Awww, lil Matilda Ledger, AWW!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Our Time Is Now: Black LGBT Protest In Our Community
This Sunday morning I was proud to be part of history, when the African American LGBT community of Southern California joined forces to bear witness of their existence and need for justice.
We started out at The Fountain on the corner of Vernon and Crenshaw, where only a few years ago you wouldn't quite visit for a picnic. I grew up going to the mall in the area, changing buses and even walking the various stretches of Crenshaw. When I came out I did stop visiting as regularly, preferring to come only for the odd event or filming at Lucy Florence. When I want to kick it, I tend to gravitate more southbay or west hollywood -- places where you know you're safe if you mention gay things, where you could kiss a girl and get strange looks vs. getting it in the head with a bottle. Since I grew up in a conservative, country small town, I'm familiar with the anonymous bottle or rock that comes flying from who?
You get used to these things, or you only move within circles where they are not.
To freely rally and protest against H8 in spots I'd fear'd being out as a kid was beyond liberating AND only possible because we are now MORE than ever before. Determination in our steps and screams no longer strangled made our hearts soar. Hear the toddlers in strollers chanting along, "Eqwal Rights!" and see teens ignore the verbal attacks on their parents, brushing hate off with ingrained nonchalance. Are we real to you yet? Are we re-emerging as missing pieces a whole soul? YES, YES, YES!
Even when we wound down and the homophobes crawled out of their hate pits toward us
(almost see their shredded souls dragging behind?)
They cursed us and our kids, they called their "homies" and said people were coming for us. One attacked my shirt especially, how dare I be wearing a Che shirt to a gay rally. How dare we be here at that fountain, why not give our children a chance to live without sin?. All this they tossed at us, with a bottle in their hand. The police arrived and dragged the brothers to the ground, and all the queers bristled at the police while sighing just a bit in relief. As one organizer told me, I never want a Black man handcuffed because of me. And I could understand, I get followed and profiled like everyone else (certainly less so than the male identified). But how can they tell us they'll shoot us, how can they say guns are coming for the gays and get away? Cops drew down when they arrived and dudes became quite fucking contrite, "oh we didn't say anything. just free speech officer, are the handcuffs necessary?"
And I remembered our ancestors who walked before us for different and the same rights. Those who spewed vile hates were not the every day person, they were not the norm but their behavior reflected what society considered "acceptable". A country's heart changed when children were being attacked by dogs, when video and pictures of us fighting insurmountable odds in the south surfaced. Paradigm shifts, and what was inconceivable becomes reality -- with blood, tears, and protesting sweat. I'm young and proud to be an LGBT American, any one want to tell me different?
Check us out on the news tonite, Fox 11 at 10pm (Fox?! Tricia, I'm Faith.)
My video of Rev. Freda's Speech:
We started out at The Fountain on the corner of Vernon and Crenshaw, where only a few years ago you wouldn't quite visit for a picnic. I grew up going to the mall in the area, changing buses and even walking the various stretches of Crenshaw. When I came out I did stop visiting as regularly, preferring to come only for the odd event or filming at Lucy Florence. When I want to kick it, I tend to gravitate more southbay or west hollywood -- places where you know you're safe if you mention gay things, where you could kiss a girl and get strange looks vs. getting it in the head with a bottle. Since I grew up in a conservative, country small town, I'm familiar with the anonymous bottle or rock that comes flying from who?
You get used to these things, or you only move within circles where they are not.
To freely rally and protest against H8 in spots I'd fear'd being out as a kid was beyond liberating AND only possible because we are now MORE than ever before. Determination in our steps and screams no longer strangled made our hearts soar. Hear the toddlers in strollers chanting along, "Eqwal Rights!" and see teens ignore the verbal attacks on their parents, brushing hate off with ingrained nonchalance. Are we real to you yet? Are we re-emerging as missing pieces a whole soul? YES, YES, YES!
Even when we wound down and the homophobes crawled out of their hate pits toward us
(almost see their shredded souls dragging behind?)
They cursed us and our kids, they called their "homies" and said people were coming for us. One attacked my shirt especially, how dare I be wearing a Che shirt to a gay rally. How dare we be here at that fountain, why not give our children a chance to live without sin?. All this they tossed at us, with a bottle in their hand. The police arrived and dragged the brothers to the ground, and all the queers bristled at the police while sighing just a bit in relief. As one organizer told me, I never want a Black man handcuffed because of me. And I could understand, I get followed and profiled like everyone else (certainly less so than the male identified). But how can they tell us they'll shoot us, how can they say guns are coming for the gays and get away? Cops drew down when they arrived and dudes became quite fucking contrite, "oh we didn't say anything. just free speech officer, are the handcuffs necessary?"
And I remembered our ancestors who walked before us for different and the same rights. Those who spewed vile hates were not the every day person, they were not the norm but their behavior reflected what society considered "acceptable". A country's heart changed when children were being attacked by dogs, when video and pictures of us fighting insurmountable odds in the south surfaced. Paradigm shifts, and what was inconceivable becomes reality -- with blood, tears, and protesting sweat. I'm young and proud to be an LGBT American, any one want to tell me different?
Check us out on the news tonite, Fox 11 at 10pm (Fox?! Tricia, I'm Faith.)
My video of Rev. Freda's Speech:
Saturday, November 22, 2008
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
Girls Can Do Anything: 5 year old BBall Genius
So, now that I have been schooled in the art of the two-and-three-ball dribble by a 5-year-old, I feel like I need to work on my D, because I don't know when the next pre-school kid will come to the park, throw the rock in my face and say, "Let's do this." - Rob Benson, Yahoo Sports
Friday, November 14, 2008
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!
Feel the impact this Saturday as well, LA City Hall @ 10am!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Repeal The Marriage Ban: Fight Continues
Been a long ass week, full of protests. Last night I was driving over to C&B's for "Heroes" when I passed by a No on H8 rally in my Inglewood, CA neighborhood. The rainbow flag and rally sign were still in my backseat so I stopped and rallied for a few hours. Twas awesome to be out there with people of color, chanting, singing and demanding our rights.
On Saturday, the Silverlake protest went well, peaceful and tons of folks. Lots of chances to dispel the myth of black lgbt folks being forever invisible. I was so proud of the many POC queers out in full force, and uber proud of the mainstream lgbt love for us. Sure, there was a sign or two, "Gay is the new Black" being one of them, but the Black Revolutionary Committee made their own signs too: "Gay is not the new Black, Black Gay is!" UCLA's Queer Alliance, La Familia and BlaQue joined us and we're able to do a couple chants of our own, "Colored, Queer!" and "Si, Se Pueda"(Yes, We Can) which was cool. It's hard as hell to be out there sometimes, but we gotta do it. Most of the time when I'm marching in these things my signs are pointed in as well as out, because racism and ignorance within the mainstream LGBT community absolutely exists.
It's been an amazing wake up call for the larger LGBT movement when it comes to the Black community. I've been telling my non Black LGBT friends for years, don't get it twisted, just because someone likes you as their hair dresser or finger snaps along with you don't mean shit. After years of delivering homophobia workshops to the black community, protesting injustice from within and getting royally screwed by mainstream LGBT groups -- I kinda hung up my spurs and focused more efforts on my other margin, bisexuality. But hearing the words of that young woman in West Hollywood, "Is this a Latino or Gay Rights Rally?", boy it spurned me back into BlaQue action. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired though, aren't you?
People like Wilson Cruz keep me going. Actor extraordinare, you may remember him best from "My So Called Life", he's out in the streets at every protest flyering!
I've read Jasmyne Cannick's piece for the LA Times, and I had the opportunity to speak with her re: a bit of it and general protests. She feels like so many BlaQue folk, we need to focus on our own community issues. I can respect that, and lord knows Black folks are in need of activists who are dedicated to the issues that disproportionally affect us due to color. HOWEVER, I STRONGLY FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A BLACK LGBT VOICE WITHIN THE LARGER SAME SEX MARRIAGE BATTLE. And so I plan on continuing to speak. I will continue to form coalitions and take names, cells and emails from LGBT Black folks who are ready and willing to be out and proud for this 'cause. We must continue to get our faces in front of the leadership and the press, so we can show the world what the rainbow really looks like.
I got to talk a little bit about that on KPCC's Talk Radio, download the program here. If you're a member of the press looking to speak with LGBT African Americans who are actively part of the movement, contact thefayth@gmail.com! I've got several folks who're ready and willing to be heard, and who want to know more folks of the same ilk. We plan on having a kickback BBQ in the next month or two, hang out and organize and just be. Black, Queer, and still here.
On Saturday, the Silverlake protest went well, peaceful and tons of folks. Lots of chances to dispel the myth of black lgbt folks being forever invisible. I was so proud of the many POC queers out in full force, and uber proud of the mainstream lgbt love for us. Sure, there was a sign or two, "Gay is the new Black" being one of them, but the Black Revolutionary Committee made their own signs too: "Gay is not the new Black, Black Gay is!" UCLA's Queer Alliance, La Familia and BlaQue joined us and we're able to do a couple chants of our own, "Colored, Queer!" and "Si, Se Pueda"(Yes, We Can) which was cool. It's hard as hell to be out there sometimes, but we gotta do it. Most of the time when I'm marching in these things my signs are pointed in as well as out, because racism and ignorance within the mainstream LGBT community absolutely exists.
It's been an amazing wake up call for the larger LGBT movement when it comes to the Black community. I've been telling my non Black LGBT friends for years, don't get it twisted, just because someone likes you as their hair dresser or finger snaps along with you don't mean shit. After years of delivering homophobia workshops to the black community, protesting injustice from within and getting royally screwed by mainstream LGBT groups -- I kinda hung up my spurs and focused more efforts on my other margin, bisexuality. But hearing the words of that young woman in West Hollywood, "Is this a Latino or Gay Rights Rally?", boy it spurned me back into BlaQue action. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired though, aren't you?
People like Wilson Cruz keep me going. Actor extraordinare, you may remember him best from "My So Called Life", he's out in the streets at every protest flyering!
I've read Jasmyne Cannick's piece for the LA Times, and I had the opportunity to speak with her re: a bit of it and general protests. She feels like so many BlaQue folk, we need to focus on our own community issues. I can respect that, and lord knows Black folks are in need of activists who are dedicated to the issues that disproportionally affect us due to color. HOWEVER, I STRONGLY FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A BLACK LGBT VOICE WITHIN THE LARGER SAME SEX MARRIAGE BATTLE. And so I plan on continuing to speak. I will continue to form coalitions and take names, cells and emails from LGBT Black folks who are ready and willing to be out and proud for this 'cause. We must continue to get our faces in front of the leadership and the press, so we can show the world what the rainbow really looks like.
I got to talk a little bit about that on KPCC's Talk Radio, download the program here. If you're a member of the press looking to speak with LGBT African Americans who are actively part of the movement, contact thefayth@gmail.com! I've got several folks who're ready and willing to be heard, and who want to know more folks of the same ilk. We plan on having a kickback BBQ in the next month or two, hang out and organize and just be. Black, Queer, and still here.
La Lohan Bi, "Maybe"
Bi's love Linds! I once saw Lindsey Lohan on the UCLA campus, she was being driven in from Hilgard and at the stop sign she tried to drink some water and instead the bottle splashed cold water all down her front. She laughed all the way down the hill and it was pretty much adorable. I liked her in Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. I was super impressed with her dancing, singing and hosting skills at the VMA's awhile back. And then she slipped into the celeb downward spiral slip stream...once you get caught as a clickable, it's hard for the tabs to let you go. Been real encouraged by her pulling ass up by the bra straps all the while combating her fake ass dad, girl I can understand that!Asked if she considers herself bisexual, Lohan, 22, says, "Maybe. Yeah."
A lesbian? "No," Lohan says.
"I don't want to classify myself," she explains. "First of all, you never know what's going to happen — tomorrow, in a month, a year from now, five years from now.
- Us Mag
Go Linds.
Lindsey and her old friend Courtney Semel, who now dates Tila Tequila. I think Semel has the cutest ears ever, lil elfin bits. Neways, back to other things.
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