We’ve seen it umpteen thousand times. We’re sure many of you have as well. Some of you might even be guilty of it—-white gay person uses to support their argument or criticism aimed at the government/military/Obama/society in general/etc—a dark chapter from black history in America to underscore their point in regards to any opposition or perceived sluggishness towards LGBT rights.

Case in point, today there’s a Huff Post piece written by Emma Ruby Sachs titled Petraeus Sells Gay Troops Down the River. She’s pissed because General Petraeus announced that he supports a year long review of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. Sachs’ thinks the review is a stalling tactic to potentially derail the repeal of the anti-gay military policy. She’s also exceptionally irked that General Petraeus made the statement:

“As you said I believe in my office the likely effects could go in either direction… I believe you told me, either negative or positive, the study could show.”

Okay. Whateves, right? It’s not the first rant we’ve read on why LGBTs should be permitted to serve openly yesterday in the military. We will say however that we don’t entirely agree with Miss Sachs in this respect. To ensure a “safe and smooth” transition for gay and lesbian military personnel we feel a well-thought out game plan might be just the thing.  But differing in opinion with Miss Sachs is not our grievance. It’s the responses to her post that makes the kink in our ‘fro straighten out.

Namely, the overly tired singsong responses by gay white folks who quickly dredge up Harry Truman’s executive order to desegregate the military in 1948 as an arrow aimed at President Obama and his unwillingness to do the same with the repeal of DADT.

If we’ve not seen this hundreds of times we’ve seen it thousands. Here’s the part that these people either ignorantly not wanting or caring to know black American history—- or conveniently and purposefully conceal. And that is, Truman’s executive order was issued in 1948. It took FIVE YEARS before integration was completed. And even then the last all black unit wasn’t disbanded until 1954.

Here’s our question: how you gonna use that as an argument against a proposed year long study to repeal DADT?  Exactly. You can’t. You’d sound like goddamned fool for doing so—which by the way—-is what these people sound like.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using as example historical aspects of racism against blacks in America and/or the black civil rights struggle to drive home why everyone should be entitled to the same rights, there is something VERY WRONG with this practice when:

A. You’re using historical examples of oppression and racism against blacks specifically to “clown” your black president passive aggressively with the insinuation that because and only because he’s black, full equality for LGBTs should’ve happened the moment he removed his hand from the bible right after being sworn in.

B. Citing black historical examples as part of your argument for LGBT rights when not only do you not know what you’re talking about but obviously too arrogant to even bother fact-checking your own statements before revealing to one and all your ignorance.

From our tip jar: there’s this handy Web site called Wikipedia.com. We love it. Although not 100% accurate all the time, it’s fairly resourceful in quickly checking up on any claims you’re about to make on someone else’s history or culture. Our preferred quick fact-checking site however is Brittanica.com. We find online encyclopedia sites like this a godsend if we’re not remotely interested or informed about another culture but just want to borrow a quick historical tidbit for argument sake and come off informed on the subject while we doing it. We cheerfully encourage those who are bereft on the fine points of black struggles in America to please take advantage of these free and useful databases of information.

Once again, nothings wrong with respectfully acknowledging another culture’s journey to highlight one’s argument for LGBT equality. Just be sure you’re actually citing the facts and not parroting something you’ve read on embittered online fag rags from the likes of those such as David Mixner, Dan Savage or John Aravotisis’s Americablog. Although we will say Aravotisis chilled big time lately on the Obama-hate. Well, the last time we glanced at it a month ago.

Huff Post: Petraeus Sells Gay Troops Down the River

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Six faith-based LGBT organizations are splitting a whopping grant award of $1.2 million to expand the number of churches that welcome LGBTs into their congregations as well as support these churches in building a strong LGBT infrastructure.

The 6 recipient organizations are:

• National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation’s Institute for Welcoming Resources (IWR), which works with the welcoming church movement in 30 Christian denominations.
• Integrity, which works within the Episcopal Church
• Lutherans Concerned/North America, which works within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
• More Light Presbyterians, which works within the Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Reconciling Ministries Network, which works within the United Methodist Church
• United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns.

We think this is fantastic news. Since ironically, it more or less copycats in some ways the method the Bush Administration employed when it infiltrated urban black churches across America doling out funding in exchange for support from black ministers and their congregations against same sex marriage. Hey, it worked for Bush. Maybe it’ll work for us.

The $1.2 million Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund —was actually awarded last Fall. This story somehow eased under the wire with the majority of the LGBT press—including ourselves. We came across it last night and after some quick fact checking discovered that virtually nothing had been written about this grant and the recipients. Call us crazy, but we think this is a big deal. That much money to do LGBT outreach to churches?  Ohhhh, we see this as significant alright. According to the Web site United Buffalo We Stand, the funds will be dispersed over a two-year period to the organizations.  The goals are to support a strategic, collaborative effort to expand pro-LGBT faith-based organizing efforts and allow the groups to fortify their respective infrastructures. Here’s  a quick summary  we lifted from the United Buffalo We Stand site of how the outreach is going to look like:

Through the welcoming church movement, congregations decide — through a formal vote — to offer an unconditional welcome to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. To date, more than 3,100 congregations across the Christian spectrum have explicitly welcomed LGBT people to full inclusion in the life and ministry of their congregations. This is largely due to the longtime and tireless work of these organizations, most of which have worked together for years to build the strong foundation of the existing welcoming church movement.

Nice. We do have one question however. We wonder will there be outreaching to churches in people of color communities? While the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian Christian denominations all have churches in communities of color, we wonder if they too, will be approached to participate in creating LGBT inclusiveness in their congregations.

We certainly so. It would be a big wasted opportunity if these organizations just focused on primarily white churches. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and keep you updated if we find out any more developments.

For more details on this post: $1.2 Million Grant to Support Pro-LGBT Faith Work

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The American Humanists Association has announced that they will host and pay for an LGBT-friendly prom for Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Mississippi. The school made headlines earlier this week when they cancelled the senior prom rather then permit openly gay student Constance McMillen to bring a same-gender date. The ACLU has a lawsuit already underway against the school’s district.

In response to the prom’s cancellation AHA members Todd and Diana Stiefel made a $20,000 grant available to the AHA for the purpose of holding a prom in Itawamba County, according to an AHA press release. The AHA will be discussing logistics with the pertinent parties today.

“It’s shameful that closed-minded members of the school board are prepared to deprive an entire class of students their prom over their outdated religious mores.” said Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the AHA. “People can hold to any belief or no belief in this nation, but the school board misuses their position when they try to impose their beliefs on the student population in Itawamba.”

Humanists and freethinkers have a history of speaking up for the rights of all. The AHA was among the first to support civil rights, equal pay for equal work, and the right of same-sex couples to marry. Recently the AHA launched the LGBT Humanist Council to advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families. (www.lgbthumanists.org).

For more details on this post go to this link:  Atheist Group Offers To Hold Gay Friendly Prom

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The Rev. Dennis Meredith, center, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, began a change in his preachings against homosexuality eight years ago when his son Micah told him he is gay. (photo courtesy of New York Times)

“The ascendancy to power of many of our African-American religious leaders has been predicated for so long on the devaluation of women and LGBT people. These ministers, who are supported by the Family Research Council and refuse to see the relationship between the black civil rights movement of the ’60s with the LGBT struggle to have the freedom to marry, merely become the overseers of a right-wing Republican plantation that will pad their pockets provided that they promulgate the master’s rhetoric.”

~ Rev. Irene Moore from her essay Unholy Matrimony: The Black Church & the Christian Right (2004)

It’s understandable why so many LGBTs are turned off to religion. No need for us to go down an exhausting laundry list outlining the obvious and well-trodden. And yet…as a community we are in the midst of a crisis movement. That’s really what the quest for equality is when it comes right down to it. It’s a social and cultural crisis.

Click on blue shaded area to hear short audio excerpt of anti-gay sermon by Bishop Alfred Owens of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, Washington DC: 0505owens

One of the things that troubles us in regards to the LGBT equality movement these days is the absence of a strong God consciousness at the forefront of the journey. And we feel that without it, this battle for full civil rights and recognition as equals is going to be a multi-decades drawn-out and tiresome affair filled with sputters and spots—-a legislative victory here. Another one there—-but nothing  like  the ultimate vision. And that is full equality for LGBTs across the land.

What stands in the way of this reality happening anytime soon is the lack of a unifying driving force that propels a community of people to surge forward together fearless and empowered with a single vision.

LGBT affirming Culver City-based Agape International Spiritual Center's Rev. Michael Beckwith and his wife Rickie

We read a rather enlightening Huff Post essay recently that was written by Dr. Emilie Townes, an African American clergywoman and the Associate Dean at the Divinity School at Yale University. The name of Dr. Townes’ essay is titled The Selma Marchers Weren’t Just Activists — They Were Believers. It’s a powerful testament on how a collective faith and belief in a power greater than one’s self can become a cataclysmic force that ultimately renders the believers unstoppable. We’ve provided the link to the essay at the end of this post. Do check it out. And be sure to read comments following it as well. There’s some interesting responses to the essay ranging from borderline racist (we don’t quite get how race  gets into play) to some really enlightened statements.

But before you read the essay we decided that maybe not enough information has been disseminated about gay affirming churches and spiritual congregations throughout California. So we’re providing the databases we’ve come across .

Click here to view the embedded video.

Reverend Deborah Johnson speaks on Transcendence: Forgiveness is the Path To Freedom Pt. 1

While we’re posting these databases to support African American LGBTs in locating a friendly congregation or spiritual center,  by no means are these lists exclusively African American churches and only for African Americans. Most of the congregations listed are multi-cultural so please everyone take advantage of this information. Unless of course if you’d prefer to attend a primarily black church. You can rock it like that, too.

We’re pretty sure we’ve missed some names. If you know of any churches or spiritual centers and places of worship you’d like to recommend please enter it in the comment section of this post. We’d greatly appreciate it.

Love@Work's Rev. Alfreda Lanoix takin' it to the streets

Here’s the links:

Dr. Emelie Towns Huff Post Essay: The Selma Marchers Weren’t Just Activists — They Were Believers.

Database of churches and independent links

Welcoming Gay Friendly Churches in California – CA

Operation Rebirth (Most churches listed have strong African American LGBT congregations)

The UCC Coalition of LGBT Concerns (provides national church listings including Los Angeles)

Love@Work…the Exchange! with Reverend Alfreda Lanoix
Sundays, 11:30am –  Spirituality at it’s Best at Catch One Disco (1st Floor)

4067 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019

Agape International Spiritual Center Web site: http://www.agapelive.com/

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We have to admire California conservatives. Their tenacity and endless array of game plans and responses to the unthinkable possibility of fairness for one and all can be head spinning.  It isn’t enough that they voted out a minority group’s civil rights–they want to police and run the whole kit and kaboodle.

We’re guessing due to the fallout from the revelation of Prop 8 trial Judge Vaughn Walker’s sexuality, that this news sent Prop 8trs and friends screaming and quoting scriptures back to the blackboard for some serious restrategizing.

The latest assault to common decency? An effort to rehaul the state’s judicial system called Better Courts Now.  The Chula Vista-based grassroots political drive–which is also backed by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM)—is an attempt to flush San Diego County’s court system of liberal judges by placing emphasis on family values and pro life support. If successful in San Diego guaranteed they’ll waste no time taking the show on the road statewide.

• The current seated Superior Court Judges of San Diego County total 129.
• 27 of those judges are up for re-election in 2010.

Their angle by the way isn’t just getting rid of liberal judges—oh that would be a tad too weak.  It’s what these folks say liberal judges have cost California taxpayers. The banner they’re waving is that the state could’ve saved $40 million dollars had those four effing bleeding liberals on the California Supreme Court not struck down the ban on gay marriage in 2008.

We have to admit, the pocketbook angle could be pretty potent insofar as pointing fingers goes these days at who’s to blame for the state’s current economic circumstances aka broke-ass California.

According to the Capital Weekly, the Better Courts Now Web site features 21 videos extolling the virtues of strong family values and the need for judicial overhaul with such spokespersons as: Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, Steve Baldwin, who held the AD 77 seat from 1995 through 2000; Ron Prentice, San Diego chairman for the Yes on 8 Campaign; Don Hamer, a prominent black pastor in San Diego; Dean Broyles, an attorney the Western Center for Law & Policy; Brian Jones, vice mayor of Santee; and Charles Li Mandri, west coast regional director of the Thomas More Law Center.

We just hope progressive organizations are already on top of this and in the midst of preparing a response campaign to nip it in the bud.

Here’s their one token negro so far Don Hamer, giving his pitch. And whaddya know, he’s a church minister:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Capital Weekly: San Diego-based group mounts effort to elect conservative judges.

Rightwing Watch: Prop 8 Backers Seek to Take Control Of California Courts

Better Courts Now Web site: Better Courts Now

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Photo: Ugandan supporters of the anti-gay bill yesterday demonstrate in Uganda’s eastern town of Jinja against US president Barrack Obama and all those who support homosexuality (Feb’ 2010)

Now this is an interesting development that has received next to no coverage from the LGBT news scene.

Two US diplomats from the US Bureau of African Affairs–Geeta Pasi, the bureau’s East Africa director, and Bruce Wharton, the bureau’s director of public affairs, travelled from DC earlier this month to meet with a group of Ugandan LGBT activists. Held at the US Embassy in city of Kampala on March 3, the meeting was centered around the development of strategies to defeat the controversial anti-gay bill in the African nation.

Present at the meeting were also representatives from the Ugandan human rights organization the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law. According to Canadian LGBT online news portal Xtra.ca, Ugandan gay leaders offered an array of strategies at the US diplomats to stalwart the bill including a proposal for economic sanctions on Uganda to a campaign to US Evangelical church leaders to get them to speak out more against the proposed anti-gay law.

While no financial support from the US was discussed, the diplomats did say that they would consider granting American visas to Ugandan gay leaders so they can travel to the US this summer and raise awareness about the legislation.

As a side note Ugandan transgender activist Victor Juliet Mukasa is currently in Norway visiting the country’s National Organization for Lesbians And Gays. Mukasa has been travelling worldwide for the last few years providing awareness about homophobia in Uganda and how it is spreading from country to country throughout the African continent. The activist was the International Grand Marshall for Toronto’s gay pride in June 2009. Here’s a short interview with Mukasa while in Toronto sharing on why it’s important for him to claim both his transgender and lesbian identity in Africa.

Mukasa also stated in an interview with a Norwegian newspaper this week that that foreign and domestic fundamentalists are behind the growing gay hatred in Africa. “Much of it stems from the American right wing. Evangelical movement is very active in Uganda and other parts of Africa,” said the activist.

“They are working to criminalize homosexuality in Africa,” says Mukasa who now lives in South Africa.

Be sure and check out Uganda’s Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law Web site at the end of this post. It seems to be the best source of direct updated information concerning developments in the Ugandan LGBT activist community and the latest updates on status of the anti-gay bill. The site also provides a healthy list of Web links to African human rights organizations. If you work for a social cause organization you can also endorse support of the campaign against the anti-gay bill by posting your org’s logo and information on the Civil Society site. In addition, there’s an on-site petition requesting signatures in support of the movement to defeat the bill.

Quick commentary: We find the silence by mainstream LGBT blogs and pubs on this event curious behavior after last year’s blatant anti-Obama campaign launched by several popular gay mainstream blogs and news cheat sheets. Possibly their silence could be a matter of keeping the majority of gay folks in the dark about the work the administration is doing in regards to human rights and international diplomacy on the behalf of LGBTs. By remaining mum on such matters, these blogs and LGBT pubs can mount and remount their campaigns against President Obama with plenty of unenlightened support from their readers. Maybe they’re not providing balanced coverage of governmental activities in relationship to human rights and LGBT persecution internationally because they feel President Obama should be moving faster on LGBT rights domestically.

If so, that’s kinda’ effed up don’t you think?

It’s irresponsible the way we see it. And in this particular instance it only hurts Ugandan LGBTs when progress and news information is not disseminated by those who claim to have their best interests at heart.

Xtra.ca: Obama administration meets with gay leaders in Uganda

Link to: Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law

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This is the cutest video and demonstrates that homophobia and other discriminatory beliefs are learned behavior. This kid after working through an explanation that these two men are married to each other could give a shit.  But he’s most def’ down for some ping pong.

File under cute kid stories.

See the full story at the Truth Wins Out Web site: What Happens When Kids Aren’t Taught Hatred and Discrimination?

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A shout to Cleo Manago for posting on his Facebook profile a brilliant essay written by the Salon’s Kate Harding defending Mo’ Nique’s controversial acceptance speech last night about “not playing the game.”  In addition to breaking it down, Ms. Harding makes some inciteful references to Hattie McDaniels (as did Mo’ Nique in her acceptance speech last night) that truly puts all critics of Mo’ Nique and what she had to say to shame.

But first we wanted our readers to see McDaniels and Mo’ Nique’s acceptance speeches in comparison. And after that, we want you to read Ms. Harding’s essay:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Link to Salon story: In defense of Mo’Nique’s Oscar speech

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Can we say how proud we are to know Lisa Powell? We met her at the very first Camp Courage for Courage Campaign in West Hollywood last January. It feels like a thousand years ago—seems like we’ve been through so much trudging this crazy equality road together. She is one of our mentors, a co-conspirator, and frankly just one helluva funny sista. We’ve shed many tears together through laughter.

Lisa has an extraordinarily rare gift of keeping the peace, bringing the calm, fostering the trust and moving forward in steady progress the whole time. She is indeed part community activist, part parent, part therapist, part drama killer, part visionary, part comedian, part sentinel—and all black woman. Truly she is a gift to not just the local African American LGBT community—but to the entire LGBT community here on the West Coast. Rick Jacobs ought to get on his hands and knees thanking the good Lord everyday for her association with the Courage Campaign. We jus’ sayin.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010, Lisa will be speaking at Cal State Northridge. The event (free by the way) is co-sponsored by various university departments and student clubs including the Center for Ethics and Values, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies Student Association, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance, Queer Studies Program, Queer Studies Student Association and the Women’s Research and Resource Center.

For more info on how to get a seat—and you should do that like—now–here’s the Facebook page for the event: A Conversation with Lisa Powell

But wait! There’s more. The sistas are busy! How many folks knew Jasmyne Cannick served as a producer for a recent documentary about the Black Panthers in Los Angeles? Yep, she sho’ did. And the film won’t shut down. Meaning the film just had screenings at the Pan African Film Festival. But do to overwhelming demand it returns with a limited engagement March 26 through April 1 at the Culver Plaza Theatres in Culver City.

“41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers” is the first part in a documentary series that follows the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party from its glorious Black Power beginnings through to its tragic demise.

We want to drop a few words about Jasmyne Cannick: We can honestly say there is NO ONE we know of who has demonstrated a dog-vicious unyielding commitment to the overall black community like Cannick. So much so that we seek consultation from her and only her on issues we’re undecided about in regards to the black community and black LGBTs. We don’t always agree, but we have to hand it to her, the sista loves loves loves her people and her community. So much so that some black LGBTs resent her for it. We don’t. But then again, we’ve never exclusively dated white folks. Quiet as it’s kept, we’ve found that it is those black LGBTs who seem to have the biggest ax to grind with Cannick. A mere observation. Make of it what you will.

Here’s the trailer for 41st & Central:

For more information on the upcoming Culver Plaza Theatre screenings go to this link: Black Panther Documentary Gets Limited Engagement in Los Angeles Mar. 26-Apr.1

To join the film’s Facebook fan page go here: 41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers

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Yep. The loser admitted on live radio that he’s gay. California Republican Senator Roy Ashburn—who has consistently voted against gay rights and was arrested last week after leaving drunk from a gay bar with another man came out today on a Bakersfield radio station talk show.

“I am gay.  Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long.  It is something that is personal, and I don’t believe I felt with my heart that being gay would affect how I do my job,” Ashburn said.

Wow. While people fight to the death for equality across the land—for the right  for the civil rights that are enjoyed by all with the exception of same gender loving folks—here’s a guy who believes that his sexual preference is something personal—-like his religion. This is why there’s so many misinformed heterosexual folks out there who believe that sexuality is a choice. It’s people like Ashburn who fuel such none sense.

Oh, and by the way, Ashburn is divorced with four daughters. His living a lie impacts more than just his political career. How tragic and unnecessary.

For more on this story read this link: Conservative California state senator comes out

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