WATCH: Trailer for The Skinny

There was a rare screening of his Black gay classic film Punks at Outfest 2011 on Sunday July 17th and creator-director Patrik-Ian Polk  (Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom) was in the audience and wowed the crowd with the trailer for his next feature film, titled The Skinny. Check it out!

Eddie Long's Wife Reportedly Leaves Him

"Bishop" Eddie Long, the Atlanta-area pastor who settled a combined sexual misconduct civil lawsuit for a reported $15 million last month now appears to have trouble at home. Long's second wife, Vanessa Griffin Long, has now reportedly moved out of the couple's $1.5 million home.

Black Medias Scoop delivers the deets:

Let’s catch you up on the scoop! After being fired by Ford for financial irregularities, Eddie Long moved to Atlanta to study theology and became the pastor of a small Jonesboro, GA church. In 1987 he became the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which at the time had around 300 members. Under Long, membership grew to 25,000.


About a year ago, on September 21 and 22, 2010, Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, and Jamal Parris filed separate lawsuits in DeKalb County Superior Court alleging that Long used his pastoral influence to coerce them into a sexual relationship with him.


On September 24, Spencer LeGrande, a member of a New Birth satellite church in Charlotte, North Carolina, filed a similar suit, making him the fourth man to file a lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct by Long. The plaintiffs state that Long placed the men on the church’s payroll, bought them cars and other gifts, and took them separately on trips to destinations such as Kenya, South Africa, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad, Honduras, New Zealand, and New York City.


[...]


Church members quickly informed BMS of a $15 million dollar settlement mostly paid via church insurance. Long only offered a private apology to the young men despite what they really wanted, a public apology and money. Church members were upset and many are leaving the church they once called home.


[...]


Long married Vanessa Griffin in 1990. She worked on the Board of Directors for the Faith Academy. She also headed many ministries, mostly those dealing with women’s issues. They have 3 children together Edward, Jared, and Taylor.


BMS has also learned that she allegedly took one of the children with her to stay at an undisclosed family members home! Our source says Vanessa allegedly agreed to stick by Long until the sex scandal drama was over and then she’d leave. This is Long’s second go around at the chapel of love. He married Dabara S. Houston in 1981 and they have one son together Eric Long.

Wow! Truth can be stranger than fiction. This summary reads like a book by Eric Jerome Dickey or E. Lynn Harris. HOT MESS!

Juneeteenth 2011 NEXT SUNDAY!

There is only one week until the 2011 edition of the Juneteenth Awards and Pride Celebration run by the Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition. Buy your tickets here.

WATCH: Black Lesbian Couple 1st To Get Illinois Civil Union

Lakeesha Harris and Jeanean Watkins, a Black lesbian couple with a registered domestic partnership, were first in line to get their civil union license when Illinois civil unions law went into effect today, June 1. Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law earlier this year. Hawaii and Delaware also enacted civil union laws this year that go into effect later.

Hat/tip to Wonder Man.

Now There Are 4: GA Black Gay State Rep Comes Out

Georgia State Representative Rashad Taylor,
comes out at a press conference May 27, 2011

There are now four openly gay, African-American male state elected representatives nationwide. Previously known were Marcus Brandon of North Carolina, Gordon Fox of Rhode Island and Jason Bartlett of Connecticut. State Representative Rashad Taylor of Georgia joined these three on Friday by coming out as gay at a press conference in Atlanta on Friday.

Taylor, 30, came out in order to respond to and refute charges of improper conduct which had been emailed to various state legislators from a jealous former lover of Rashad's current boyfriend. You can watch video of the press conference here.

Georgia Voice reports:

According to the national Victory Fund which works to elect openly gay officials, Taylor is only the sixth openly black LGBT person to serve in a state legislature. State Rep. Bell was the first black lesbian elected to a state legislature in 2009. 

Yesterday and in days prior, a man who is the ex-boyfriend of Taylor's partner sent an email to state legislators outing him and alleging Taylor misused his office by promising men jobs in exchange for sex. Taylor denied those allegations today, but did say the truth is is he is gay. 

"For some it may take two days, for some it take two years or 20 years [to come out]," he said.  

"I serve in public office and try to retain some semblance of a private life. This is a journey I've been on," he said. "i wouldn't want to expedite anyone else's journey. It ought to be a personal decision."

Taylor admitted that if the allegations against him had not been made he would not have come out.

"I would not be standing here today," he said, adding he considered ignoring the allegations.

But now was the time to tell the truth, Taylor added.

"I felt like honestly this was it unless I spoke the truth," Taylor said, saying he didn't want someone to feel like they had something "over his head."

He said before today, he could "count on one hand" the people who knew he was gay. Taylor also said that he came out to his mother and family in the past 24 hours. He thanked his mother for his support and she hugged him warmly after he spoke to the media.

MadProfessah has previously blogged about Simone Bell's election as the first Black lesbian state representative in December 2009. In Maryland, Mary Washington is the other openly lesbian elected state representative in the country. There are 6 openly LGBT, Black elected representatives nationwide.


Hat/tip to Wonder Man.

Eddie Long Settles 4 Sexual Misconduct Cases

Things that make you go hmmmmm. Eddie Long, an Atlanta-area evangelical preacher who was accused of sexual misconduct with four young Black men involved in his church's youth ministry, has decided to settle the lawsuits for an undisclosed sum and guaranteed secrecy.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Attorneys involved in the four lawsuits against Long, the LongFellows Youth Academy and the 25,000-member Lithonia megachurch said the case had been settled but declined to comment further. The case is expected to be dismissed "with prejudice" -- meaning the defendant cannot be sued by the plaintiffs again in the same alleged offense -- by close of business Friday, said Barbara Marschalk, who represents New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and LongFellows Youth Academy.

B.J. Bernstein, who represents the four men who sued Long, New Birth and the academy, also confirmed the lawsuits had been settled. The academy was named in three of the suits.

Long, pastor of the Lithonia megachurch, which has an international following, had denied the men's allegations through a spokesman shortly after they first became public in September and told his congregation he planned to "vigorously" fight them.

The accusations made against Long by Anthony Flagg, Spencer LeGrande, Jamal Parris and Maurice Robinson alleged that the bishop used his influence, trips, gifts and jobs to coerce them into sexual relations.

Of course, does the fact that the terms of the agreement were undisclosed and the parties are not able to discuss the amount of money involved change how Long is viewed by his parishioners? These people believe  an old white guy in the sky watches over every word, thought and deed so reality-based they are not:

Kamelya Hinson, a Web content editor who lives in Decatur, said the settlement has not shaken her faith.

"It doesn't make me think he's guilty or anything," she said. "I decided when this came out that I loved my pastor unconditionally. Even if he came out and grabbed the mic and said ‘I'm guilty,' it wouldn't change the way I feel about him. I wouldn't be angry like a lot of people are. You can't walk away after 15 years of being a member of a church."

Hinson said it doesn't bother her that she may never know whether the allegations are true. "He's done 1,000 good things," she said, "and he may or may not have done four really bad things."

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0

WATCH: Don Lemon Discusses Being Gay On CNN HLN

As I mentioned on Monday, CNN anchor Don Lemon has come out as openly gay. He is currently making the media rounds promoting his book Transparent. Below is his appearance on Joy Behar's nightly talk show which airs on CNN's Headline News.

CNN Weekend Anchor Don Lemon Comes Out!

Don Lemon, CNN's Weekend Anchor, is revealing in a new book coming out this week that he is a gay man. The 45-year-old African-American television celebrity reveals in Transparent that he was abused as a child and never knew his father.

The New York Times reports:

Few national television news anchors or hosts have publicly acknowledged being gay. Rachel Maddow is perhaps the best known. Her MSNBC colleague, Thomas Roberts, has also come out as gay.

Mr. Lemon has not made a secret of his sexual orientation in his work life; many of his CNN co-workers and managers have long been aware that he is gay. But he still acknowledged that going public in his book carries certain risks.

“I’m scared,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m talking about something that people might shun me for, ostracize me for.”

Even beyond whatever effect his revelation might have on his television career, Mr. Lemon said he recognized this step carried special risk for him as a black man.

“It’s quite different for an African-American male,” he said. “It’s about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You’re taught you have to be a man; you have to be masculine. In the black community they think you can pray the gay away.” He said he believed the negative reaction to male homosexuality had to do with the history of discrimination that still affects many black Americans, as well as the attitudes of some black women.

How long does Anderson Cooper think he can stall before affirmatively answering the question that everyone already knows the answer to?

U.S. Gov't Talking Points On Uganda Anti-Gay Bill

Thanks to Karen Ocamb of LGBT POV, I have access to these talking points the State Department (Bureau of African Affairs) has released about the possibly imminent passage of the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda:

·        The Department of State opposes the draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which we view as manifestly inconsistent with international human rights obligations.  We continue to monitor activity surrounding the proposed legislation, including the public debate.

·        President Obama, Secretary Clinton, Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, and U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier have all spoken out in opposition to the bill.  These public statements underscore the U.S. government’s strong support of the rights of the LGBT community in Uganda and throughout the world.

·        We are not alone in our calls to stop this bill.  Many from the international community have also expressed shared concern about the draft bill.  And Uganda's own Human Rights Commission issued a report in October 2010 calling the bill unconstitutional and inconsistent with international law.  Many civil society groups in Uganda have advocated against this legislation, and we continue to support those efforts.

·        We urge Ugandan lawmakers to reject this bill and, instead, to safeguard the human rights of all Ugandans and ensure that neither sexual orientation nor gender identity provides a legal basis for discrimination or persecution.

·        The White House, the Department of State, and our Embassy in Kampala have been very active in speaking up, both privately and publicly, against the bill and promoting the protection of human rights for LGBT individuals in Uganda.

·        Public statements by President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Bureau of African Affairs Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson have urged Uganda to safeguard the human rights of all Ugandans, regardless of sexual orientation.

·        We meet regularly with human rights advocates and representatives of LGBT groups to solicit their advice on how we can best support the protection of human rights in Uganda.

·        We continue to monitor the situation closely and are reviewing how we would respond to the passage of this legislation.

·        Stating our views about the draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill does not amount to meddling in Uganda’s parliamentary affairs.  Our statements are grounded in international human rights law and the obligations that it entails for all states, including Uganda and the United States.

·        If adopted, a bill further criminalizing homosexuality would constitute a significant step backwards for the protection of human rights in Uganda.  Respect for human rights is key to Uganda’s long-term political stability and democratic development, as well as its public health and economic prosperity.

·        Human rights are also a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.  The White House, the Department of State, and our embassies and consulates overseas will continue to advocate for greater respect for the human rights of LGBT individuals, and we will continue to speak up when we are concerned about abuses, such as those that would be encouraged by or follow from the legislation proposed in Uganda.

Activists are asking people to contact the Uganda Embassy at:

His Excellency Professor Perezi K. Kamunanwire 

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 

Tel: (202) 726 4758 

Fax: (202) 726 1727 

pkamunanwire@ugandaembassyus.org

You can also sign online petitions here (allout.org, 250,000+ so far) and here (avaaz.org, 650,000+ so far). TAKE ACTION!

Response to Jerome Robinson's Letter to the LA TIMES

In the Los Angeles Times a few days ago I came across this letter to the editor which was published:

Lessons on gays' contributions 

Re "A fight over gays in textbooks," April 2 

I am a black male Democrat. I believe homosexuals are born as such because of factors beyond their control. So I don't view homosexuals as wrongdoers who chose to be different. 

That said, I disagree with gay rights activists supporting legislation to require teaching on the contributions of homosexuals in our society, extending recognition to gays that has been historically given to racial minorities. The experiences of homosexuals simply aren't extensions of those of racial minorities. There's no comparison between race and sexuality. 

I'm sick and tired of gay rights activists and radical liberals attempting to hijack the struggles of racial minorities to advance their agenda. It's insulting to me, and I suspect the vast majority of racial minorities feel the same.
Jerome RobinsonLos Angeles

Where to begin with a response? First, I, too am a "black male Democrat." So the first point to note is that clearly all Black male Democrats do not share the same views. Just as the views expressed in the published letter merely reflect one Black male Democrat, so do my published views here.

I'm glad that Mr. Robinson doesn't "view homosexuals as wrongdoers who chose to be different" so at least we know he's not  some ignorant, raving homophobe. That said, he clearly is lacking in information when he says that requiring teaching the contributions of homosexuals to society is "extending recognition to gays that has been historically given to racial minorities." The presumption here is that requiring teaching of certain groups has been restricted to racial minorities, which is clearly false. The contributions of women and other previously neglected groups has been a basic tenet of curricular reform for decades. Including LGBT people is just the next step.

But it is these next two sentences that set my hair on fire: "There's no comparison between race and sexuality." and "I'm sick and tired of gay rights activists and radical liberals attempting to hijack the struggles of racial minorities to advance their agenda."

There's no comparison between race and "sexuality"? (I presume he means sexual orientation.) What about the fact that until 1967 there were laws on the books preventing people from marrying because of the race of the participants? And there are currently laws on the books preventing people from marrying because of the SEX and SEXUAL ORIENTATION of the participants.

Race is a theoretical aspect of identity which has been reified by society, i.e. it is a social construction. Is there any doubt that sexual orientation is also a social construct? What does it even MEAN to be gay? One could define it using sexual attraction, sexual activity, self-identification. But the difficulty in defining either race or sexual orientation does not make their impact on the actual lives of individuals any less real. It is absolute nonsense to say "there's no comparison between race and sexuality."

"I'm sick and tired of gay rights activists and radical liberals attempting to hijack the struggles of racial minorities to advance their agenda." This is such an old canard I don't know where to begin. My usual response is to quote Dan Savage and say that all LGBT activists acknowledge The Civil Rights Movement of the 60s to end racial segregation, but that the movement for full LGBT equality is also a civil rights movement. See the difference? My friend Craig Konnoth, has written an award-winning article entitled "Created in its image: the race analogy, gay identity, and gay litigation in the 1950s-1970s" which eloquently and brilliantly illuminates how much all other civil rights movements (for women's rights, gay rights, etc) that were contemporaneous with the Black Civil Rights Movement were influenced and impacted by the historical precedents set by racial minorities. This should not be a surprise! This is not about hijacking another groups struggles in order to advance another agenda, and by choosing an oppositional frame between racial minorities and other groups one assumes that there is no overlap, which is FALSE.

I'm still trying to decide whether I should formally write a response to Mr. Robinson's letter to the editor and send it to the Times. What do you think, dear readers?

LOOK: Rare Historical Photographs of Black Gay Men

LOL Darian is blogging again and has found these amazing pictures of Black gay men from the last century. The photos were found by historian Trent Kelly and broadcast on NoMoreDownLow.TV .

Black Lesbian Comedy Film "Family" Screens TOMORROW

Jordan/Rustin Coalition is presenting a local screening of director Faith Trimel's Family on Wednesday February 23rd at Lucy Florence Cultural Center from 6:30-9:30pm. There will be a discussion with the director after the screening and a light dinner will be served. RSVP at staff "@" jordanrustin.org.

Hillary Clinton Issues Statement on Murder of Uganda LGBT Activist

David Kato, a well-known Ugandan gay activist, was found murdered in his home

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a statement about the murder of Ugandan gay activist David Kato and called the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni

We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his home near Kampala yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. We urge Ugandan authorities to quickly and thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for this heinous act. 

David Kato tirelessly devoted himself to improving the lives of others. As an advocate for the group Sexual Minorities Uganda, he worked to defend the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. His efforts resulted in groundbreaking recognition for Uganda's LGBT community, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission's October 2010 statement on the unconstitutionality of Uganda's draft "anti-homosexuality bill" and the Ugandan High Court's January 3 ruling safeguarding all Ugandans' right to privacy and the preservation of human dignity. His tragic death underscores how critical it is that both the government and the people of Uganda, along with the international community, speak out against the discrimination, harassment, and intimidation of Uganda's LGBT community, and work together to ensure that all individuals are accorded the same rights and dignity to which each and every person is entitled.
Everywhere I travel on behalf of our country, I make it a point to meet with young people and activists -- people like David -- who are trying to build a better, stronger future for their societies. I let them know that America stands with them, and that their ideas and commitment are indispensible to achieving the progress we all seek. 

This crime is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for and defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us -- and the sacrifices they make. And as we reflect on his life, it is also an occasion to reaffirm that human rights apply to everyone, no exceptions, and that the human rights of LGBT individuals cannot be separated from the human rights of all persons. 

Our ambassadors and diplomats around the world will continue to advance a comprehensive human rights policy, and to stand with those who, with their courage, make the world a more just place where every person can live up to his or her God-given potential. We honor David’s legacy by continuing the important work to which he devoted his life.

The New York Times has more coverage of David Kato's death. Their article has a lot of information on his significance as an LGBT rights activist in Africa:

In October, a Ugandan newspaper called Rolling Stone (with a circulation of roughly 2,000 and no connection to the American music magazine) published a story that included photos and whereabouts of gay people, including several well-known activists like Mr. Kato.

The paper said gay people were raiding schools and recruiting children, a belief that is quite widespread in Uganda and has helped drive the homophobia.

Mr. Kato and a few other gay activists sued the paper and won. This month, Uganda’s High Court ordered Rolling Stone to pay hundreds of dollars in damages and to cease publishing the names of people it said were gay.

But the danger remained.

“I had to move houses,” said Stosh Mugisha, a woman who is going through a transition to become a man. “People tried to stone me. It’s so scary. And it’s getting worse.”

On Thursday, Giles Muhame, Rolling Stone’s managing editor, said he did not think Mr. Kato’s killing had anything to do with what his paper had published.

“There is no need for anxiety or for hype,” he said. “We should not overblow the death of one.”

That one man was considered a founding father of Uganda’s nascent gay rights movement. In an interview in 2009, Mr. Kato shared his life story, how he was raised in a conservative family where “we grew up brainwashed that it was wrong to be in love with a man.”

He was a high school teacher who had graduated from some of Uganda’s best schools and he moved to South Africa in the mid 1990s, where he came out. A few years ago, he organized what he claimed was Uganda’s first gay rights news conference in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, and said he was punched in the face and cracked in the nose by policemen soon afterwards.

Friends said that Mr. Kato had recently put an alarm system in his house and was killed by an acquaintance, someone who had been inside several times before and was seen by neighbors on Wednesday. Mr. Kato’s neighborhood on the outskirts of Kampala is known as a rough one, where several people have recently been beaten to death with iron bars.