(New York, NY) -With 524 points, the mistress of ceremonies announced, contestant no. 4 Mimi Mancini representing Jamaica, dressed in a formless satin-looking white dress, was the winner of the first ever Gay Caribbean Pageant, themed: Fostering Tolerance. The pageant, held on Sept 19, at Unity Hall, part of Unity Fellowship Church of Christ, in Brooklyn, was organized by a group of seven men and women from the island nation of St. Lucia, Fabulous Lucians, and fielded five contestants representing St. Lucia, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Martinique.

By Correspondent, Victor Kerney

Los Angeles - For the first time in years, the Black LGBT community marched at the 24th Annual Martin Luther King Day Parade in South Central, Los Angeles.

After the disastrous Prop 8, three LGBT groups: Here To Stay Coalition, National Black Justice Coalition and The Jordan/Rustin Coalition got together and decided it was time to put a face to the LGBT community of color.

 

Yardenna Aaron, founder of Here To Stay Coalition, knew something had to be done. “People needed to see that we are here and we care about our community,” she said. “Our visibility is very important on this historic day.” Once the group was approved to march, they immediately sent information out from their websites, inviting any and everyone to join them for this historic event. Once I saw the invitation, I knew I had to be there. During the parade, we realized the significance of each step we were taking. We were telling the Black community that yes; there is a Los Angeles Black LGBT community. We are just like you and we are not going anywhere. However, as we marched, a few of us became a bit nervous as much as excited. “I realized that I was coming out to my people, and that frighten me and inspired me at the same time,” a fellow marcher stated. The crowd showed nothing but love for us. Thousands of people were able to see and hear us as we walked roughly two miles from Crenshaw to Western Avenue down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I can’t tell you how the smiles and cheers just encouraged everyone to move on. Of course there were some people who were not happy to see us, but the interesting part was how the crowd around them responded. Many people chastised the ‘haters’ and quickly turned it around. Many of us were moved by this gesture. This was truly a momentous event. We hope we inspired others to take a stand and possibly join us next year.

By Steven Brown

New York City is rich with events and opportunities that truly make it the culture capital of the world. Discovering that the 2008 Gay Erotic Expo was in town speaks volumes as to the huge range of things to encounter here. From the most elite high brow happenings to the lowest beat its all here and there's plenty of it. I made my way to the Gay Erotic Expo with the a lofty quest of locating the men of color. In many ways I was not surprised to find a lack of abundance but what I did find was worth telling.

I fully expected to find lots of venders that produced and sold porn featuring black men and I was not disappointed in finding Big City Video and B.C. Productions both with substantial product featuring exclusively Black and/or Latin brothers and the various urban tales they have to share.

But that's it- only two venders of men of color content DVDs were on hand. Where was Flava Men or Ebony D or even Latino Fan Club? I suspect the internet is having some kind of effect on the porn industry but that's just a guess.

 

Forbiddenfunk reps were on hand speaking to brothers about the Leathersex scene and were also on a search for other black folk. We compared notes and concluded that there just did not seem to be enough chocolate around. These guys were handing out very well made little books called FUNK! A Brutha's Guide to Safer Saner Leathersex. Produced by Safersaner,  the tiny book is quite educational with lots of nice pictures.

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Shawn Joyner and his FALLTACULAR crew will be hosting their annual "FIRE In The Smokies" retreat on a breathtaking 44-acre resort in the Great Smoky Mountains. This is Joyner's eighth year hosting the Southeast's premier fall social gathering. "The Retreat", as it affectionately called, started as Joyner's birthday party for family and a few close friends. Today, it is one of the most anticipated events of the year, drawing people from all over the U.S. and even a few from outside of the country. This year they will host over 350 guests from 22 states and 2 foreign countries.

 

When speaking with people who have made the trip in the past, you learn that the appeal of the the 3 day event is that it's "something different". It's not the typical circuit party that you find when traveling to other weekend events around the country. The crowd is a little older; more settled and little more affluent. Participants are generally college-educated professionals in their early 30's to late 40's and are looking for something other than the club scene.

Although there are great parties every night, there are also many other activities planned for the guests. Throughout the weekend, there are informative workshops, horseback riding, shopping tours, morning aerobics and much more. There are even opportunities for spiritual empowerment in their daily Morning Inspirations sessions. Joyner says that his aim is to "provide a relaxing, rejuvenating weekend in a beautiful setting where you can do as much (or as little) as you like".+

One of the comments you'll hear most often about The Retreat is that it is hard to believe that you get so much for such a nominal price. It's an all-inclusive package that includes lodging for 3 nights, meals, entertainment and even cocktails! When asked, Joyner says that "I don't do this to make money. I just like to see people have a good time. This is my gift to them". To learn more about FALLTACULAR'S - "Fire In The Smokies" Retreat, visit them at www.falltacular.com

 

San Francisco, CA –  The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society announced today that author Armistead Maupin and two groups of activists who coordinated the fight against the 1978 Briggs Initiative will receive the 2008 Walker Award at its annual Gala event on October 9.

 

Maupin and representatives from the Bay Area Coalition Against the Briggs Initiative (BACABI) and The No on 6 Committee will be presented the Walker Award on October 9 at the GLBT Historical Society’s annual Gala event. This year’s event theme is “Modern History: From Milk to Marriage" and the event program will celebrate 30 Years of GLBT History from 1978-2008.

Named after Willie Walker, a co-founder of the GLBT Historical Society who passed away in 2004, the Walker Award honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to the civic, cultural and political life of the GLBT community. Past awardees have included Billie Jean King, the first woman named Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of the Year”; Esera Tuaolo, the NFL all-star who played in the Super Bowl; and Phyllis Lyon and the late Del Martin, founders of the Daughter of Bilitis. In 2007, the organization presented the award to Dr. Margarethe (Grethe) Cammermeyer, PdD, RN, Colonel, USA. for her leadership in the fight against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

In 1976, Maupin’s “Tales of the City” serial in the San Francisco Chronicle was the first gay-themed fiction to ever appear in an American daily newspaper. The publication of "Tales of the City" in book form in 1978 marked a cultural turning point that many believe helped to launch the past 30 years of political and social progress for the GLBT community.

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Five Finalists Vying to be Named America’s Most Eligible Gay Bachelor

San Francisco, California – July 7, 2008 – The five bachelors that will compete for this year’s America’s Gay Bachelor 2008 title were publicly announced today by the gay matchmaking site myPartner.com, the contest’s sponsor.

The five finalists were chosen from a pool of 51 contestants (one from each state and the nation‘s capital) by more than 35,000 votes cast online at myPartner.com. Each finalist is an eligible, single gay man that either originally hails from, or is currently living in the state he’ll be representing at the finale event. The five finalists are Mr. Montana, Mr. Ohio, Mr. Oregon, Mr. Rhode Island and Mr. Utah.

The finalists will appear in San Diego for final judging by a panel of celebrity judges at the contest’s star-studded finale held at W San Diego on July 17 during San Diego’s Gay Pride Week. The finalists will be joined by eligible bachelors from all over the country at W San Diego’s famed rooftop bar Beach to meet, mingle, and – just maybe – find the man of their dreams.

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The Hunt for America’s Most Eligible Gay Bachelor Ends with Star-Studded Finale at W San Diego

San Francisco, Calif., June 4th 2008 --- On July 17, eligible bachelors from all over the country will gather at W San Diego’s famed rooftop bar Beach to meet, mingle, and – just maybe – find the man of their dreams.

Finalists from around the country will compete for the coveted title of “America’s Gay Bachelor 2008” at the contest’s star-studded finale at W San Diego on July 17 during San Diego’s Gay Pride Week.

“More and more gay men are looking for someone who’s marriage material,” says Patrick Perrine, the President of gay matchmaking site myPartner.com, and host of the July 17 event. “We’re here to debunk the myth that gay men aren’t interested in finding lasting relationships, especially as states across the country begin to move towards legalizing gay marriage,” says Perrine.

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GLBT Historical Society Unveils Exhibit Celebrating GLBT Leather History

San Francisco, CA - July 3, 2008 – The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society and Folsom Street Events™ are celebrating 25 years of the Folsom Street Fair with a new exhibit at the GLBT Historical Society.

The exhibit will open on Thursday July 24th, the Thursday prior to the Dore Alley Fair. There will be an opening night reception on Thursday July 24 at 6pm, and a special "Leather Week" reception on Thursday September 25 at 6pm. The exhibit will run through the end of October, which is National Gay History Month.

More than 400,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Folsom Street Fair, according to Andy Copper, Folsom Street Events™ Board President. Martin Meeker, a member of the GLBT Historical Society’s board, and co-curator of the exhibit, says, “the Folsom Street Fair is a unique event. It began as a neighborhood event, but has since become the largest leather/fetish event in the world, bringing together people of all different nationalities, genders and sexual orientations in a celebration of sexual freedom and self expression.”

This year’s exhibit at the GLBT Historical Society will chronicle the organization’s evolution from a small, underground gathering to largest leather/fetish event in the world and the third largest, single-day outdoor event in California. “We are thrilled to celebrate our 25TH Fair with style and a week’s worth of truly outstanding events and programs. This exhibit is a great addition to our annual event.” says Jacob Richards, Folsom Street Board VP and exhibit cocurator.

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GBM Bookclub Inc is proud to inform you that Laurinda Brown, author of Undercover, Fire and Brimstone, Walk like a Man and her latest book The Highest Price for Passion, has just been added to “Meet the Authors” Panel discussion.

This excited event will take place during NYC 2008 Gay Pride weekend, Saturday, June 28, 2008 @ 12:00pm - 4:00pm at the LGBT Community Center. 208 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011. Please check out the excerpt from her latest book The Highest Price for Passion. For more information, please contact Nick @ 646-241-9667 or email gbmbookclub@aol.com.

Books by Laurinda Brown

Excerpted The Highest Price for Passion by Laurinda D. Brown Copyright (c) 2007 In their old age, Silas and Massa Gray did little to conceal their relationship, and after a while, Silas just moved right on in. At sunrise, they could be found riding through the plantation on their horses, occasionally stopping along the river to sit on the banks and talk. Afterwards, they would return home for breakfast and then retreat to the front porch where they would sit and chew tobacco. Neither of them held any regard for the slaves as they made it a point to be nasty and make life difficult for them. No spit ever made it to the spittoon, nor did they lift a finger to do anything else...

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Fire Island Black Out, more popularly known as FIBO, is the annual celebration and summer season finale for the LGBT community of color. Popularity has grown from 50 attendees in 2003, to nearly 2,000 last year.

The seven-hour Saturday Night FIBO Bump and Dip dance party ends just a few hours before the Sunday, August 10 FIBO Brunch, where remaining revelers can nourish their bodies before putting the cap on a wonderful weekend. In 2008, a percentage of proceeds from FIBO will benefit the Ali Forney Center, a New York-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which houses LGBT adolescents and provides these young persons with the skills necessary to help them transition into adulthood. Fire Island Black Out holds the distinction of being the only beach party for the LGBT community of color on Fire Island, and we are one of the largest events in the Northeast.

With the help of our sponsors, Cherry Grove business partners, and private donors, Fire Island Black Out creates the ultimate party atmosphere where persons of all genders, sexual identities, and ethnicities can come together for that all-important "end-of-summer hurrah", while generating money for an organization taking the lead in raising the next generation of LGBT leaders.

Please visit fireislandblackout.com for more information and FIBO Bump and Dip dance party DJ line-up.

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