitter and blog sites across the web like a virus. The suburban up and coming white boy rapper Asher Roth has come out of the closet to reveal that he's gay. (No, Eminem is not the only white boy rapper these days) According to the rumor, the I Love College hit-maker had recently appeared alongside Lady Gaga and out & proud gay American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken at a Gay Rights Parade, came out of the closet last week and will make an appearance on E! News this week around the Christmas holiday to admit he is, indeed, a "gay rapper". Supposedly, he had also confirmed he is the gay rapper discussed in the controversial book, Hiding In Hip-Hop: Confessions of a Down Low Brother in the Entertainment Industry, by Terrance Dean. And he resides in a gay section of New York. He has also reportedly been dropped from his label, SRC Records.

Surprised? I was...kinda. I was skeptical too.

Well now,  apparently the president of Roth's record label are dispelling those rumors:

As Executive Vice President of Loud.com / SRC Records, I would like to address the recent internet rumors about Asher Roth:
Asher Roth is not gay, and is not scheduled to be interviewed on the E! Channel. Furthermore, Asher has not been dropped from SRC Records, and is a top priority at the label after having sold over a million copies his "I Love College" single. Asher is currently working on his next album for SRC.
DJ Vlad
Executive Vice President Loud.com / SRC / Universal
CEO, VladTV

It didn't add up. Asher supposedly came out "last week" to an UNNAMED SOURCE and we're just now hearing about it. He was at a Gay Rights Parade in an UNDISCLOSED city. This WHITE dude is the "down low BROTHER", or in urban lingo - "BRUTHA", that Terrance Dean wrote about and has yet to confirm nor deny. If that hasn't made you skeptical yet then get this: around the Christmas holiday he's supposed to appear on an entertainment news program to admit he's gay...WHEN HE'S SUPPOSEDLY CAME OUT LAST WEEK!! #ImJustSayin.

So, is Asher Roth one of the Kidz or not? I'll keep my warm "welcome to the klub" and wait to hear from the horse's mouth. *Wendy voice* How YOU dewin?

Sign of the times...

Houston. Annise Parker. 12/12/09.

My hometown. The new mayor. History.

Why, you ask? Miss Parker is an out and proud lesbian. After more than a month of intense campaigning during a hotly contested runoff, Annise Parker has been elected as the first openly gay mayor of the city of Houston, defeating former city attorney Gene Locke in a solid victory. Houston is also the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor. Several smaller cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Ore., Providence, R.I., and Cambridge, Mass.

While I applaud this major victory for the GLBT community, especially in Houston as it shows we are moving forward, I have to admit that my support was for Locke. Yes, Locke is a black man and Parker is a lesbian, however, although some Houstonians may have casted their votes based on those two factors alone, I didn't care about that as neither of those were reasons for the direction of my vote. For me, it was about the future of my hometown and who I saw as a better fit for mayor, and that was Gene Locke. I look forward to seeing mayor-elect Parker in action over the next two years. I'm glad that I was able to witness such an historic victory for our community.

History, pride and victory is now the celebration. Let's hope this will bring U.N.I.T.Y. and not the ignorance in people, and we can move on and help Annise Parker make this city better.

"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about."

-Annise Parker, Houston's 1st openly gay mayor