Commemoration of his 85th birth anniversary

By Sr. Correspondent,  Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - The quote from James Baldwin, "Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it," was repeated, for effect and as a testament of accomplishment, by George Faison, co-founder and artistic director of the Faison Firehouse Theater, in his introduction and welcome at the celebration commemoration of Baldwin's 85th birth anniversary on Aug 2.

 

Helen Baldwin, wife of the late Will Baldwin, sister-in-law of James Baldwin. Photo by Antoine Craigwell

Organized by Faison and Tad Schnugg, co-founder of the Theater, with guest and press coordination handled by Richard Pelzer, III, Mega Management, Inc., the celebration at the Theater was standing room only as each of the house's 120 seats were taken. Making presentations, including tributes in song, excerpts from Baldwin's work and reminiscences of him, a panel of personalities included poet and playwright Amiri Baraka; writer, playwright and poetess Sonia Sanchez; Andre Leon Talley, editor-at-large, Vogue Magazine; James Baldwin's immediate relatives, his sister-in-law Helen Baldwin, wife of Will Baldwin, and nephew, Trevor Baldwin; Alexa Birdsong, who had studied under Baldwin; Herb Boyd, writer; Prof. Eleanor Traylor, chair, English Department, Howard University; and Genovis Albright, singer and musician.

George Faison  Photo by Antoine Craigwell

According to published biographies, James Arthur Baldwin was born on Aug 2, 1924 and died of suspected stomach cancer on Dec 1, 1987. At the time of his death he had seen much, written much and had become a leaven in the discourse on African-American issues. He was among many accomplishments a novelist, an essayist, a playwright, scriptwriter, director, poet, filmmaker, college professor, and a lecturer, His works include Go Tell It On The Mountain (1953), Giovanni's Room (1956), Another Country (1962), Fire Next Time (1962), and Just Above My Head (1979); his plays include Blues for Mister Charlie (1964) and Evidence of Things Not Seen (1986).

Trevor Baldwin-James Baldwin's nephew. Photo by Antoine Craigwell The evening's program also included piano accompaniment by Deval Crawford and performances by several young people, who Faison referred to as his protégés and of the Theater, and who did both spoken word and song presentations. Highlights of the evening were the occasions when Sanchez, Baraka, and Traylor shared with the audience their memories of Baldwin, and read from works they had previously written that paid tribute to the work, the passion and the activism, as they understood him and as he perceived he was understood by the Black community.

Baldwin's sister-in-law said that while she and her son Trevor were the only two representing the family at the celebration, she apologized for the absence of Baldwin's brother George, who was hospitalized, and for two of his sisters, Barbara and Ruth, who were ministering to him.

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One Celebration of Pride

Jubilation, White Party Cruise, Expo, and James Baldwin, too

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

The battle of the Prides and celebrations -Jubilation and Pride in the City 2009 -began in earnest on Friday, Jul 31 with Jubilation, but James Saunders's and Laurence Pinckney's 7th Annual Moonlight White Party Cruise in New York's harbor, was one highlight of the city's Pride events.

 

Section of crowd at the White Party

On a pleasant summer night, close to 400 people, men and women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight, all garbed in their best white attire, formed an orderly line along Pier 62, and a few minutes after 12:30am, boarded the Spirit Cruise yacht which slipped its moorings and gradually drifted into the darkness over the Hudson River like a ribbon between the two collections of light, the city and the riverain cities of New Jersey.  The boat swung its bow and headed close to the New Jersey side of the river, passed Ellis Island, the Statute of Liberty, where it idled its engines for a few minutes, then to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, at which point it turned around, hugging the Brooklyn side of the estuary, up to the Manhattan Bridge, turned again and slowly inched its way back to its moorings at a few minutes after 4:00am.

White Party organizer James Saunders and DJ Baker, DoDaDirty Show

On board, there were three levels of merriment: up stairs, on an open deck where the VIP dined at white table cloth service, immediately below were others, and below more people. The second and lower levels each were fitted out with separate DJs with music, separate bars and separate buffets.  On the second level, during the mixture of house, reggae, soca, and even some Anita Baker selections, Tammy Peay, a comedienne who is often featured on the October Nubian Dreams Cruise, emceed the show which included male and female dancers, singing performer Allison Williams, and other hip-hop singers.  There was a best dressed contest, in which many men and women competed; some in simple outfits and others in more elaborate all white ensembles. A few men wore coat-tails, while others were elegantly dressed in simple cut white jackets, pants, hats, and shoes for a summer's evening.

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NYC Black Pride celebrations

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - Following on last year's 11th hour cancellation of the Pride celebrations, this year there are two Pride celebrations, a beach picnic and a boat cruise each vying for the coveted Black gay dollar in these challenging economic times. At a time when many in New York's Black gay community are reeling and suffering from the effects of the recession, and have to make choices which event they would attend, reports suggest that this year, the Black gay community is to be treated to two Pride events, "Jubilation" - A new Era of Pride, from Jul 31 to Aug 2; the 7th Annual Moonlight White Party Boat Cruise scheduled for Aug 1; Pride In The City 2009 - Expressions, from Aug 7 to 9; and the Fire Island Black Out (FIBO) benefiting the Ali Forney Center, a homeless shelter for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, also from Aug 7 to 9.

"Jubilation" -A new Era of Pride was conceived by a group of male and female club and party promoters who met and solicited sponsorships from several health and social service organizations serving the New York Black gay community. Pride in the City -Expressions is an attempt by Atlanta, GA-based National AIDS Education and Services for Minorities, Inc. (NAESM) to seize the reigns of the failed Pride In The City (PITC) events last year, which was hosted by the now defunct People of Color in Crisis (POCC).

The Moonlight White Party Boat Cruise is organized and promoted by James Saunders, the founder of Black Pride NYC, Inc., and Laurence Pinckney. Saunders says that while advance ticket sales are booming, he cautions that the price for tickets available at the pier would be higher.

FIBO, LLC, registered in Pennsylvania, PA and headed by James Wellons, was formed as an organization to promote and host the annual beach event at the Cherry Grove section of Fire Island. This year, a portion of the proceeds from the Fire Island event goes to support the Manhattan, NY-based Ali Forney Center, which has seen reduced funding for its homeless prevention and support programs.

With the exception of PITC 2009, FIBO has succeeded in collecting the support of several organizations and inter-related events, such as Circle of Voices, Inc.; SEWRVE, published by Washington, DC-based Brownstar Enterprises, and Next magazines; The Hilton Garden Inn; and Nubian Dreams Cruise 2.

Sponsors for ""Jubilation"" include Gay Men's Health Crisis, Gay Men of African Descent, Queer Black Cinema, Next Magazine, LezPlay, FP Promo, ShopUntilYouDrop.com, and Men Are From Mars.

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Prosecution witnesses shot - suspected retaliation

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY, Friday, Jul 24, 2009) - Witnesses who testified at the trial of Dwight DeLee, the 20-year-old who shot and killed a transgender woman last November, were reported shot on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009.

 

Convicted killer Dwight DeLee

The Syracuse, NY Post Standard newspapers reported yesterday that Johnny Gaston, Sr., and Lavaughn Polk were shot in what police and the prosecutor's office believe was retaliation for the conviction of DeLee last Friday. Gaston, Sr. is the father of two of the prosecution's witnesses in the trial of DeLee who was tried for the murder of Moses "Teish" Cannon, known as LeTeish Green. Green, 22, was shot point blank with a .22 caliber rifle by DeLee on the night of Nov 14, 2008 outside a house on Seymour Avenue in Syracuse, and died later at University Hospital. On Monday, Jul 13, 2009, the jury trial began of her killer. This shooting occurred exactly one week after Onondaga County Judge, William Walsh, had cause to warn the defense, outside of the hearing of the jury, against witness intimidation because the prosecution had reported threats against state's witnesses. On Friday, Jul 17, after requesting a re-reading of the testimony given by Green's brother, Mark, who was the driver of the car and who also suffered a gun shot injury to his arm, the jury, in less than 30 minutes, returned a guilty verdict on the lesser count of second-degree manslaughter as a hate crime. "We're looking at the possibility that this may be some kind of retaliation," Sgt. Tom Connellan said. "We're looking at that very closely." The police said that while they cannot identify where the shootings occurred, Gaston, Sr., 47, was shot in his neck and was unable to speak with police and Polk, 22, with an injury to his left forearm was reported to be uncooperative. Two Gaston siblings, Johnny Gaston, Jr., and Jasmine Gaston were witnesses for the prosecution in DeLee's trial. While the police are keeping him apprised of developments about whether the shooting on Wednesday was retaliatory, Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Doran said, "It's one of the aspects of the investigation. We're trying to determine if the fact Johnny and Jasmine Gaston testified at the trial last week was a factor." Doran said that so far there were no reports of problems from the trial, but that while the Gastons were reluctant to provide the same information in the witness stand which they had previously provided to the police, and that these two witnesses were not the ones the judge referred to in his admonition on Wednesday. But during the trial, the judge had asked Doran if he wanted to charge Jasmine Gaston with perjury, but the prosecutor responded that he wanted to have statements made by the witness to the police repeated to the jury. Following on the jury's verdict, DeLee was convicted and faces sentencing on Aug 20 to a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, but with his prior record and the determination that this was also a hate crime, he would serve a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Jury finds accused guilty in Nov, 2008 murder of transgender woman.

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY, Monday, Jul 20, 2009) -An Onondaga County jury last Friday found 20-year-old Dwight DeLee guilty of the murder of 22-year-old Moses "Teish" Cannon, also known as LeTesih Green.

 

Dwight DeLee enters court on Wednesday. Photo: David Lassman/The Post-Standard

In a trial that began with jury selection on Monday, Jul 13, the jury returned with a guilty verdict less than 30 minutes after hearing a re-reading of testimony given by Teish's brother, Mark who was seated in the driver's seat and identified DeLee as the shooter. The six men and six women jury found DeLee guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter as a hate crime, and not the more severe capital offense of second-degree murder as a hate crime after hearing his testimony that his intention was to seriously injure someone in the car not kill with the .22 caliber rifle. As a lesser conviction, when DeLee is sentenced on Aug. 18 by Judge William Walsh, he will face a minimum of 10 years in state prison and a maximum of 25 years, instead of a maximum 25 years to life.

According to reports, on the night of Nov 14, 2008 about 8:45 pm, Teish, Mark and a still unidentified passenger in the back seat of a car, pulled up in front of a house at 411 Seymour Street and while Teish was speaking with Alyssa Davis, who purportedly called Teish and asked her to come so they could speak; that DeLee appeared out of a house, walked to the car with the rifle pointed and fired. Moses "Teish" Cannon

Reflexively, Mark engaged the car's engine and sped away, driving 13 blocks to the home he shared with Teish and his parents at Arthur Avenue. When he had stopped, he discovered that while he had been shot in the arm, Teish had been shot in her chest. The passenger in the car's backseat was unharmed. After being rushed to University Hospital, Teish was pronounced dead; Mark was treated and released.

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Chris begins his search for help: Callen-Lorde and ASC

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

At a time when economic and financial resources are not only scarce, but hard to come by, for anyone who has to navigate paths to getting assistance from social service agencies, it can seem both tedious and informative, and frustrating with little rays of reward.

 

When Chris, his and other names have been changed to protect identities, who is of Caribbean descent living in New York lost his job, his work permit had expired, and with no job prospects, was facing imminent eviction because not only was he unable to pay the current rent, he was behind for two months.

Feeling the cold fingers of desperation beginning to close in, in September Chris turned to Thomas, a close friend asking not only for help, but where he could get help. Referred to the Chelsea-based Callen-Lorde Center in New York City, Chris was advised by Thomas to contact Maria, a social worker he had turned to for help. Given her name, Chris called and spoke with Maria, explaining what was happening. She advised him that first he needed to have a medical form filled out, a M-11Q, completed by a doctor who declares a patient's HIV status and other sexually transmitted diseases for eligibility for services from New York State or the City. Maria suggested that since her agency couldn't help with his rent problems, he could call and speak with Karen at the AIDS Service Center (ASC), whose Union Square-based office is located on East 11th Street. Chris called ASC, asked for Karen and secured an appointment with her for 2:30 pm.

Photo Art by Joseph Hirsch

Hastening to Callen-Lorde's West 19th Street office, Chris met with Maria who gave him a blank M-11Q form for his doctor to complete and asked him to let her know how he fared. Fortunately, Chris's doctor's office, located a few blocks away on 14th Street, and he had a good relationship with the doctor and office staff, he went there, spoke to the nurse/office manager, and was able to get his doctor to fill in the M-11Q Form, made a copy and hurried to his appointment at the ASC office. Nine years ago, Chris was diagnosed HIV positive and every three months since then he has had a blood test and evaluation by his doctor to determine his relative health. Just a week ago, Chris had been to see his doctor for his tri-monthly visit to review his blood test results. His T-Cells were high at 531 - the amount of helper cells in a milliliter of blood and his viral load, how many copies of HIV were in a milliliter of blood, was 4,400 - the lowest it has ever been in years. But what concerned Chris's doctor was the percentage level, which was recorded at 14 percent, because according to the doctor, if this percentage drops below 12 percent, then Chris would become extremely susceptible to opportunistic infections including pneumono-cystis pneumonia or PCP. Yet, Chris was feeling healthy. His main concern at the moment was not only how was he going to pay his rent and avoid eviction, but to try to keep his stress level down. It is well known that elevated stress contributed significantly as a direct cause and effect to an increase in the viral load, or a further weakening of the body's immune system.

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Along with being a homicide, case proceeding as hate crime

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - It was the end of the work week and before heading off to a party, sometime about 8:45pm, on Nov 14, 2008, three people in a car pulled up in front of a house at 411 Seymour Street in Syracuse, NY. While one of the occupants chatted with a girl, suddenly, out of the shadows, a figure of a man appeared carrying a .22 caliber rifle.

He walked up to one of the windows of the parked car and fired. Reflexively, the car's driver engaged the engine and sped away, driving 13 blocks to Arthur Avenue, where he and at least one of the car's occupants lived. When the car stopped, the driver discovered that he had been shot in the arm, the person in the passenger seat had been shot in the chest, and the passenger in the back seat was unharmed.

Left, Roxanne Green, the mother of Teish, and her sister Rhonda Gary, both of Syracuse, NY, attend a candlelight vigil. Photo: Mike Greenlar, The Post Standard.

According to reports from the Syracuse News 10 and The Post Standard, the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the meeting of 20-year-old Dwight DeLee and 22-year-old Moses "Teish" Cannon, also known as LeTeish Green, was unprovoked, and that it was a set-up. Cannon's brother 18-year-old Mark, who was the driver, said that LeTeish received a phone call from Alyssia Davis, a friend, who asked her to come to the address on Seymour Street to meet and talk. But the police said they do not believe Teish was lured to the Seymour Street address. Davis later said wanted to attend the Teish's funeral but did not because she was afraid of how she would be perceived by the family. Teish was rushed to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Mark was treated and released, and the still unidentified third passenger was unharmed.

According to reports and court documents, LeTeish Green's legal name was Moses Cannon, who at 16 came out to her parents and family and preferred to be a girl with the name LeTeish.

An Associated Press report said that the Appellate Division of New York State Supreme Court on Nov 26, 2008, ruled in the case of Earl William Golden III's petition to change his name to a woman's name, "noted that people can change their names "at will," provided there is no fraud, misrepresentation or interference with the rights of others. Done in court, the switch can be "speedy, definite and a matter of record." The New York City-based Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a rights group advocating for gender self-determination, said that while some judges still make a mistake, under the law, a judge cannot require medical evidence of a gender change to support name changes.

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Citing: City's Human Rights Law, NYCTA not exempt

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY, Jul 14, 2009) - Despite reports of transgender women being attacked and beaten up, one member of the community received a favorable ruling from the New York State Appellate Court in her suit against the New York Transit Authority (NYCTA), signaling a major victory in the recognition of human rights for all in NYC.

According to her Myspace.com page, Tracy Bumpus, a residence manager and life skills coordinator with Housing Works, which is a social service and advocacy NYC-based HIV and AIDS organization; obtained a ruling in her favor from the State Appeals Court on Jul 13, against the NYCTA. In the an unanimous decision the Court ruled that employees of the NYCTA are not exempt from the City's Human Rights Law and can be held liable for discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.

In a press release, Housing Works said the Appeals Court upheld a lower court's decision, Bumpus v. New York City Transit Authority, by refusing to dismiss the case against a transit employee who had launched a prolonged and vicious transphobic assault on Bumpus at a Brooklyn subway station.

"The Human Rights Law affords protection to transgender people in New York City. By riding the subway, a transgender person doesn't become less of a person and lose the protection of the Human Rights Law," said Justice Robert J. Miller in a February 2008 ruling.


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By Antoine Craigwell

The following is a story of 32-year-old Mark Ramos, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, who has been living in New York for 15 years. Mark's story is similar to many and is the first in a series of presentations of the struggles that Black gay men have with depression.

 

By Antoine Craigwell The following is a story of 32-year-old Mark Ramos, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, who has been living in New York for 15 years. Mark's story is similar to many and is the first in a series of presentations of the struggles that Black gay men have with depression. Over the next several weeks, I will endeavor to share with you the stories and lives of Black gay men, some who are HIV positive and some who are not, as they tell of their depression. This story forms part of the narrative or personal section of a book, which is underway, and which examines depression as a mental illness affecting Black gay men and Black gay HIV positive men. It is intended as a resource for Black gay men. Names have been changed and situations altered to protect the identities of those who are mentioned in all the stories. The No.1 at 34th Street There was nothing remarkable about this day just after Thanksgiving Day in 1999. Everything was in order and physically Mark was feeling okay, and even though there was a slight chill in the air, he was well dressed, feeling warm and not hungry. No aches or immediate feelings of physical pain, his mental self, on the other hand, was a cauldron of swirling ghostly memories of wraiths writhing in agony. Standing on the uptown platform of the Number 1 train in at the 34th Street/Pennsylvania Station in the early evening, Mark suddenly felt the urge, not just simply to jump, but as if he is propelled, unwillingly, in front of the train as it roared into the station. Yet, whenever he speaks of this memory 10 years later the feelings he had then come rushing back, threatening to overwhelm him once again. But as if to clearly identify a time why Mark wanted to jump, goes back to a day in March 1999 when his sister called to tell him she had been to see her doctor who had given her six more months to live. Immediately, Mark and his family gathered around, and on her final day at her bedside in the hospital when, in September, with a trembling which began from her feet and moved up to her chest, she inhaled and exhaled for the last time, and with a slight shudder she died. Looking at his mother across the room and seeing on her face an imperturbable mask and up to the time that she died, Mark recalled that his mother had, at least in front of any of her remaining children or grandchild, not shed a tear for her daughter.

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LGBT reports from the continent

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

Cameroon:

Man arrested, charged for being gay and on suspicion of sodomizing a minor.

A gay rights group in Cameroon is calling on the justice department to immediately drop charges against and release Yves Noe Ewane, who was arrested in May for being gay and was charged under Cameroon's Penal Code Sections 74 for criminal intention, 346 for gross indecency and 347 for homosexual conduct, following a complaint filed against him by the mother of a supposed minor who accused Ewane of having sexual relations with her son. A medical examination failed to prove that the boy was sodomized as alleged by the parent.

Alice Nkom, president of Association pour la Defense des Homosexuels (ADEFHO), an organization that defends the rights of homosexuals in Cameroon, who is representing Ewane, said that the judge has everything he needs to drop the charges since "it appears that there is no witness or plaintiff."

In the absence of complainants, Ewane argued his innocence saying he had never had sexual relations with the boy.

Sebastien Mandeng, vice president of ADEFHO says Ewane is just a victim of stigmatization since he was arrested last year for homosexual conduct and remanded in custody for six months at Douala New Bell Prison before being released.

"He has never been tried nor convicted and the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. He is a very sociable man who likes to entertain people at home. But every time he is seen with somebody there are allegations of homosexuality. Just because he was accused once, and although he was cleared, his neighbors still stigmatize him," he said.

Ewane was sent to Douala New Bell Prison on May 19 after being kept in police custody for three weeks at Douala Bonanjo Police Station. His sentence could be from six months to five years with a fine of $50 to $500, if he's found guilty.

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One treated as a hate crime; call on DA to upgrade other from felony to hate crime

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

New York, NY - In less than one month, the streets of Queens, NY have become more dangerous for two transgender women, Leslie Mora, addressed in court documents as Lester, and Carmella Etienne, who were both attacked and beaten.

 

On Jun 19, Mora was walking toward her home along Roosevelt Avenue when she was set upon by two men, later identified by the police as Trinidad Tapia, 19, and Gilberto Ortiz, 32.

The men beat her about her body with a belt, its buckle cutting into her skin. While she was being attacked, they were heard to shout out in Spanish "maricon," translated as "faggot." Screaming out for help, Mora attracted the attention of the occupants of a passing car who stopped and assisted with calling the police. When the police arrived, they discovered Mora cowering and bloodied on the sidewalk, and recovered the blood stained belt and buckle, and according to the criminal complaint filed with the court, Mora's blood later matched the stains found on Ortiz's pants.

In the complaint, the two defendants were charged with assault in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, both felonies, and released on their own recognizance. Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown, has declined to treat Mora's assault as a hate crime. Meris Campbell, assistant public information officer in the DA's office confirmed that regarding Mora's case, there is an ongoing investigation and when the case is called for a hearing on Jul 13, the prosecutor, depending on what has been uncovered, may upgrade the charges. Mora has been issued with orders of protection from each of her two assailants.

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Protestors Demand Funding for AIDS Housing, Global AIDS efforts and Needle Exchange

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - AIDS activists from across the Northeast U.S. were arrested on Jul 9 for staging a loud demonstration inside the Capitol Rotunda before Congressional votes on appropriations for life-saving programs and in advance of President Obama's first trip to Africa since his election, to draw attention to the rising rates of HIV across the African sub-continent..

A press release issued by Housing Works, stated that the activists decried the Obama administration's failure to make good on a range of AIDS campaign promises including his pledge: to lift the federal ban on funding syringe exchange, to fully fund lifesaving global AIDS programs, and to fully fund AIDS housing programs in this year's budget. They demanded that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Congressional leadership fix President Obama's flawed budget proposal.

 

"HIV is not in recession, so why are we bailing out the bankers but breaking promises to fund life-saving programs here in the US and around the world?" asked Omolola Adele-Oso, representing the organization, DC Fights Back. Charles King, president and CEO, Housing Works, who is living with HIV, was among the activists who were arrested. "Obama can no longer ignore the promises that he made in order to win the support of Americans who care about ending the AIDS epidemic. So far, he has let us down on all fronts," said King. According to the release, the protest was intended to bring attention to three issues where the administration has failed to live up to its promises: AIDS housing funding - Obama's budget flat funds the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS Act (HOPWA), the only federal program that funds housing for people living with AIDS, even as the number of U.S infections increases. Housing is proven to reduce the spread of the disease and save money on shelter and emergency room costs. Activists want to see HOPWA funding increased from $310 million to $360 million. "We are here because we know that our friends, families, and communities are still dying," said Larry Bryant of Housing Works. "From DC to California to Zambia people living with AIDS need Congress to act this week and need the administration to make good on its promises."

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By Antoine Craigwell

 

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A former British colony - the Indian High Court sets example.

By Antoine Craigwell

Perhaps, the ruling by the Indian High Court on Jun 2, decriminalizing homosexuality is the beginning of the collapse of colonial era laws against gays in former British colonies. But, when several months ago the Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, declared in a BBC interview, that as long as he's Prime Minister, he would have no gays in his Cabinet, he was not only in violation of his country's Constitution, he was subscribing to a colonial era law imposed by the country's former British colonial masters.

 

The High Court in Delhi, India, ruled that being homosexual is not a crime and that the law, Section 337, imposed by the British in 1861 during colonial rule, was itself antithetical to the Indian Constitution. While the High Court ruling, for the moment, applies only to Delhi and the immediate area, there is an expectation that it would spread to the entire country and that, even though appeals by anti-gay elements to the Indian Supreme Court are likely, the next step is repeal of Section 337 by the Indian Parliament, which would not only decriminalize homosexuality, but make it possible for same-sex marriages. Last Sunday, Jun 28, many native New Yorkers, many who came to visit the city, and many people world over, celebrated and commemorated the protests of a group of fed-up, angry men and women - without regard to race and age, but with a common purpose, that of being gay; at the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. For those who lived through the persecutions of gays and lesbians pre- and post-1969, this celebration was not only a coming of age, but it was the acknowledgement that with the many burgeoning gay movements and clamor for gay rights worldwide, the consciousness of the peoples of the world is changing, at last emerging from under the remnants of a colonial imperialistic thumb into the light of an awareness and acceptance of each other as humans first, regardless of sexual orientation, race, or class.

Balaji Ravichandran, offering a commentary on the Indian High Court decision in the Jul 2, edition of the Guardian newspapers, wrote: "The importance of this verdict cannot be understated. This is the first time that an Indian court has gone on record to say that sexual minorities are not second-class citizens, and that they cannot be discriminated against…However, for decades, the police and sometimes society at large used the law as an excuse to persecute gay men and women, who were harassed, blackmailed, detained or raped, unable to seek any protection or justice from the law. In addition, the law was also a significant impediment to fighting HIV/Aids among sexual minorities." In another commentary in the same Guardian edition, Anil Bhanot stated that homosexuality is an accepted part of the Hindu religion, the national religion of India: "The ancient Hindu scriptures describe the homosexual condition to be a biological one, and although the scripture gives guidance to parents on how to avoid procreating a homosexual child, it does not condemn the child as unnatural." In ancient Hindu texts, reaching as far back as 2,100 BCE, Bhanot said that the culture recognized homosexuals, accorded them a place as members of the society, and who even had their own Hindu deity, "Mother Goddess Bahuchara, for their spiritual link to the Absolute Brahm."

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CDC proposes removing barrier for admissibility and immigrant benefits

By Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that it is proposing a change to a rule barring immigrants with HIV from entry to the country or aliens from being eligible for immigration benefits. In a 70-page notice signed by U.S. Secretary of Health, Kathleen Sebelius, and sent to the federal register dated Jun 30, 2009, for publication on Jul 2, 2009, the CDC proposed removing the barrier that HIV is a communicable disease.

In Jul 2008, President George Bush signed a law authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to lift the ban on foreigners with HIV entering the United States. But, despite the authorization, the ban had not been stricken from the DHHS regulations, rather, the Department of Homeland Security had instituted a series of measures designed to "streamline" the process for entry into the U.S. for people living with HIV. The DHHS, until recently, had deemed ineligible for immigrant benefits or inadmissible any HIV-positive alien in the United States seeking adjustment of status or anyone coming into the country. This announcement comes on the heels of the 60 HIV-positive Canadians denied entry into the United States to attend a Jun 2009 summit on housing for HIV-positive people. As a rule change, it would allow the U.S. to host the annual International AIDS conference, which has been held in other countries, most recently in Mexico City, because the U.S., as one of a number of countries, including Brunei, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Sudan, South Korea, Tunisia, Turks & Caicos Islands and the United Arab Emirates; to bar HIV-positive people from entering the country.

Up until this announcement, the DHHS operated on granting waivers for HIV-positive people to enter the U.S., but which could take a long time to be approved; applications for HIV waivers to the CDC are also required for HIV-positive aliens residing in the U.S. who are seeking adjustment of status.

The CDC notice referred to 42 CFR Part 34, Docket No. CDC-2008-0001, stated that it is proposing to revise Part 34, the "Medical Examination of Aliens - Removal of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection from Definition of Communicable Disease of Public Health Significance," and is proposing to remove references to HIV from the scope of examinations in its regulations.

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Sexual and relationship tension between two young men attract and repel each other

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - Two young men, fresh faced and bristling with energy and testosterone, explored and tested the waters of their attraction and sexuality in Blueprint. Billed as a feature film, Blueprint, shown at the recently concluded HomoHarlem Film Festival, was a full fledged production.

 

Written and directed by Kirk Shannon-Butts, Blueprint, released in 2007, was part of the line up of films shown at the inaugural HomoHarlem: A Film Retrospective, curated by Michael Henry Adams at the Harlem-based Maysles Cinema, part of the Maysles Institute, from Jun 19 to 27.

Shannon-Butts, a fashion editor with Glamour magazine, said the motivation for becoming involved with the movie stemmed from what he saw as the lack of multi-dimensional gay Black characters in films and the notion that gays are seen as overwhelmingly sexual as opposed to educated, cultured, worldly and political. "I wanted to show contemporary images of young men living in the city, going to college, dealing with gender identity, being happy and exploring new things and people," said Shannon-Butts. Blueprint, already screened in over 25 film festivals across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, was produced by Trevite Willis, featured Blake Young-Fountain as Keith, and Damion Lee as Nathan. The film was shot in 2005, mostly in Harlem and at a lake location in Sullivan County over a period of three weeks, and as a low budget independent project, under $100,000, it was largely financed by Willis and Shannon-Butts, with additional help from the Jerome Foundation and Reel Affirmations/1in10.

L to r. Kirk Shannon-Butts, Michael Henry Adams, and Damion Lee, at the Q&A after the showing Blueprint at the Maysles Cinema. Photo by Antoine Craigwell

The Festival, co-sponsored by Queer Black Cinema, Men of All Colors Together and Harlem One Stop, included the 1987 production of Storme: Lady of the Jewel Box, directed by Michelle Parkerson; the 2007 film How Do I Look, directed by Wolfgang Busch; the 2004 narration of Brother to Brother by Rodney Evans; Brother Outsider, The Life of Bayard Rustin by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer; the 1990 classic Paris is Burning by Jennie Livingston; the 1988 artistic representation placed in the 1920s Looking For Langston by Isaac Julien; the 2003 PBS special on the life of James Baldwin: Witness, by Angie Corcetti; and the 1996 film on the two brothers who made Harlem their home, M&M SMITH: For Posterity's Sake, by Heather Lyons.

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It's significance 40 years later

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - With June designated Pride month - celebrations and commemorations this year taking on additional significance - GBMNews.com asks several Black gay men about the meaning for and effect of the Stonewall Riots on the Black gay community 40 years later.


 

The Riots for many Black gay men, which took place in front of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, in Greenwich Village in New York City on Jun 28, 1969; was a seminal occurrence in the larger social fabric. It enabled benefits, opened doors and identified safe spaces for Black gay men to express of their sexuality, emerge from the shadows of anonymity, and as an action, cascaded down through the years into tangible activism.

And, while many in the Black gay community recognize that the enduring legacy of the Stonewall Riots provides the impetus for defining the direction

and future of the Black gay community as a body and as a movement, they lament the absence of a viable central Black gay organization to coordinate, be a channel of resources, and talent in the community.

In 1969, as an 11-years-old boy living in Toledo, OH, Kevin McGruder, former executive director of Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) recalls hearing a television announcer mention the "gay liberation front." At the time he did not know what it meant, but as he grew into adulthood and became aware of the Stonewall protests, he was struck by how the numbers of Blacks and Latinos who were involved in that protest were overlooked as the White establishment subsumed it and made it their own. But, being able to be open about his sexuality and to work in and for the Black gay community were benefits, McGruder says, of the effects of the Riots, which was seen as ripples sweeping across the country. It's important, he cautions, as people get caught up in the symbolisms, to remember that some of the strategies used by the gay activists were borrowed from the civil rights movement and that, as is often forgotten, Black gay men and women were also active in the Black liberation movements in spite of some its homophobic and sexist slants.

The gay community had up until the Riots suffered indignities, persecution and injustices from the very people and institutions that were supposed to provide them with protection and ensure their safety as promised under the U.S. Constitution, says GMAD's current executive director Tokes Osubu.

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Radio Talk Show host in flap over inappropriate advice

By Antoine Craigwell

Members of the Black gay community are up in arms and clamoring for the management of WBLS 107.5FM and its main company ICBC Holdings, Inc., to censure and educate popular radio talk show host, Wendy Williams, on HIV issues. In an insensitive Don Imus-like manner, Williams provoked the ire of the Black gay community when she casually dismissed one of her callers who, on her Advice Hour show, asked her for advice on dealing with a HIV positive situation.

 

According to Sheldon DeSouza, communications co-chair for the Black Gay Men Network, an online network of professional Black gay men under the umbrella of the National AIDS Institute, he was listening to the Wendy Williams show on Wednesday, May 13, when a caller from New York, a 23-year-old African-American man, spoke of being involved with and dating for about a month, a man he met.

He said the man told him that he was HIV-positive. The caller asked Williams what he should do. Despite the fact that the young man declared that he had not had sex with the man, Williams launched into a tirade about him being kept in the dark and tricked into having sex without being fully informed of the other man's HIV status and the caller should "dump" the HIV-positive suitor. The caller said that the HIV-positive man, who is serious about pursuing a relationship with him, felt it important to inform him in advance before taking their relationship to the next level, having sex.

Instead of congratulating the caller on his decision, to at least find out how to handle the situation, the gist of the conversation between Williams and the young man went like this: Caller: So what should I do Wendy? Williams: I can't tell you what to do, but if that were me he would turn around and find skid marks. Caller: But Wendy he is very generous with me and treats me great. Williams: How many people in the room agree with me? Williams: Everyone in the room has their hand in the air; some people have both hands in the air. (Laughter) Williams: At 23 you don't need to deal with someone who is HIV positive. Hmmmm .... somebody is saying you should definitely dump him with a quickness. (Laughter)

On his arrival home, DeSouza said he immediately called the radio show and 45 minutes later spoke with Williams to express his disappointment with her advice. He said he outlined eight different points in his on-air conversation with Williams, including telling her that he is gay, masculine, highly educated, secure, and not on the "down low," at the end of which Williams supposedly said that she and DeSouza would have to agree to disagree. When he had ended his call, several subsequent callers expressed their ignorance of the difference between HIV and AIDS, one caller referring to DeSouza as a "donkey." DeSouza suggested that the Black gay community register its outrage at this misinformation and discrimination by calling 866-GET-WENDY or even faxing their disagreement to 866-936-3932.

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Calls for accountability reveal theft, misappropriation of public funds, and failed internal controls

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - Ten months after the cancellation of "Pride In The City," there has been no comprehensive explanation from any of the so-called leaders to the New York Black gay community on what happened and why, after 21 years, People of Color in Crisis (POCC) was shut down. Financial irregularities and discrepancies unearthed at the New York State Black Gay Network (NYSBGN) led to unraveling an intricate web of deceptions, thefts, collusion, clique-ism - "sistahs" or "girlfriends," secrecy, intimidation, and falsifications and probing questions being asked about an almost $2.5 million POCC budget.
 

Copies of documents obtained by GBMNews.com, including a letter and an Aug 2008 site visit report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one of POCC's major grant funders, which provided 50 percent of the organizations funding on three grants; detailed a laundry list of findings and recommendations, culminating in a decision to terminate all grants effective Aug 31, 2008. Additionally, a number of people, who were either employed by the NYSBGN or POCC, who now live in fear of retaliation, have come forward and are quoted as anonymous sources.

POCC was founded in 1988 and according to its still active Website, its mission is "…

to build community and improve the quality of life and health among gay men, bisexual, men who have sex with men and trans-gendered individuals of African decent through advocacy, education and direct services."

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Accountants cite mismanagement, dishonesty, and overspending as factors

By Antoine Craigwell

Over the last several years, Black gay social service agencies have fallen by the wayside, failed and simply closed up operations and melted into the already rich, forgiving and embracing tapestry that is the community - no questions asked, no answers volunteered - only to reappear as another agency.

 

Sometime in 2003 the community witnessed the devastating effects of cuts to more than 75 percent in funding to the Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD), which was forced to eliminate programs and services. Last year, People of Color in Crisis (POCC) imploded amidst a swirl of scandal - no Black Pride, the executive director, Michael Roberson, fired for embezzlement and misappropriation of funds, and a Board of Directors fractured and divided. None of the leadership or anyone offered any explanations to the community. But, when on May 21, Gary English, interim executive director of the New York State Black Gay Network, announced at a Town Hall meeting that the Network is filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, compared to the previous two failures, except for GMAD which has made a surprising recovery under the leadership of its executive director Tokes Osubu, and POCC which has become a casualty; it marked as unusual that a public announcement is ever made about an organization in the Black gay New York community. The Network is represented in its bankruptcy negotiations for free by a New York law firm, Simpson Thatcher and Bartlett, LLP. When public funds are involved, there is greater scrutiny and a call for accountability. A closer examination of the financial statements and balance sheet ending Jun 2007 and Dec 2007, and a Mar 2008 memo from the accountants, N. Cheng & Co., PC, detailed gross mismanagement, extravagant spending, and disregard for basic accounting principles in the Network's practices.

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