The tributes continue to pour in for the late Michael Jackson. Friend and composer Siedah Garrett turned in one of the most moving tributes to Jackson in a recent performance of 'Man In The Mirror' at the Los Angeles Based Agape International Spiritual Center. Agape, under the leadership of Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith boasts a multi-cultural and LGBT affirming congregation that is recognized worldwide.
Garrett along with composer Glen Ballard created the standout anthem from Jackson's 1987 Bad album. Man In The Mirror is performed by Garrett along with the Agape International Choir. She notes:
"I was asked by CNN, Entertainment Tonight, MSNBC, Hollywood Tonight, EXTRA, all of these news media...they want me to talk about Michael. And I'm thinking;nobody was asking me to talk about Michael on Tuesday...nobody was asking me to talk about Michael on Wednesday. And now everyone wants to hear whatever dirt I have to offer, to feed into this media madness...I have nothing to offer. I don't know anything about his personal life but I know his music touched me".
Get into Siedha Garret's moving tribute in the video below.
The Day I Stopped Being Pretty, chronicles the life of a young, black, gay male who awakes and finds himself in the emergency room after a failed suicide attempt. After regaining consciousness, he begins to reflect on the events of his life that led him to attempting to end it all. During the course of his life, we see his battle with substance abuse, physical abuse and sexual activities that lead to his eventual HIV diagnosis.
On the surface, The Day I Stopped Being Pretty looks like a tale of a man whose broken relationship with his father has led him on a tumultuous path to fill the void of unrequited love. But if you look above that surface you would realize that The Day I Stopped Being Pretty is much more than that.
Rodney Lofton takes a bold and daring move in his debut book. It is easy to say that for the sake of length Lofton was not being verbose. He paints a vivid picture of his life, so captivating, so interesting and compelling, that it makes many memoirs look like underdeveloped fables.
The Day I Stopped Being Pretty is not a memoir where self-discovery and happiness are the climax of the story. This book is depressing and raw and there’s absolutely nothing humorous about it. The Day I Stopped Being Pretty is a page turner and I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind shedding a few tears and at times cringing back out of fear and pain for Lofton.
Why did you decide to write The Day I Stopped Being Pretty?
A: I decided to write The Day I Stopped Being Pretty after a failed suicide attempt. At the time, I was battling a great number of demons in my life. Loss seemed to be the one constant thing going on in my life at the time. This is included the loss of my father, grandmother, my mother’s fiancée and my aunt. I was also dealing with the loss of someone special in my life. I realized after the failed suicide attempt I had a pattern of behavior that repeated itself and I needed to revisit some of those behaviors in order to move forward. Out of this time of reflection came The Day I Stopped Being Pretty. In many ways, the book became my purging and saving grace.
The title of the book is actually what drew me into wanting to read the synopsis of it, how did you get to choose the title?
A: As I talk about in the book, the title came out of something my father said to me when I was about the age of 10. I was use to the term “pretty” being applied to me when someone saw me. My father overheard a young lady pay me this compliment. When this happened, he grabbed me about the arms and informed me men were not pretty, they were handsome. The title comes from that moment; in my father’s eyes, that was the day I stopped being pretty.
Did you change the names of the people in your book or are those their real names?
A: I actually changed the names of the individuals in the book.
Has anyone in the book commented about how you’ve portrayed them?
A: No one has commented about how they were portrayed. They all know about the book by now, but no one has said anything to me about how they felt they were portrayed in the book.
Do you keep in contact with any of your old boyfriends and lovers?
A: Yes. There are a couple of individuals I keep in contact with from the book. Some were too painful to revisit and for me that was the best way to keep it. I will say, there is one more than any of the others I would love to see again, but who knows what the future holds. He will always have a place in my heart and truth be told, I do think about him often.
Your father was a huge component of your story, what do you think his reaction would be if he was alive to read the book?
A: I can’t really say. I would hope if he were still alive that maybe we could have resolved some of the issues that distanced the relationship between the two of us. I do miss him and I have to thank him for giving me life. I may not have agreed with the way he treated me, but he was my father and I did love him. I have come to realize in defense, he loved me the best way he knew how. That is something to hold onto.
How would you describe the book to someone who hasn’t read it?
A: Some have said it is just a book fueled with drugs and the sex life of a black gay man. It is unfortunate if that is the only thing the reader takes away from the book. It is the story of a man-child who is searching for the one thing we all want – LOVE. He discovered through all of the ups and downs, the love he searched for was the one place he never looked – it was inside. That’s what I hope readers take away from The Day I Stopped Being Pretty.
Is there anything you left out of the book that you wish you could have included?
A: There are some things and a few ex-boyfriends and lovers who were left out, but I really wanted to focus on the individuals who really left a mark in my heart and thoughts.
Tell us about your new book No More Tomorrows?
A: I am really excited about No More Tomorrows: Two Lives, Two Stories, One Love. It is, in my opinion a very beautiful love story of two individuals, one who is HIV positive and the other HIV negative, living and loving in the face of adversity.
It traces the journey of love between Mark and Kevin from the very first meeting, to their first date, their first kiss and the first time they make love. It shows the reality of living and loving in the era of HIV/AIDS. It is very moving to see the love shared between these two incredibly loving Black Gay Men. It poses the question, “What will you say, when it’s time to say good-bye?” I hope readers will read with an open-mind and a compassionate heart the love of these strong brothers.
The family of murdered Syracuse transgender woman LaTeisha Green spoke to the media yesterday in a prelude to the official start of the trial. Green's grief stricken parents Roxanne Green and Albert Cannon along with her brother Mark Cannon, who was beside LaTeisha Green the night she was gunned down was unable to speak and designated Rhonda Gary, Green's aunt, to speak on behalf of the family.
LaTeisha Green was shot in the chest as she sat in a parked car on the evening of November 14, 2008 in Syracuse, New York by accused suspect Dwight R. DeLee. It is believed DeLee's motive was fueled by anti-gay/trans hatred towards the victim.
Prosecutors have charged Dwight R. DeLee with murder in the second degree, murder in the second degree as a hate crime, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree in connection with Lateisha's murder. This is the first hate crime prosecution in New York State involving the murder of a transgender person. If DeLee is convicted of committing a hate crime, it will be only the second hate crime conviction involving the murder of a transgender person in the United States.
Family spokesperson Rhonda Gary spoke of LaTeisha Green's life and the unconditional love and support given by the family during her transition:
"LaTeisha was beautiful with a smile that could light up a room. At 16 she bravely came out to her family and friends and begin dressing as a woman. We never placed any conditions on our love and support, we whole heartedly accepted and supported her decision to live her life openly and proudly. We worked hard to support Lateisha when others tried to break her spirit".
Those "others" who taunted Green for being transgender in life are unrelenting in death. It's obvious by the number of hate-filled comments left by readers on syracuse.com who refuse to understand why there is a need for hate crime laws and why this case should be prosecuted as such.
There is a virtual blackout in the mainstream media regarding Green's murder and it's apparent that LGBT blogs are going to have to get this story out.
There's not a lot I have to say in the body of this post since I think the images speak for themselves. Every now and then I like to profile black gay couples who are loving each other despite public opinion leading many to believe that we are not interested in committed relationships or specifically committed relationships with other black men.
Many of these couples I know personally and some I do not. Regardless, they inspire me, especially the Atlanta couple who has been together for over 35 years.
Enjoy the pics and my song of the moment "When Love Takes Over" by Kelly Rowland in the link below.
"By punctuating even the most sexually non-suggestive sentences with a homophobic disclaimer, we reinforce the idea that gay and lesbian people are worthy of ridicule, shame, and surveillance. This notion is particularly troubling within hip-hop culture, which is sustained by the creative work of gay stylists, writers, choreographers and, yes, rappers. The use of “no homo” also reveals a deep homoerotic impulse within our culture. After all, how can you constantly say “no homo” without constantly thinking about gay sex? Perhaps, instead of finding new ways of deriding gay and lesbian people, we could devote that same energy to figuring out why we're obsessed with them. The answer may be deeper than we think."
Justin Smith is one of those activists and he recently disclosed his status in one of the most unlikeliest of places-his workplace.
Smith tells loldarian.com the reason he decided to disclose his HIV status to his boss was his need to snack throughout the day.
"People who have HIV need to have more nutrients in there daily life than people who are HIV negative", says Smith.
"The way I usually do this is through pills and food. I do both because I want to stay at the top of my game and stay healthy. I try to drink Ensure as well to help with maintaining my weight", he added.
Smith thought his decision to disclose something so intensely personal at work would be met with respect and adulation and posted his decision to his Facebook page changing his status to read, “Justin B Smith just disclosed his HIV status to his Boss”. His boss took the news well but the reaction of his friends were mixed.
One friend asked, "Why do you have to wear your HIV status on your sleeve"? Smith's response: Why should I have to keep my status a secret? The more we talk about HIV/AIDS the better off our community will be.
By using YouTube to share his story of living with HIV with the masses Smith is always talking about it. Watch Justin Smith explain his decision to disclose at work for himself in the video below. Would you have the courage to do the same?
The follow up to the successful black gay indie hit film Finding Me is currently in production in New York City. Recently director and creator Roger Omeus(pictured below) took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with loldarian.com as well as share some of the first promo images from the sequel.
Omeus is promising fans who fell in love with main characters Faybien (Ray Martell Moore) and Lonnie (Derrick L. Briggs) even more drama and romance than they experienced the first time around.
According to Omeus fans should expect to see the truth revealed for a lot of the Finding Me characters. "Faybien's life will be turned upside down", he says. Also I know everyone fell in love with Lonnie in the original, but expect to see him in a different light.
Consumers of black gay films and television shows have often fallen in love with new projects only to see them disappear after only a short time on the scene, we've seen this happen with Noah's Arc and more recently The DL Chronicles. So it's an achievement that Finding Me is returning.
"Finding Me's ending left the door open to explore the lives of Faybien, Greg and Amera in more depth, says Omeus referring to the characters in the film. I often get asked, " Are we going to see what happens to Faybien next?" The other famous question is, "Will Lonnie and Faybien get back to together?" All of these questions will be answered in Finding Me: Truth.
Take a sneak peek at the cast on set of the new sequel Finding Me:Truth in the video below and follow the cast and crew from production to opening night on the Finding Me blog.
The issues of sexuality, race, etc. are multilayered and multifaceted and need to be addressed on many fronts, in many different ways. Ever since the Black Civil Rights Movement for equality, we have witnessed the progress from segregation and Jim Crow Laws to Black culture having shaped American pride and identity. Yes, we still have much more work ahead, but progress began when we joined hands and made a commitment to be seen, heard, and respected. We challenged the status quo and changed history. The same goes for Black GLBT individuals. No one else can do it for us.
The reality of the entertainment industry is that it is mostly run and created by the artistry and brilliance of GLBT individuals. Pop culture is created and shaped by a silent gay influence. From fashion to music, these purveyors of art affect the very way the public sees itself, from social status to body image. This is proven true of history itself. Yet and still they remain trapped by fear and circumstance, many living in a glass closet, especially the African American celebrity.
As an African American, openly gay, once upon a time closeted entertainer (of small success and stature), I know that we are all desiring to come up, to supersede our sometimes meager and difficult backgrounds, to be a beacon of success for ourselves, families, and communities, but at what price? As a civilian, family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, whose happiness are we seeking first? Ours or theirs?
Will we continue to sit back in fear and watch our family, friends, and lovers be thrown under the bus as we cower in the false security of our success, left to be devoured by the hate and homophobia in our community? Is the success worth having in the end? There is no excuse for hate. There is no excuse for self-hate. Our glass closets do not protect us.
For the Black celebrities who have been recently outted, it is an unfortunate fact that their careers now hang in the balance, but it is a house of cards that we have all played a part in building. Save yourselves and allow the lies to be shed before they topple down on you. And to those who feel safe at this moment, release your bonds before they cause irreparable damage. Do it first for your personal well being, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
If you face your fears FIRST, there is no fear you can be threatened with – no ammunition. We must stand proud in the face of homophobia in our community, both straight and gay. There is no reason we should allow the shining lights of our people to be smothered or extinguished by hate and fear. When you live your life HONESTLY and freely, there is no weapon that can be drawn against you. Put your heart first and conquer the fear. Open the channels of CHANGE by simply shedding the lies that cover your TRUTH.
I would like to see us continue to support those "outted" individuals and encourage them to carry on in truth. We shouldn't be reveling in the scandal or downfall, as it only strengthens homophobia, and bites us all back in the ass. The talent and the experiences they brought us don’t change because they are attracted to the same sex. And no one is guilt free from having lived some lie(s) in their lives.
I would also like to see those individuals, and more, step OUT. I challenge you to be brave and I challenge everyone to love you just the same. I recommend that you align yourselves to a GLBT media organization such as GLAAD, as well as seek the support of Black leaders and celebrities who are vocal and are allies to the GLBT community such as the Rev. Al Sharpton or Russell Simmons, or out celebrities such as Sheryl Swoops, or Wanda Sykes, then be vocal. Use the media to get your truth across FIRST. There is power in numbers. You must take back the control of your lives and images. We can remove the threat by removing the power and remove the power by removing the fear, and most importantly, remove the fear by removing the hate.
Let's prove to ourselves and the world that the African American community can overcome homophobia. We are greater than hate. Sing on. Act on. Dance on.
Coming out is an intensely personal decision that affects the individual and his or her family tremendously. While I'm an advocate of coming out after having done so myself at 16, I understand that it must be done by the individual in his own time.
Beyond Terrell Carter and his current situation there's a segment of men with same-sex attraction who willingly participate in sexual activity with other men but reject the gay label and anything associated with the gay political movement. The words of one such man (who is also an anonymous blogger) responding to the Terrell Carter outing inspired this open thread.
He writes:
I do not play when it comes to my privacy. I mind my business and keep my eye on my own prize. Gay men think because they are OUT, you should be too.
No. Not everyone HAS to be walking around the fucking gay pride, holding hands and singing “I’m Coming Out”. Reality is, there are alot of gay men who prefer a private life. They like to hang out with straight people. They haven’t come to terms with their sexuality and that is okay. Not all of us are “ready”. For that to be jeopardized is again: not right.
Hmmm...I have so much I want to say. A longtime reader of this blog (MR. FAMU) sums it up for me.
You would never ask a heterosexual to "keep silent" on their sexual orientation because the assumption is that there is NOTHING wrong with their orientation to begin with, but the fact gay men feel that they have to HIDE THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION speaks to a larger issue about how they view themselves and their orientation as somehow not normal and deviant. I am not going to coddle this man when he assumes that gay prides are nothing more than holding hands and singing Diana Ross songs. He lacks a knowledge of self and that is the reason he is in the situation he is in. Its not because he is gay that he is being exposed. Its because he is a hypocrite who thought living a LIE would make things okay for him. THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE LIGHT!
It's been a minute since I've posted anything from the extremist anti-gay wing of the black church and I don't know how I missed this one because it's a doozy! This clip of Minister Leroy Swailes testifying during the D.C. marriage equality hearings is one that should go down in YouTube history for being one of the most asinine videos ever uploaded.
I'm not even going to go into detail about what this "Pastor" says during his testimony, just press play and get ready to protect your keyboard. This my friends is exactly why marriage equality will prevail in this country. Keep talking Pastor Swailes.
Demarco Majors, the openly gay semi-professional basketball player turned off-Broadway actor who gained quite a buzz in the blogosphere prior to making his LOGO debut; opens up in a revealing interview with Madison on the effect coming out had on his career, whether or not he regrets his decision, why women still pursue him despite knowing he's gay, and why fatherhood shouldn't be reserved just for heterosexual men.
When you lost your contract after your secret was out, how did you feel at that moment?
The fact that someone actually considered me to be on there professional team was amazing to me. I worked so hard my whole life. I sacrificed all through high school and never got to play. I worked even harder during college. I was willing to go anywhere in this world to experience my dream of taking basketball as far as I could. It hurt like hell; I was completely devastated when I realized that other players had an issue with my sexuality. That made it hard for me to do my job with passion and conviction. I never flirted with anyone. I encouraged everyone to do their best. I was the first to practice the last to leave motto and I was encouraged to leave it all behind because I didn’t lie about who I loved privately.
How do you feel about it currently?
I’m completely at peace with it now. I knew then that my decision was not about me. I knew I could take the abuse in order to open the door for others to walk through safely, without fear or reservations. Now we have a show on television showcasing my friends and I. Now others have someone to identify with and I know I made the best decision.
Do you wish you would have stayed silent?
No. That help mold me into the man I am today not to mention the lives that have been touched through my experience.
Do you think ‘straight’ women should bear kids with ‘gay’ men? Why?
Yes, however, I believe it should happen with a responsible man. Being heterosexual or homosexual doesn’t matter.
With women knowing your background, why do you feel they STILL want to be intimate with you knowing you are into men?
I am a man. In my experience, some women have told me that they feel cared for, loved, can have deep conversations without being judged. I treat women how a woman should be treated and admired, and they find a true friend in me. This is something that I hope to share with everyone that I am close to.
This needed to be done. Fox News Contributor and Columbia University Professor Dr. Marc Lamont Hill slammed conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly last night in a fiery debate on The O'Reilly Factor regarding the racial component of Michael Jackson's life and career.
It's rare that any guest on The Factor is ever able to get a word in over Bill O'Reilly's screeching, but Marc Lamont Hill manages to do so while making O'Reilly look like the bigot he is.
Michael Jackson's Memorial is scheduled to begin at 10AM PDT/1PM EST live from The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Millions are expected to converge into downtown L.A. and over 1 billion people are expected to view it online. For those of you who may be at work and are unable to watch the event on television you can view it online here or below via Hulu. I will also be live blogging the memorial. This will be my very first live blog so please return later this afternoon to check it out.
11:30 AM EST The doors have been opened to the Staples Center. Fans are quietly filing in.
11:42 CNN's Don Lemmon is showing the beautiful gold MJ Memorial service program booklet. Pics of Michael with his mother, former Presidents, Liz Taylor, and his siblings. There's a quote from Psalms included by his sister Rebbie.
11:49 Private family service is being held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. MJ's body will be transported to the Staples Center following.
11:59 MJ's casket is being brought out of Forest Lawn and placed in the hearse for transportation to Staples Center. The brothers are pallbearers. This is so surreal.
12:21 The Jackson family motorcade has begun the 20 minute drive from Forest Lawn to The Staples Center.
12:38 Singer Dionne Warwick is now entering The Staples Center for the memorial service.
12:45 Director John Singleton is now entering The Staples Center. Singleton directed Jackson's Remember The Time video.
12:48 Jackson's hearse is now entering an underground entrance at The Staples Center for the memorial service.
1:11 Smokey Robinson is reading a statement from Diana Ross in her absence. Ross pledges to be there for Michael's kids as he wished.
1:13 Robinson is also reading a statement from former S. African President Nelson Mandela.
*Minutes from the official start of the ceremony. Twenty thousand people are inside The Staples Center. Over a billion watching around the world.*
1:33 Jackson's body is being brought to the front of the stage to thunderous applause by fans. Gospel choir is singing "Soon and very soon we're going to see the king".
1:36 Pasor Lucious Smith is giving the welcome.
1:40 Mariah Carey is on stage in a beautiful black dress singing" I'll Be There". Rough start but let's pray it gets better. It just did... Trey Lorenz is joining her.
1:45 Queen Latifah is at the podium "representing for the fans". "Michael was the biggest star on earth. He let me know that as an African-American you could travel the world. There was a world outside of America." Reciting "We Had Him" by Dr. Maya Angelou. "In Birmingham, Alabama, and in Birmingham, England we are missing Michael Jackson".
1:50 Lionel Richie is singing "Jesus Is Love". Standing ovation. Very moving performance.
1:54 Motown Founder Berry Gordy is at the podium giving condolences on behalf of the Motown family. Recalling the Jackson 5 audition for Motown. "Michael was way beyond his years, sang with feeling and inspiration. He was simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."
2:04 An amazing video tribute chronicling Jackson's career has begun.
2:07 Stevie Wonder is being escorted to the piano. "This is a moment that I wish that I didn't live to see come. As much as we need Michael here God needed him far more". Singing "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer".
2:15 Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson are at the podium speaking about Michael's humanitarian efforts.
2:21 Jennifer Hudson enters the stage to sing "Will You Be There". Yes!!!!
2:25 Al Sharpton is at the podium explaining to the MJ haters why he's so loved around the world. "Because Michael kept going..because he didn't accept limitations he broke down the color barriers. It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites together. People who thought they were separate became interconnected through his music".
To the kids:" Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what he had to deal with". Preach Rev. Al!!!
2:33 John Mayer is performing "Human Nature" on his guitar. Michael Jackson's vocal coach and others are providing vocals.
2:39 An emotional Brooke Shields has just stepped up to the podium. Reflecting on their relationship.
2:47 Jermaine is performing Michael's favorite song "Smile". I'm not sure where he's finding the strength to sing. He's in great voice. *Standing ovation*
2:53 Martin Luther King III and Bernice King are now speaking. Not sure why Bernice is there...her ugly homophobic spirit just ruined an amazing moment for me.
2:56 Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee haling Michael's life as "an American story". "I don't sing, dance, or write music but I do understand law and I know people are innocent until otherwise proven guilty. " Introduces resolution 600 to honor MJ.
3:07 Usher is singing "Gone Too Soon." Walking towards casket.
3:17 Smokey Robinson reflects on writing "Who's Loving You" and Michael's incredible vocal performance of it.
3:18 Shaheen Jafargholi from Britain's Got Talent is killing "Who's Loving You". *Standing ovation*
3:23 Kenny Ortega, Michael's creative director introduces video footage from This Is It. A performance of We Are The World.
3:28 The entire family and invited speakers are on stage for "Heal The World."
Marlon Jackson and Michael's daughter Paris say their final goodbyes in a gut wrenching moment. The casket is wheeled out of the Staples Center and a beautiful bright light is directed at a picture of Michael center stage.
Gone Too Soon. Michael Joseph Jackson 1958-2009. Rest In Peace.
What does Bishop Harry Jackson and Bow Wow have in common? Well they're both on Twitter and they're both known to go on anti-gay tirades from time to time. Bishop Jackson has made a career out of hating the gays and Bow Wow who once had a career is suspected of being one of the gays.
This morning to my surprise Bishop Harry Jackson got a little too close to this gay when I received an e-mail notifying me that he was following me on Twitter. Are you sure you wanna follow me Bishop Jackson? I'm one of the "militant in-your-face- God made me gay and I like it kinda gays".
My other followers have urged me to block him but I think this could get interesting really fast. It's obvious the good Bishop is as obsessed with demonizing the LGBT community as I am in uplifting it. Fellow blogger Joe Jervis of Joe My God and a host of other gay blogs and publications also made the list.
Let's hope Bow Wow doesn't come out anytime soon because Bishop Jackson will surely hold a press conference to blame the lack of a father figure for his homosexuality...I'm just sayin.
Gay activists are pushing to have this case investigated as a hate crime and CNN are also raising questions about the potential motive in Provost's killing.
Bound to secrecy under the discriminatory 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy, Provost confirmed his sexual orientation on his Myspace and Facebook pages, referring to his boyfriend Kaether Cordero as the love of his life.
On the morning of June 30 Provost's body was found in a guard shack on the western edge of Camp Pendleton in an apparent homicide. Early reports revealed the victim suffered from gun shot wounds and was bound, gagged, and burned.
CNN spoke with Navy spokesperson Lt. Kyle Raines who attempted to dispel rumors that Provost was tortured and targeted because he was gay.
"There are no indications that the body of Seaman Provost was bound, gagged or mutilated as some media have reported. There was a fire set in an effort to cover up evidence. The specific cause of death will be addressed once the autopsy report and toxicology reports have been completed. There was a person who was initially held as a person of interest. He is no longer being held. There is now a second sailor who was not previously identified to the media who has been linked to the commission of the crime through both physical evidence and his own statement. The second sailor is being held. His name has not been released."
The consistently hateful and notoriously anti-gay Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church has announced via their websitegodhatesfags.com plans to picket the upcoming memorial of late music icon Michael Jackson.
" Westboro Baptist Church will be there to remind you to stop worshiping the dead. We will be there to tell you to Thank God for the death of this filthy, adulterous, idolatrous, gender-confused, nationality-confused, unthankful brute beast", says Phelps in a mission statement posted on his website.
"We will be there to remind you that God Killed Wacko Jacko. There is a God, and a Day of Judgment. For you to wallow and murmur against God for his righteous Judgments is sin and will cause YOU to join Michael in hell."
Phelps and his cult followers first made headlines when they picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teen whose 1998 death sparked a national outcry and demands for harsher punishment for crimes committed based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Phelps' attendance at Tuesday's memorial will most likely offer the certified hate group their largest audience ever as the event will be carried live on every major U.S. network and across the world.
With over 18,000 ticketed fans expected to attend Jackson's memorial service and thousands more expected to converge into downtown Los Angeles to pay their final respects, Phelps and his clan may be in for a surprise. Die-hard Michael Jackson fans will not tolerate any disrespect of their idol during their final goodbye.
This may be Fred Phelps' and Westboro Baptist Church's last hateful protest... if they make it out in one piece.
Yet another example of why it's never a good idea to publicly claim moral superiority. Former D.C. Mayor and current Councilman Marion Barry was arrested Saturday night by the U.S. Park Police and charged with misdemeanor stalking.
About 8:45 p.m. in Anacostia Park, a Washington woman flagged down a Park Police officer on patrol and pointed to Barry, who was in another car. The woman said Barry was stalking her, Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser said.
Barry was taken into custody, processed and released, but he must make a court appearance for the charge. A court date has not been set.
This is not Barry's first run- in with the law. In 1990 Barry was caught smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room during his time as mayor of D.C. .
Barry was also arrested in 2002 when traces of marijuana and cocaine were found in his car after he was stopped in the Buzzard Point area of Southwest D.C. No charges were filed, and Barry claimed that the drugs were planted.
In May, Barry was the lone dissenter in an almost unanimous city council vote to recognize same-sex marriages in D.C. performed elsewhere.
D.C. boasts one of the most populated black gay communities in the country and Barry shocked gay residents and the blogosphere when he stated that "he only had a handful of openly gay residents in his district".
While same-sex couples married elsewhere living in D.C. will be celebrating in the days ahead, Barry will be preparing for another court appearance. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Loldarian.com would like to wish all of you a safe and exciting Independence weekend. My holiday is starting a little early as we take off for Black Gay Pride in Chicago. I hope to meet many of my Chicago readers around the city this weekend. If you see me out and about don't be afraid to say hello.
Let's get the festivities started early with an interesting video that landed in my inbox from the french artist Reksider. I'm not sure how I feel about the music but I'm definitely feeling the visual!
Thanks for all of your support. Back on Monday. Enjoy!
Chicago's Windy City Times interviews emerging black gay author James Hannaham about his debut novel 'God Says No'.
The book is a redemption story in which Gary, a fundamentalist Christian college student is disturbed by his budding sexual interest in other men. Though he prays frequently, it is quite a different episode on his knees -- in a Waffle House men’s room -- that proves his undoing. This lavatory encounter with a redneck pops the cork on a spree of indiscretions.
India Decriminalizes Homosexuality- The Delhi High Court court repealed Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that treated consensual gay sex as a crime . The justices wrote gays and lesbians were "denied moral full citizenship [as] Section 377 IPC grossly violates their right to privacy."
A tragic end to a short life and promising military career. The body of August Provost, 29, was found in the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday in a guard shack on the western edge of Camp Pendleton in an apparent homicide. Naval Criminal Investigative Service has taken a "person of interest" into custody but no charges have been filed. Local gay activists are urging the case to be investigated as a hate crime as it was known that Provost was a gay man.
Sources are reporting that the victim was shot and burned. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday to determine the cause of death. The results from yesterday's autoposy have not been released to the public.
Provost's Myspace page confirms that he was gay and involved in a relationship with Houston resident Kaether Cordero. Cordero, said yesterday that Provost was openly gay but kept his private life quiet for the most part, in a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"People who he was friends with, I knew that they knew,” Cordero said from Houston. “He didn't care that they knew. He trusted them.”
Provost had recently complained to his family that someone was harassing and bothering him, and they advised him to tell his supervisor, said his sister, Akalia.
“He's the type that if someone comes at him, he walks away. He never stands and argues,” she said. “He didn't deserve anything but a good life.”
In a blog on his Myspace page Provost opens up about the loneliness he experienced being away from his family and specifically his boyfriend and his desire to one day get married.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
