Confessions of a Black Gay Man

Philly is Burning- The city's ballroom scene is both a social and support network for young LGBT African-Americans.

2011-10-06T19:59:00.001-04:00

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/philly_is_burning-38424209.html?printView=y

Longevity of AIDS Patients Presents New HIV Risks

2011-06-03T17:02:00.001-04:00

UNITED STATES: "Longevity of AIDS Patients Presents New Risks: US"

Agence France Presse (06.02.11)

CDC is marking the 30th anniversary of AIDS this week by calling on Americans to recommit themselves to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment efforts.

"Over the last three decades, prevention efforts have helped reduce new infections and treatment advances have allowed people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden. "But as these improvements have taken place, our nation's collective sense of crisis has waned. Far too many Americans underestimate their risk of infection or believe HIV is no longer a serious health threat, but they must understand that HIV remains an incurable infection."

"Currently, more than 1.1 million people in the United States live with HIV, and as this number increases, so does the risk of transmission," Frieden said.

The agency released updated data Thursday showing that 20 percent of teenagers and adults with HIV are unaware of their infection. Approximately 1,819 of every 100,000 African Americans have HIV, 593 of Hispanics or Latinos and 238 of whites. The rate of new HIV infection for black men is six times that of white men, and about three times that of Hispanic men. Black women are 15 times more likely to have HIV compared to their white peers, and almost four times more likely than Hispanic women. Among Hispanics, the rate of new infections among men is more than double that of white men, and the rate among Latinas is almost four times that of white women.

Men who have sex with men continue to be disproportionately impacted by the disease, accounting for nearly 50 percent of people living with HIV.

"Today, the most infections are among people under 30, a new generation that has never known a time without effective HIV treatments and who may not fully understand the significant health threat HIV poses," Frieden noted.

To view CDC's media statement, visit http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/s0602_hivaids30years.html. The update, "HIV Surveillance - United States, 1981-2008," was published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2011;60(21):689-693).

Black MSM Focus of New HIV Campaign

2011-06-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

UNITED STATES: "Black MSM Focus of New HIV Campaign"

Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (05.26.11):: Matthew S. Bajko

CDC's "Know Where You Stand" prevention campaign urges African-American men who have sex with men to learn their HIV status. Launching in 14 cities, the outreach has recently put up billboards in Oakland and San Francisco calling for black MSM to "Get Tested. Know More."

Banner ads touting the same message are running on several websites that target black MSM, including LOL Darian, Black Gay Chat Live, and DowneLink. The campaign also will feature prominently at Black Pride events across the country this summer.

CDC consulted 19 black MSM stakeholders to assist in developing the campaign, a group that ranged from community leaders to researchers. Ernest Hopkins, legislative director for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, was one of those who helped CDC "go through the literature and test campaign ideas to really begin to understand what would be needed in order to address this population in a culturally appropriate way."

Another consultant was Venton Jones, a D.C.-based senior program associate for communications and member education at the National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition. The campaign message of "knowing your truth" is designed to get men not only to test for HIV but also take care of their health in general, he said. "It is powerful just in the title itself to know where you stand, and that is making sure you get tested and if you are positive, to start treatment," Jones noted.

"Know Where You Stand" is part of CDC's Act Against AIDS, which launched in 2009 as a multi-pronged, five-year campaign.

Data show black MSM are the group most disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. A 2008 CDC study of 21 US cities found that 28 percent of black MSM were HIV-positive, of which 59 percent were unaware of their infection.

NBLCA Condemns Homophobia

2011-02-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS Newsletter

NBLCA Board Chair Condemns Homophobia, Stigma and Discrimination
February 1, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A STATEMENT FROM

THE REV. DR. CALVIN O. BUTTS, III

Chairman of the Board

National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc.

The January 28, 2011 edition of the New York Times contained two articles which saddened and compelled me to release a statement in response. The first article reported the death of David Kato, a young gay rights advocate in Uganda who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer supposedly in a botched robbery attempt. However, most believe that Mr. Kato was yet another victim of the senseless violence targeting gays in Uganda simply because of their sexual orientation.

Gay rights activists in Uganda attribute the current rein of terror to the March 2009 visit of a group of American evangelicals. Reportedly, the evangelicals traveled around the country hosting rallies and workshops on how to change people from gay to straight. They claimed that gay men were attempting to seduce innocent teenage boys in an effort to recruit them to become members of an “evil institution.” Since then, hundreds of gay men and women have been the victims of vigilante violence and many have lost their lives. The government of Uganda has gone so far as to propose legislation, still pending in Parliament, which would allow so called “serial” gays and persons living with HIV to be executed. Furthermore, the bill would impose life imprisonment on consenting adults who engage in same sex behavior. It is in this toxic environment that Mr. Kato lost his life.

The second article concerned the decision of several conservative groups and an academic institution, Liberty University, here in the United States, to withdraw sponsorship support for this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference due to the involvement of GOProud, a group of gay conservative Republicans. The dean of the Liberty University School of Law was quoted as saying that “GOProud is working to undermine one of our core values.” Another group’s representative claimed that the gay organization was trying to “force public affirmation of homosexual conduct.” What was the real cause of this uproar, you ask? GOProud signed on as a co-sponsor of the conference.

Although we may not feel a connection to Mr. Kato’s death or the controversy swirling around GOProud because of where we live, where we worship or how we vote, we are all impacted by the homophobia, bigotry, ignorance, senseless fear, and in some cases, outright stupidity, that devalues us as a society. Homophobia, stigma and discrimination have no place in a civilized society. As Chairman of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc., I can say without hesitation that this feeds the transmission of HIV/AIDS by driving many to engage in forms of behavior, including high-risk sex and substance abuse, often resulting in infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best when he wrote in his April 16, 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Beloved, whether it is violence against gays in Uganda or the bigoted actions of individuals here in the United States, injustice against any of God’s children, is a threat to justice for all of God’s children. When we allow ourselves to be guided by hate, we defy the will of God and distance ourselves from his grace.

I urge you to search your own hearts and remember that your words and actions can cause irreparable harm to your fellow human beings. Gay people deserve our love and compassion, not our hatred, scorn, and self-righteousness.

Contact Information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

phone: 212-614-0023

Guess Who?????

2011-02-02T11:15:00.002-05:00

Guess who's back in the house????

It has been a long time since I have posted on here, and yes, I have been very busy with a lot of things! Mostly good things of course, but it's 2011 and I am grateful to say I made it over. 2010 was a great year as well, just to be clear, but I am definitely looking forward to what's ahead.

Be on the look out........because I am back and ready to attack!!!!!!

The Introduction to Markies M.: Same Sex Marriage

2010-08-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

The Introduction to Markies M.: Same Sex Marriage: " This topic has been a reigning issue for the better part of two decades. Th..."

DC Announces Gays/Lesbians Weddings Have Begun

2010-03-05T10:53:00.001-05:00

http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/03/03/jubilant-gay-lesbian-couples-begin-to-wed-in-d-c/

SF Chronicle: Thousands of HIV Cases Not Counted in California

2010-02-26T02:48:00.001-05:00

CALIFORNIA: "HIV Count in State Misses Thousands"
San Francisco Chronicle (02.23.10):: Erin Allday

A Legislative Analyst's Office report released Monday finds an outdated public health surveillance tracking system has missed tens of thousands of HIV cases - costing California possibly tens of millions of dollars in federal funding.

States receive federal money for HIV/AIDS-related prevention, medical, and social services based on the number of reported cases. Epidemiologists estimate California has between 68,000 and 106,000 residents living with HIV who have not progressed to AIDS. But as of April, just 36,000 of those people had been counted by the state's surveillance system.

Lisa Murawski, author of the report, blames a surveillance system that is not properly tracking patients. Another part of the problem is the number of HIV-positive people who do not know their status.

The state continues to work to reconfirm all HIV cases diagnosed before 2005, when California switched, at the federal government's insistence, from code-based to name-based HIV reporting.

Electronic reporting would help reduce errors that result from the current method of manually adding data, and many missing cases could be accounted for by cross-referencing people who are receiving state or federal HIV/AIDS support to ensure they are included in surveillance reports.

In addition, the state could improve diagnosis rates by making it easier for health care workers to administer HIV tests. California continues to require a patient's written consent for HIV testing.

"Historically, HIV has been treated differently from other conditions, but the trend now is to treat it like another chronic condition and not have all of these strings attached," said Murawski. "We have really strong privacy protections for all health data. Treating HIV in a special category was really damaging our ability to manage it."

Minority Reporter: Homosexuality, Religion & AIDS

2010-02-12T16:20:00.004-05:00

See the story featuring many quotes by yours truly and also Damon Humes.

http://www.minorityreporter.net/web_edition2/2010/021310/MR_021310_web.pdf

The 100 Black Gay Men Project

2010-02-07T10:33:00.002-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=230547993331&comments&ref=mf

Black AIDS Day Media Coverage in Rochester, NY

2010-02-07T10:25:00.002-05:00

News Story on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Rochester, NY

http://www.13wham.com/content/mvmv/default.aspx?articleID=211441
http://www.13wham.com/content/mvmv/default.aspx?articleID=211442

Emergency Contraception Now Available to Women Serving in the US Military Overseas

2010-02-07T10:22:00.002-05:00

http://www.blogforchoice.com/archives/2010/02/breaking-news-o.html

Gays Getting Married; Black Clergy Upset

2010-01-27T12:07:00.002-05:00

How typical that some Black Clergy are responding to the civil (not religious) issue of gay marriage through the lenses of Christian-based theology....news flash America.........this IS going to happen.....and you can't stop it!!!!!!!

Read the full article here: http://www.race-talk.org/?p=757

Anye Elite presents "ICON".....

2009-12-28T20:32:00.002-05:00

2010 House of Blahnik Ball

2009-12-21T17:53:00.001-05:00

Greetings,

On May 22, 2010 , the House of Blahnik (HOB) will commemorate its longevity and achievements by hosting a 10^th Anniversary Ball entitled, Revolutionize 10 (R-10). This event is the culmination of 10 years of ground breaking humanitarian efforts, artistic innovation and the transformation of captivating vogue and runway productions. HOB has re-created, re-defined and re-shaped the house/ball culture, through phenomenal moments that continue to leave a mark upon ball event patrons. R10 solidifies that the HOB has just begun.

From the early beginnings, May 2000 brought together the talents of Jay, Preston and Michael Ebony with that of Hector and Jasmine Infiniti to form what has now become synonymous with the greatness and creativity that house/ballroom culture has to offer.

HOB has re-shaped the meaning of performance, bridging the gap of LGBT communities of color in a manner that has brought forth the astounding artistic talents of individuals that are acknowledged throughout the community, on and off the runway.

Through the incarnations of artistry, HOB has continuously imbued the beauty reminiscent of the early Harlem Renaissance and the budding house/ballroom culture of New York City 's 1920 movement.

HOB has reinvigorated the desire for advancing education, which had seemingly depreciated among this group, through the development of the only scholarship that target members of the house/ball community. This commitment to education, which is completely reliant on donations, has supported members of the house/ball community and has led to three LGBT people of color acquiring undergraduate degrees.

The HOB has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers in the contemporary music and performing arts industry, health and human services providers and community leaders for enhancing the trajectory of the LGBT community.

Your commitment, through sponsorship of the R-10 event, will assist in fostering the tradition of ballroom culture, expand opportunities for educational advancement made by the HOB and continue to REVOLUTIONIZE the LGBT community.

In Gratitude,

Stephaun Blahnik

NY Overseer & Vice-Chairman- National Board of Directors

The House of Blahnik

The MOCHA Center along with AIDS Rochester lead the Charge to End Homophobia/Heterosexism in Rochester, NY

2009-12-18T16:57:00.005-05:00

The MOCHA Center leads the Charge to End Homophobia/Heterosexism in Rochester, NY (click here to see news article and watch a clip of the news coverage).

SkunkPost.com || Lights, camera, DRAG? Who's who of Hollywood Ball

2009-12-15T18:23:00.001-05:00

SkunkPost.com || Lights, camera, DRAG? Who's who of Hollywood Ball

Posted using ShareThis

''I AM GAY'' Ads Send Message To Local African-American Community

2009-12-14T23:14:00.001-05:00

''I AM GAY'' Ads Send Message To Local African-American Community

Rochester City News: Hope Takes Action: A Road to Victory for Rochester

2009-11-22T11:24:00.005-05:00

MEDICINE: An armada to fight AIDS in Rochester

By Tim Louis Macaluso on November 11, 2009

The rate of new HIV infections among African Americans and Latinos in Monroe County is increasing at a pace that is disproportionately higher than the rate for whites. Health experts have known about the trend for several years; the data mirrors a national trend.

The Center for Disease Control found that in 2007, African Americans accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections nationally, even though they represent only 12 percent of the population. Hispanics and Latinos, though only 15 percent of the population, accounted for 17 percent of new HIV infections.

But reaching people of color with prevention and testing information is a persistent challenge. And encouraging them to participate in HIV vaccine trials is even more difficult.

In 2007, New York spent $48 million on prevention programs, and another $6.5 million for expanded HIV testing in African-American communities. But indications are that the infection rate is still rising.

A coalition, more like an armada, of nearly two-dozen Rochester health and social-service agencies, as well as faith organizations, is trying to refocus public attention on how HIV/AIDS continues to ravage the city's minority communities.

The group will hold "Hope Takes Action: A Road to Victory for Rochester" on Saturday, November 21, to kick-start the initiative. The event - a combination of music, food, education, and advocacy - is at the Auditorium Theater from 4 to 8 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

More people in the African-American community are being tested for HIV, says Stephaun Clipper, prevention and programs manager with the MOCHA Center. But overcoming fear and trust issues, considering the devastating impact of the Tuskegee Experiment, he says, is a major hurdle for health-care professionals working with African Americans.

Racism also contributes to the problem, Clipper says. Environmental factors and socio-economic differences, he says, can lead to ambivalence.

"If I'm a person that feels I do not have the same access as the larger culture, I may not be as receptive," he says.

For Adelik Rivera, a caseworker at McCree McCuller Wellness Center, the obstacle is language. Speaking basic Spanish isn't enough.

"People come from many different countries where the regional dialects are almost like different languages," she says.

And, she says, information is often presented in medical terms many Latinos don't understand.

"The community is actually very open to talking about sex and sexual orientation," she says. "But we have to speak in plain and simple words."

Poverty is the other obstacle for the Latino community, Rivera says.

"They're not as concerned about their health as we would like them to be," she says. "They are more concerned with putting a roof over their heads and food on the table. Health problems of any kind, even HIV, are just not their highest priority."

Reaching undocumented workers, Rivera says, is extremely difficult.

"Right now, it is such a delicate subject," she says. "They might come in for testing, but they may not give you accurate information."

Getting more people of color to participate in the University of Rochester's HIV vaccine trials - especially in the local HVTN 505 study, is the coalition's other goal. The HVTN 505 study is a follow-up to the previous study for high-risk groups that ended in 2007.

The UR's HIV Vaccine Trials Unit has gone so far as to re-brand itself as the "Rochester Victory Alliance," in part to avoid inhibiting people from volunteering. A common misconception is that the vaccine will transmit the disease.

It is critically important for people from the high-risk minority communities to participate in the trials, says Dr. Michael Keefer, associate director of the UR's HIV vaccine trials. The trials, he says, have raised new questions about transmission, the number of vaccines needed, and dosages. It's the type of work that can't be gleaned using animal models.

"We need their help to map a way forward," he says.

Help Save SOVO!!!

2009-11-22T11:10:00.002-05:00

Laura Douglas-Brown and the team over at SOVO are working tirelessly to revive a media outlet for the LGBTQI community in Metro Atlanta. Please consider supporting this effort. As you may or may not know, Windows Media, the parent company to the Washington Blade, Southern Voice and a few other LGBTQI media outlets has decided to shut its doors (without any notice to its subsidiaries).

Please check out www.sovo.com for more information and ways you can support this effort to bring back a media outlet for our community to Metro Atlanta.

The Cost and Causalities of Science: HIV/AIDS in Black America

2009-11-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

UNITED STATES: "The Cost and Causalities of Silence: HIV/AIDS in Black America"
New York Beacon (10.08.09):: Tony Wafford

"There is a terrible and terrifying creature stalking the black community night and day. This terrible and terrifying creature is called HIV/AIDS, and it has come to our community and is consuming our life energy and undermining our future. It is now the number-one killer of our people between the ages of 22-45.

"To save and protect the lives of our children and people as a whole, there are several things we must do.

"First, we must embrace the victims for who they are - above all, members of our community and families, our friends and fellow human beings, deserving the respect we are all due as bearers of dignity and divinity.

"Second, we must practice an ethics of care and responsibility for the ill and vulnerable among us.

"Third, we must urge our leaders, organizations, and especially our religious institutions to take up this issue in a serious and sustained manner.

"Fourth, we must each of us help to build a national conversation about this most deadly disease. This will include an honest discussion of the varied sexual practices people engage in secretly and openly.

"Fifth, we must urge testing as a key strategy for detection and prevention of its spreading. Testing is especially important for men in jail and prison who have engaged in high-risk activity and who will be reintegrating back into their families and community.

"Sixth, also, we must organize to struggle for more resources to deal with this horrible crisis.

"Seventh and finally, we must realize and act on the knowledge that we are our own resources and rescuers. Indeed, it is our efforts which are decisive in any struggle we wage. 'For a people that cannot save itself is lost forever.'

"This is a fundamental point in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. We must repair our own selves, raise ourselves from the ruins of disease and oppression, hold ourselves and others responsible, and together build the community and world we all want and deserve to live in."

The author is the National Action Network project director for the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative.

B-More Black Gay Youth Found Dead: Family Reaction Cause for Question

2009-11-19T03:31:00.002-05:00

B-More Black Gay Youth Found Dead: Family Reaction Cause for Question

Southern States Most Impacted by HIV/AIDS; Receive Less Funding/Support

2009-11-18T18:06:00.003-05:00

http://newsone.com/nation/southern-u-s-has-highest-aids-related-death-rate-yet-lacks-funding/

Georgia Senate Pushes to Succeed from United States

2009-11-18T17:56:00.002-05:00

http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/04/georgia-state-senate-use-racist-code-language-to-threaten-secession-from-usa

CIty Newspaper: Local Armada of Community Organizations Spearhead New HIV Direction

2009-11-11T13:01:00.001-05:00

http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/articles/2009/11/MEDICINE-An-armada-to-fight-AIDS-in-Rochester/

An Interview: Stephaun gets personal with RoCkii!

2009-11-02T15:50:00.004-05:00

Greetings;

Here is a link to an interview of me conducted recently. I hope you enjoy and visit this blog also! Click here.

NBJC Applauds Obama Administration Inclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs

2009-10-22T19:11:00.001-04:00

National Black Justice Coalition

NBJC Applauds Obama Administration
Inclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs

Steps include first-ever national study of discrimination against members
of the LGBT community in the renting and sale of housing

Media Contact
Contact: Cindi Creager
(917) 331-5684
creager@glaad.org

Media Contact
Contact: Kellee Terrell
(323) 313-7019
terrell@glaad.org

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) applauds today's announcement of proposals designed to ensure that U.S. Housing And Urban Development (HUD) housing programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

These initiatives are among the strongest steps yet taken by the Obama Administration to ensure full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) individuals in all aspects of society. Included is a proposed rule to explicitly include LGBT individuals in eligibility requirements, as well as specifying that sexual orientation or gender identity not be considered as factors in qualifying for any FHA-insured mortgage.

"This is a very positive development, and we are confident that it is one step among many that the LGBT community can look forward to from this President," said Sharon J. Lettman, NBJC Executive Director. "It is vital that we recognize all the compositions of African American families, from single mom-led households to grandparents raising their grandchildren; families of color also include LGBT households and family members."

Noting that prior state and local studies have demonstrated the existence of bias against LGBT renters and homebuyers, HUD also announced its intent to commission the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in rental and sale of housing and intends to being the regulatory process immediately.

"It has long been said that local government most clearly reflects the hearts and minds of the people," noted Lettman, "and so we applaud the federal government following the lead of state and local governments in working to secure equal opportunity for its LGBT citizens."

"We hope to see a focus on LGBT youth, specifically youth of color," added Deputy Executive Director Jason W. Bartlett, who is also a Connecticut State Representative. "As an African American organization, we think that LGBT youth of color is a significant factor that needs to be addressed by these changes."

More than 42 percent of the country's homeless youth identify as LGBT, and approximately 90 percent of that group are people of color, according to a 2006 study released by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless.

The National Black Justice Coalition (www.NBJC.org) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Our mission is to end racism and homophobia. NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender-identity, or sexual orientation.

- ### -

To stop receiving email from National Black Justice Coalition, click here.

Morehouse Bans Do-Rags, Grills, And Sagging Pants In New Dress Code

2009-10-21T08:36:00.001-04:00

http://newsone.com/nation/morehouse-bans-do-rags-grills-and-sagging-pants-in-new-dress-code/

ACTION ALERT: The Return of Abstinence-Only Education!

2009-10-13T10:05:00.001-04:00

October 2009

I am outraged and dismayed to tell you this... But part of the funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs is back.

On September 29, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) pushed through an amendment in the Senate Finance Committee authorizing $50 million in funding for abstinence-only programs as part of Health Care Reform- despite over 10 years of evidence that these programs do not work.

By a razor-thin vote of 12-11, the Senators on the Finance Committee gave conservative ideology a victory over science and common sense.

We are too close to finally ending federal funding for failed abstinence-only programs. Tell your Senators it's time to stop these programs once and for all!

In fact, we have been working with coalition partners around the country to launch a National Sex Ed Month of Action beginning tomorrow, October 1. Our hope was - and is - to build support in Congress for the REAL Act and comprehensive sex education.

It's been a 10-year fight to end funding for these harmful and ineffective programs. President Obama has called for their elimination. Democrats in the House and Senate have held firm through budget negotiations.

This fight has been long, but - with the end in sight - it is more important than ever that we all make our voices heard.

Ask your Senators to strip the Hatch Amendment from Health Care Reform. Don't let 12 Senators undermine sex education in the United States!

With the passage of the Hatch Amendment, it is more important than ever that we send a clear message to the United States Senate:

Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs were a dangerous experiment, teaching ignorance instead of education. Their time is finally past - and together, we will end these harmful programs.

Sincerely,

James Wagoner
President
Advocates for Youth

We Are Family

2009-10-08T22:27:00.002-04:00

October 6, 2009

We Are Family
Humanity
www.dailyom.com

When it comes to our families, we sometimes see only our differences. We see the way our parents cling to ideas we don't believe, or act in ways we try not to act. We see how practical one of our siblings is and wonder how we can be from the same gene pool. Similarly, within the human family we see how different we are from each other, in ways ranging from gender and race to geographical location and religious beliefs. It is almost as if we think we are a different species sometimes. But the truth is, in our personal families as well as the human family, we really are the same.

A single mother of four living in Africa looks up at the same stars and moon that shine down on an elderly Frenchman in Paris. A Tibetan monk living in India, a newborn infant in China, and a young couple saying their marriage vows in Indiana all breathe the same air, by the same process. We have all been hurt and we have all cried. Each one of us knows how it feels to love someone dearly. No matter what our political views are, we all love to laugh. Regardless of how much or how little money we have, our hearts pump blood through our bodies in the same way. With all this in common, it is clear we are each individual members of the same family. We are human.

Acknowledging how close we all are, instead of clinging to what separates us, enables us to feel less alone in the world. Every person we meet, see, hear, or read about, is a member of our family. We are truly not alone. We also begin to see that we are perfectly capable of understanding and relating to people who, on the surface, may seem very different from us. This awareness prevents us from disconnecting from people on the other side of the tracks, and the other side of the world. We begin to understand that we must treat all people for what they are—family.

New African American Barbies Too African American???

2009-10-06T16:12:00.002-04:00

Here is a story I read about the new Barbie dolls made by toy manufacturer Mattel. Some people have said that these more "culturally sensitive" versions are long overdue, while others are stating that they are prejudice anecdote or the punchline to a racist joke. What do you think?? http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/barbie-finally-goes-ethnic/

A World First: Vaccine Helps Prevent HIV Infection

2009-09-24T10:48:00.004-04:00

FYI.......... ************************************************************** A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection By MARILYNN MARCHIONE and MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writers Marilynn Marchione And Michael Casey, Associated Press Writers - Thu Sep 24, 3:27 am ET BANGKOK - For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible. The vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok. Even though the benefit is modest, "it's the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine," Col. Jerome Kim said in a telephone interview. He helped lead the study for the U.S. Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The institute's director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that this is "not the end of the road," but said he was surprised and very pleased by the outcome. "It gives me cautious optimism about the possibility of improving this result" and developing a more effective AIDS vaccine, Fauci said in a telephone interview. "This is something that we can do." Even a marginally helpful vaccine could have a big impact. Every day, 7,500 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; 2 million died of AIDS in 2007, the U.N. agency UNAIDS estimates. "Today marks an historic milestone," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, an international group that has worked toward developing a vaccine. "It will take time and resources to fully analyze and understand the data, but there is little doubt that this finding will energize and redirect the AIDS vaccine field," he said in a statement. The Thailand Ministry of Public Health conducted the study, which used strains of HIV common in Thailand. Whether such a vaccine would work against other strains in the U.S., Africa or elsewhere in the world is unknown, scientists stressed. "This is a scientific breakthrough," Thai Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai told a news conference in Bangkok. "For the first time ever there is evidence that HIV vaccine has preventative efficacy." The study actually tested a two-vaccine combo in a "prime-boost" approach, where the first one primes the immune system to attack HIV and the second one strengthens the response. They are ALVAC, from Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis; and AIDSVAX, originally developed by VaxGen Inc. and now held by Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, a nonprofit founded by some former VaxGen employees. ALVAC uses canarypox, a bird virus altered so it can't cause human disease, to ferry synthetic versions of three HIV genes into the body. AIDSVAX contains a genetically engineered version of a protein on HIV's surface. The vaccines are not made from whole virus - dead or alive - and cannot cause HIV. Neither vaccine in the study prevented HIV infection when tested individually in earlier trials, and dozens of scientists had called the new one futile when it began in 2003. "I really didn't have high hopes at all that we would see a positive result," Fauci confessed. The results proved the skeptics wrong. "The combination is stronger than each of the individual members," said the Army's Kim, a physician who manages the Army's HIV vaccine program. The study tested the combo in HIV-negative Thai men and women ages 18 to 30 at average risk of becoming infected. Half received four "priming" doses of ALVAC and two "boost" doses of AIDSVAX over six months. The others received dummy shots. No one knew who got what until the study ended. All were given condoms, counseling and treatment for any sexually transmitted infections, and were tested every six months for HIV. Any who became infected were given free treatment with antiviral medicines. Participants were followed for three years after vaccination ended. Results: New infections occurred in 51 of the 8,197 given vaccine and in 74 of the 8,198 who received dummy shots. That worked out to a 31 percent lower risk of infection for the vaccine group. The vaccine had no effect on levels of HIV in the blood of those who did become infected. That had been another goal of the study - seeing whether the vaccine could limit damage to the immune system and help keep infected people from developing full-blown AIDS. That result is "one of the most important and intriguing findings of this trial," Fauci said. It suggests that the signs scientists have been using to gauge whether a vaccine was actually giving protection may not be valid. "It is conceivable that we haven't even identified yet" what really shows immunity, which is both "important and humbling" after decades of vaccine research, Fauci said. Details of the $105 million study will be given at a vaccine conference in Paris in October. This is the third big vaccine trial since 1983, when HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS. In 2007, Merck & Co. stopped a study of its experimental vaccine after seeing it did not prevent HIV infection. Later analysis suggested the vaccine might even raise the risk of infection in certain men. The vaccine itself did not cause infection. In 2003, AIDSVAX flunked two large trials - the first late-stage tests of any AIDS vaccine at the time. It is unclear whether vaccine makers will seek to license the two-vaccine combo in Thailand. Before the trial began, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said other studies would be needed before the vaccine could be considered for U.S. licensing. Also unclear is whether Thai volunteers who received dummy shots will now be offered the vaccine. Researchers had said they would do so if the vaccine showed clear benefit - defined as reducing the risk of infection by at least 50 percent. Those issues, plus how to proceed with future studies, will be discussed among the governments, study sponsors and companies involved in the trial, Kim said. Scientists want to know how long will protection last, whether booster shots will be needed, and whether the vaccine helps prevent infection in gay men and injection drug users, since it was tested mostly in heterosexuals in the Thai trial. The study was done in Thailand because U.S. Army scientists did pivotal research in that country when the AIDS epidemic emerged there, isolating virus strains and providing genetic information on them to vaccine makers. The Thai government also strongly supported the idea of doing the study. ___ Associated Press Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione reported from Minneapolis.

The Eradication of HIV/AIDS in Monroe County (New York)

2009-09-23T14:36:00.006-04:00

Greetings,

Tonight I was a live guest on the Gay Agenda Blog Talk Radio Show discussing my new article "Eradicating HIV in Monroe County ". The premise of my article talks about how racism, power/privilege and homophobia play integral parts in the way that HIV sustains itself, especially in people of color communities (which are hardest hit by virtually every medical disease currently known). If you are interested in calling in the show please use the following information:

If you want to listen to the archived show via internet, click here.

The link to the promo is here - http://www.gayagenda.com/2009/09/ga-speaks-out-on-hivaid-on-btr-tonight/

The link to my article is here:

BET: Of Black Power, White children, and Maintaining the Status Quo

2009-09-11T10:04:00.001-04:00

_{Of Black power, White children, and maintaining the status quo}

Pamela D. Reed | Posted September 11, 2009 12:13 AM

FOUNDING SPONSOR

It has been quite a week. It began with the conservative hysteria surrounding President Obama's education speech to the children of America, and it will end with the extreme right wing 9/12 Tea Party March on Washington this weekend, billed as a gathering of "freedom loving patriots."

And just when you thought things couldn't get any more outrageous, U.S. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina called the President of the United States a liar during his highly anticipated health care address to a Joint Session of Congress. Wilson has since called his outburst "spontaneous" and regrettable.

President Obama has graciously accepted Wilson 's apology, saying that "everyone makes mistakes" and we should not assume the "the worst in other peoples' motives." That's the expected presidential position, but In view of all that has transpired since the election of President Obama, I think we are in need of what John McCain would call straight talk.

Let me start with news of a just-released book that goes a long way toward explaining the force I see at work here: racism, plain and simple--notwithstanding all the talk of Obama's "post-racial," "colorblind" America . I have never bought into either notion, but NutureShock: New Thinking About Children, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman goes a long way toward dispelling both notions--and I think--explaining the persistence of white supremacy.

The book presents research findings indicating that children recognize differences in skin color by the time they are six months old. More importantly, the researchers found that, were White parents to even slightly adjust the way they introduce the concept of race to their children--by the age of three-- real long-term change is possible, "one future citizen at a time."

No sooner than Newsweek had excerpted the book, a blog thread on Stormfront.org, the website that celebrates "White pride, worldwide," declared that the magazine has launched a "war on White children."

Specifically, the book highlights the 2007 dissertation findings of Danish researcher Birgitte Vittrup, who recruited, from the database of volunteers for scholarly research at the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas , Austin , 100 Caucasian families with children 5-7 years old. Vittrup found that even the most liberal White parents--unlike 75 per cent of "nonwhite" parents--were unwilling to openly discuss race with their children, some even going so far as to withdraw from the study when it reached this critical phase. Among the six families who completed the one week-phase of talking to their young children openly about race, there was "dramatic" improvement in their racial attitudes.

Another UT researcher, Rebecca Bigler, conducted a two-week study in which children read short biographies of famous African Americans, like Jackie Robinson. She divided them into two groups, one a test group and the other a control group. In addition to the bio information, one group was given a 5-sentence description of the racial discrimination that Robinson endured at the hands of Major League Baseball--and from White people in general. When the children were surveyed to test their racial attitudes, those who had read about prejudice toward Blacks, exhibited a more favorable attitude. "It knocked down their glorified view of white people," said Bigler.

Perhaps the most fascinating study cited was one in which a mixed group of 33 children in a rural Ohio school, two-thirds White, were exposed to a Black version of 'Twas the Night B'fore Christmas by Melodye Rosales. When the children saw the Black Santa depicted in the book, their reactions varied. "A couple of the white children rejected this idea out of hand: a black Santa couldn't be real." Most of the Black children were exultant, while some of the White children were stunned and "puzzled." "'He's black' gasped a white little girl. A white boy exclaimed, 'I thought he was white!'"

A little Black boy was perhaps the most difficult to convince of Santa's Blackness, until he determined that the Black Santa's boots were "like the white Santa's boots." He had to actually have the man raise his pants leg so that he could see his black boots--and his black skin, after which he was thrilled.

Of all the profundities revealed in the book excerpt, I find this one most telling because of what it tells us about how children, very early on, learn to associate power, virtue, and control with Whiteness. That is, left unchecked by parents, society teaches White children a sense of superiority and, conversely, it instills a feeling of inferiority in the minds of young Black children.

Could this be what all the fuss was about from the many White conservatives who screamed bloody murder at the mere thought of the first Black President of the United States (POTUS) delivering a speech, any speech, in their children's schools? Could it be that many Whites are fully aware of the socializing effect of exposure to power and control--and race? That they know the power of imagery? Thus they make certain that there is no shortage of symbols of White power--and beauty: White Jesus, Snow White, White Santa, White House, White Barbie, and White President of the United States .

And therein, I submit, lies the root of America 's centuries-old "problem of the color-line," which Du Bois (1903) lamented in his now classic treatise The Souls of Black Folk. Vittrup and Bigler's research suggests--to this writer-- that the core problem is this: The vast majority of Whites, perhaps some even subconsciously, do not want racism--and its attendant White privilege--to end, bottom line.

In view of their findings, then, it should not be surprising that some found President Obama's decision to deliver a speech to America 's school children--encouraging hard work, educational achievement, and critical thinking--so objectionable. Or that Joe Wilson showed such utter disrespect for President Obama during his health care speech? Or that the media continues to doggedly push this ridiculous notion that "both sides" are out of control?

Basically, I think these "freedom loving patriots" find problematic the idea of their children--and really all children--being exposed to a powerful Black man who commands respect. I'm not sure which possibility they find most frightening, White children accepting Black power-- that is, shared control --or a generation of Black children empowered by it.

Potential Weapon Against HIV/AIDS Progression

2009-09-08T13:15:00.001-04:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-aids4-2009sep04,0,7870223.story

Scientists Locate Antibodies that Can Stop Advance of AIDS

2009-09-05T22:02:00.002-04:00

Los Angeles Times (09.04.09): Thomas H. Maugh II

In a new study, researchers reported that two antibodies to HIV could
prove to be keys to a vaccine to stop the progress of the infection to
AIDS. The Scripps Research Institute-based team found the antibodies,
called PG9 and PG16, in people who remained asymptomatic after
infection.

"This is opening up a whole new area of science," said Dr. Seth F.
Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative, which financed and coordinated the study.

To find the antibodies, scientists analyzed blood samples from more
than 1,800 HIV-positive people from Thailand, Australia and Africa who
had not developed severe disease for at least three years after
infection. Researchers at San Francisco-based Monogram Biosciences
tested the blood samples to determine which contained antibodies most
resistant to HIV infection. These samples were further analyzed by a
team from Theraclone Sciences, which isolated the antibodies
responsible for the resistance.

Researchers found the antibodies PG9 and PG16 in one African patient
were broadly neutralizing - inhibiting the activity of the 162
separate HIV strains that researchers tested. The antibodies bind to
regions of two HIV surface proteins, gp120 and gp41, that HIV uses to
invade cells, according to lead author Dennis Burton of Scripps in La
Jolla, Calif., and colleagues. These regions of the virus have never
before been targeted by HIV/AIDS vaccine candidates.

The antibodies could potentially be used as a treatment for people
developing severe symptoms from HIV infection. A vaccine based on the
discovery, using either synthetic or natural molecules, remains the
ultimate goal.

The full report, "Broad and Potent Neutralizing Antibodies from an
African Donor Reveal a New HIV-1 Vaccine Target," was published online
ahead of the print edition of Science (2009;doi:10. 1126/science.
1178746).

The Eradication of HIV

2009-09-04T11:04:00.001-04:00

I am currently writing a piece entitled "The Eradication of HIV" to be published in various media outlets. As soon as I finish, I will post it here. Just to give you a preview, the piece touches upon assumptions about HIV and about how it can be prevented.

Coming soon!!!

I Wish You Enough!!

2009-08-31T20:49:00.002-04:00

FYI....I wish all of you...enough! (I know its not new...but nothing like a refresher of a good word!!)

I WISH YOU ENOUGH

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough." The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry.

I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?". "Yes, I have, "I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?". "I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral" she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?". She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory --

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

She then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you will never forget and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.
If you don't send it to anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE..

To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH!!!

My Messaage of the Week

2009-08-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

Lies and truth are very different. Lies disguised as truth can't stand up to rational unbiased investigation. Truth will always be truth.....

Project Q Atlanta: Activist Simone Bell Runs for State House

2009-08-15T12:52:00.001-04:00

http://www.projectqatlanta.com/news_articles/view/Simone_Bell_jumps_into_state_House_race/

New HIV Strain Leapt to Humans from Gorillas: Study

2009-08-04T15:22:00.001-04:00

Agence France Presse (08.02.09)

French researchers have identified a human case of a new HIV subtype
that is closely related to gorilla simian immunodeficiency virus
(SIVgor). Until now, HIV strains in humans have been linked to similar
viruses in chimpanzees.

In 2004, soon after moving to Paris, a Cameroon-born woman was tested
for HIV. While HIV-1 diagnostic tests detected infection, the subtype
could not be determined. Her virus was genetically decoded and
computer-analyzed for comparison with other known HIV and SIV types.
The woman's infection was a "significant" match for SIVgor.

The new subtype shows no evidence of recombination with other HIV-1
lines, and it is distinct from the three previously known HIV-1 groups
M, N, and O, said the authors of the report. As such, the researchers
proposed designating the newly detected virus HIV-1 group P.

"The most likely explanation for its emergence is gorilla-to-human
transmission of SIVgor," wrote the report's lead author, Jean-
Christophe Plantier of the national HIV referencing laboratory at the
Rouen Hospital Center, and colleagues.

"For the time being, it's the closest source," said Marie Leoz, a co-
author also affiliated with the laboratory. "What is still quite
difficult, though, is to date when the first transmission of the virus
took place, because there are still very few gorilla strains that are
available."

SIV could have been transmitted to humans through a bite or through
blood exposure while butchering the animals for food, scientists
hypothesize. The prevalence of HIV-1 group P among humans is not
known, but it is probably rare, said Leoz. The infected woman has no
AIDS symptoms, is receiving treatment, and has a stable viral load and
CD4 count, she added.

The full report, "A New Human Immunodeficiency Virus Derived from
Gorillas," was published ahead of print in Nature Medicine (2009;doi:
10.1038/nm.2016).

Working with a Larger Energy

2009-07-26T13:31:00.001-04:00

Working with a Larger Energy
Going with the Flow
www.dailyom.com

The expression going with the flow is a metaphor that applies to navigating a river. When we go with the flow, we follow the current of the river rather than push against it. People who go with the flow may be interpreted as lazy or passive, but to truly go with the flow requires awareness, presence, and the ability to blend one's own energy with the prevailing energy. Going with the flow doesn't mean we toss our oars into the water and kick back in the boat, hoping for the best. Going with the flow means we let go of our individual agenda and notice the play of energy all around us. We tap into that energy and flow with it, which gets us going where we need to go a whole lot faster than resistance will.

Going with the flow doesn't mean that we don't know where we're going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it.

Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don't trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to cling to plans that aren't working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren't fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.

Transforming a Perception

2009-07-26T13:27:00.001-04:00

Transforming a Misperception
Lack
www.dailyom.com

We all know what it feels like to want something we don't have. It may be a pair of expensive jeans, a romantic partner, or rent money; it may be a certain attitude, a car, or a savings account. This is part of life, and in the best-case scenario, we experience a constant flow of money and material possessions, companions and experiences, in and out of our lives. However, many of us linger in a state of wanting and not having, a state of lack that never seems to subside. We consistently perceive ourselves as not having what we need or not having what we want. This is an energetically draining state to be in. It is also self-perpetuating because how we feel about ourselves determines what we are able to create for ourselves.

How we feel profoundly influences how we perceive our reality. When we feel we are lacking, we look around and see what is not there. On the other hand, if we feel abundant, we can look at the very same situation and see a completely different picture, one full of blessings and advantages. The more we see the blessings, the more abundant we feel, and the more blessings we attract. Similarly, if we see lack, we tend to create and attract that energy.

If you find yourself habitually residing in a feeling of lack, it may be due to a core belief formed in your childhood or even in a past life. It may be because you are out of touch with your inner divinity, which is the source of your abundance. In any case, know that your perception of lack is a misperception that can be corrected with awareness and effort. It can be as simple as taking 10 or 15 minutes each day to quiet your mind and imagine yourself in a state of unlimited abundance, handling the financial demands and others in your life with total ease, drawing from an endless supply of resources. Know that it is your birthright to be fully supported in the fulfillment of your needs and desires.

The Glamorous Life Ball- August 9th, 2009 (Rochester, NY)

2009-07-12T17:33:00.002-04:00

For more information: contact 585.420.1400 x14

NBJC: Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights

2009-07-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

National Black Justice Coalition
1638 R Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
www.NBJC.org

Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights

Essay by Jason W. Bartlett
Deputy Director, NBJC

President Obama made powerful, significant statements at the June 29th LGBT Stonewall reception, but I fear that the most telling words have been lost by the mass media. Obama’s words relate to the intersection of sexuality and race, and they foretell the difficulty in moving the agenda forward—a mission the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) was founded upon and been advocating ever since our inception five years ago.

Many gay and lesbian people wonder how it can be that a Black President has not moved more quickly on LGBT rights. They ask out loud how it can be that President Obama does not see gay rights as the next frontier in our nation’s civil rights struggle. What many of my white gay brothers and sisters need to realize is that Obama absolutely understands the intellectual argument that equates advancing gay rights to America’s civil rights struggles. He said as much in his speech. But he is a President whose constituency—and I do not mean white, Middle America, but his constituency of Black Americans—does not stand with him or follow his argument on civil rights encompassing LGBT rights.

Obama’s enlightened perspective on the gay rights struggle is seen in his admonishment to himself: “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.”

This understanding of the LGBT disinclination towards patience—just as Black civil rights heroes could wait for justice no longer—was neither welcomed nor accepted by many in the Black community. The initial reaction to this argument was demonstrated by the popular radio personality Tom Joyner, who immediately took offense to the comparison the morning after Obama’s speech. During the debate on marriage equality on the Connecticut House floor, I personally heard murmurs and invective from an African American colleague who bemoaned the mention of civil rights heroes and struggles as the case was made for marriage equality. Some people take offense personally that white gays and lesbians would take inspiration from civil rights icons, as many have a feeling of ownership and personal attachment to the civil rights struggle and its philosophy.

Are these feeling legitimate? Or do they point to a wider incidence of homophobia in our Black community? President Obama noted in his remarks that that we need to open the hearts and minds of those that don’t fully embrace their “gay brothers and sisters.” He goes on to say that he has “…spoken about these issues not only in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences—in front of African American church members…”

This statement is telling and provocative. It demonstrates that President Obama is clearly aware that a disproportionate number of African Americans are not ready to embrace gay rights. Who is willing to bridge this divide to make the demographic shifts necessary for politicians, the media and the country to move progressively on LGBT rights?

NBJC believes that President Obama is ready to do the hard lifting and we are prepared to assist him in this effort. We are also willing to challenge the homophobia that exists in our community. For example, we will be working with the NAACP at their centennial convention and encouraging their members to recognize that one of their own, Bayard Rustin—a leader and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington—was a gay Black man. This is something the NAACP has yet to do.

In addition, we call on our white gay brothers and sisters—just as President Obama did—to recognize that they have work of their own to do in communicating with communities of color. All too often, Black LGBT people extend our hand to work with our white colleagues, as we did in California on Proposition Eight, and all too often our white brothers and sisters stay frozen in a black/white construct that is still too separate and unwelcoming.

Many don’t recognize that this is the next battle. We believe President Obama will move the agenda forward, and NBJC will be just as diligent as other LGBT leaders in prompting our President towards action. We also look to Michelle Obama. She was at the reception as well, and many of us noted her presence and facial expressions that told it all; Michelle may be our fiercest ally.

It is the responsibility of all of us—Obama, Black leaders and White LGBT leaders working together—to persuade the President’s closest and most loyal constituency, communities of color, towards real progress.

VIBE Media Group Closes Its Doors???

2009-07-02T11:31:00.004-04:00

So, I just recently read a few news articles about VIBE Magazine, a product of VIBE Media Group is stopping circulation due to VIBE Media Group shutting down.

As you know, the economy has hit the marketing and advertising fields heavy. As you flip through the pages of VIBE; pharmaceutical, automobile, high fashion and urban designer, and other companies usually line the pages marketing their various products.

So many black culture oriented publications have come and gone in the last decade and it leaves me wondering will others come and replace (only to meet the same fate) or impact of the economy on the music industry going to cause a "freeze" on black media publications?

What do you think?

White Man Charged with Prostituting 5 yr old Adopted Black Son

2009-07-02T09:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5445704/

UPDATE: Katherine Jackson Granted Temporary Custody

2009-06-29T22:50:00.002-04:00

http://hellobeautiful.blackplanet.com/your-world/michael-jackson-what-happens-to-his-children

Tribute to Michael Jackson

2009-06-28T12:26:00.001-04:00

http://kingofpopmichael.info/

US: Game for HIV-Positive Youth Developed

2009-06-25T16:03:00.002-04:00

UNITED STATES: "Game for HIV-Positive Youth Developed"
Science Daily (06.23.09)
Researchers have reported positive results from pilot testing of a Web-based sexual risk reduction intervention that targets prevention messages toward HIV-positive youths. The game, "+CLICK," was designed as an adjunct to traditional clinic-based, self-management education for the youths.

"We wanted to create +CLICK so that we could help educate youth on the importance of making proper, healthy decisions to protect their relationships and themselves as well as help to reduce transmission of [HIV]," said Christine Markham, PhD, lead investigator and an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health.

The study participants were 32 young people; mean age was 17.8; 62.5 percent were females; 68.8 percent were black; 28.1 percent were Hispanic; 56.2 percent acquired HIV perinatally; 43.8 percent were infected through behavior; and 68.8 percent were sexually experienced.

The game's design replicates a shopping mall. +CLICK presents information on abstinence, condoms, and contraception, and it includes video of HIV experts and HIV-positive peers. Four behaviors are targeted in particular: abstaining from sex; self-disclosure of HIV status to a potential partner; correct and consistent condom use; and use of an effective contraceptive in addition to condoms. Participants accessed the game during regularly scheduled clinic visits.

"Participants were very receptive and enthusiastic about playing the game," said Amy Leonard, MPH, research coordinator at Baylor School of Medicine and a study co-author. "They also liked that they were able to ask the clinicians questions about what they learned on the lessons." The youths rated the game highly for ease of use (84.4 percent); use of understandable words (87.5 percent); and trustworthiness (93.8 percent).

+CLICK is in the final stages of development and is tentatively scheduled to be made available to the public in about six months. The team is also working to create a similar game to encourage HIV-positive youths to adhere to their medication regimens.

The study, "+CLICK: Harnessing Web-Based Training to Reduce Secondary Transmission Among HIV-Positive Youth," was published in AIDS Care (2009;21(5):622-631).

White Southern Baptist Pastor Prays for Death of Obama

2009-06-24T08:39:00.001-04:00

http://www.afro.com/tabId/551/itemId/3937/Southern-Baptist-ministerprays-for-Obamas-death.aspx

PRIDE TV: Will Senate's apology for slavery doom reparations movement?

2009-06-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

Your network for progressive information

Senate passes apology for slavery, but disclaimer
concerns some Black lawmakers

(June 23, 2009) Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus are livid about a disclaimer that was inserted into a Senate resolution apologizing for slavery and racial segregation.
On the eve of Juneteenth, a day traditionally celebrated on June 19th to celebrate the end of the Civil War and release of African Americans from slavery, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and segregation.
The measure was introduced by Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, who says it's imperative that Congress fulfill its moral obligation and officially apologize for slavery and Jim Crow laws.
The disclaimer found in the apology clarifies that nothing in the resolution supports or authorizes reparations by the United States and that doesn't sit well with some Black lawmakers.
The Senate has passed other nonbinding apologies before as in the case of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II; however, some Black Congressional leaders are quick to point out disclaimers were not inserted into those previous apologies.
"Putting in a disclaimer takes away from the meaning of an apology," Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.-pictured on the left) told McClatchy Newspapers. "A number of us are prepared to vote against it in its present form."

Thompson and other Black lawmakers want to make sure the disclaimer does not hamper the work being done to seek reparations for slavery.

Do you think the United States should pay out financial reparations to Blacks for the years of slavery and racial segregation? Send comments to: mystory@pridetv.org

'I AM HIP HOP'
profiles Sonny Lewis
(2nd in a series)
We celebrate Black Music Month by going beyond the beats, rhymes and rhythms of Hip-hop to shine a spotlight on openly gay and lesbian rappers with our series "I AM HIP HOP." This series was inspired by author Terrance Dean and his memoir, Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in Entertainment.
Today, we talk to out rapper Sonny Lewis on staying true to the game. Listen NOW!

New Black Power:

Civil Rights in the Age of Obama

airs tonight at 10pm. EST on PeopleTV

"Pride & Politics with Anare Holmes" talks to a generation of leaders under 40 to discuss how the fight for Civil and Human Rights has evolved and what the struggle will look like in the age of President Barack Obama tonight at 10pm. on PeopleTV-Atlanta Comcast Channel 24. If you do not live in the city limits of Atlanta, you can stream the program live as it airs by logging onto: www.PeopleTV.org

Clikc on the right side of the page that says: Watch PeopleTV Now.

Pride & Politics brings today's newsmakers, opinion leaders and emerging talents into dialogue that explores the intersection of race, class, faith and sexuality on American life. This pioneering newsmagazine informs us about the common humanity that crosses boundaries. The program airs Tuesdays at 10pm. EST on PeopleTV-Atlanta Comcast 24.

Federation of Black Prides and PRIDETV partner with
Tavis Smiley Presents America, I AM: The African American Imprint

"Outside Blackness: The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and Alice Walker" scheduled for 3pm, Saturday July 11th at America, I AM inside the Atlanta Civic Center. Doors will open at 1:30 pm. to allow attendees to walk through the African-American traveling exhibit: America, I AM, which celebrates 500 years of Black achievement. www.americaiam.org

"Outside Blackness" is a thought-provoking discussion exploring the creativity, courage and activism of artists who boldly spoke truth to power and whose cultural imprint help change the image of what it means to be Black in America.
This special event is sponsored by the International Federation of Black Prides and PRIDETV, in association with a host of other Atlanta LGBT organizations. Tickets to the Outside Blackness event are free. If attendees would like to walk through the America, I Am exhibit, tickets can be purchased onsite for $13. for more information, contact: advertising@pridetv.org

Homophobia in the Black Community

If you or someone you know moved to Atlanta, known as the Black Gay Mecca, to come to terms with your sexuality as a same-gender-loving man or woman or member of the transgender community, email: producer@pridetv.org today!
While we prefer Atlantans, we are open to anyone who moved anywhere in the United States to be free.
PRIDETV is also interested in talking to teens, young men and women who have found themselves cut off from their families and are homeless because of their sexual orientation.

Visit: www.PrideTV.org

PrideTV.org
Everyday people, everyday stories
producer@pridetv.org

Had your dose of Shamanism today?

2009-06-22T21:02:00.001-04:00

June 19, 2009
A Soulful Cure
Working with a Shaman
www.dailyom.com

Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle, mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as modern men and women feel the same call to service that their ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for wellness, wisdom, and guidance.

The word shaman literally means "he or she who knows." Shamanism is an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing and curing human suffering—whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.

Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as your soul.

Stephaun Clipper-Wallace
www.stephaunelite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite

"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"~ Audre Lorde

"Those who say it can not be done.....should not interrupt the person doing it"~Chinese Proverb

Coverage of the Stonewall Riots: Gay and Lesbian History

2009-06-18T22:33:00.001-04:00

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing/articles/stonewall_riots_40_years_later_.html

Question to Ponder....

2009-06-17T21:52:00.002-04:00

Greetings,

I was having some discussions with some colleagues yesterday and today and out of nowhere some questions hit me. Admittedly the basis of these questions has some connection to the conversations being engaged at the time, but I wanted to find out what others thought on this topic. I recognize that there are some people out there who read my blog who only take in the information and process it; but much of the time don't comment about their thoughts.....

Well....that time has expired!!

Here are some questions that I would like your feedback to, and please feel free to be as blunt as you would like. Most of the time, I don't filter responses to allow people to communicate how they feel.....I will extend that option even further this time. I will NOT modify or filter anyone's comment to this particular post.

Ok!........are you ready??????

GO! (lol)

1. Can people of color be racist?

2. Does Obama becoming President really change the scope of the civil rights movement? Especially when a significant percentage people of color in this country still live at or below poverty.

3. Does "white" still equal "right"?

4. Is there a such thing as having too much pride in your race/ethnicity?

5. If a person doesn't understand homosexuality or "gay" does that make them homophobic?

6. Are we ever going to address the antiquated notion of having "male" and "female" caricatures on restroom doors when most folks I know (gay or straight) don't give a rats behind who they are sitting on the toilet next to?

7. Is it really logical or sane to position your argument against gay rights and marriage as "I don't want my children exposed to that!", when chances are they are going to encounter a gay person or "gay-ness" in their life on multiple occasions?

8. Why is does the idea of gay seem to primarily resonate some sort of sexual connotation, as if "gays" just appeared here through osmosis and weren't conceived through sex?

9. If you make a mistake, and I correct you, does it really serve your better good to attempt to correct me back on something else?

10. Why do people (especially many white people) who exist in privilege, seem to get mad at me when I shine a light on that privilege? It isn't my fault you're walking around blind!!!

More to come...........

PRIDE TV: Obama to Grant Benefits to Same-Sex Partners

2009-06-17T19:44:00.001-04:00

Your network for progressive information

Obama to grant benefits
to same-sex partners

(June 17, 2009) President Barack Obama plans to announce his decision to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees today in the Oval Office.
Many gay activists have started to call Obama out on the carpet, citing his administration has been slow to act on LGBT issues. He has recently received mounting criticism for not seeking to end the ban on openly gay men and women in the military.
The decision to extend same-sex partner benefits may be the kind of political overture Obama needs to keep his gay and lesbian critics at bay.
However, the Associated Press reported that several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a June 25 Democratic National Committee event where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak.
AP said their exit came in response to a June 12 Justice Department brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime target for gay and lesbian criticism. Justice lawyers argued that the law allowed states to reject marriages performed in other states or countries that defy their own standards.
Many staunch LGBT activists and leaders remain vigilant in holding Obama's feet to the fire as it relates to repealing the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bans openly gay and lesbian staff from serving in the Armed Services, in addition to other equality measures.

Do you think many gay activists have been fair in their assessment that Obama has been slow to act on LGBT issues during his first few months in office?

Send your response to: mystory@pridetv.org

SAVE THE DATE: "Outside Blackness: The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and Alice Walker" scheduled for 3pm, Saturday July 11th at America, I AM inside the Atlanta Civic Center. Doors will open at 1:30 pm. to allow attendees to walk through the African-American traveling exhibit: America, I AM, which celebrates 500 years of Black achievement. www.americaiam.org

Real fathers, real men
By Anare V. Holmes
My life changed the summer of 1983.
I was 8 years-old when I boarded the Greyhound bus leaving Hartford, Connecticut en route to Madison, Wisconsin to visit my father, Toye Holmes.
I was not aware before getting on the bus that I would not return to live with my birth mother, nor was dad.
We thought we'd both enjoy a short summer visit.
But, God has a way of showing up in your life in mysterious ways.
Toye Holmes is among the millions of Black men that don't make the news for taking care of their children. The Human Rights Campaign does not post their pictures on their website to show examples of men who are not homophobic.
So, today I lift up my dad and men like him.
They are real fathers and real men. Read more now

'Pride & Politics' uncovers what it means to be

Young, Black and Gay in America

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to join the production team of the television newsmagazine "Pride & Politics with Anare Holmes," please send statement of interest OR resume and reel to: producer@pridetv.org.

Today's emerging LGBT artists, activists, intellectuals and business professionals have access to unparalleled resources and opportunity. However, what does it mean to be young, black and gay in America? Our taping is Saturday, June 20th.

Homophobia in the Black Community

PrideTV.org
Everyday people, everyday stories
producer@pridetv.org

UNITED STATES: "Estimating the Proportion of HIV Transmissions from Main Sex Partners Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Five US Cities" AIDS Vol. 23; No. 9: P. 1153-1162 (06.01.09):: Patrick S. Sullivan; Laura Salazar; Susan Buchbinder; Travis H. Sanchez

2009-06-13T20:28:00.002-04:00

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be the group most heavily impacted by the US HIV epidemic. Since 2000, HIV incidence among US MSM has been increasing.

In the current study, the researchers modeled HIV transmissions using data from MSM in five US cities from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, the HIVNET Vaccine Preparedness Study, and other published data. The authors estimated annual HIV transmissions by partner type (main or casual) and by sex type (receptive anal intercourse, insertive anal intercourse or oral sex).

The data showed that 68 percent of HIV transmissions were from main partners (95 percent confidence interval (CI) 58-78). This was attributed to a higher number of sex acts with main partners, more frequent receptive roles in anal sex with main partners, and less condom use during anal sex with main partners. Sixty-nine percent of infections were from receptive anal intercourse (95 percent CI 59-79); 28 percent were from insertive anal intercourse (95 percent CI 19-38); and 2 percent were from oral sex (95 percent CI 0-5). Based on the model, the estimated HIV incidence rate was 2.2 percent (95 percent CI 1.7-2.7) per year. In sensitivity analyses, estimates of transmission from main sex partners were as low as 52 percent (95 percent CI 41-62) and as high as 74 percent (95 percent CI 68-80).

"According to our model, most HIV transmissions among MSM in five US cities are from main sex partners," the authors concluded. "HIV prevention efforts should take into account the risks of HIV transmission in male partnerships, and couples-based HIV prevention interventions for MSM should be given high priority in the US HIV prevention research portfolio."

HOUSE OF BLAHNIK SCHOLARSHIP

2009-06-13T19:37:00.003-04:00

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2009

Contact: Damon L. Humes aka Overall Father Jay Blahnik
Telephone: (215) 431-1790
Email: houseofblahnik@yahoo.com

2nd BLAHNIK SCHOLAR GRADUATES
The House of Blahnik Makes a Difference in the “Ballroom” Community

For many, the only reference of the House/Ball community comes from the movie, “Paris Is Burning;” which showed a world chiefly occupied by a melee of artistically talented misfits and criminals. For some, the more recent documentary “How Do I Look” produced by Wolfgang Busch, provides a more accurate snapshot of the community from the eyes of its participants. Through the lenses of the larger society, and even the larger lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual (LGTB) community (especially communities of color), participants in the house/ballroom culture are in many instances seen as outcasts. Although many advances and much notoriety have been achieved on the part of participants in the house/ballroom culture to showcase their community in a more positive light, numerous challenges that face members of this population still go unanswered. Chief among those changes are the efforts made by The House of Blahnik. This house chose to make a difference in the lives of others by awarding the “FIRST EVER” scholarship to students who are pursuing their passions through educational advancement.

In 2007, the House of Blahnik awarded Jimmy Vincent (Boi Boi St. Clair), a student of North Carolina Central University, with a special scholarship to defer the cost of books and supplies. His story was compelling and his mission for success was evident. On May 16, 2009, Boi Boi became the House of Blahnik’s 2nd Scholar, earning a Baccalaureate Degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Journalism.

Like his predecessor Ajay Balenciaga who graduated Morehouse College with the assistance of the House of Blahnik Scholarship Fund, Jimmy is a role model for combining academic achievement and ballroom success. Mr. Jimmy “Boi Boi” St Clair plans to attend Graduate School in the next two years; as well as serve as a spokesperson for the House of Blahnik Scholarship. “I am extremely fortunate to have received the help of the House of Blahnik. It’s hard out here and every little bit counts. The scholarship was a great achievement because it came at the right time. But meeting Jay was another BIG win, because he became my mentor. I am going to tell others to apply and take their education seriously,” said Boi Boi.

The House of Blahnik is a real non-profit organization under the fiscal management of the MOCHA Center Inc. The House of Blahnik established its’ House of Blahnik Scholarship Fund in 2006, to support the educational and “ballroom” success of LGBT members of the House/Ball community. The House of Blahnik Scholarship Fund encourages LGBT community members to aspire to positions in which they are able to contribute to society, are open about their sexual orientation and act as role models for their peers in the Ballroom scene.

The 2009-10 scholarship applications and supporting documents are due by Friday, August 7, 2009. For more information, please visit www.houseofblahnik.org.

The House of Blahnik: With chapters in New York (NY), Philadelphia, Atlanta (GA), Detroit (MI), Chicago (IL), Cleveland (OH), North and South Carolina, Oakland (CA) and various cities in New Jersey seeks to invest in the future of ball patrons who make valuable contributions to the ballroom community. The House of Blahnik seeks to shift community norms by creating tangible recognition for individuals who make such contributions and highlight these contributions.

For more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Damon L. Humes at (215) 431-1790 or e-mail at houseofblahnik@yahoo.com.

*******************************************************************************
Stephaun Clipper-Wallace (aka Stephaun Elite Manolo Blahnik)
www.stephaunelite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite

"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"~ Audre Lorde

"Those who say it can not be done.....should not interrupt the person doing it"~Chinese Proverb

Aaron McGruder on BET, Presidential Election and War

2009-06-10T18:48:00.002-04:00

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2009

2009-06-03T17:24:00.003-04:00

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

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Chris Brown Tribute to Michael Jackson (Thriller) from the 2008 World Music Awards

2009-05-28T04:10:00.001-04:00

Cocaine Found in Red Bull???

2009-05-28T04:08:00.001-04:00

http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/cocaine-found-in-red-bull/

Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Doing It

2009-05-28T04:00:00.003-04:00

Spectacular from Pretty Ricky giving them what they want....

What I want to say before you watch it though, is I find it disturbing how people are so desensitized to self-expression that isn't wrapped up in some psuedo-straight or hyper-masculine image, that whenever folks see someone doing something that they feel is in conflict with their gender expression (or perceived gender expression), for black men....they are then called "gay"??

What is that about?? Can't the brotha just like his flow with the ladies???

Speaking of Commitment

2009-05-27T22:33:00.005-04:00

May 27, 2009

Thoughtful Conclusions About Commitment
Deciding Whether To Marry
www.dailyom.com

Though we may make many commitments throughout our time on earth, few have a lifelong impact on the path our lives will take. The decision to marry someone you love—to bond yourself to them completely—is unlike any other and can reshape your existence. When two people have similar goals, values, and needs, marriage can result in a lifetime partnership of love and respect, shared laughter and tears, friendship, and intimacy that is ultimately fulfilling. Love is often cited as the sole prerequisite of a strong and stable married life. However, the decision to get married should be made with the mind and the soul as well as with the heart. Carefully considering whether you truly want to get married, both individually and as a couple, can ensure that if you do choose to marry, your relationship can grow to unimaginable depths.

The decision-making process you employ to determine whether you should marry should be a thoughtful and honest one in which you appraise not only your partner but also yourself. Consider that love and attraction do not guarantee long-term compatibility. If your relationship is not secure, marriage will not make it so. Likewise, if your partner is not as attentive, loving, or kind as you would like, your becoming spouses will not change that. Marriage has no power to permanently fill any emotional or spiritual gaps in your life. Before you choose to marry, ask yourself whether you and your partner are adept at resolving conflict, can speak openly to one another, and fully respect one another.. Your attitudes regarding the nature of marital commitment, children and child rearing, and marital roles may be the same or they may differ. It is your shared responsibility to discuss your similarities and come to agreements regarding your differences that will predict how successful yo! ur future marriage will be. Often times, younger couples rush into marriage just for the wedding dress, the ring, the party, and honeymoon. Would you still be willing to be married if you couldn't have these things?

Remember that planning a wedding is simple when compared to the intricacies of nurturing a marriage. The honeymoon and nesting period will eventually wear off, and what you are left with is a partner for life. When you work together with your partner, reassure and support one another, and are honest about your feelings regarding marriage, you'll come to the right decision.

What do you think???

Stephaun Clipper-Wallace
www.stephaunelite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite
"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"~ Audre Lorde

"Those who say it can not be done.....should not interrupt the person doing it"~Chinese Proverb

Black AIDS agency shuts down; Will Woods become 1st Black, gay elected to US House?

2009-05-27T17:42:00.001-04:00

Your network for progressive information

POCC shuts down;
Atlanta-based AIDS group set to fill void, open Brooklyn branch

(May 27, 2009) People of Color In Criss, a Black gay AIDS service organization, closes its doors afer delivering more than 20 years of service to the New York City metro area. The agency's closure brings word that Rudolph Carn, CEO of National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities will expand the Atlanta-based organization into the Brooklyn area.

'Finding Me' screens in Atlanta
9:30 pm. Friday, May 29th at Plaza Theatre
The fresh, "indie" film about a young gay black man's journey of self-discovery, affirmation and love will screen during Atlanta's Out On Film Festival preview week. "Finding Me" is directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr., a second generation Haitian American.

Will Anthony Woods make history?

PrideTV's Executive Producer Anare Holmes goes one-on-one with U.S. Army Veteran Anthony Woods. A progressive Democrat, Woods is also young, gifted and gay.

In this week's edition of "Pride & Politics," Woods talks about his bid for Congress, school bullies and the source of his strength. Hear this informative interview now.

Visit: www.PrideTV.org for these stories and more progressive information.

'Pride & Politics' gears up for 2nd season

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to join the production team of the television newsmagazine "Pride & Politics with Anare Holmes," please send your resume and reel to: producer@pridetv.org.

We are gearing up for special broadast productions that include: Outside Blackness: The Artistry of James Baldwin, Josephine Baker and Alice Walker; The State of Black Gay America Summit and Sweeping Through the City: Change within the Black Church.

About Anare Holmes

Anaré V. Holmes is the creator and executive producer of PrideTV.org.

As a journalist his work explores race, class, faith and sexuality. He has secured interviews with many of America's best and brightest talents, including Tyra Banks, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Chappelle, the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

He is the winner of National Newspaper Publishers' Association's Ida B. Wells Best News Story Award. He can be reached at: producer@pridetv.org

PrideTV.org
Everyday people, everyday stories
producer@pridetv.org

Unity Fellowship Church Movement Speaks on Prop 8

2009-05-27T14:18:00.001-04:00

UFCM NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ALERT

CONTACT: Elder Kevin E Taylor, President
UFCM National Office of Communications 732-214-0390

The House of Bishops of UFCM, Inc. Speak Out
Against CA Supreme Court Decision Upholding Prop 8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Los Angeles – National UFCM Headquarters
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Earlier today, the California Supreme Court voted to uphold Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, after a referendum vote in November 2008. The Court also elected to make a statement about the 18,000 same-sex couples who were able to marry in the interim period between their original May 2008 decision and the November vote, allowing those who were married prior to the referendum, to remain legally married. The decision threw out an argument by activists that Prop 8 unjustly modified California's equal protection clause within its Constitution, and would need legislature approval.

The announcement of the decision caused strong reaction from around the country and from the House of Bishops of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a denomination that includes many Lesbian, Gay, Transgender
and Bisexual members, though affirming to all people.

Founder and Presiding Prelate Archbishop Carl Bean and other clergy in the Western Jurisdiction have been actively engaged in the fight against Prop 8 in California. He noted that “this (issue) is the last hold-out of the regime of people who want to control people’s lives. The church has always had the right to determine whom they will marry in their own church, but the marriage contract is in the civil arena. Everyone ought to be able to partake in that civil practice. We need to stand firm on that right and not budge. We are a democracy. We are not a Theocracy! We as Black people surely should not shut up and be quiet after the experiences that we have had in this country around civil rights. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE!”

Bishop Jacquelyn Holland, Prelate of The Mid-Atlantic Jurisdiction, voiced encouragement and determination as her own home State of New Jersey grapples with marriage equality, which may go to a legislative vote later this year. “The decision, though disheartening, reminds us that the fight for equal rights must continue. It is imperative that we also remember the power of visibility. We are encouraged by the 18,000 couples that are able to stand, but this is really about lives. I am proud that we have churches (throughout the country) that are very much involved in this issue. This is social justice at its best.”

Bishop Zachary G. Jones, Prelate of The Northern Jurisdiction, which includes the State of New York, where Governor David Patterson has vowed his support of marriage for all, questioned, “How does America continue to live with this duality? How can we have couples in the same state who are able to be married, while others are left without legal protection? A divided house cannot stand. Eventually we will have to acknowledge that our civil rights, and the necessity of America to deal with the truth of this country, are the issues for the ages. We, as a country, as its people who love life and liberty, must struggle with what it really means to have equality!”

Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Prelate of The Southern Jurisdiction, which includes Washington, D.C., where marriage equality was supported by the City Council with a 12-1 vote. She serves on the Faith Advisory Council of the National Black Justice Coalition and added, “While I commend the (CA) Supreme Court for not denying 36,000 gay and lesbian American citizens who were married in CA the right to all of the privileges and protections that accompany said institution, we should, as a country, stand more resolute than ever to extend those privileges and protections to all. Marriage is the foundation upon which so many of the founding principles of this nation are built. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are for all. I beseech the citizens of CA and of this great nation of ours to fight for the right of all Americans to have legal marriage.”

*****

The primary work of the UFCM is to proclaim the “SACREDNESS OF ALL LIFE,” thus focusing on empowering those who have been oppressed and made to feel shame. Through an emerging international network, the UFCM works to facilitate social change and improve the life chances for those who have been rejected by society’s institutions and systems. The scope of its work is inclusive and has significance for all people.

NYAC: LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week

2009-05-26T12:13:00.002-04:00

National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week starts May 25!

The five-day Awareness Week is designed to highlight some of the significant issues faced by today's LGBTQ youth, empower them to continue their involvement in solution-making, and to honor the many allies and programs that are working to support LGBTQ young adults in the face of disenfranchisement and discrimination. As part of the Awareness Week, NYAC, and the more than 2,500 youth-serving organizations that it works with, will coordinate activities and programs aimed at raising awareness about youth issues within the broader LGBTQ movement. Here is the theme for each day:
• Monday, May 25: Honoring the Silenced LGBTQ Youth Serving in the Military
• Tuesday, May 26: Putting An End to Violence Aimed at LGBTQ Youth
• Wednesday, May 27: Addressing the Crisis of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
• Thursday, May 28: Creating Safe Schools and Community Spaces for LGBTQ Youth
• Friday, May 29: Providing LGBTQ Youth with Resources to Stay Healthy

For up to date information about National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week, click here.

Federal Policy Briefing Webinar, May 28 at 1 p.m. ET
As part of National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week, get an update on many of the federal policies important to LGBTQ youth, what's happening on them and what you can do to help! Policies discussed will include an inclusive ENDA, hate crimes legislation, safe schools initiatives and more! To register for this free webinar, click here.

Los Angeles Gang Seeks to Eliminate Blacks

2009-05-25T11:33:00.001-04:00

Click the title above to access the news article.

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality?

2009-05-14T09:35:00.002-04:00

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality?
Bob Setzer Jr.
Posted: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 5:29 am
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=14165

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality? | Bob Setzer, Homosexuality, Dialogue

Surely the church can and should be a community of serious moral inquiry, Setzer writes.

Recently, both Miss California and megachurch pastor Rick Warren got slammed for speaking to the issue of gay rights. While each pleased some and infuriated others, both got beaten up pretty badly in this very public and often nasty debate.

Perhaps I feel more sympathy than most for these public figures because I have never said or written anything on the subject of homosexuality without unintentionally hurting or angering people I love. Still, the question of how the church and culture should respond to the issue of gay rights is not going away. Is it possible for Christians to enter into a constructive conversation on such a contentious matter? Toward that end, let me suggest some "talking points."

First, gay people are not first and foremost an "issue." They are people. And as people, they are beloved of God (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8). Even those who regard certain people as their "enemy" are called by Christ to love them (Matthew 5:44-45).

Second, gay people are part of just about everybody's family or extended family and just about everybody's church. Before making strident statements about this issue from either side of the divide, please remember you are talking about someone's son or daughter, sister or brother, or perhaps your own friend or neighbor.

Third, for serious Christians, the Bible must be part of our moral discernment process. Two common extremes must be avoided.

The first extreme says the Bible is irrelevant to this debate because it was "wrong" about slavery, women's rights or whatever. The other extreme is that the Bible condemns homosexuals, end of discussion. Instead of ignoring the Bible on the one hand, or cherry-picking passages to condemn homosexuals on the other, the Bible should be read holistically on this and every issue. It should be read in the Spirit of Christ (John 14:25-26; John 16:12-15) and in dialogue with other believers (2 Peter 1:20; Matthew 18:20). In all such reading, a key question for me is "What reading of the Bible is closest to Christ's own heart as revealed in the Sermon on the Mount?" (Matthew 5-7).

Fourth, the question "What Did Jesus Do?" – not just "What Would Jesus Do?" – can be answered only by a careful reading of the New Testament in general and the Gospels in particular. What did Jesus teach about God's intention for sexuality? (Mark 10:6-9; Matthew 19:10-12). If we believe Jesus is the fullest revelation of God's truth, then how does his teaching on sexuality shape our thinking? And when Jesus encountered those who clearly fell outside the norm of God's intention, such as the woman at the well (John 4:16-18) or the woman caught in adultery (John 8:10-11), how might Jesus' response to them shape our response to others in our own place and time?

I certainly don't expect the "talking points" I've proposed to bring complete agreement about the difficult moral and theological questions of our day. Our differing experiences, assumptions and interpretations of both the Bible and life make that impossible. But surely the church can and should be a community of serious moral inquiry where kind, thoughtful conversation replaces the angry tirades so common in our culture.

Bob Setzer Jr. is pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Ga.

The Company You Keep

2009-05-11T17:15:00.001-04:00

It is better to be alone than in the wrong company.

Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad.

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:

* Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
* Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
* Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening, with others you invest it.
* Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.

"Wide is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships….." ~“Anonymous”

NC: Cell Phones Enhance Sex Education

2009-05-09T11:55:00.001-04:00

NORTH CAROLINA: "When the Cell Phone Teaches Sex Education"
New York Times (05.03.09):: Jan Hoffman

The Durham-based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina recently launched the Birds and Bees Text Line, a cell phone line where youths ages 14-19 can anonymously text sexual health questions. Within 24 hours, one of nine APPNC staff members anonymously responds with text message answers, information, and referrals. The staffers have graduate degrees in public health, social work, or years of experience working with teens.

The service reflects a trend in reaching out to teens by using technologies with which they are most familiar. Based partly on a similar service in Alexandria, Va., the Birds and Bees Text Line is supported with a $5,000 state Department of Health and Human Services grant. In programs in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto, and San Francisco, teens can text a number and scroll through a menu of frequently asked questions and receive automated replies and referrals. Last month, California began "HookUp 365247," a statewide service that refers people to local clinics and offers weekly health tips.

"The technology can be used to connect young people to trusted, competent adults who have competent information," said Sheana Bull, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Public Health and an expert on STDs and technology.

APPNC staff follow a few ground rules: No medical advice - urge clients to visit a doctor; Do not advocate abortion; When necessary, refer questioners to local clinics, Web sites or hot lines; Give reasoned, kind advice; Read answers twice before sending; and No sarcasm.

Sally Swanson, an APPNC staffer who answers text messages, never divulges her age or gender: "I'm a texter. I want them to find someone real to talk to." Were parents to read some of the teens' messages, she said, "it would highlight how much disconnected information kids are already getting at younger ages than we did."

FOX Refuses To Air Obama’s Primetime Press Conference

2009-04-29T09:50:00.002-04:00

http://newsone.blackplanet.com/obama/fox-refuses-to-air-obamas-primetime-press-conference/

Golden Girls Star Passes at 86

2009-04-25T20:22:00.003-04:00

Beatrice Arthur, also known as "Dorothy" on the hit television series The Golden Girls passed away this past Saturday at the age of 86. This was definitely someone who made an impact in the gay community. I remember as a child looking up to her and the other "Golden Girls" for a laugh and more importantly for universal truth and light. Its interesting how as an adult, I can now look back on my life to see where I often received my cues from.

Bea, you will truly be missed. You provided a voice for and inspired many.

I pray for the family that they move through this experience with ease, support, and encouragement.

A Virtuous Cycle

2009-04-16T15:23:00.001-04:00

April 13, 2009

A Virtuous Cycle
The Ripple Effect
www.dailyom.com

In a world of six billion people, it’s easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.

Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for someone else. Someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves someone’s life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin. You must believe in your ability to be that point of origin if you want to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible.

A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love and kindness.

What do you think?

Palin's Attorney General Pick Supports KKK Monument

2009-04-15T05:46:00.001-04:00

Bow Wow Goes Into Retirement???

2009-04-15T05:16:00.002-04:00

According to several sources, the artist known as Bow Wow will be stepping into retirement. Interestingly enough, there is widespread speculation (which has yet to be validated by his management) that he was/is currently engaging in a quasi-romantic/sexual relationship with a transgender woman who goes by the name Nadia who is also connected to the house/ballroom scene as a member of the House of Prodigy.

Personally, I say to both of them fuck the reporters and media and do what you do! I am tired of people hiding in silence about their private lives in this way. When opposite sex couples are seen together there is hardly this much desire to sweep it under the rug. Don't get me wrong now, I definitely feel that people have a right to privacy, but as one of my favorite lesbian's (Audre Lorde) once said, "Your silence will not save you...".

You can read about Bow Wow's retirement here.

Blogger Sandra Rose seems to have a personal vendetta against Bow Wow supposedly for some form of disrespect that was given to Rose previously. On her site, she discusses the alleged relationship between Bow Wow and Nadia. If you want, you can read about that here.

I have some other thoughts on this whole thing as well, but I will reserve until I can do some more fact finding. Regardless of how it goes, I support Bow Wow and wish him well in all of his future endeavors.

ACLU Claims Cali Cops Targeted Black Barber Shops

2009-04-15T05:15:00.000-04:00

http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/aclu-claims-cali-cops-targeted-black-barber-shops/

NY: Governor Paterson Set to Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill

2009-04-14T13:09:00.001-04:00

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!

SC
**********************************************************************

April 14, 2009, 8:52 am

Paterson Will Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill

By Jeremy W. Peters

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/author/jeremy-w-peters/

Gov. David A. Paterson on Thursday will announce plans to introduce legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, according to people with knowledge of the governor’s plans.

Mr. Paterson’s move, which he first signaled last week after Vermont became the fourth state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, reflects the governor’s desire to press the issue with lawmakers in Albany as other states move ahead with efforts to grant more civil rights to homosexuals.

The action in Vermont, where state legislators overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, came less than a week after the Iowa Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right to marry.

Mr. Paterson has said in recent days that the State Legislature should move ahead now with the legislation regardless of whether it can muster enough votes. His reasoning, which some gay rights advocates have challenged, is that New York should make a statement that it is committed to treating same-sex couples the same way it treats opposite-sex couples.

The announcement will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Mr. Paterson’s office in Midtown Manhattan, said people who were briefed on the governor’s plans but who asked not to be identified because they did not want to upstage the governor.

The fact that Mr. Paterson is introducing a bill does not, however, mean that action in the Legislature is imminent. It could take months — even longer — before the bill makes its way through the appropriate committees and onto the floor of the Senate and the Assembly.

“This is not a guarantee of anything,” said Assemblyman Micah Z. Kellner, a Democrat from the Upper East Side who noted that it took two months for legislation legalizing same-sex marriage to get through the Assembly in 2007 before it ultimately stalled. The Senate never acted on the bill.

The legislation is likely to have an especially bumpy ride in the Senate, where more lawmakers oppose same-sex marriage than support it. Gay rights advocates are now actively seeking more senators, both Democrats and Republicans, to vote for the bill.

While Mr. Paterson has said he would like to see lawmakers “fight it out” and debate the bill on the floor of both houses even if it fails, Albany tradition dictates that the bill is likely to come to a vote only when it has enough support to pass. Senator Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat and the bill’s chief supporter in the Senate, has said he opposes the governor’s notion of fast-tracking it. And the Senate majority leader, Malcolm A. Smith, has said he would bring the bill to the floor when it has enough support.

The same-sex bill Mr. Paterson plans to introduce is the same piece of legislation that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer introduced in 2007, said Assemblyman Daniel J. O’Donnell. The Assembly passed it by 24 votes, 85 to 61, a wider margin than expected.

Mr. O’Donnell said there was some discussion among lawmakers, gay rights lobbyists and the governor’s office about whether the legislation should include any new language that would, for example, allow city clerks to refuse to marry same-sex couples. But Mr. O’Donnell said that the decision was made to leave the bill as is.

“Whether or not the bill should be amended is a political question,” he said, “but it is a political question that would take more time than it’s worth to resolve. So we decided to leave it.”

US Makes Step to Increase Cuban Relations

2009-04-14T06:31:00.004-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090414/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_cuba

America's First Transgender Mayor

2009-04-14T03:30:00.000-04:00

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6211839&page=1

1st Ever NY State LGBT Needs Assessment

2009-04-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

LGBT New Yorkers: Don’t be invisible to New York State! Be counted!

Take a short survey on LGBT health and human services issues at:

www.nylgbtsurvey.org

Be a part of a historic effort to research and document the needs of LGBT New Yorkers, to ensure those needs don’t go unaddressed by government and health and human service providers. The information you provide will go toward fighting for policy changes and funding to make services to LGBT people in New York equitable and LGBT-friendly.

This survey is open to all LGBT New Yorkers ages 18 and over. We’ve never been counted before. This is a historic opportunity. Please participate!

Enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card with your completed survey! Information provided for the raffle will be confidential and not linked to your survey responses.

For more information, e-mail Somjen Frazer at consulting@somjenfrazer.com

This survey is a project of the Empire State Pride Agenda, the NYS LGBT Health and Human Services Network, and Somjen Frazer Consulting.

MAC AIDS Fund Announces Major Collaborative

2009-04-13T09:53:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information , please contact:
Krishna Stone, GMHC, 212-367-1016
Cathy Renna, SAGE, 917-757-6123

MAC AIDS FUND ANNOUNCES MAJOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS IN OLDER ADULTS

April 6, New York, NY— The MAC AIDS Fund announced today that it is granting a total of $475,000 to four AIDS service organizations to launch a collaborative effort to fight HIV/AIDS in people over the age of 50. The grants include $150,000 for the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA), $150,000 for Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), $150,000 for Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) and $25,000 for GRIOT Circle. Together, the four agencies will employ their respective areas of expertise – including education, advocacy, research, capacity building and direct services – to combat the alarming rates of infection among people over the age of 50.

“This visionary grant from the MAC AIDS Fund shows that no matter how challenging the economic environment might be these days, we can still find creative solutions to our most urgent issues when we partner together,” stated Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of GMHC.

The dramatic spike in infections among people over the age of 50 is of serious concern to AIDS service and LGBT aging organizations across the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported earlier this year that HIV infections among this age group increased by 25% between 2006 and 2007. In fact, according to a recent ACRIA study, within 5 to 7 years, more than 50% of all people living with HIV in the United States will be over the age of 50.

“The critical story behind this collaboration and this path-breaking grant from the MAC AIDS Fund is that we are finally starting to tackle a new reality: aging and HIV are inextricably linked, and our programs and strategies need to reflect that,” stated Michael Adams, Executive Director of SAGE. “As an organization that specifically serves and advocates for older people in one of the communities hardest hit by HIV, SAGE is especially proud of this collaborative and MAC AIDS’ support.”
Community response has been overwhelming enthusiastic. “As an older individual living with AIDS, I believe the range of proposed services will address the HIV/AIDS challenges for people over the age of 50 and impact the community in a very positive way,” said community leader Ed Shaw.
The collaboration seeks to improve health outcomes for people over the age of 50 by inserting aging issues into HIV/AIDS public policy at the federal, state and local levels. By bringing the unique HIV prevention needs of older adults into the conversation around health policy, the groups plan to ensure that people over the age of 50 receive adequate HIV prevention services. While all four groups are located in New York City, the collaboration is national in scope, and promises to produce positive outcomes that have enormous implications for HIV advocacy and prevention throughout the United States.

“These are the kinds of integrated partnerships and collaborations that leverage and maximize resources, exponentially increasing overall impact and really making a difference in both the policy and direct service front," said Nancy Mahon, Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund.

The bold show of support from the MAC AIDS Fund seeks to build on a previous collaboration between the four organizations, also funded by MAC AIDS, which took the first steps toward addressing the HIV/AIDS needs of this crucial demographic.

Some examples of the work accomplished during the original collaboration include a first-of-its-kind HIV social marketing campaign targeting older adults spearheaded by GMHC; a SAGE and GMHC collaboration to sponsor HIV testing days at SAGE’s Harlem site; the GMHC and ACRIA joint publication, Achieve; and HIV trainings at senior-serving organizations throughout New York City conducted by all four organizations.

ABOUT THE M•A•C AIDS FUND
The M•A•C AIDS Fund, the heart and soul of M•A•C Cosmetics, was established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally. MAF is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS funding, providing financial support to organizations working in underserved regions and with underserved populations. As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical funder in the arena, MAF is committed to addressing the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS, by providing support to diverse organizations around the world that provide a wide range of services to people living with HIV/AIDS. To date, MAF has raised $139 million (U.S.) exclusively through the sale of M•A•C’s VIVA GLAM lipstick and lipglass, donating 100 percent of the sale price to fight HIV/AIDS. For more information, visit www.macaidsfund.org.

DL Doesn't Mean Higher HIV Risk

2009-04-12T13:17:00.001-04:00

http://www.poz.com/rssredir/articles/dl_risk_hiv_1_16443.shtml

Story on Leshon Douglas Jr (aka Ary'el Elite Manolo Blahnik)

2009-04-11T13:59:00.003-04:00

http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2009/04/investigators-probe-death-of-20-yo-dumped-in-trash-bin.html

Message of the Day

2009-04-10T13:52:00.000-04:00

"Don't allow your light to become dim through circumstances and challenges....when all the world seems to be hell....it may be your light that helps yourself and others to see their way through it...."~ Stephaun Elite

A Great Teacher

2009-03-25T15:12:00.001-04:00

March 24, 2009
A Great Teacher
Living Like Water
www.dailyom.com

The journey of water as it flows upon the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way, we come into the world and begin our lives on earth. Like a river that flows within the confines of its banks, we are born with certain defining characteristics that govern our identity. We are born in a specific time and place, within a specific family, and with certain gifts and challenges. Within these parameters, we move through life, encountering many twists, turns, and obstacles along the way just as a river flows.

Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves on, as we encounter our own waterfalls, we may fall hard but we always keep moving on. Water can inspire us to not become rigid with fear or cling to what’s familiar. Water is brave and does not waste time clinging to its past, but flows onward without looking back. At the same time, when there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away from it in fear of the dark; instead, water humbly and bravely fills the empty space. In the same way, we can face the dark moments of our life rather than run away from them.

Eventually, a river will empty into the sea. Water does not hold back from joining with a larger body, nor does it fear a loss of identity or control. It gracefully and humbly tumbles into the vastness by contributing its energy and merging without resistance. Each time we move beyond our individual egos to become part of something bigger, we can try our best to follow the lead of the river.

Passive Agressive Behavior

2009-03-23T19:57:00.000-04:00

March 23, 2009
Passive Aggressive Behavior
Claiming Our Feelings
www.dailyom.com

If you’ve ever found yourself repressing your anger and behaving in other ways to get your point across, you may be someone who is adept at engaging in passive-aggressive behavior. Although passive-aggressive behavior is recognized as a psychological disorder, it also describes the behavior that many people use to cope with confrontational situations. Such behavior has the outward appearance of being peaceful, yet it is really an attempt to express oneself in seemingly passive ways—usually without accepting responsibility for doing so. For example, someone who doesn’t want to attend an event with a partner might engage in behavior that causes them to be late or miss the event without ever admitting to their partner that they never wanted to go to the function at all. Procrastination, inefficiency, stubbornness, and sullenness are some of the many ways that anger can be expressed indirectly.

It is important not to judge ourselves when we engage in passive-aggressive behavior. You may want to consider that you are not owning your feelings or your expression by indirectly expressing yourself. Perhaps you are judging your feelings and needs as wrong—which is why you are expressing yourself indirectly. You also may be worried that others will judge you for feeling the way that you do. Remember that anger and every other emotion are never good or bad. They can, however, become toxic of you don’t express them in healthy and proactive ways. When we express ourselves directly, we are more likely to be heard by the other person. It also becomes easier for us to ask for and get what we want.

Once we learn to be honest with ourselves about our feelings, we can begin to directly express ourselves to others. By learning to express ourselves directly, we prevent misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and resentment from cropping up in our relationships. We also learn to communicate with others in healthy and productive ways. It is never too late to start working on ourselves and our behaviors, just take it one day at a time.

What do you think??

African American's and the Gay Rights Movement

2009-03-23T11:37:00.000-04:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/byron-williams/african-american-communit_b_177790.html

Jill Scott- Crown Royal

2009-03-16T00:40:00.001-04:00

This is for the folks who have been asking what kind of music I listen to and what genre really sends me.....get a glimpse!!!

"Crown Royal"

Your hands on my hips pull me right back
to you, I
Catch that thrust give it right back to you,
you're
in so deep I'm breathing for you,you
Grab my braids arch my back high for
you your
Diesel engine,I'm squirting mad oil ah
Down on the floor til my speaker starts
to boil
I flip s**t
Quick slip
Hip dip
And I'm twisted
In your hands
and your lips
and your tongue tricks
and you're so thick and you're so thick
and you're so
Crown Royal on ice
Crown Royal on ice (On Ice)
Crown Royal on ice
Crown Royal on ice (On Ice)

Your hands on my hips pull me right back to you, I
Catch that thrust give it right back to you,
you're
In so deep I'm breathing for you,you
Grab my braids arch my back high for
you your
Diesel engine,I'm squirting mad oil ah
Down on the floor til my speaker starts
to boil
I flip s**t
Quick slip
Hip dip
And I'm twisted
In your hands and your lips
and your tongue tricks
and you're so thick and you're so thick
and you're so
Crown Royal on ice
Crown Royal on ice (On Ice)
Crown Royal on ice
Crown Royal on ice (On Ice)

AIG Gives Out Millions to Execs but Received Billions in Bail Out

2009-03-16T00:18:00.002-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/aig_outrage

I know that you all know that I am intelligent....but this shit right here makes me want to just cuss and slap the dirt shit out of somebody. The freakin audacity!!!

How DARE they receive $170 billion in bailout money but turn around and pay out over $170 million in bonuses to corporate executives. What in the hell are they being rewarded for? Being greedy? How in the hell does that work? What the hell kind of system is this? I am glad that the republicans are going off about this, actually I don't believe enough people have made enough noise honestly. (I will be composing my letters tomorrow when I get to work). Check out the link and read it for yourself....

Set Yourself Free

2009-03-12T13:48:00.001-04:00

March 11, 2009
Set Yourself Free
Letting Go of Perfection
www.dailyom.com

It is good to remember that one of our goals in life is to not be perfect. We often lose track of this aspiration. When we make mistakes, we think that we are failing or not measuring up. But if life is about experimenting, experiencing, and learning, then to be imperfect is a prerequisite. Life becomes much more interesting once we let go of our quest for perfection and aspire for imperfection instead.

This doesn't mean that we don't strive to be our best. We simply accept that there is no such thing as perfection—especially in life. All living things are in a ceaseless state of movement. Even as you read this, your hair is growing, your cells are dying and being reborn, and your blood is moving through your veins. Your life changes more than it stays the same. Perfection may happen in a moment, but it will not last because it is an impermanent state. Trying to hold on to perfection or forcing it to happen causes frustration and unhappiness.

In spite of this, many of us are in the habit of trying to be perfect. One way to nudge ourselves out of this tendency is to look at our lives and notice that no one is judging us to see whether or not we are perfect. Sometimes, perfectionism is a holdover from our childhood—an ideal we inherited from a demanding parent. We are adults now, and we can choose to let go of the need to perform for someone else's approval. Similarly, we can choose to experience the universe as a loving place where we are free to be imperfect. Once we realize this, we can begin to take ourselves less seriously and have more fun. Imperfection is inherent to being human. By embracing your imperfections, you embrace yourself.

What do you think?

Stephaun Clipper-Wallace
www.stephaunelite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite

"Hope – Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead."~ Barack Obama

This Weekend: African American Outreach Initiative- Atlanta, GA

2009-03-10T04:48:00.001-04:00

GEORGIA: "HIV/AIDS Conference: Message of Hope Goes Out to Blacks"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (03.08.09):: Gracie Bonds Staples

Some 500 to 600 HIV-positive persons are expected to attend the 10th annual conference of the African-American Outreach Initiative this weekend in Atlanta. The participation of people living with HIV is "what makes this conference different," said Michael Banner, chair of the conference planning committee. "It gives people who are HIV-positive a safe place to come and get information and see role models who are living with HIV but not living in the shadows." The conference takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland St., Atlanta. For more information, telephone 404-284-9878.

Iyanla Vanzant We Love You!!!

2009-03-10T04:38:00.003-04:00

In case you haven't heard or read, there is a phenomenal woman (yes, besides you!)going around spreading light and love; and a little more than a glimpse of it hit me sometime ago. So, at the request of a friend of mine, I listen to her CD entitled "In the Meantime" (also the name of one of her more recent books) and I could have disappeared into a state of complete euphoria when as I took in the lyrics.

There is a track on there that talks about being "fully present", and that is probably one of my favorites on there. I wont ruin it for you by attempt to paraphrase what she spits.....you just need to cop it!!!

Why are you still sitting here reading this........go get it now!! (Then come back and read my blog....lol)

Conscience Rule to Be Overturned

2009-03-10T04:34:00.000-04:00

UNITED STATES: "Health Workers' 'Conscience' Rule Set to Be Voided"
Washington Post (02.28.09):: Rob Stein

The Obama administration recently proposed rescinding a US Health and Human Services regulation that shields health workers who refuse to participate in care they perceive as violating personal, moral or religious beliefs. The proposal will be subject to a 30-day public comment period, officials said.

Finalized in December, the HHS regulation accommodates doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health workers who refuse to perform abortion or assist in its provision and other similar services. Federal funding would be cut to state and local governments, hospitals, insurers, clinics, and other entities that do not obey the rule.

The regulation was sought by conservative groups who said health workers were increasingly subject to being fired, disciplined or otherwise penalized for trying to exercise their "right of conscience." The conservative Family Research Council and US Conference of Catholic Bishops, among other groups, condemned the Obama administration's move to rescind the rule.

However, women's health, family-planning, and abortion-rights advocates criticized the old regulation's language as being so broad as to potentially create a major barrier to health services.

"We've been concerned that the way the [Bush era] rule is written, it could make it harder for women to get the care they need," an HHS official said on condition of anonymity. "We recognize and understand that some providers have objections to providing abortions," the official said. "We want to ensure that current law protects them. But the Bush rule goes beyond current law and seems to have upset the balance."

A new rule would be more specific to abortion, the HHS official said. Some predict the new rule would ensure access to care while protecting workers who object to abortion.

Illinois House Committee Approves Condoms in Prisons

2009-03-06T09:36:00.003-05:00

ILLINOIS: "House Panel OKs Condoms in Prisons"
Chicago Tribune (03.05.09)

The House Human Services Committee voted 4-3 in favor of a measure that would allow Illinois inmates to purchase condoms in prison. "Safe sex is talked about every place except inside the prison," said Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), the bill's sponsor. Davis argued that even though sexual activity is banned in state correctional institutions, condoms should be available to help prevent HIV transmission among inmates who have sex anyway. Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson Sergio Molina said the bill would "send the wrong signal." The measure now advances to the full House, but its chances of becoming law are seen as slim.

A Message from Tyler Perry

2009-03-05T16:28:00.002-05:00

Hi there,

I’ve been reading the message board and you’ve made it perfectly clear that you wanted me to share with you, so here’s a long one...(smile). Now you know we need to keep our jobs so if this is too long, then read it when you get time and send it to some friends. Okay, here goes.

Every time I have a movie come out I do a press conference, and with MADEA GOES TO JAIL it was no different. I’m always asked a lot of questions. They're usually the same questions, but this time I was asked something a little different. I was asked how did I get to be homeless. I told the story but this part got left out of the article. When I talk about God people don’t like to print that for some reason. Anyway, I ended up homeless following what I believe to be the voice of God. I know that may sound crazy, but hear me out. Here’s what happened.

I wrote my first play at 22. After I wrote it I prayed and asked God to bless it and lead me in the right direction. No sooner than I said that, I was in Atlanta visiting for Freaknick...(LOL). On this visit I realized that there was a small theater called the 14th Street Playhouse that I could afford to rent and perform my play in. So feeling led, I moved to Atlanta, got a job and went to work on saving money to do my show. I just knew this would work. Anyway, there were 200 seats. I thought I would do 6 shows and 1,200 people would come and I would be set. There was one
problem. I needed time off from my job to do it. I asked my boss and he said no. I went to my desk and prayed. I said, "God, if this is for me to do then lead me." I clearly heard the voice say, "Quit, it will be all right." So I did. I did the play and instead of 1,200 people showing up only 30 came over the entire weekend. I said, "Okay God, where are You?" I couldn’t hear a word. Now mind you, I could always hear from God. You remember my parakeet story?

Anyway, of course I was broken-hearted, but I picked myself up and went and got another job. I got a phone call a few months later. Someone who had seen the show wanted to invest in another show. So I was faced with the same decision again. I had just gotten a job and they wouldn’t give me the time off, so I had to quit to go and do the play. Same thing. I went to my desk and prayed and heard that same voice saying quit. So I did. Now from 1992 until 1997 this happened over and over again. I was only doing one show a year, and every time the show failed. So, I would go get another job. But there was always someone new who wanted to invest. I got another opportunity to do a show, but I knew I would have to quit my "GOOD JOB" as my mother would say. I was making $350 a week. Anyway, I went to the boss and asked for time off so I could do the play. He said no. So I went back to my desk and prayed. I said, "God, what should I do?" I
clearly heard the voice say quit. So I did.

I went out and did that show. I think it was in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Anyway, I rehearsed, loaded the U-Haul truck and drove down there. There was a little rain as I was going there. When I got there I found out that a hurricane was coming through. Nobody showed up. I was devastated! As I was driving the truck home through the rain, I was going as fast as I could. I was so hurt and angry. I prayed and prayed and said, "God, You told me to do this. Where are You?" I didn’t hear a word. It’s scary when you can’t hear from God. Anyway, I got home and there was the eviction notice. I went out looking for a job and found one, but by the time I got my first check it was too late. I came home from work to find all of my things out in front of the apartment building. I didn’t care about the stuff. Let me take that back. My stereo, that I had bought from one of those rent-to-own companies (where you pay five times more than it’s worth), was ruined. I was mad about that...(LOL). Anyway, the thing that hurt me the most was that I had so many scripts and songs and things that were ruined from the rain. I sat there getting what I could together. I put them in my car (that was up for repossession) and drove around all night. Finally, I slept in the car. When I got my next check I started staying at this pay-by-the-week hotel. There were drug addicts, prostitutes, and any criminal element you could imagine there. During this time, I was still praying and I still hadn't heard from God.

I called home for a family member to send me some money and I was told that I should give up this dream and that I was never going to make it. I was told to stop doing this play bull$#@t. I think that was one of my lowest days. I cried like a baby because this was someone that I truly
loved.

I was working at UPS. Now I was up to about $400 a week, but I couldn’t seem to get ahead enough to get my first and last month's rent. This kind woman (who I have been looking for for years) named VIRGINIA HARDIMAN, in Atlanta, loaned me the money. She told me to hold on and that God would see me through. I didn’t want to hear that. I felt like He was the reason
I was in that situation.

Anyway, I got an apartment. The one I showed you the picture of. And was so happy to have a roof over my head. My thought was, "God, even though I can't hear from You, thank You! Thank You for this place!" I was grateful. Before I knew it 2 years had passed by and I was getting comfortable in my place. It had become safe. I stopped dreaming. I was taking the advice of
the family member. I had settled in and didn’t want to dream anymore. It hurt too much. I was 28 at the time (you have to be careful when you get comfortable in a place that’s not your home).

Anyway, life was okay, but I was so unhappy. By then I had moved on to another "good job" and I walked into that place everyday miserable. I knew there was something more for me. I had gotten so depressed. All I would do was work, come home, eat and sleep. Thank God I have never done any drugs because I know I would have been strung out. You also have to be careful
when you’re not happy or you will find yourself in some situations that you never thought you could be in. And I did. I started drinking pretty heavily back then. Saturday night I would drink, but Sunday morning I was at church still trying to hear from God. I had given up. Some kind of way the rent got behind again. When I think about it, the rent was $425 and I was only making about $1,200 a month. I had a car and gas and food to buy, so I guess it was easy to get behind.

Around this time I got a call from someone else who wanted to invest, and she said we had an opportunity to do the show at the House of Blues in Atlanta. I said no. I SAID NO! Oh God when I think about this I get a chill. They had to beg me to do the show! It hurt too much to have that
dream be revived in me and not make it. I just couldn’t do it. I said no. With a lot of coaxing I finally gave in. Can you imagine if I wouldn’t have?

Anyway, the night of the play I remember sitting in the dressing room getting ready for the show. I was playing old man 'Joe' at the time. I sat there complaining and talking to God saying, "You always get me out here and You leave me, and I’m 28. This is it! I’m not doing this anymore!" Can you imagine me talking to God like that? That’s crazy! But I was so mad at Him then. So, I was saying what I wanted to say and in the middle of my rant I heard Him. IIIII HHEEAARRD HIIIMMM!!!!! Somebody knows what I’m talking about! He said to me, "I AM GOD. YOU DON'T TELL ME WHEN IT’S OVER. I TELL YOU WHEN IT'S OVER, AND THIS IS THE BEGINNING." I sat there crying like a baby. Then He said, "Get up and look out of the window." I got up and looked out and there was a line around the corner trying to get into
the place! I still get a chill when I think about it. If I had given up on dreaming... If I had not tried one more time... I wouldn’t be here in this place. I wouldn’t have seen all that I’m seeing now. For that matter you wouldn't be reading this email.

So, sometimes following God will lead you into places that you don’t want to go. It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. It hurts. But if you can just hold on you will see there is another side to it. What you're going through is not in vain. Hold on! Keep the faith! And learn to be thankful for
whatever situation you may be in. It’s not over until God says it’s over. And this is just your beginning. TRY AGAIN!!

There is so much more to this story, but I know you have other things to do. I’m writing all of this in my book so you’ll be able to get the full story one day. I just wanted to share a little bit with you. Please share it with someone, okay?

Be strong and stay well. AND TRY AGAIN, AND THEN AGAIN, AND THEN AGAIN!

Tyler P.

10th Annual AAOI Conference in Atlanta, Georgia

2009-02-28T16:34:00.004-05:00

PRESS RELEASE

February 26, 2009

AAOI: African American Outreach Initiative Conference
10 Year Anniversary
This Conference is FREE!

What:
10th Annual African American Outreach Initiative (AAOI), a Conference whose mission and goal is to target African-Americans who are HIV +, and provide information on available services, programs and other resources with the ultimate goal of promoting and accessing primary health care. Attached is the required registration form, with directions on how to fill it out and where to send.

Contact:
Charles Shackelford for registration at 404 284-9878 or cshackelford@standinc.com

Patrick Kelly, Marketing Chair at 404 691-8880 ext 14 or pkelly@naesm.org

Where:
The Loudermilk, 40 Courtland Street. Atlanta, Georgia. 30303

When:
Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:00 AM – 5:00PM

(Breakfast 7:00am-8:00am)

Sunday, March 15, 2009 8:00 AM -5: PM

(Breakfast 8:00 am-9:00am)

The African American Outreach Initiative is a program of the African American Initiative Task Force of the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Services Planning Council. The Task Force started as an ad hoc committee given the responsibility of developing an outreach strategy to encourage people of color to seek treatment for HIV and to maintain treatment. A diverse group of volunteers comprised of service providers, consumers, and community representatives developed its goal:

Encourage African Americans, who are HIV+, to access holistic treatment services in order to increase utilization of health care and promote medical adherence by providing information on available services, programs, and other resources.

Thank you for helping us remove HIV/AIDS from the African American community.

Patrick L. Kelly
Community Relations Manager
NAESM, Inc.
2140 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30310
404.691.8880, ext. 14 (local)
404.691.8811 (facsimile)
pkelly@naesm.org
http://www.naesm.org

The 12 Laws of Attraction

2009-02-27T01:15:00.004-05:00

THE GREAT LAW As you sow, so shall you reap. This is also known as the Law of Cause and Effect. Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us. If what we want is Happiness, Peace, Friendship, Love...Then we should BE Happy, Peaceful, Loving, a Friend.

THE LAW OF CREATION
Life doesn't just HAPPEN, it requires our participation.
We are one with the Universe both inside and out.
Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state.
BE and DO yourself...what you what to have in your Life.

THE LAW OF HUMILITY
What you refuse to accept, will continue for you.
If what we see is an enemy, or someone with a character trait that we find to be negative, then we ourselves are not focused on a higher level of existence.

THE LAW OF GROWTH
Wherever you go, there you are. For us to GROW in Spirit it is we who must change and not the people, places or things around us. The only given we have in our lives is OURSELVES and that is the only factor we have control over.
When we change who and what we are within our heart our life changes too.

THE LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY
Whenever there is something wrong, there is something wrong in me.
We mirror what surrounds us and what surrounds us mirrors us We must take responsibility what is in our life.

THE LAW OF CONNECTION
Even if something we do seems inconsequential, it is very important that it gets done
as everything in the Universe is connected. Each step leads to the next step and so forth and so on. Someone must do the initial work to get a job done.
Neither the first step nor the last are of greater significance They were both needed to accomplish the task. Past, Present, Future. They are all connected...

THE LAW OF FOCUS
You can't think of two things at the same time.
When our focus is on Spiritual Values it is impossible for us to have lower thoughts such as greed or anger.

THE LAW OF GIVING AND HOSPITALITY
If you believe something to be true, then sometime in your life you will be called upon to demonstrate that truth. Here is where we put what we SAY that we have learned
into PRACTICE.

THE LAW OF HERE AND NOW
Looking back to examine what was, prevents us from being totally in the HERE AND NOW.
Old thoughts, old patterns of behavior, old dreams...Prevent us from having new ones.

THE LAW OF CHANGE
History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.

THE LAW OF PATIENCE AND REWARD
All Rewards require initial toil. Rewards of lasting value require patient and persistent toil. True Joy follows doing what we're suppose to be doing and waiting for the Reward to come in it's on time.

THE LAW OF SIGNIFICANCE AND INSPIRATION
You get back from something whatever you've put into it The Value of something is a direct result of the energy and intent that is put into it. Every personal contribution is also a contribution to the Whole Lack luster Contributions have no impact on the Whole or work to diminish it. Loving Contributions Lift Up and Inspire the Whole.

UNITED STATES: "Stimulus Allows 'Discretionary' Funds for HIV Prevention"

2009-02-24T11:34:00.000-05:00

Southern Voice (Atlanta) (02.20.09):: Lou Chibbaro, Jr.

While congressional negotiators cut direct funding to prevent HIV and other diseases from the recently passed economic stimulus bill, HIV prevention funding could still be available through a discretionary "community-based prevention and wellness" fund, AIDS advocates said.

In order to obtain votes necessary for the bill's passage, House-Senate conference negotiators cut from the House version of the bill $335 million to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, other STDs, and TB. Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate had objected to including such funding in a stimulus package.

The Senate had earlier dropped from its version $400 million specifically for HIV prevention. Many AIDS advocacy groups - including AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Action, and the AIDS Institute - had lobbied for the House provision to remain intact. The bill that passed Feb. 13 includes $1 billion in discretionary prevention and wellness funding, part of which AIDS advocates hope can be used to fight HIV.

Out of the $1 billion, $650 million is allocated "to carry out evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention and wellness strategies authorized by the [US] Public Health Service Act, as determined by the [Health and Human Services] Secretary, that deliver specific, measurable health outcomes that address chronic disease rates." Activists familiar with AIDS programs said the language could authorize the HHS secretary to allocate some of the money to HIV prevention programs.

MOCHA's Youth Forum Report

2009-02-22T00:48:00.002-05:00

February 20, 2009 by James Hipps (www.gayagenda.com)
MOCHA’s Youth Forum Report

The link below will take you to MOCHA’s Youth Forum Report. The purpose of this technical assistance document is to highlight the unique health-related and psycho-social trends within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth of color communities, with a focus on young men who have sex with men and transgender persons. MOCHA would like to ensure that organizations and providers of youth services have access to, and use of, information and data that is most recent, culturally relevant and age specific. Furthermore, this document is designed to allow individuals and organizations to understand how to design, develop and implement programs and services that speak to the unique needs of LGBT youth.

For more information on this project, please feel free to contact:

Stephaun Clipper, MPowerment Coordinator, at (585) 420-1400 x14.

For a copy of the report, please click here.

Confessions of a Black Gay Man

Philly is Burning- The city's ballroom scene is both a social and support network for young LGBT African-Americans.

Longevity of AIDS Patients Presents New HIV Risks

Black MSM Focus of New HIV Campaign

NBLCA Condemns Homophobia

Guess Who?????

The Introduction to Markies M.: Same Sex Marriage

DC Announces Gays/Lesbians Weddings Have Begun

SF Chronicle: Thousands of HIV Cases Not Counted in California

Minority Reporter: Homosexuality, Religion & AIDS

The 100 Black Gay Men Project

Black AIDS Day Media Coverage in Rochester, NY

Emergency Contraception Now Available to Women Serving in the US Military Overseas

Gays Getting Married; Black Clergy Upset

How typical that some Black Clergy are responding to the civil (not religious) issue of gay marriage through the lenses of Christian-based theology....news flash America.........this IS going to happen.....and you can't stop it!!!!!!!

Read the full article here: http://www.race-talk.org/?p=757

Anye Elite presents "ICON".....

2010 House of Blahnik Ball

The MOCHA Center along with AIDS Rochester lead the Charge to End Homophobia/Heterosexism in Rochester, NY

SkunkPost.com || Lights, camera, DRAG? Who's who of Hollywood Ball

''I AM GAY'' Ads Send Message To Local African-American Community

Rochester City News: Hope Takes Action: A Road to Victory for Rochester

MEDICINE: An armada to fight AIDS in Rochester

Help Save SOVO!!!

The Cost and Causalities of Science: HIV/AIDS in Black America

B-More Black Gay Youth Found Dead: Family Reaction Cause for Question

Southern States Most Impacted by HIV/AIDS; Receive Less Funding/Support

Georgia Senate Pushes to Succeed from United States

CIty Newspaper: Local Armada of Community Organizations Spearhead New HIV Direction

An Interview: Stephaun gets personal with RoCkii!

NBJC Applauds Obama Administration Inclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs

NBJC Applauds Obama AdministrationInclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs

Morehouse Bans Do-Rags, Grills, And Sagging Pants In New Dress Code

ACTION ALERT: The Return of Abstinence-Only Education!

We Are Family

New African American Barbies Too African American???

A World First: Vaccine Helps Prevent HIV Infection

The Eradication of HIV/AIDS in Monroe County (New York)

BET: Of Black Power, White children, and Maintaining the Status Quo

Potential Weapon Against HIV/AIDS Progression

Scientists Locate Antibodies that Can Stop Advance of AIDS

The Eradication of HIV

I Wish You Enough!!

My Messaage of the Week

Project Q Atlanta: Activist Simone Bell Runs for State House

New HIV Strain Leapt to Humans from Gorillas: Study

Working with a Larger Energy

Transforming a Perception

The Glamorous Life Ball- August 9th, 2009 (Rochester, NY)

NBJC: Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights

VIBE Media Group Closes Its Doors???

White Man Charged with Prostituting 5 yr old Adopted Black Son

UPDATE: Katherine Jackson Granted Temporary Custody

Tribute to Michael Jackson

US: Game for HIV-Positive Youth Developed

White Southern Baptist Pastor Prays for Death of Obama

PRIDE TV: Will Senate's apology for slavery doom reparations movement?

Had your dose of Shamanism today?

Coverage of the Stonewall Riots: Gay and Lesbian History

Question to Ponder....

PRIDE TV: Obama to Grant Benefits to Same-Sex Partners

UNITED STATES: "Estimating the Proportion of HIV Transmissions from Main Sex Partners Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Five US Cities" AIDS Vol. 23; No. 9: P. 1153-1162 (06.01.09):: Patrick S. Sullivan; Laura Salazar; Susan Buchbinder; Travis H. Sanchez

HOUSE OF BLAHNIK SCHOLARSHIP

Aaron McGruder on BET, Presidential Election and War

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2009

Chris Brown Tribute to Michael Jackson (Thriller) from the 2008 World Music Awards

Cocaine Found in Red Bull???

Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Doing It

Speaking of Commitment

Black AIDS agency shuts down; Will Woods become 1st Black, gay elected to US House?

Unity Fellowship Church Movement Speaks on Prop 8

NYAC: LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week

Los Angeles Gang Seeks to Eliminate Blacks

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality?

The Company You Keep

NC: Cell Phones Enhance Sex Education

FOX Refuses To Air Obama’s Primetime Press Conference

Golden Girls Star Passes at 86

A Virtuous Cycle

Palin's Attorney General Pick Supports KKK Monument

NBJC Applauds Obama Administration
Inclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs