Harlem was the place to be on the eve of Election Day as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library, hosted: Black Gay and Lesbian Archives: Songs From The Paradise Biographies.

In 2002 as the winter approached in the city of Chicago, a visionary group of writers pulled off a groundbreaking gathering that brought together hundreds of journalists, academics, playwrights, filmmakers and fiction writers - all of whom were GLBT people of African descent. This writer had the opportunity to attend that consortium and witnessed first hand the power and pride that comes when negative attitudes and stereotypes about our community are replaced with positive expressions and genuine invitations for building alliances.

By(Whitfield/Strong) Revised

 

 

I look out my window watch him as he passes by I say to myself I'm such a lucky guy To have a boy like him is a dream come true And of all the boys in new york, he loves me true It was just my imagination, once again Running away with me It was just my imagination Running away with me Soon we'll be married and raise a family Two boys for you, what about two girls for me I tell you I am just a fellow with a one track mind Whatever it is I want baby I seek and I shall find I'll tell ya It was just my imagination, once again Running away with me It was just my imagination Running away with me Every night I hope and pray Dear lord, hear my plea Dont ever let another take his love from me Or I will surely die His love is ecstasy When his arms enfold me I hear his tender rhapsody But in reality, he doesnt even know... me

The frustration of having to endure the bi-monthly task of getting a hair cut in the barber shop on a weekend, and the attitudes and untruths of this experience.

By Alonzo G

Blending in has not been a problem with me in society.

Blending in has only seems to have caused turmoil within my soul.

From opinions to downright rudeness I stand and listen to a sea of misdirected hate and unanswered questions.

Minding my own business my hearing was assaulted with grumblings of homophobic paranoia and stereotype.

“Why bring children into it?” He pondered. I stood there knowing that he would not fail in the delivery of his next line. In a slow southern drawl he practically sang the next line with conviction. “They shouldn’t force their ways on children by …” By what? I craved the completion of his sentence knowing it could be to my emotional demise. This small group of hens consisting of an older black man and two heavy set black women sat by the pool as I walked toward them to pick up my sandals I began to dry myself. As I wiped the water from my ears I could hear an older mans voice growling smoothly like a dog warning of an eminent attack he whispered loudly “perversion that’s all it is…” Silence came and for a moment it seemed as if I could not hear the waves in the pool. An awkward moment of silence, all speaking just stopped.
As I slowly wiped the water off my brow I noticed a friendly stare as they all looked my way. Without a second look they turned back to their circle and continued their conversation without further hesitation. “Those sodomites,” the gentleman quipped adding “and they do all those nasty things…” The ladies nodded in agreement to his depiction of the perverted. They had not given it a second thought that I was still in hearing range or that I might be one of those to whom they referred to perverse to raise children. One more glance I captured as wiped the towel across my wet body from one of the women who had been eyeing me ever since I penetrated the water of pool. She looked as if she understood but then the moment passed as she turned her attention back to her nest of judges. I thought to myself if I appeared gay would they have continued talking in front of me in this tone? Then I thought OMG they think I’m gay and that’s how the topic came up in the first place.
I began questioning myself – who am I? What am I? Why am I taking this so personal?
	Probing my mind for answers I only came up with a question; would I have sex with my wife in front of the children?
Why the assumption then? Just blending in. P.S. Dont blend in - Vote.

By Rudy Reed

I had taken the persona of a zombie as I walked down the aisle that constantly reminded me of my depression. Flashes of happier times appeared before me only to slowly fade away. Then I saw him sitting there...naked. Wearing nothing but a smile, his image wasn't as clear as it should have been. None of this really mattered...Even the heaviest of hazes would not be able to overpower the loving and gentle nature that he radiated.

 

"Is this what my life has become," I whispered so that no other zombie would be able to hear my thoughts.

I looked up once again at the Adonis that sat before me to mouth the words splashed across his chest, Mr. Right Is Out There. Could Dr. Kenneth George really know what I was going through? I sighed the word "yes" as I quickly snatched a copy of the book off the shelf and raced towards the check out counter as if I was buying porn on a Sunday. Who would have thought that a trip to the local Barnes and Noble could be so embarassing? I arrived home feeling slightly better than I once did. Deciding to start my process of self healing, I put on my favorite Air cd (Moon Safari), poured myself a glass of wine and threw myself onto my bed. I flipped through the crisp pages of advice to conclude that in order for me to find my prince Charming, there would be certain things that i would have to change about myself. For as long as I can remember I have been a shy guy. In order for me to find the man of my dreams, I would have to step outside of my confort zone and make myself more "available," at least this is what the Dr. suggests. Approaching men instead of waiting for them to speak to me first, giving other "types" of men that I am normally not attracted the opportunity to get to know me, and actually getting to know the individual through conversation before just jumping in the sack and thinking I am in love the next morning(although I am not guilty of that)are a few ideas that Dr. G prescribes. This made alot of sense, but of course it would be more difficult than it is said. Truthfully, I am content with being single at the moment. I believe it is never wise to try to rush love. It should just happen. I also realize that chances are very slim that my Prince Charming will awake me from a nap by knocking on my door. But if anyone ever hears that Maxwell, Lenny Kravitz, or Lorenz Tate has made a career change from the entertainment to work as a delivery man for UPS, please give me a call.

By Alonzo G.

 

How does my marriage threaten you? What if they protested straight marriage? Folks take a stand against men and women who want to love other men and women.   They say “Preserve sanctity.” Why not preserve hope, love, charity, good will, peace, understanding, forgiveness, and tolerance?

How many chapel doors have the same key as the courts of divorce, domestic violence, broken hearts, broken dreams, annulments and family division? If I am able to love then why are you not able to allow me to love? If you love me then why do you condemn me?

How does my marriage threaten you? Do you want me too? I chose to be straight in a world that chose to despise me. I was preached at all my life and taught to hate what was different. I chose to marry my wife to appease the crowd so that they would not think I was anything less than a man. I chose to deny my true nature and live amongst my peers only to be look through as if I had no soul. When I chose to be straight I chose to marry outside my race. My race sneered at me for not going black. My wife’s people were uncomfortable with me not being brown. My neighbors wanted to move because I was not white. School moms abandoned their friendship with my wife when I showed up to pick my son up from school. Strangers mocked us in public because I was married to a woman whose skin was fair while my skin was dark. I chose to prove to everyone that I was straight and struggled year by year with this agonizing pressure to be me. Was I a threat then? Am I a threat now?

Years gone by, people grew to accept our inter-racial love and finally began to respect our differences and see us as a couple and not an undercurrent of hate and fear. That’s when I woke up and discovered me. My marriage to the straight world ended after 23 years now I can do me. I fell in love from my heart this time; I met someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Struggling with the peeling off of layers of heterosexual conditioning I no longer wish to fight for who I am. I asked myself, if I could would I marry again? If I could marry the person I love will I be hated again because I married outside of my … Gender? Or should I say inside of my gender! Again I ask, how does my marriage threaten you? Anything different is perceived as a threat. Funny, you can’t even compare race to same-sex discrimination without offending someone. However, there was a time when I was looked upon with malice and spite because of such misdirected ignorance and hate. Now we are in the year 2008, as a couple I can live next door to you without any problems as long as I have no public show of affection. But dare I hold hands with the man I would marry and walk down our street? I can’t hide the fact that I am black but I can hide the fact that I am gay. The question is why should I have to hide at all?

Who are you to decide for me who I can love? What gives you the right to speak for God? Are you God? Reciprocation of love is all I desire and being made to feel desired is not a crime nor a sin. I don’t want to judge you nor do I need your judgment. Why do you care so much about my soul? Why not look in the mirror and judge yourself. I don’t have to take a position on who can legally get married because we all deserve civil rights. This is the land of the free. We are free to do whatever we want as long as it does not pose a threat to another person in any way. So again I ask, how does my marriage threaten you? If I marry a man will the whole world turn gay? Will it bring perversion into your neighborhood? Psst. I have news for you take a look around – its already there! Baby mamas, baby daddies, paternity denial, wedding ban lines appear on a ring-less finger and the question rages on just who’s doing who. I don’t know – ask your wife or maybe I should ask you– What’s in your wallet? Christians were once persecuted because of their belief. Non Christians were persecuted because of their non conformity. The “church” even killed those who failed to convert. Now you repeat history by condemning what from what I can see is fulfillment of prophesy. But then again this world has never really had peace. There are so many other things to protest against – world hunger – greed –violence – poverty – ignorance to name a few. So why do you care what goes on in the privacy of our home?

I haven’t walked down the aisle yet but when I do I can assure you it will bring you no harm. Think about it this way if you condemn gay marriage then you are condoning couples living together and premarital sex. Just my way of saying live and let live. Let God decide who is right and who is wrong. It’s sad that we can live in a neighborhood for most of our lives and not know the person who lives next door. I guess that makes it easier to protest against him. How does my marriage threaten you?

GLBT Organizations Build Bridges Between Generations of GLBT Storytellers

San Francisco, CA - July 4, 2008 – The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society and the Lambda Literary Foundation have joined forces to celebrate the contributions of three generations of GLBT Storytellers.

The two organizations will host a series of conversations, entitled “Passing On The Pen,” designed to pair some of the pioneers of GLBT literature with today’s emerging GLBT storytellers. “This is the first time anyone has ever done anything like this” says Michael Nava, author and winner of five Lambda Literary Awards. “It's a powerhouse lineup, bringing together some astonishing talent and people who I have read and respected for many years as well as some wonderful new writers.”

From March through December, the two organizations will present monthly events pairing authors from the early days of the GLBT movement with current day storytellers. Each event will be held in the gallery of the GLBT Historical society from 6:30 to 8:30, and will be free of charge and open to the public.

On July 8th, celebrated African-American queer storytellers Jewelle Gomez, the author of seven books including the double Lambda Literary Award-winning novel, The Gilda Stories; and Frederick Smith, the author of Down for Whatever and Right Side of the Wrong Bed will be the featured authors in the series.

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By Karen R. Long

Cleveland - Maya Angelou danced with Langston Hughes in Harlem, drank with James Baldwin in Paris, had her picture snapped in Ghana by Malcolm X. Six feet tall and mesmerizing, she had men crossing the room to call her the most beautiful woman on the planet, but few mistook her for arm candy.

 

Angelou turned 80 last month, unabashedly enjoying center stage at parties in four states, from an everybody-is-invited fete in Winston-Salem to an A-list gala in Palm Beach, Fla., hosted by surrogate daughter Oprah Winfrey. The decades have burnished Angelou's unique place on the American scene, cemented partly in Bill Clinton's decision to ask her to read an original poem for his 1993 inauguration.

Scholars describe Angelou as a Mother Figure and a Living Ancestor, while everyday readers still memorize and recite her words. She is reported to earn $43,000 each time she speaks.

In poems, film, plays and, most centrally, her six autobiographical books, Angelou's voice continues to casts its spell. "Caged Bird" has sold about 4 million copies and is third on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most challenged titles.

It has been parodied on "The Simpsons" ("I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings") and lionized in book clubs. It tells of the author's rape at age 7 by her mother's boyfriend, of his subsequent slaying and her decision to stop speaking for some five years.

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By Thelma Boamah

Who needs a black, queer hero?

That was the question of the evening last Friday when two dozen playwrights, activists and scholars attended a discussion to address the black LGBT protagonist's place on the American stage at the Graduate Center for CUNY in Midtown. The discussion was cosponsored by Freedom Train Productions, an organization that promotes political theater written by up-and-coming black playwrights, and CUNY's Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies. The evening was moderated by Andre Lancaster, the artistic and managing director of FTP.

Playwright Aurin Squire said that the presence of black LGBT protagonists in his work was no coincidence.

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