Vote No On Prop 8: Marriage Equality For All. Fundraiser & Afterparty, Thursday October 2nd.

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry present

For Faith, For Love, Forever:
In Support of Marriage Equality

A Fundraiser to defeat California Proposition 8 (Ban On Gay Marriage), featuring the cast of "Noah's Arc"

Thursday, October 2, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

First Congregational Church of Oakland
2501 Harrison Street, Oakland, CA

Central to the debate on same-sex marriage in the African-American community is the institution of the black church. Despite media portrayals suggesting complete disapproval, African-American clergy have a variety of opinions on same-sex marriage. This event will highlight an inclusive vision among African-American pastors and ministers, including:

* Rev. Roland Stringfellow, director of the Bay Area Coalition of Welcoming Congregations
* Rev. Lynice Pinkard, pastor, First Congregational Church of Oakland
* Rev. Francine Brookins, pastor, Wright Chapel A.M.E. Church San Francisco
* Dr. Dorsey Blake, Dean of the Faculty Starr King School for the Ministry

Joining in the discussion will be the cast of the hit Logo network television series Noah's Arc. The cast will share their thoughts on making the first black gay love story for the big screen. Voter registration and "No on Prop 8" information will be available following this forum.

__________________________________________________________________________


Club Rimshot presents

The After Party @ The Vibe Lounge

2272 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Thursday, October 2, 2008
9:30 pm - 2:00 am

$20 general admission / $40 dollars for VIP
Advance tickets are available at http://equalitytownhall.eventbrite.com/

100% of the proceeds from the door will be donated to the "No on Proposition 8" campaign.

The Invisible Woman

I saw someone post this on Facebook (shocker! i'm on Facebook :) and i watched it... the woman talks about being invisiblized in social/familial spaces... i was nodding, and kinda waited to hear the commentary grow around how women are invisiblized by sexist cultures and institutions... i really thought it was coming, then it took a turn that i wasn't expecting (is anyone else familiar with Nicole Johnson?). I really liked the cathedral metaphor, but umm, i was a bit disappointed with her final message to women around being invisiblized, which to me felt rather pacifying. That's just me though. But its funny that a 1940's movie, "The Invisible Woman" ended up being more radical around women being marginalized and invisibilized in the workplace. (below). In another blog around presidential politics, Sue Gordon makes a more poignant and personal commentary around being invisiblized as a black woman, which also refers to how Michelle Obama has been invisiblized.

MadCat 12 Women's International Film Festival Starts Today- AND only *9* days left to Frida Kahlo Exhibit at SFMOMA!

hello peoples, just a quick shout out on the bay area art scene, it is highly recommended to peep the MadCat 12 Women's International Film Festival. My friend Therese hipped me to this, it sounds very special. And you absolutely HAVE TO see the Frida Kahlo exhibit before it leaves the SFMOMA. You had a lot of time to peep it, time is running out! I saw it yesterday, i was very emotionally affected, overstimulated, inspired... and you just fall in love with her, and respect her strength, vulnerability, passion, vision and much more as you take in her beautifully visceral and sometimes downright anguished images. Not. To. Be. Missed.

"Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace And Humming Bird" -Frida Kahlo

More Feminist Organizations Are Backing Obama.

Oh this is good news, thank you Feministing. I've been deliberately trying not to just post about... someone else (one could blog about her alone and nothing else) so its good to be able to speak more to the constructive and positive news around Obama's campaign. Apparently there was a press conference of Women's Organizations who are supporting Obama. I am also glad to see that the National Organization for Women is backing Obama after backing Clinton. As well as the National Congress Of Black Women and several others.

I also like the quote that Miriam of Feministing culled from the conference: "We don't think it's much to break a glass ceiling for one woman and leave millions of women behind." See her article for more links.

Haiku Tribute To Ancestral Queens Of Liberation

Nanny of Maroons
Jamaica’s warrior queen
spirit of the hills

Harriet Tubman
forged freedom in the crossroads
mystic eyes guide souls

Just A Bit About Sarah Palin.

*and be sure to peep the Women Against Sarah Palin blog (Thanks for the heads up Sylvia!), and also Poplicks "A Good Progressive's Guide To Criticizing (And Not Criticizing) Sarah Palin".

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hey everybody, hope you are having a great weekend- sorry about the lapse in time since my last post. But surely, it just gave you an opportunity to go through all the juicy archives :)

So yeah, yeah. Sarah Palin. The insane arrival of the anti-celebrity to Obama's meaningful message celebrity is here. A lot has already been said. About how insultingly transparent McCain's choice is. "Look! I nominated a woman! Some might even refer to her as a VPILF! (not my or McCain's quote, saw that somewhere random)" About how sad it would be if pro-Clinton people actually bought it went and voted for McCain so that a woman with worse conservative politics than anyone running could be elected VP. Shoo, if Condaleeza Rice was running, i wouldn't vote for her just cuz she is black. But something has been gnawing a bit at me... how the media seems to be protecting her around the issues of her pregnant 17 year old daughter. Of course, someone as young as that should be protected from the media. But lets put it this way... what would have happened if the Obamas had a pregnant 17 year old daughter? I think we all know the answer to that one.

The Daily Show did some stuff on "the gender card" in the Palin campaign, and shows so many double standards in the reporting, its funny. The same people who were roasting Hilary and being overtly sexist are now crying foul and wagging shame shame shame at all the criticism Palin is getting, because it obviously comes from "deep rooted sexism". Vomit! Of course, even just the phrase "gender card" is so loaded because, much like "race card", it is usually used by people with privilege who don't want to look at their own crap. But this is such a perversion of it, where people in power who don't actually give a flying @#$! about women's rights are using this as a political strategy to protect a woman who reflects their anti-feminist values.

You'll need to turn up the volume on the actual interface when you go to the Daily Show page. Enjoy!

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oh JEEZ. i had to put another addendum to this. i try to not post too much about presidential politics cuz it seems to overshadow everything else. And i think everyone by now knows about the laundry list of why Palin is a very scary person. but DAMN. upon simply visiting Feministing, i see them further elucidating that new polls are showing more white women voting favoring McCain/Palin since her nomination; that not only are major news outlets like the Wall Street Journal, NPR and LA Times referring to Palin as a FEMINIST, but that she is also a Sexy SuperMom, Skirt Wearing Feminist that Hilary could have learned something from (like wearing more skirts). It is chilling to see the media laud this woman with terrifying values as so wonderful. Do newscasters have children? Or do they eat them? Sigh, i guess this is just one of the ways capitalisms screws us, paying people to say stuff that is actually bad for people. And oh yes, Feministing also schooled me that Sarah Palin as mayor made sure that rape survivors would have to pay $1200 to ensure that their rapist could be identified by a forensics rape kit. Ok, clearly, i need to start some grassroots Obama/Biden work very soon.

Women Deserve Better

Just found this fierceness via Uncensored Feminista who in turn re-blogged this from Feministing. Sonya "The Drama" Boom Renee, a finalist in the 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam Finals delivers a performance that makes you want her to stand up and applaud, and book her to represent at any event where the subject of women and choice is being discussed. Well, that was my reaction anyways! "I" statements richard, "I" statements...

Jay Smooth: A Beginner's Guide To "No Homo"

I found this great clip on postbourgie via illdoctrine. It really breaks down the origins and psychology behind the hip hop coined phrase "no homo", which is used by hetero men to qualify that their words shouldn't be taken as "being gay". ie, "man, that was smooth how you just slid the ball up there, no homo." This really defines homophobia for me, when straight folks are needing to re-assert their heterosexuality again and again, for fear (phobia) that they may be seen as gay (homo). Someone once defined homophobia to me in literal etymological translation: homo(same)phobia(fear). Fear that you are the same.

In Jamaica, there is definitely a similar dynamic, maybe there is a new phrase by now, but 2 years ago the qualifier was "a nuh lean talk". translation: I am not making lean talk/talk that leans. I am making straight talk. Its pretty amazing, and a little sad to sit in a group of men and hear this over and over, this self-policing. Really feels stressful, like a lot of energy has to go into this constant self monitoring. So basically, though of course LGBT folks have an inordinately rougher time from homophobia and heterosexist oppression, in my opinion hetero folks also suffer psychologically from homophobia. In every model of oppression, i think it is safe to say that both the oppressor and the oppressed lose some humanity in the process.

Thots?

The Men's Story Project = Incredible

Wow. Something called The Men's Story Project happened yesterday people. Something that needed to happen and needs to keep happening. Something healing, transformative, and also hugely triggering for a lot of people. Such is way of transformation....

We saw men talk about their legacies of inflicting (or receiving) violence, how they learned to do that in the context of manhood, how they came to a place of no longer being violent, and what it took. We saw a man come out on stage for the first time as HIV+, and share a heartwrenching story about how his parents have since completely abandoned him. We watched this man share his struggle, tears welling up, voice faltering, as he still proclaimed himself as an emotional survivor, making the best out of life. He had a tearful standing ovation before he was even finished. We also heard a letter from a transman to his folks, folks still trying to understand him. We saw amazing dance that portrayed aspects of black masculinity and survival in this country. We saw a man with cerebral palsy fiercely reclaim his sexuality and beauty in lieu of being invisiblized by so much of society. Another man dealing with the inevitability of having a testicle removed, which mixed humor with vulnerability in a masterful way. We saw more whimsical pieces, dealing with men's no-eye contact urinal rituals, pieces that dealt with hetero men not feeling able to be affectionate and loving to each other, pieces that dealt with the messages of fathers, some extremely toxic, some good. Stories of women being the formative and positive role models when dads weren't around. Tales of struggling with sexuality, tales of spiritual awakenings, and surviving prison. Tales of reclaiming an emotional life, tales of over coming self-hatred for being male, tales of advocating for other boys so that men can be non-violent, loving men... and testimony that despite the hype and images in the media, that black men are loving and compassionate.

And more, much more. (**YouTube updates of the show coming to this blog soon!)

At the end, there was a long thunderous standing ovation, tearstained cheeks, shouts from the audience.

The question and answer period after the performance was charged. People were intensely moved, and people were also intensely triggered. One woman commented that stories of contributions of women felt absent to her (besides being targets of violence or romantic partners) especially in comparison to The Vagina Monologues where women seemed to evoke male influences all the time. Another woman felt that though she appreciated that men were telling these vulnerable stories around how they have been damaged by patriarchy, that the missing piece for her was the privilege that men have to be in these positions in the first place.
And there were other comments asking about violence, including how men could reconcile loving violent fathers... and one disabled woman who experienced the noise level of the music as violence, which was an intense moment. I saw one of the participants get into a open hearted conversation with her afterwards asking what can be done to have the music "NOT be violent."

My feelings about the first two criticisms was that the legacy of fathers is a huge component around how we reproduce patriarchy. As is the reinforcement of fellow men to "man up". It was powerful for me to hear men admit to when they used to hit women. I have never personally known men who hit women. I can see how that can be triggering for women to hear, on many levels, including the representation that women would have in these stories. If anything, perhaps this was a glimpse into the boys club of power that a lot of us live in, shared with vulnerability and awareness. Around the second comment, Josie Lehrer, the person who conceived the project, introduced the show as being a healing process that deals with the effects of patriarchy and imbalances of power. For me, most of the men's stories were testimonies around the toxicity that comes with our privilege, and a lot were also rays of hope around how to transcend the reproduction of these patriarchal behaviors. I am hoping that most people didn't leave this performance thinking this was about men complaining and being oblivious to the power granted us by society. But the comments were duly noted, and perhaps will be formative in the next show.... which i hope to be in this time!

I left La Peña with my mind twirling. It was an intense show. Possibly one of the most impactful shows i have seen in years. It also left me thinking about gender and organizing men with progressive projects. This might just be a personal thing... but i am finding it interesting that i had zero response from other men to do the Walk Against Rape with me, but Josie, an awesome woman, was hugely successful in getting this already historical project going. I want emphasize that this isn't to detract from Josie, i am so thankful for her doing this. I am just looking at a curious dynamic. Of course, men start projects all the time, i know this is just a reflection of my experience. But perhaps it takes someone who is receiving the oppression to really have the solutions. For example, the National White Privilege Conference was founded by Eddie Moore Jr., a black man.

In the meantime, I am glad that this new expression exists. Not men's stories in the patriarchal canon of his-stories, but a breaking of silence around codes we are expected to maintain in order to keep the status quo. Hetero men being able to look at each other and say "i love you". Men transforming their experiences with violence and being a model for youth so that new generations don't replicate the oppression. I am glad i listened to myself and stepped down from performing this time, but i am so looking forward to making a contribution in the future, and i thank Josie and all the men for bringing the realness.

Important Bay Area Events: Men's Story Project, 2008 Black LGBT Film Festival, Prisons.

A lot of good and important stuff is about to go down Bay Area! Here's a brief rundown:

~Starting Today: Oakland Black LGBT Film Festival, @ Parkway Theater
~This Sunday, August 17th: The Men's Story Project, @ La Peña, 7:30
~Friday & Sat, August 22 & 23rd: Shanique S. Scott's Prisons, @ La Peña, 8pm

Mark your calendars and at least peep one people! I know i am going to the Men's Story Project to see my fellow mens get up and perform truths around our experiences, like growing up conditioned in patriarchy, how that hurts us and others, and also stories of vulnerability, strength, sexuality, triumph over obstacles, and much more. I was actually all set to perform in it as well, but had to pull out for personal reasons... but i am still gonna be in the house! I definitely wanna also catch at least one of the films in the Oakland Black LGBT Festival, would love to see "U People", especially since i've been trying to see that for a minit. They say this is the only (or longest running?) Black LGBTQ Film Festival. And last but not least, Shanique S. Scott is back again with her critically acclaimed one woman show at La Peña, Prisons. I have heard earth shattering things about this autobiographical play of a black woman growing up in the Bronx and dealing with very serious choices and issues of struggle and survival- and i have also been tryin to see this for a minute! I need to stop playing around and get some tickets. Support Oakland art & artists y'all! Details at the hyperlinks above. Bless

Ancestral Roles Of Two-Spirit People In Africa

I came across this very interesting clip on the Jamaica Land We LGBT blog. It deals with the idea of LGBTQ folks being Two-Spirit, and hetero-folks being One-Spirit. Its deep!! I just came back from Hawai'i a couple weeks ago, where i was told that the keepers of the sacred dances tend to be mahu... which translates into Two-Spirit. And Two-Spirit is also a Native American term. In the Santeria and Yoruba communities, I see surviving African tradition and dances also kept alive by many LGBTQ/Two-Spirit people. IN FACT, in Jamaica, there is only ONE man who is known to be not-straight, and still is a respected elder by all. Some may call him "Sexy Rexy", but to most, he is The Honorable Rex Nettleford... who among many deeds is majorly responsible for keeping traditional sacred dances alive in Jamaica. I remember my dad introducing me to him when i was a young pre-teen in Jamaica... and simultaneously being in awe, and also being all too aware in my young culturally homophobic mind that i was shaking hands with someone gay. Woy! Come to think of it, I think he is the first essentially out queer person I ever met, though I myself have never heard him own it... it just seems to be island knowledge that is accepted.

In the clip, the commentary on traditional Two-Spirit roles as shamans, priests, "gatekeepers" between earth and the divine realms in comparison to One-Spirit roles of making sure the earthly realm is taken care of (reproduction, making sure families prosper, traditional "hunter gatherer" gender roles, etc) make a lot of sense to me. Though of course, hetero-folks can also be very spiritually connected priests and shamans, and queer folks can also reproduce, have families, and thrive in traditional gendered roles. It however makes me wonder if a part of our colonial experience was the colonizer seeing that LGBTQ folks had roles as powerful medicine people, so it is possible that the demonization of queer folks came in strategic tandem with the demonization of our indigenous ways?

The "gatekeeper" term strikes me personally because the Orisha that i am aligned with in Yoruba tradition is Eshu, the Master Of The Crossroads, The Divine Communicator Between The Earth And The Divine, He Who Teaches Through Tricks... The Gatekeeper. It makes me wonder if I am a child of Eshu because I do not inhabit a masculinity that is common to many hetero black men. The journey continues....

Young Boy Banned From Kindergarten For Being Native?

Arg. A frustrating story to start the week with, but at least there is action that one can take after reading this.

As reported by Jessica Yee on Racialiscious (and originally on Shameless), the superintendent at the Houston based Needville District School made a ruling that forbade 5 year old Apache Adriel Arocha from attending kindergarten. Why? Because he has long hair. In one foul sweep, superintendent Curtis Rhodes has enacted the double-whammy injustice of reproducing racist neo-colonialism AND gender conformist crap. Oh but there is more, as Jessica writes:

The kicker though is that the school board is willing to make exceptions on religious or other “proven” moral grounds, but doesn’t think that being Native American cuts it.

Even after Adriel’s father Kenny submitted a DNA sample of his blood and explained the long history of why many of us do not cut our hair until a family member dies, he received this response from superintendent Curtis Rhodes:

“To make exceptions, you have to be provided evidence of something, and to this point, I don’t feel I’ve been provided evidence to make an exception.”

Whatever. This is an absolutely ridiculous, gross misuse of power. Its a good thing that we can simply contact Curtis Rhodes to tell him what a shameful racist and gender-conformist power-tripping bully he is being, eh? Dial 0 for the district operator once you call.

Jessica Yee continues to write from a Native perspective here.

Mark Your Calendars! Men's Story Project @ La Peña, August 17th.

Hey Bay Area, its almost here y'all! The first installment of the Men's Story Project. I am proud to say that I was actually selected to perform in this project, but it looks like i need to wait for the next one to roll around, because I gotta WHOLE HEAP of personal vibes going on that are taking up emotional space, and self-care dictates that I not take this time to go up on stage and be all vulnerable. That said, I encourage people to support this project, I saw some of the performances in progress, and... WOW. Men are bringing the REALNESS. Speaking truth. Being vulnerable. Being strong. Being funny. Being... men.

Josie Lehrer, the awesome person who conceived and curated the project describes:

The Men's Story Project (MSP) is a new public performance and community discussion project examining social ideas about masculinity, using the arts as a medium for community-building and social change. It aims to give voice to men's stories that are less often heard; to break silences on issues including sexism, racism, heterosexism, ableism and violence – and ways in which these interplay with norms around masculinity; to celebrate men’s beauty and strength; and to stimulate active discussion on what being a man can be all about. The ultimate goal of this replicable project is to help expand the presence of genuine personal expression, open dialogue, peace, and social justice in communities. The project is getting started in the San Francisco Bay Area.

...In tha East Bay to be specific! EAST BAY! EAST BAY! ok, lemme calm down... but did you ever notice that East Bay is pig latin for beast? I digress. So yes, mark dem calendars, and see you in the house! Also peep the website for more info, and a picture of our smiley faces. Bless up

http://www.mensstoryproject.org/

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Bob Marley's "Kinky Reggae": A Coded Song Preaching Tolerance For Homosexuality And Jamaican Sexual Taboos?

This might be a challenging post for some Jamaicans and Bob Marley fans! Good :)

But if you are "challenged", please write a comment-- and tell me what you think Bob is singing about!

Ive talked about this song to friends for years, and how it seems to be dealing with homosexuality and cunnilingus (another Jamaican taboo, sigh... maybe that is another post to deal with this issue! It is definitely a product of Jamaican patriarchy though, clear in the language... songs tell men not to "bow" and advises us to keep our "heads high", because i guess men should not bow to women. I suspect that it may also have something to do with not teaching "your woman" to enjoy "lesbian sex"). For years I sung along to this song, practically thinking it was just a silly, almost nonsensical song really. Then I really listened to the words:

Kinky Reggae by Bob Marley

I went downtown
I saw Miss Brown
She had brown sugar
All over her booga-wooga.

I think I might join the fun
But I had to hit and run.
See I just can't settle down
In a kinky part of town.

Ride on;
Don't you know I've got to ride on.
Ride on; see I just can't settle down.
Oh, I'm a leavin' town.

Kinky reggae
Kinky reggae, now!
Kinky reggae; all I've got to say,
kinky reggae, now!
Kinky reggae, oh baby!
Kinky reggae, now!
It's gonna be kinky reggae.
Kinky reggae, now!
An' I would say: ride on, ride on, ride on
Oh, ride on, baby!
Ride on, ride on.

I went down to Piccadilly Circus
Down there I saw Marcus:
He had a candy tar
All over his chocolate bar.

I think I might join the fun,
But I had to hit and run.
See I just can't settle down
In a kinky, kinky part of town.

Nice one; that's what they say,
But I'm leavin' you today.
Oh, darlin', please don't play
Mama say - mama say.

Kinky reggae
Kinky reggae, now!
Take it or leave it!
Kinky reggae
Believe it!
Kinky reggae, now!

Kinky, kinky, kinky as kinky can be ! Reggae! Eh!

See what i mean? It looks like Bob put a message out there on these subjects the only way he could so it could be assimilated by a mainstream Jamaican audience, as a cryptic allegory. I remember wondering if Bob was operating from a different usuage of the word "kinky" that would have him declare that this song was "kinky, kinky, kinky as kinky can be", because the song seemed extremely tame sexually. But then, upon a second look, it would seem this really is some Kinky Reggae!

Miss Brown has "brown sugar all over her booga-wooga" is clearly a code for being invited to go down on a woman. Some Jamaicans may argue that "boogas" is our slang for sneakers, which is true. But this is booga-wooga thang... think its something else people. Besides, lets remember, the name of the song is "Kinky Reggae"! Not sure Bob was trying to take this to shoe fetishism...

In the song, Bob also muses "i think i might join the fun, but i had to hit and run, see i just can't settle down in a kinky part of town." What is great about this is that Bob actually contemplates accepting the invitation! He has an open mind on the issue. He just knows for himself where the boundaries of his preferences lie. 

Ok. Here is the arguably more controversial stanza! Here, Marcus approaches Bob with "candy tar all over his chocolate bar." Woy! Now, this is controversial for multiple reasons. Not only because it is a coded invitation for Bob to perform fellatio, but because, of ALL names to use... Marcus?? Bob, yu well kinky fi true. Anyway, AGAIN Bob actually takes a moment to contemplate accepting the invitation, he doesn't fly off the handle, he calmly mulls it over, which is something a lot of us hetero men DO NOT DO. So much of male hetero posturing is around reflexively reacting with disapproval to male homoerotic situations without actually thinking about it in a deep way. This is where the root of the word homophobia really comes to light. Fear That You Are The Same. Many hetero men cannot tolerate really thinking about these issues for fear of their own sexuality. This fear is then acted out and projected onto queer folks, some of whom may actually have more fully engaged themselves in the quest for knowing oneself. More so than a person who cannot even honestly dialogue about the spectrum of sexuality without starting to feel angry. 

Anyways, after some open minded contemplation ("think i might join the fun") Bob again decides that it is not his thing. No violent reaction, just "ride on."

Bob continues, saying "mama say, mama say", which gives testament to the passing on of the conditioning around these issues, which he acknowledges in himself. He concludes with "Take it or leave it! Believe it!" Which is the most beautiful message in the song. An acknowledgment that this "kinkiness" is not for everyone. An invitation to really allow yourself to contemplate where you stand, and if it is for you, take it. If it is not for you, leave it. And leave others alone who choose it. And you best Believe It!

"Take it or leave it" makes so much sense to me in terms of dealing with sexuality, and also as a slogan directed towards actively homophobic people who may be abusive to queer folks. It reminds me of a hilarious bumper sticker I saw that read: "Don't like gay folks? Then don't f**k any!!" That is so perfect. The preoccupation of supposedly hetero folks with what queer folks are doing is a suspect activity. It is bordering on fetishization.

My dad, rest his soul, always maintained that he never understood this preoccupation, this energetic overcompensation. Why care so much about what other people are doing, that has nothing to do with you? I am proud to say that after my dad passed, I found out that he had intervened in a gay bashing in downtown Kingston sometime in his 20's. My sister related it to me as he told her; he apparently came upon a scene with a man getting beaten. My dad, always with a heart that loathed injustice and loved building Jamaican community, shouted for them to stop. The men said in not too kind words that the man was gay. My dad maintained that this was a stupid reason to hurt a human being, and somehow broke up the bashing. I am proud that my dad, a man born in rural Jamaica (Manchester) and lived most of his life in Kingston, was somehow able to discard years of cultural taboos and see things in terms of justice and humanity. Giving thanks for that dad. Nuff love and respect.


If you know some yardie people, beg yu fowad dis to dem! I am well curious as to what my fellow Jamaicans have to say about this one! Gonna close out with a video of Bob Marley and the Wailers performing "Kinky Reggae" with a rather eccentric variety show host :) Enjoy! As for me, riding on, riding on....

Thomas Glave Creates A Pioneering Anthology of Gay Writings From The Caribbean.

Thomas Glave, an activist, writer, and gay man of Jamaican descent has fulfilled a dream that has been in the making for 5 and half years. The dream? To compile the invisibilized voices of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered folks from around the Caribbean. Voices that he says have also long been "separated by language and the sea". The book Our Caribbean: A Gathering Of Lesbian And Gay Writing From The Antilles is the actualization of that dream. It is the first book of its kind, and includes the works of 37 writers from 14 Caribbean countries, and some of the entries are published here in english for the first time. It includes the works of Audre Lourde, Andrew Salkey, Makeda Silvera, Helen Klonaris, Achy Obejas and many more including works from Thomas Glave himself. The literary works in here are as varied in style as they are in perspective, from journalistic academic essays, to poetry, to bittersweet humorous narratives and more. The anthology embodies a "wild salad of all the ways of being" as Thomas Glave describes it in his NPR interview. There are many perspectives, but many entries also share a thread of commonality around struggles with family, community, Christianity, and navigating love and desire against the tidal wave of invalidating cultural taboos.

On the topic of religion and sexuality, Thomas Glave has called himself a "living breathing paradox: A Rasta Battyman." This was in an interview in the premiere Jamaican newspaper too, The Daily Gleaner. And i gotta say, as a Jamaican man, that phrase falls on my ears as a cultural impossibility! Nuff props to him for walking that path and holding the complexity. Though not as culturally visceral for me on a personal level, this paradox reminds me of a conversation I had with my friend and creative collaborator, the super talented and wonderful Meshell Ndegeocello. With a smile she spoke about her journey as a tattooed, queer Muslim. She told me that she expressed this personal navigation in her mostly instrumental album, which is subtitled "The Dance Of The Infidel", since she is considered an infidel on many levels in the faith that she belongs to. Glave's book also documents similar journeys of being a member of a religion that has moral stances from thousands of years ago that condemn same-sex love.

So far, i have found some positive responses in Jamaican blogs that cover this book, including BonitaJamaica, Geoffrey Philip's Blogspot, and i was pleased to find a review in ForeWord Magazine that focuses on the piece contributed by my Bahamian friend Helen Klonaris, "Independence Day Letter." Go Helen! Also check out her blog, she is a great writer.

It is definitely worth noting that Thomas Glave is a co-founder of J-FLAG, the sole Jamaican LGBT advocacy group. They are an important resource that among other functions, essentially operates as an underground railroad for queer Jamaicans. The straight/gay alliance group I belong to (and Helen Klonaris as well!) Love Liberation Collective has had events where we do book drives and raise funds for JFLAG. Thomas Glave, in accordance with his activist work, recently issued a statement that was directed towards Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who as i recently blogged, stated that he would never have a homosexual in his cabinet. Glave's response:

As a gay man of Jamaican background I am appalled and outraged by the Prime Minister’s having said only three days ago on BBC-TV that homosexuals will not have any place in his Cabinet and, implicitly, by extension, in Jamaica. I guess this means that there will never be any room in Mr Golding’s Cabinet for me and for the many, many other men and women in Jamaica who are homosexual. And so I now feel moved to say directly to Mr Golding that it is exactly this kind of bigotry and narrow-mindedness that Jamaica does not need any more of, and that you, Mr Golding, should be ashamed of yourself for providing such an example of how not to lead Jamaica into the future. And so, Mr Golding, think about how much you are not helping Jamaica the next time you decide to stand up and say that only some Jamaicans – heterosexuals, in this case – have the right to live in their country as full citizens with full human rights, while others – homosexuals – do not. That is not democracy. That is not humane leadership. That is simply the stupidity and cruelty of bigotry.

Woy! Ah some real talk dat... I wonder if we will ever get a response.... you know i will blog it if THAT happens!

In closing, I wanted to post a quote from the book that I think essentializes the struggle that us Jamaicans have at this point around homophobia in our culture. Because impositions from other countries on Jamaica (other countries with their own institutionalized heterosexism and cultural paradigms) without dialogue or understanding of Jamaica and Jamaicans aren't going to create change in Jamaica. I think that can cause more harm than good. I would more so see change happening from within, with assistance from outside that is specifically asked for from queer Jamaicans. Any ally to queer Jamaicans can't run tings, you know? But first, on the internal tip, i believe this is our task at hand:

Even as we seek to restore "indigenous knowledge" systems, we must simultaneously seek to sharpen an "indigenous" criticism.
- Charles Carnegie, anthropologist. pg. 80

John McCain Vows To Overturn Roe Vs. Wade If Elected

Ok... sorry to be alarmist, but... its clinch time people! McCain is promising to flex his white (house) male privilege muscle and decide what women should do with their bodies. He has a statement on his website where he shares the steps he will take to make abortion illegal, except in cases of rape, incest, or if the woman might die from childbirth. His answer is adoption. He has even led by example and adopted a child from Bangladesh (please god let that have been the only white child in the orphanage, its gonna be rough enough). For some reason, the fact that orphans in US orphanages are currently growing out of adoptable age and leaving without ever having had a permanent home... yeah. The Angry Black Woman blogs about this and some of the other reasons why McCain is not the best person to vote for.

If you are reading this, probably you are already on point. But we need to TALK to disgruntled Clinton fans about solidarity here. If you were pro-Clinton, I understand that you are disappointed. Angry. And a host of other feelings. I would even say, allow yourself to feel these feelings thoroughly. Because we are going to need you on Election Day. We are going to need you to (yes) vote for Obama. I mean, not even Bush made a statement about planning to illegalize abortion. Sure, he appointed conservative judges, but so far, no re-plunge into medieval policies around reproductive rights.

Don't make a decision now, just look at McCain's site, and think about it. Promise?

Independence? Freedom? Liberation? Born In Flames!

I was on my way to a Farce Of July barbecue and was thinking, what can I put out there today that can truly speak to freedom and independence? So many of us could not vote, were enslaved, weren't allowed to marry (and some of us STILL aren't allowed to marry) at the time when we celebrate the "independence" of this country. Its always good to have time off with friends and family, but it can also feel at least a little weird, celebrating this holiday.

I offer an activity to celebrate today-- watch Lizzie Borden's "Born In Flames!" (1983) This is the classic, revolutionary, feminist, speculative fiction film that unites the Black Power/Black Feminist Movement, Riot Grrls, and the Queer Liberation movement in an unprecedented alliance for the liberation of women. It is done in a DIY documentary style that has non-linear 70's psychedelic elements as well. The conclusion is chillingly prophetic too. Check it out if you haven't peeped it! I know i am due to see it again, gonna go buy a copy.

I'll leave you with a clip of the movie (one of my alma maters, Lehman College gets a big up! Boogie Down Bronx in the house!). Maximum respect to all survivors of oppression and your ancestors. None of us are free til all of us are free. Ashé.

The Loud Silence Of (White, 2nd Wave) Feminists

So the question persists... where are the voices of the outraged white feminists who were so vocal when Hilary Clinton was dealing with sexism in the campaign, now that Michelle Obama is being targeted? This subject is covered with sharp wit on The Angry Black Woman blog, along with commentary around other racist/sexist attacks black women usually get in the media. I quote:

It’s hard not to notice that there’s not nearly as much commentary about this in the feminist blogosphere as I saw when there were sexist media attacks against Hillary Clinton. Talk about angry black women — what those Fox pseudopundits really ought to be afraid of is angry white women. They’re kickass, man. I mean, there was just so much furor out there — and rightly so — over the sexism heaped upon Clinton. All the big names of feminism and politics — Steinem, Ferraro, Jong, and more. All women who speak softly and carry big no-phallic-pun-intended-sticks. I’m sure these same women are going to come out guns blazing now that Michelle is getting the same ugly treatment. It’s still sexism, right? Even if it’s compounded by racism. Sexism’s still sexism.

Right? Right? So the defense should begin any minute now. Right?

I was also glad to see this subject covered in The Washington Post, where i gleaned some of the title of this post. Mary C. Curtis goes on to say:

I've long been frustrated, as a black woman and a feminist, with our national conversation. I didn't hear the cause speaking up for women of color or for women who have always worked in blue-collar or service jobs. Choice was not their issue.

The woman who employed my educated mother to clean her house never quite saw her as a sister in the struggle for equality.

Still, I cheered Steinem when she spoke at my college. Her message could have been more inclusive, but it was a start.

I'd like a little of that solidarity back now, not suspicion because someone of my race defeated someone of our sex.

For me, this is an issue of racism, more than telling pro-Clinton female feminists how to be feminists. And it really glares of racism. Quite shamefully. Sure, people are disappointed about their candidate losing. But in the meantime, the history books/blogs will tell of iconic feminists who relaxed into their whiteness and looked the other way when a prominent, strong black woman was being maligned by sexist and racist attacks. For real.

Black Men Unite And Speak Out Against The R.Kelly Verdict.

I just got this in my inbox. I am glad that i did, because when i heard about R. Kelly being acquitted after there being video tape of him having sex with (read: statutory rape) and urinating on a 13 year old young black girl... I was shocked beyond words. So much so that i couldn't even blog about it. It was too glaringly effed up and wrong, on so many levels. I thank these strong, conscious and socially responsible black men for helping me find my voice. At the very least, as a dj, i will not spin any R. Kelly until he comes correct (Its not like I have any of his albums anyway, perhaps a dancehall or hip hop single where he makes a cameo). I stand with the men who wrote this statement, and hope you will too. Bless.

..................................

Statement of Black Men Against
the Exploitation of Black Women

From: Aaron Lloyd • Adisa Banjoko • Alford Young, Jr. • Byron Hurt • Cheo Tyehimba • Davey D. • Dion Chavis • James Peterson • Kevin Powell • Kevin Williams • Lasana Hotep • Loren S. Harris • Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele • Mo Beasley, Jr. • Saddi Khali • Shaun Neblett • Steven G. Fullwood • Thabiti Boone • William Jelani Cobb *

Six years have gone by since we first heard the allegations that R. Kelly had filmed himself having sex with an underage girl. During that time we have seen the videotape being hawked on street corners in Black communities, as if the dehumanization of one of our own was not at stake. We have seen entertainers rally around him and watched his career reach new heights despite the grave possibility that he had molested and urinated on a 13-year old girl. We saw African Americans purchase millions of his records despite the long history of such charges swirling around the singer. Worst of all, we have witnessed the sad vision of Black people cheering his acquittal with a fervor usually reserved for community heroes and shaken our heads at the stunning lack of outrage over the verdict in the broader Black community.

Over these years, justice has been delayed and it has been denied. Perhaps a jury can accept R. Kelly's absurd defense and find "reasonable doubt" despite the fact that the film was shot in his home and featured a man who was identical to him...But there is no doubt about this: some young Black woman was filmed being degraded and exploited by a much older Black man, some daughter of our community was left unprotected, and somewhere another Black woman is being molested, abused or raped and our callous handling of this case will make it that much more difficult for her to come forward and be believed. And each of us is responsible for it.

We have proudly seen the community take to the streets in defense of Black men who have been the victims of police violence or racist attacks, but that righteous outrage only highlights the silence surrounding this verdict.

We believe that our judgment has been clouded by celebrity-worship; we believe that we are a community in crisis and that our addiction to sexism has reached such an extreme that many of us cannot even recognize child molestation when we see it.

We recognize the absolute necessity for Black men to speak in a single, unified voice and state something that should be absolutely obvious: that the women of our community are full human beings, that we cannot and will not tolerate the poisonous hatred of women that has already damaged our families, relationships and culture.

We believe that our daughters are precious and they deserve our protection. We believe that Black men must take responsibility for our contributions to this terrible state of affairs and make an effort to change our lives and our communities.

This is about more than R. Kelly's claims to innocence. It is about our survival as a community. Until we believe that our daughters, sisters, mothers, wives and friends are worthy of justice, until we believe that rape, domestic violence and the casual sexism that permeates our culture are absolutely unacceptable, until we recognize that the first priority of any community is the protection of its young, we will remain in this tragic dead-end.

We ask that you:

• Sign your name if you are a Black male who supports this statement: www.petitiononline.com/rkelly/petition.html
  
  
• Forward this statement to your entire network and ask other Black males to sign as well.
  
  
• Make a personal pledge to never support R. Kelly again in any form or fashion, unless he publicly apologizes for his behavior and gets help for his long-standing sexual conduct, in his private life and in his music.
  
  
• Make a commitment in your own life to never to hit, beat, molest, rape, or exploit Black females in any way and, if you have, to take ownership for your behavior, seek emotional and spiritual help, and, over time, become a voice against all forms of Black female exploitation.
  
  
• Challenge other Black males, no matter their age, class or educational background, or status in life, if they engage in behavior and language that is exploitative and or disrespectful to Black females in any way. If you say nothing, you become just as guilty.
  
  
• Learn to listen to the voices, concerns, needs, criticisms, and challenges of Black females, because they are our equals, and because in listening we will learn a new and different kind of Black manhood.
  

We support the work of scholars, activists and organizations that are helping to redefine Black manhood in healthy ways. Additional resources are listed below.

Books:

• Who's Gonna Take the Weight, Kevin Powell
• New Black Man, Mark Anthony Neal
  
• Deals with the Devil and Other Reasons to Riot, Pearl Cleage
  
• Traps: African American Men on Gender and Sexuality, Rudolph Byrd and Beverly Guy-Sheftall
  

Films:

• I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America by Byron Hurt
• Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes by Byron Hurt
  
• NO! The Rape Documentary by Aishah Simmons
  

Organizations:

• The 2025 Campaign: www.2025bmb.org
• Men Stopping Violence: www.menstoppingviolence.org
• A Call to Men: www.acalltomen.com