Racebending.com Facebook Group Removed: WHY?!

FROM MARISSA MINNA LEE of racebending.com:
This morning, news reports started surfacing about M. Night meeting with fan groups, where he's saying there was no bias in the casting.  People are believing him.  The production flew out fans to meet M. Night on an all expenses paid trip to New York City. Later today, Facebook inexplicably took down the Racebending.com fan group, cutting off our access to 6,000 supporters.

COINCIDENCE?  I THINK NOT!
Visit Racebending.com for the latest info.

VIDEO SERIES ON WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT!






WATCH MORE VIDEOS AND JOIN A COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO CHANGE AT racebending.com

Read my article on HRC's website!

In 2004, Diane Finnerty, co-director of the Raíces (Roots) project at the University of Iowa wrote an open letter beseeching her white Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender sisters and brothers to recognize the danger of being “enlisted knowingly or unknowingly in [a] racist agenda.” Finnerty advocated against making “statements that diminish the impact of racism” like “I’m surprised that you, as a person of color, wouldn’t understand this is a civil rights issue.” While marriage equality has become a dominating issue for LGBT Americans, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s new study, “At The Intersection: Race, Sexuality and Gender,” LGBT people of color still experience more discrimination due to race than because of sexual orientation. Shedding light on everyday experiences of LGBT people of color, “At the Intersection” exposes a collective truth outside of just anecdotal evidence while suggesting key talking points for discussing social justice across lines we have too long used to define.

- Read the rest on the Human Rights Campaign website, http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/08/equality-forward-faith-cheltenham/

Al Sharpton To The Rescue?

This post has not been approved by Nick Fury!

Ripped from Pam's House Blend,

OMG. I usually don't agree with him on a host of issues, but what an epic serving of truth LGBT ally Al Sharpton placed on the table at the Human Rights Ecumenical Service held at Atlanta's Tabernacle Baptist Church, where he gave a keynote that smacked down the homobigoted, hypocritical slice of the religious community. It was no coincidence that the event was held to welcome the Alliance of Affirming Faith-Based Organizations.

Can you feel the burn?

"I am tired," he went on, "of seeing ministers who will preach homophobia by day, and then after they're preaching, when the lights are off they go cruising for trade...We know you're not preaching the Bible, because if you were preaching the Bible we would have heard from you. We would have heard from you when people were starving in California--when they deregulated the economy and crashed Wall Street you had nothing to say. When [accused Ponzi scammer] Madoff made off with the money, you had nothing to say. When Bush took us to war chasing weapons of mass destruction that weren't there you had nothing to say.

"But all of a sudden, when Proposition 8 came out, you had so much to say, but since you stepped in the rain, we gonna step in the rain with you."

And this...

"There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people's bedrooms and claim that God sent you. It amazes me when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being [relegated] into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners."

Sunday, Nov 23rd, 11am RALLY IN LEIMERT PARK!

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2008

CONTACT:
Ron Buckmire
323-314-2949
buckmire@jordanrustincoalition.org

Official Statement by leading BLACK LGBT organization on this weekend's political action supporting the repeal of Proposition 8

LOS ANGELES, CA – Ron Buckmire, Board President of the Barbara Jordan/ Bayard Rustin Coalition, released the following statement regarding the Black GLBT March and Protest planned for Leimert Park on the morning of Sunday, November 23, 2008.

"African-American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans have something unique to add to the multiple activities attempting to repeal Proposition 8. The Jordan/Rustin Coalition supports, endorses and will participate in any and all peaceful and lawful actions involving our own communities which support this goal. We are excited to announce our participation in the community grassroots organized rally for LGBT rights this Sunday at 11am in Leimert Park (corner of Vernon and Crenshaw).

"The event is organized by 'Love at Work – The Exchange' and Reverend Freda Lanoix. Starting at 11:30am on Sunday, Black LGBT people will march in solidarity in a predominantly African American neighborhood to peacefully protest the passage of Proposition 8. We call on all fair-minded Black people to join us!

"As we await the California Supreme Court's decision on the legal status of same-sex marriages entered into between June 17 and November 4, the Jordan/Rustin Coalition will continue to work in the many communities we are part of to engage in discussion about equal rights for all LGBT Californians. We encourage our many allies in the LGBT and African American communities to join us in grassroots activism in hopes of change."

###

ABOUT the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition

The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition (or Jordan Rustin Coalition) is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Ron Buckmire, Board President of the Jordan/Rustin Coalition is available for interviews by calling his cell phone, 323-314-2949 or email at buckmire@jordanrustincoalition.org

My Article on Advocate.com

Read my article on advocate.com! Was talking to my mom last night about LGBT everything, and the definition of marriage when she said, "You should tell The Advocate, YOU ARE THE ADVOCATE!" Ever since I was a kid I'm been running orgs and protesting inequality, from my middle school's Jungle Fever ball to minstrels popping up in high school wearing fake dreads and dark colored makeup. That was just growing up in San Luis Obispo, CA to some extent. And then when I came out, there were even more things to fight for. I believe we can move to closer to equality, just takes time and effort. Join us on Monday night at La Cienega and Centinela in Ladera Heights for the next People of Color in their own communities protesting H8!

Feel the impact this Saturday as well, LA City Hall @ 10am!

Taking Sides, Black or Gay

Jasmyne Cannick, who worked with Washington on the Pan African Arts Festival, said she's infuriated ABC booted Washington from the show's upcoming fourth season for calling Knight a "faggot" during a scuffle on the set and believes it smacks of racism. So she's launched a petition - which had 1,233 signatures as of last night - to get the actor his job back.

The petition says Washington's firing "further adds to a disturbing new trend at ABC wherein minority actors have been dismissed at an alarming rate over the past two years. Blacks, including . . . Star Jones ('The View'), Harold Perrineau ('Lost'), Alfre Woodard, Mehcad Brooks and Page Kennedy ('Desperate Housewives') have been let go . . . One must ask themselves, what is going on? . . . While we don't approve of [Washington's] use of the F-word at the Golden Globes, Washington has since apologized and gone on to perform community service by way of a public service announcement for the very organizations that have been orchestrating his dismissal. But it seems it wasn't enough."

I know and have known Jasmyne for years, she's one of the strongest leaders the BlaQue community has. Still I don't agree, I think it odd to separate my identity. I am black and queer, you say faggot we fight. You say nigger we fight.

After years of rumor of I.W's tirades on set, including his altercations with women actors...I wish she'd chosen a better example than him. I stopped listening to Em when he was full of fag words, but because I'm black I'm supposed to take the angry black man's side no matter what? Say it ain't so, say it ain't so!

That Explains A LOT: Al Sharpton and Strom Thurmond Related

Al Sharpton said he wants a DNA test to determine whether he is related to former segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond through his great-grandfather, a slave owned by an ancestor of the late senator...Professional genealogists, who work for Ancestry.com, found that Sharpton's great-grandfather Coleman Sharpton was a slave pwned owned by Julia Thurmond, whose grandfather was Strom Thurmond's great-great-grandfather. Coleman Sharpton was later freed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070226/ap_on_re_us/sharpton_thurmond_14


I think it highly likely, highly likely. And totally hilarious, it's like poetic justice...random connections make the world work out in the end. Maybe I'm just still on a HEROES high. (shrug)



*No, Dave Chappelle doesn't have anything to do with this. Or does he? ;)

ThisLoveHasAlwaysExisted

ThisLoveHasAlwaysExisted

(originally written for the black community, from an African-american queer)

Once was a dude named Saul, in the Bible look him up under Paul. Raised Jew, he made it his business to pursue Christians right after Christ died and left for the sky, he even stood by and watched Stephen, the first "official" martyr die.

But one day on the way to Damascus came a light and the Lord, and he fell to his knees.

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?!!!
I am not a threat to the Jews, I fulfill all you hold true.

And Saul was struck blind, yet Paul's sight was restored!

"... I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy has been found trustworthy."

Jotted down by the apostle who wrote to Rome and told them to stop sleeping with their own sons, it's a favorite moment of mine, a time tested version of ultimate conversion, a point I hope will illuminate a true existence of love, finding a way to stop the hate.

For who can say that gay people today are not by the Lord's mercy, trustworthy?

Police profiling, infighting, lack of community kindness, straight people's license to kill, corporate ill will, crystal meth, a new black death…Many of us have LOVED without even picking up the phone to call home. We have wished we would be asked to tell and survived.

Now, before you get up from your seats and wander away, take a second to consider what change means today, we have internet, millions of books and time to look—seen past sinners become saints: divorcees, Joan of Arc, haters and interracial daters.
Didn't know that's an abomination to? According to the Bible only 7 or 8 exist...Interracial marriage was one tossed into the mix, women wearing gold jewelry or men's clothing, check. And now we come to… gay sex.

THAT sex is SO NASTY you say...funny, last time I checked isn't all sex that way? Wasn't your first time a mess of wetness, slapping sounds a mix of pleasure and pain? Isn't all sex the same? Love IS TOO and here we find the righteous and true course. When one loves but cannot say, hey that's my wife after 30 years and many tears... something's gone horribly wrong, hear?!!! To not be able to say goodbye before you die? To never feel safe and comfortable in school, to be a lil black boy who's breaking all the rules?

I'm telling you, you know who we are. You seen us as kids, see the parents desperately trying to put back the lid, boys a lil too "sweet" or girls too sour...now you see us behind makeup counters shouting "girl power", we're the women on softball teams with 10 up, the drag kings holding court, we've also got soldiers in every fort! Some of us even become actors, but please believe that being closeted and queer is totally a factor.

This Love exists.

The past knows this truth, who knows how well, as Brother Huey of the Black Panther Party so eloquently put it, "Quite the contrary, perhaps a homosexual could be the most, revolutionary". They are now never alone as they wait for you: Bayard Rustin who led the March for the Dream with Martin Luther King, Langston Hughes still perched on a crystal stair waiting for YOU to know what it's like to be really disappeared. James Baldwin, up in Giovanni's room listening to Billie sang bi blues...they turn to tell you this love has always existed.

All the way back to African times, where there were women warriors and boy wives before Christ came and was battered into our brains. Don't get me twisted, I'm not dissing Christ or saying we should give 'em up. I'm just wondering why no one is listening to the son of god crying out to us from our communion cup?

Love one another! Love one another! Love one another!
It's never been a riddle, ain't no missin jot or tittle.
He said, "I am the vine and you are the branches", so stop leaving your fruit on the tree!

So sad, that for some black folk an invisible closet has instead been key. And I'm finally here on the other side, finding it locked, kicking it down, and letting you have it; opening your ears to the tragic w\ word magic.

So speak to your pastors and wonder aloud…ask yourself what to do now. Do it before your son or daughter starts showing the trait and before "your best friend" asks for a date. We can all be delivered if you vote to turn the tide against hate, your voice has much weight so use it and tell others for we are your sons and mothers, brothers and daughters, baby's mamas, sisters, father's brothers, grandmothers, your baby boys and girls. We are the love that exists.

It was by the Lord's Mercy that I was found trustworthy...and hence suffered and suffered, like Paul I was once even beheaded and put back together…all because one day on the way to Damascus came a light and the Lord, and I fell to my knees. I am not a threat to you, I only fulfill all you hold true. I am the love that has always existed.