Video: Camp 2010 Musical Theatre Guest - Heather Headley - for iPhone | Interlochen Summer Arts Camp

Video: Camp 2010 Musical Theatre Guest - Heather Headley - for iPhone Interlochen Summer Arts Camp

To my followers

I know I haven't posted in a while but I just wanted to let you all know that I am revamping my entire blog for the new year. I will randomly post things that I find interesting or that needs to be told but I didn't want to keep you all in the dark as to what's been going on with my blog. Thanks for the support and Have a Happy Holiday Season!!!!!!! Luv you guys!!!!

Rockum Sockum..Raquel Lord

The Dysh

Im in Support of Miss Sophia so here you go!!!!! Good Luck All!

DANG EDDIE...A 3rd one.?.BOI BOI BOI

Last Updated On: 9/22/2010 3:35:39 PM




LITHONIA, GA -- A third person has come forward accusing Bishop Eddie Long of exploiting his role as pastor of an Atlanta-area megachurch to coerce them into sexual relationships.

Maurice Robinson, 20, and Anthony Flagg, 21, filed a civil lawsuit against Long on Tuesday. They has been members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.

No details are yet available about the third accuser.

Robinson and Flagg say they were only 17 and 18 when Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Each filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday. Their attorney, B.J. Bernstein, held a press conference shortly afterward.

Bernstein described the young men's enrollment in the Longfellow Youth Academy where they ascended to the elite group of young men known as Bishop Long's "Spiritual Sons".

According to Robinson's written complaint "...Long typically engages in a private spiritual ceremony described as a 'covenant' between himself and each young Spiritual Son..."

"[Long] would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader and master and let them know that the acts they were engaging in did not mean they were homosexual," Bernstein said.

She added that Long told them he was simply "releasing

Mr. Long...you are going down baby!!!!!

CNN) -- Two Georgia men have filed a lawsuit claiming that prominent Atlanta, Georgia, pastor Eddie Long coerced them into sex.


The suits, filed Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, allege that Long used his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church into sex.

A spokesman for Long told CNN on Wednesday that the allegations are "a case of retaliation and a shakedown for money by men with some serious credibility issues."

Long "categorically and adamantly denies these allegations," said spokesman Art Franklin.

"Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship," the suits allege.

Long is considered one of the nation's top black preachers. His church has more 25,000 members, according to the suit, and was the site of Coretta Scott King's 2006 funeral, attended by then-President George W. Bush and three previous presidents. King was the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The pastor took one plaintiff, Anthony Flagg, 21, on overnight trips to a half-dozen American cities in recent years, Flagg's suit alleges.

Video: Spokesman denies claims Video: Sexual coercion lawsuit announced


"Long shared a bedroom and engaged in intimate sexual contact with plaintiff Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact," the suit says.

Long took the other plaintiff, Maurice Murray Robinson, 20, to Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2008 for his 18th birthday and engaged in oral sex with him, Robinson's suit alleges.

"Following the New Zealand Trip, Defendant Long regularly engaged in sexual touching, and other sexual acts with Plaintiff Robinson," Robinson's suit alleges.

"It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action," Franklin, Long's spokesman, said Tuesday. "Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."

Long frequently denounces homosexual behavior. A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."

"Everybody knows that a bishop or church pastor ... cannot have any sort of sexual relations or sexual relationship with one of your parishioners," the lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, said at a news conference Tuesday evening. "And even worse to have it with two young men who trusted him and got to know him at a very young age."

Bernstein said she has alerted federal authorities about the allegations.

In June, Robinson was arrested and charged with burglary in connection with a break-in to Long's office. An iPhone, iPad and other items -- more than $1,300 worth -- were taken from the office, according to the police report.

On Tuesday, Bernstein said the theft was Robinson's attempt to retaliate against the pastor. She said that once Robinson began telling others about his experience with Long, "he realized he wasn't the only one."

"It made [Robinson] angry," she said.

Both plaintiffs said the pastor, his church and church employees gave them cash and lavish gifts that ranged from cars to college tuition.

The suits also said that Long framed the sexual relationships as religious in nature.

The suits allege that Long chose the plaintiffs to be his "Spiritual Sons," a program that allegedly includes other young men from the church.

"Spiritual Sons are taken on public and private jets to U.S. and international destinations, housed in luxury hotels and given access to numerous celebrities including entertainment stars and politicians," the suit alleges.

Flagg moved into a home owned by another New Birth pastor when he was a high school junior, according to the suit, where Long would sometimes share a bed with him. Flagg was eventually put on the church's payroll, his suit alleges, with Long personally delivering his checks.

Flagg's suit says that Long presided over a spiritual "covenant" ceremony between the two of them.

"It was essentially a marriage ceremony, with candles, exchange of jewelry, and biblical quotes," Bernstein said Tuesday. "The bishop [told] him I will always have your back and you will always have mine."

Robinson's suit alleges that "Defendant Long would use Holy Scripture to discuss and justify the intimate relationship between himself and Plaintiff Robinson."

The lawsuits are seeking unspecified amounts of punitive damages from Long on various counts, ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty.

The suits allege that various staff members working for Long, his church and the Longfellows Academy -- which the suit describes as an offshoot ministry of New Birth -- "knew of Defendant Long's sexually inappropriate conduct and did nothing to warn or protect [the plaintiffs]."

Miss Soundfactory Beyoncea Black

I know this is Random..but I love this Lady...GO B!

2010-2011 Miss Continental "Mohka Montrese"

Really Karen Clark? Really? Is this what we are doing?

****DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME BUYING ANYTHING FROM HER AGAIN****The tide may be shifting in favor of full equality for gay and lesbian Americans but that still hasn't stopped the opposition from standing in the way of progress. One such organization is the New Jersey based National Organization for Marriage (NOM) currently on a nationwide tour to promote "traditional marriage" between "one man and one woman".

The previous stops have been plagued with low attendance and cries of (false) attacks by gay marriage proponents. Dr. Alveda King, niece of civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has agreed to speak during the Atlanta stop on the tour scheduled for August 7, 2010 at the state capitol.
But it looks as if NOM is saving the coup de grace for the last stop on their hate tour with a special performance by Grammy winning gospel star Karen Clark Sheard. Yep, you read right.
Sheard is known for her amazing vocal ability and multi-octave range. A former member of the gospel group The Clark Sisters, Sheard and her siblings are often credited for blending the sound of popular music with gospel, most notably on the 80's hit "You Brought The Sunshine". Sheard's brand of gospel music along with her daughter's, gospel sensation Kiera Sheard is no stranger to gays and lesbians and can be frequently heard inside gay clubs.
If there was any doubt regarding where Sheard stood on LGBT rights, despite being apart of an industry and a religious denomination overflowing with gay and lesbian people, her upcoming performance in support of stripping a segment of the American population of their civil rights will deliver a strong answer.
It never fails that large (mostly white) anti-gay organizations will always find a person of color to help promote their agenda, and because so many of us think we've already overcome and our rights as African-Americans won't be up for popular vote next we take the bait. Karen Clark Sheard's participation in NOM's hate rally...and that's exactly what it is no matter how they try to disguise it... is a disgrace!
Karen you don't have to agree with gay marriage simply don't have one. You can cite your religious beliefs as reason why you disagree with marriage equality, but your religious beliefs should in no way dictate the laws in a secular society that will create two classes of people, those who have full equality and protections under the law and those who do not.
It's a sad day when a voice that has the power to heal and unite people is being used as a weapon of mass destruction, but of course in the most loving hypocritically Christian way possible. Love the sinner but hate the sin, right?
Sheard was scheduled to perform on August 15, 2010 at 2PM on the Capitol Steps in Washington, DC

Traxx owner shot and killed

ATLANTA -- Organizers of Atlanta’s annual Black Gay Pride celebration are mourning the loss of one of their own.


Durand Robinson, 50, of Decatur, was shot and killed early Wednesday morning. Atlanta police said Robinson had gotten into an argument with someone just before shots rang out. Family and friends said Robinson may have been the victim of an attempted carjacking, however Atlanta police said investigators have not determined a motive or named a suspect in the shooting.

Robinson was co-owner of the popular gay nightclub Traxx, and the annual Black Gay Pride celebration that he helped organize drew tens of thousands of people to metro Atlanta each year during the Labor Day weekend.

*This is so tragic*

Will Phillips is putting us all on NOTICE BABAY!!!!

This is too cute for words and so inspirational!

A Word from Julia

And I that's why I love this woman:

When asked if she hopes to see gay rights progress in those countries (homosexuality only became legal in India in 2009), Roberts said, “Everywhere. Even in America, we think we’re such forerunners and we haven’t worked out all the kinks either- and I think that love is the ultimate theme of our lives and to let everybody love in the best way they can in the most nurturing way with whoever that person is that they choose, that chooses them- if we could get that down, I think it would solve a lot of other problems.”

He has a "Vision"

(CNN) -- I am a product of the "The Black Church." It shaped me into who I am today: a Christian pastor aware of God's amazing grace and love.


When I announced I was gay, the church limited that grace and love. Although I had no doubt that God loved me, I discovered that God's love and the church's love can be two different things.

To be Christian is to be inclusive of people who love one another. This is why I support same-sex marriage.

As a pastor, I have counseled countless heterosexual and homosexual couples, and have observed that no matter the race, background or sexual orientation of the couple, a healthy relationship requires commitment, genuine respect and mutual love.

Though my partner and I had a commitment ceremony in 2003, and obtained a marriage license this past July in Washington D.C., we learned that marriage is more than our religious convictions and our commitment, but also about laws that will protect us.

Marriage equality is not about religious rights, but the right to equal benefits. At the end of 2003, the U.S. Government Accountability Office identified 1,138 federal provisions where marital status is a factor in determining or receiving benefits, rights and privileges.

These include next-of-kin hospital visits and medical decisions where one partner is too ill to be competent; automatic inheritance in the absence of a will and inheritance of jointly owned real and personal property through the right of survivorship. These benefits allow all marriages access to the social and emotional supports that can produce healthy families and communities.

I affirm the role of religion in our society. But no matter how powerful religion is, in the United States, the laws of the church and the laws of the government are intentionally separate.

Another view from the pulpit: Same-sex marriages will hurt families

In 1968, 73 percent of Americans disapproved of marriage between blacks and whites. Then, it was argued that interracial marriage would hurt families and dismantle societal structures. In 1967, the Supreme court ended race-based restrictions on marriage in Loving vs. Virginia.

Today, support of interracial marriage is stronger than it has ever been. So is support of same-sex marriage. Like interracial couples, gay couples are seeking equality under the law, asking their government for these rights, not individuals, or religious bodies.

If same-sex marriage is about love and religion is about love, then in this debate, love must go both ways. We must not be hateful in our disagreements over marriage. Verbal and emotional abuse should have no place in our sacred places of worship. The pulpit should not be used as a place of abuse even if one disagrees with same-sex marriage.

Jesus never mentioned homosexuality in his 33 years of life. But in Mark 12:31, he did emphasize, "...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." The apostle Paul said: "Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another." I wonder what the debate over same-sex-marriage would be like if we applied this basic scripture?

True equality can begin when we see others as we see ourselves. I believe there is room to disagree, but just because we don't agree on my legal rights does not mean I am not entitled to them.

The gay community must also learn how to love those who disagree with them. If heterosexual couples and gay couples could see their commonality, equality would not just be the law of the land, but it could be a new law for humanity that governs our fragile future.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of O.C. Allen.

Ellen Cuts up dancing on DWTS!!!! GO HEAD ELLEN!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jbzopcS_ZM&feature=player_embedded

Yes Mrs Degeneres YESSSSSS!!!!

Loving Steph Jones

R&B Singer Steph Jones speaks the truth about our community...Luck Jordan Sparks...HEFFA...just joking!!!!!I love Jordan!!!

Judge Walker's Final Words on Prop 8

Final Stay Order
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who last week struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, has lifted his stay but same-sex marriages are still on hold.




Walker has ruled that same-sex marriages should resume immediately in California and put his order on hold until August 18 for the appeals court to review the matter.



Adds the Mercury News: "Walker's ruling invalidating the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage has already been appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Proposition 8 proponents have indicated they will seek an emergency stay from the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit of any order from the judge that would allow same-sex marriages to take place while the broader legal challenge proceeds."

Justin Terry on GLO Network

Activist, Air-Force veteran, and husband, Justin B. Terry-Smith has dedicated his life to educating and bringing awareness to HIV/AIDS. Involved in many outreach programs and organizations like: Us Helping Us, Human Rights Campaign, Equality Maryland, The National Black Justice Coalition, etc., Justin has created “Justin’s HIV Journal,” which is airing on the upcoming LGBT network GLO TV. Justin boldly showcases his life on video for the world to see. Inviting viewers to witness what it is really like to be “living with HIV.”

She Has a new Attitude and a New Job

Good Luck to Patti!!!!

New attitude! Patti Labelle will join the cast of the Tony-winning Fela! on September 14th and will perform there until the show's scheduled closing in January. She will replace Tony winner Lilias White in the role of Fela's mother.




-A Broadway version of Glee will definitely happen, according to the show's co-creator Ryan Murphy, who says he is already auditioning the cast. No opening date has been disclosed. Murphy is also slated to direct the movie version of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart.



-Hairspray Tony winner Marisa Winokur will co-cost the coming CBS talk show about motherhood with openly lesbian Rosanne star Sara Gilbert.



-Patti Lupone and Brian Stokes Mitchell will star in the musical version of Pedro Almodovar's Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, which begins previews at the Belasco Theatre on October 2nd.



-Turn around bright eyes: Tony nominee Justin "Kiki" Bond will perform a series of dates at Joe's Pub beginning on September 12th. If you haven't seen Justin Bond, you are missing one of the truly unique theatrical experiences of our days.



-Spider-Man: Turn Of The Dark will finally begin previews on November 14th after almost a year of delays related to its record-breaking $50M production cost.



-Tony winner Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone) and George Wendt (Cheers) have been cast in the musical version of Elf, set to open at the Hirshfeld on November 14th. Wendt will play Santa, the lead role of Buddy has not yet been cast.

New Models Inc...Congrats to Amber Starr

Per Carriefairfield:
GREETING TO ALL,




IT BECOMES WITH GREAT SADNESS TO MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AS IN THE HISTORY OF 12 YEARS NOW AND COUNTING WE HAVE NOT HAD EVEN THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF MAKING A DECISION SUCH AS THIS AND REGRET HAVING TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE FASHION.



AFTER MUCH THOUGHT AND POOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE REIGNING MISS MODELS INC 2010 (TAMISHA IMAN). MISS MODELS INC NATIONAL PAGEANTRY HAS COME TO A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AS TO HER TO RESIGN FROM THE POSITION AS MISS MODELS INC NATIONAL 2010. WE WHERE GOING TO AWAIT TO MAKE THIS OFFICIAL AS OF SUNDAY, AUGUST 15TH 2010 AND AFTER CAREFUL REVIEW DECIDED TO NOT FURTHER DELAY THE BUSINESS OF MMI.



WE WILL NOT GO INTO ANY FURTHER INFO REGARDING THIS DECISION OUT OF MAINTAINING A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO THE ART FORM. THERE ARE MANY DETERMINING FACTORS AS TO WHY THIS DECISION WAS MADE AND HARD FEELINGS ARE CERTAINLY "NOT" SOMETHING WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HERE AT MMI.



WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE MISS MODELS INC NATIONAL 2010 (MISS AMBER STARR) "THE MMI REWIND" AND LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT 10 MONTH REIGN WITH HER AS SHE IS AWARE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND OVERWHELMINGLY TAKES ON THE POSITION. OFFICIALLY ASAP SHE WILL RECEIVE COMPLETE CROWNING ROYALTIES AND WILL TAKE ON HER FIRST NATIONAL BOOKING SEPT 24TH-26TH IN NORFOLK VA FOLLOWED BY A STUNNING EXCLUSIVE MMI SHOOT TO BE OFFERED ASAP PUBLICLY.



WE WELCOME HER TO THE NATIONAL ARENA AND TO THE MMI MAFIA NOW AND FOREVER. PLEASE NOTE WE WILL NOT OFFER ANY FURTHER INFO REGARDING THIS MATTER AS WE ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD. PLEASE FURTHER NOTE THAT ALL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS PER MMI ARE COMPLETE UPON THIS DECISION AS WELL.



RESPECTFULLY ,



MISS VEGA OVA

MMI NATIONAL PAGEANTRY CEO/FOUNDER

PROP 8 OVERTURNED>....VICTORY!!!!!!

Moments ago California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage was OVERTURNED by Judge Vaughn Walker..This is great but we still have a war to win..KEEP IT UP EVERYONE!!!! I'm so excited.!!!!

Prop 8 Ruling

GLO to hit in September!!!

Well the wait is almost over. The new LGBT newtork "GLO" is set to release next month and I have to say that I am extremely excited about it..check out the website and all the new shows that will be coming!!!!
http://www.glotvnetwork.com/

This is just Sad...Man kills Baby for Acting like a girl

Heartbreaking. Horrific. Beyond disgusting.

A 20-year-old Long Island man is behind bars and accused of brutally beating the life out of a 17-month-old boy that he was babysitting. The little boy was "acting like a little girl", Pedro Jones told police, reports ABC 7. "Police were called to the scene [at the Shinnecock Indian Reservation] around 8:25 Sunday night. The child was in cardiac arrest, police said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. According to court documents, Jones, who was not related to the boy, punched him over and over with closed fists and grabbed him by the neck. Documents say he confessed to the crime, telling troopers, 'I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl. I never struck that kid that hard before. A one-time mistake, and I am going to do 20 years.' He told troopers he planned to marry Roy's mother, who is a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. They lived together on tribal land in Southampton."According to the felony complaint, Jones said, "I never struck the child that hard before" and "One mistake, I'm going to do 20 years." Beating an infant to death is a mistake? Jones was arraigned and plead not guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter, reports WCAX. And claimed yet another underage casualty to hypermasculine thug culture.

watch video @ http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7588244

A Pill to prevent HIV? Could it be?

On the closing day of the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria, some promising news on Tenofovir, a powerful antiretroviral previously reported on R20. A study presented by the Centers for Disease Control found that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir is safe for men who have sex with men (MSM). Tenofovir is found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla.

PrEP is one of the most promising prevention tools on the immediate horizon. With PrEP, HIV-negative individuals take antiretroviral drugs to prevent becoming infected with the virus. The first PrEP studies are testing tenofovir alone (Viread), while several later studies are testing tenofovir plus emtricitabine (Truvada). For that study, CDC-4323, Lisa Grohskopf, MD, from the CDC and her colleagues enrolled 400 HIV-negative MSM...The study was not designed to determine whether tenofovir could prevent HIV transmission, only whether or not it was safe compared with a placebo. All of the men were tested for HIV regularly and received rigorous HIV prevention counseling and condoms throughout the study. Grohskopf and her colleagues found that men taking tenofovir had no more side effects than men taking a placebo.
The promising PrEP results follow a breakthrough tenofovir microbicide study that found significant reduction in HIV transmissions in women who used the vaginal gel. The gel could theoretically be used in anal sex, but that has not been tested. Tenofovir is one of so-called HIV "morning after pills". The post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a cocktail of usually 3 or 4 anti-retoviral medications that must be taken after possible exposure to HIV and for up to 30 days. There are anecdotal reports that some gay men are taking "T" after a weekend of drug use and unprotected sex. More on PEP HERE and HERE.Meanwhile: A "substantial" proportion of gay men say they "would reduce condom use" if pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) proves to be effective at preventing HIV, according to study released last month and presented at AIDS 2010.The Centers for Disease Control is very bullish on the PrEP findings, especially the prevention possibilities for Black MSM. Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, talked with R20 at AIDS 2010 and we'll publish that interview soon.

Can't Wait....I love this show!!!!

RuPaul's Drag U TONIGHT!!!!!

Alright you Drag fans...don't forget to check out "RuPaul's Drag U" on logo tonight @ 9:00pm EST

Just Cause

SICK O  NING!

Applause for Miss NYC

• Beauty and Guts. Move over anti-gay Miss USA contestant, Carrie Prejean, there’s a new queen in town. The newest Miss New York, Claire Buffie, is the first Miss America contestant, in it’s 90 year history, to use gay rights as her platform. Her platform is “Straight for Equality: Let’s Talk” Ms. Buffie tells The Advocate “that it’s really important to promote equality for all people, ‘all’ being the main word. As a straight ally, I think it’s so necessary to have that straight allies’ support for the LGBT community.” Inspired by her lesbian sister and her years surrounded by gays in her dance program she is ready to bring the equality train the national pageant. In the past years the American public has been able to vote anywhere from one to four contestants into the televised top 15. I think Miss New York’s platform should guarantee her a place on our speed dial.

AIDS Conference sends strong message to Obama

A major protest marked the start of the 2010 International AIDS Conference—Twitter hashtag #AIDS2010—in Vienna. Hundreds of HIV-positive activists marched through the streets and into the Messe Wien conference center and staged a massive "die-in" to delay the start of the opening ceremonies.




The activists were calling attention to the decreased funding of HIV/AIDS programs by the G8 leaders, as well as the "slowing and scaling back their commitments toward Universal Access to HIV care, treatment and prevention." No arrests were reported.



The AIDS 2010 protest mirrors the massive May 13 New York City action when hundreds of activists blocked traffic and laid down on Madison Avenue to protest the Obama Administration's record on HIV/AIDS funding.



Last week the Obama Administration unveiled the nation's first National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Although the strategy shifts focus to "concentrate HIV prevention efforts at the highest-risk population"—including men who have sex with men (MSM) and black Americans—the strategy entails no new additional spending.

Gay Marriage in Argentina

pp

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

WOW-Monica

I don't normally do this but I had to post this video of Monica's Love all over Me...I actually really liked it...She looks absolutely FABULOUS!

A Weeks Worth of Muses, Teases, Wonders, Thunders, and Fantasy's

YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Raquel's Promo

This is just FABULOUS!!!

Queen Latifah on Larry King

Queen Latifah was all aglow as she promoted her new book, “Put On Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path To Queendom,” on CNN’s Larry King Live last night (July 9th). Born Dana Owens, the accomplished rapper/actress takes readers through certain life changing moments and how she dealt with it, not in a preachy way, but conversation-style – from her experience dealing with being molested at the age of 5 to her brother Lance’s death to how she almost went broke.

“Putting on your crown is really like accepting the fact that you are a queen,” Latifah explained. “Wherever you are in life, just keep on that path…as women, we forget that about ourselves. So, putting on your crown is sort of reminding yourself that, hey, I’m a queen, and I can do what I want in this life and take it.”
Latifah spoke of the need for inspiration throughout one’s life and messages to help maintain one’s high self-esteem. She credits her relationship with her parents and especially the messages instilled by her mother for her own high self-esteem. “My mom raised me to be a queen,” said Latifah. “Every woman is a queen and should be treated as such and we should request that sort of treatment from others.”
Latifah shared it took losing her brother Lance, age 24, in a motorcycle accident to reveal to her parents she had been molested by someone they knew. “I had to let them know what I had gone through so that they could understand maybe more of my mindset, and freed myself of that burden,” said Queen. She was 22 at the time of Lance’s death, an experience she describes as the most difficult thing she’s been through in her life.
Despite Latifah’s candor, don’t expect to find any juicy details about her love life in the pages of “Put On Your Crown.” The mere mention by Larry that she doesn’t discuss her personal life caused Latifah to jokingly interject, “Nope… don’t go there, Larry,” to which he responded, “I’m not.”
When asked how she protects her privacy in this day and age of the internet, Latifah explained, “I don’t read all of the blogs and I’m not media hungry like that. I don’t have to look at myself online every day…. I share with the public the things that we should share. We should share music. Let’s share that. Let’s share films. Let’s share that. Let’s share thoughts about positive things. Let’s share those things, but what happens in my personal, personal life is my personal business.”
As for her life philosophy, “Life is for the living,” said Latifah. “It’s about living every moment to the full, as best you can. Whatever I do, I’ll try to make sure I have a good time doing it, that I enjoy it, and that I get every full moment out of everything I do.”

Possible Cure for HIV

Some progress to reports in the so-far elusive quest to find a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus ...

Government scientists announce the discovery of three powerful antibodies, the "strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any AIDS antibody yet discovered." The antibodies were discovered in the cells of a "60-year-old African American gay man identified as 'Donor 45'" and the discovery could have a substantial implications on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and research in the black and black gay communities.
CNN's Don Lemon discussed the findings with Black AIDS Institute CEO Phill Wilson. "This is fantastic news [because] clearly our best hope of ending HIV are with a vaccine," Wilson said. "This is a case study on why we should all be involved in research, particularly African Americans. The antibodies were found in a black gay man."

Watch the video HERE ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCS76SpjDvA

The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The data will be presented next week at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.
The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)—Phill Wilson is a member—will present the National HIV/AIDS Strategy on Tuesday. This at the same the recession has created a major funding crisis for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. White House announces $25M emergency re-allocation to ADAP. HIV advocates say an additional $126M is needed.HIV testing expansion bill advances in New York. The bill mandates all doctors to offer HIV tests to patients ages 13 to 64. The bill has passed the Senate and Assembly and awaits Gov. Paterson's signature.

Drama Queenz #206

Throwback Photo

New York Days....

Monday's Muse

Ed Hartwell...YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Presbyterian Church may back gay marriage

Presbyterian Church (USA) committee issued a recommendation Tuesday suggesting that the church support same-sex marriages, the Courier Journal reported.
Send / ShareAdd CommentIn a weeklong gathering of the church’s General Assembly, the committee on Civil Union and Marriage Issues suggested that the church’s definition of marriage be changed to include gay and lesbian couples. Rather than label marriage as a union between “a man and a woman,” the new definition would describe it a covenant between “two people.” The group voted 34 – 18 in favor of the amendment.
“[This] would recognize committed, lifelong relationships that are already being lived out by our members,” the committee said in a statement.
If the recommendation is approved by the General Assembly and survives a rigorous ratification process, the church would become the largest Christian denomination in the US to perform same-sex unions.
Another legislative committee has also proposed that the church begin to ordain non-celibate gay clergy. The Committee on Clergy voted 36 – 16 in favor of the proposal, UPI reported.
The Episcopal Church currently allows same-sex unions and ordains gay clergy members.

Really? Is this what we are doing?

"For those people who want to makes this into a civil rights issue, and of course those in favor of the bill, they see it as a civil rights issue. And I understand them drawing that conclusion. But people on the other side would point out, well, we don’t allow other people to marry even — it’s not a civil right for them. First cousins couldn’t marry, or a brother and a sister and that sort of thing. So there are restrictions, not to put it in the exact same category. But the bottom line is, it really can’t be a civil right if we are restricting it in other cases, and it’s been found to be legal in those other cases, that the restrictions." - Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle comparing same-sex marriage to incest. And Lingle is wrong, first cousins can get married in Hawaii

A Summer Benefit for LGBT homeless

Get a ticket and help support AFC's vital work for NYC's homeless LGBT youth

Thursday's Thunder

Model Brandon Espy..YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

B. Scott is Married

Dan to subpoena Obama

As most of you know I only have one disagreement with Lt. Dan Choi. Protesting/getting arrested in uniform does not help the anti-DADT cause. Now we can add another point of dispute. Demanding that President Obama testify at Choi’s civil disobedience trial is crazy dumb.


Choi and Captain James Pietrangelo were arrested earlier this year for chaining themselves to the White House fence (they did it on two separate occasions). Their trial is coming up and the plan is to subpoena President Obama, Why? According to the defendants they were simply following the suggestion of the president. Pressuring him to do the right thing.
“The subpoena of the President is necessary for the defense to prove that Defendants were following and obeying lawful orders or directives by their President and Commander in Chief, and were therefore under an obligation and authority to act as they did in order to pressure him – in a non-violent, visible way – on this important public issue.”
This is the kind of kooky legal stuff we get from birthers Orly Taitz and Lt. Col. Terry Lakin. No doubt the judge in this case will chuckle to himself, throw out the subpoena, and find both men guilty.

Hormones to Stop Lesbianism? Really?

Is this what we're doing?

New is currently working on an experimental hormone that is thought to prevent lesbianism and put a stop to females that have “abnormal” masculine tendencies, such as disinterest in babies, childrearing, and girl’s toys, or “masculine” career preferences.

Conducting research with a drug called dexamethasone, New is studying its effects on the disease Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). CAH is a condition that, among other side affects, causes masculinized, androgynous genitals in females due to excess amounts of prenatal androgens—a generic word for naturally occurring hormones.

New, along with psychologist Heino F.L. Meyer-Bahlburg of Columbia University, believe that the prenatal antigens that cause CAH are connected to sexual orientation, and even gender identity.
In a paper entitled “What Causes Low Rates of Child-Bearing in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?” Meyer-Bahlburg writes that “CAH women as a group have a lower interest than controls in getting married and performing the traditional child-care/housewife role. As children, they show an unusually low interest in engaging in maternal play with baby dolls, and their interest in caring for infants, the frequency of daydreams or fantasies of pregnancy and motherhood, or the expressed wish of experiencing pregnancy and having children of their own appear to be relatively low in all age groups.”
The researchers’ 2008 paper hypothesizes about the correlation between prenatal antigens ratios and sexual orientation in women with CAH. They write, “That this [correlation] may apply also to sexual orientation in at least a subgroup of women is suggested by the fact that earlier research has repeatedly shown that about one-third of homosexual women have (modestly) increased levels of androgens.” Concluding “that the findings support a sexual-differentiation perspective involving prenatal androgens on the development of sexual orientation.”
New is currently administering the experimental dexamethasone parentally as a solution to the excess hormones caused by CAH without the approval of a medical ethics committee. There is little clinical data about the drug’s long-term affects or potential risks to the children administered the drug. New, and associates, however, hope to cure the masculine affects of CAH, creating women who conform to the heteronormative gender binary.
There is no evidence to suggest that New is using the drug directly to cure lesbianism; but if the drug is released onto the market, doctors have the ability to prescribe it for condition they deem adequate.

I'm not buying this one...

Lesbian to Run for the City Council in Oakland

The 39-year-old politician spoke to a group of supporters at the Joyce Gordon Gallery Wednesday where she revealed intentions to run for the coveted seat. If elected, Kaplan who was elected to the City Council’s at large seat in 2008 would be the first openly gay mayor of a major Bay Area city.

“That is a beautiful thing,” she said. “It is possible for us to build the Oakland renaissance.”
According to The Bay Citizen, Oakland has the largest per-capita lesbian population in the United States. Even still, the city has yet to elect an openly gay mayor.
Kaplan’s campaign looks promising. Oakland’s LGBT community is the largest voting base in the city and of the three candidates, Kaplan currently holds the largest identifiable base .“This will be a highly contested race,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California. “I think Rebecca is a really strong candidate and a lot of people in the LGBT community are really excited about her running.”
Kaplan will be running against fellow councilwoman Jean Quan and former State Senate Presiddent Pro Tempore Don Perata.

365gay.com

Google will help to cover our Taxes

Beginning today Google will cover the added tax charged to LGBT employees whose partners are covered by their insurance plan.

“It’s a fairly cutting edge thing to do,” said Todd A. Solomon, a partner in the employee benefits department of McDermott Will & Emery, a law firm in Chicago, and author of “Domestic Partner Benefits: An Employer’s Guide.” Google is not the first company to make up for the extra tax. At least a few large employers already do. But benefits experts say Google’s move could inspire its Silicon Valley competitors to follow suit, because they compete for the same talent. Under federal law, employer-provided health benefits for domestic partners are counted as taxable income, if the partner is not considered a dependent. The tax owed is based on the value of the partner’s coverage paid by the employer.

Workers with domestic partners on their insurance plans pay an average of $1069 more than married employees whose plans include their spouses. Google will make the payments retroactive to the beginning of this year.

Victory for Dail

The Dáil has passed without a vote, all stages of the Civil Partnership Bill, giving new legal rights to non-marital couples. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said 'it was one of the most important human rights pieces of legislation the House had dealt with.' Minister Ahern continued 'to take account of this Bill, the Government would change the tax and social welfare laws.' Labour's Brendan Howlin, said the bill gives real, practical benefits to thousands of people and brings the country further along the road to equality. Environment Minister John Gormley thanked the Justice Minister for his work on this bill, which was part of the Programme for Government. Minister Gormley said the bill was an act of tolerance, and a step forward.


joemygod.blogspot.com

Lesbian refused name change after marriage!

Tennessee officials refused to issue a new drivers license to a lesbian woman looking to take on her partner’s last name, WUSA News reported.
The woman, Traci Turpin, and her partner married in Washington DC on Tuesday. Upon returning to Tennessee, Turpin visited the Social Security office where she was able to legally change her last name. However, when the Knoxville native went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a new driver’s license, she was denied her request.According to WUSA, the west Knoxville DMV initially issued Turpin a new license. It was not until she left the office that an employee approached her car and reportedly asked for the new license back. Turpin refused.“How dare her employee run out to my car, in front of everybody and say, ‘You’ve got to give me the license back, we don’t recognize same sex marriage,’ out loud,” said Turpin.

DMV workers notified highway patrolmen who where able to retrieve the new license. Turpin was issued another identification with her given last name.
The state of Tennessee requires a legal document which demonstrates the reason for such a change on a driver’s license. While gay marriage is legal in DC, Tennessee does not recognize same-sex unions so Turpin’s marriage license was null and void.
“Yes I understand it’s state law. I recognize that. I just want my name to match my social security card,” Turpin said.

Tuesdays Tease

Fight Choreographer Steven Dasz...YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

NOM is going on the ROAD-BEWARE!!!!!!!!!

The National Organization for Marriage is launching a 23-city bus tour to bring their message of bigotry and civil inequality throughout the country.


Over 33 days, we’ll travel more than 6000 miles, holding rallies in 23 cities from Maine to Minnesota to Atlanta and Tampa before heading back to Washington, DC for the tour finale on August 15th. Many of the states we’ll be visiting are key battlegrounds in this critical debate, as we work to organize grassroots support for marriage as the union of a husband and wife at both the state federal levels, building support for state marriage amendments and opposing the repeal of DOMA. Please visit www.marriagetour2010.com for the latest tour information, including the bus schedule, a chance to register for email alerts from the tour, and video footage of each tour stop. We need your help to make this summer’s tour a success! Please click here to make your online contribution today. $60 would cover a penny per mile! $115 would be $5 toward the costs of each rally. Whatever you can give will go far as we work together to organize support for marriage all across the nation!



The first stop on the tour is July 14th in Maine, where NOM has consistently and without shame flouted the state's campaign finance rules, flipping the citizens of Maine a giant middle finger when it comes to respecting local laws.
 
Some people just won't give up their old fashion, ignorant ways....

Shooting at Neighborhood Vigil

The shooting was reported at about 8 p.m. near the intersection of Third Street and Quesada Avenue during a neighborhood vigil being held for 19-year-old Stephen Powell, who was shot and killed Saturday during Gay Pride in the city's Castro District, Officer Samson Chan said. One victim, a 21-year-old man, was shot through the cheek, Chan said, and the other victim, a 20-year-old man, was shot in the leg. Both victims were taken to the hospital. Their injuries were not expected to be life threatening. Witnesses were not forthcoming with information, Chan said, and police did not release any details regarding possible suspects early this morning.


The young man accused of Saturday's shooting remains in custody on a murder charge.

Can I say Phsyco

Beating the Gay out? REALLY, is that what we're doing?

DL and Sherri on the View

What do you think about this video?

Jasmine Bonet's New Photo Shoot

Photo's by Juston Smith

Sorry for not posting

Hello to all Dishingderek readers. I know I haven't posted in a while but I was on vacation with some friends in Cancun!!!!! We had a great time and I will be posting pictures on my site in the next few days. I just wanted to say that I am sorry for keeping you waiting but I am back and ready to dish it out to you all once again...stay tuned!!!!!!

The Gay Brady Bunch

CNN) -- David Mayer and Keith Kennard's family is a modern-day Brady Bunch, with a twist. David, 43, has three sons and a daughter. His partner, Keith, 47, has three boys of his own. Together they are two gay men raising seven children.




Their story reflects the changing face of the American family. The Williams Institute, an independent research group and UCLA think tank, estimates 20 percent (about 155,000) of same-sex couples in the U.S. are raising children younger than 18.



"It's a chaotic day keeping up with kids and doctors appointments and just their daily lives," says Keith, a nurse at an Atlanta hospital. "We don't get a lot of rest."



David, a manager for a security firm, and Keith say they've developed a regimented system for raising their children. Between getting everyone up and ready for school and shuffling around basketball practice and JROTC, their family's schedule is pretty full. By the end of the day, Keith says, "[We] get dinner on the table, homework checked and have them in bed by 10 o'clock, and the day starts all over again."



For this couple, the joys of family life outweigh the challenges. "We really couldn't ask for a better opportunity to really raise our kids together ... you don't really hear that in our gay community, especially with black men."



In the U.S., one in six gay men has fathered or adopted a child, according to the Williams Institute. David and Keith each had children before their relationship. Three of their sons and their daughter are David's biological children from a heterosexual relationship. Their other sons are children Keith adopted when he was single.



"I always knew that I wanted to be a dad ever since I was little," Keith remembers. "I really was very much interested in adoption."



Adopting when you're gay



For gays and lesbians, adopting children can be tricky because adoption laws vary by state. Keith started the adoption process in Georgia and says he was up-front about his sexual orientation.



"I brought it up because I wanted to make sure that there wasn't any problem," he says. "I had heard about the laws they had in Florida against [homosexual] individuals adopting children ... and I wasn't really sure what the laws were here in Georgia."


Florida is the only state that bans gays and lesbians from adopting. The law dates back to 1977 and was inspired by singer Anita Bryant's campaign against extending certain rights to gays and lesbians. The issue of gay adoption is before Florida's Third District Court of Appeals.



Earlier this year, Joe Follick, communications director of the Florida Department of Children and Families, stated, "Like every state agency, we are governed by the laws set by the legislature, approved by the governor, and if necessary, adjudicated by the courts ... Until there is a unified appellate court decision on this issue, we are bound by Florida statute to defend and adhere to the law."



Other states, such as Mississippi and Utah, allow gay and lesbian individuals to adopt, but not same-sex couples. California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Vermont and the District of Columbia all have policies that explicitly or implicitly state that sexual orientation may not be used to prevent gays and lesbians from adopting. Georgia, where David and Keith live, has no explicit laws prohibiting or allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children.



"The law could be changed. [Georgia] could come out and try to make a law specifically outlawing gay and lesbian adoption," according to Amber Burfeind of the Independent Adoption Center. Nationwide, 40 percent of the IAC's adoption placements are with same-sex couples. "[In Georgia], there are some counties that will allow a gay couple to complete a [joint] adoption," says Burfeind. "We're very careful of that -- to make sure we are not putting our couples' adoptions in jeopardy."



The IAC specializes in open adoptions, working with children's birth mothers and people looking to adopt. In Keith's case, all of his children were adopted from the Department of Children and Family Services. And all of them have health challenges. These illnesses were never an issue for Keith. In fact, it is what motivated him to adopt.



"I hated the fact that there were so many young African-American males in the Department of Family and Children Services' database, and no one was coming forward to adopt [them]," he explains. "Especially if [they have] special needs, a lot of people just do not want to deal with that. ... I hope people will look at the adoption of children as an alternative [for creating a family], especially gay men."



Meshing families



Keith admits that being a single gay man and raising three children was a hurdle at times, especially when it came to dating. "It was really difficult to meet and date. That's not even an option when you have three kids. ... Most men don't want to walk into a situation with a man who has three kids."



That changed when David and Keith met at a social retreat three years ago. They believe that each of them having their own children played a large part in the romantic connection. After dating for two years, David and Keith decided to mesh the two families together.



David and Keith say the most challenging part of being gay fathers is not knowing a lot of other gay men who are parents and being able to share experiences. But that doesn't make parenthood any less rewarding.


"For David and I to actually have that little Brady Bunch thing going and for it to actually work is a wonderful thing. We just wish we could really see more of that."

Adam Lamberts new Video

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Soccer is Gay

I jusy thought this was funny!

Soccer Officially Announces It Is Gay

Flashback Snack

lol

Candi Stratton

Promo pic and Program cover for All American Goddess

SICK O NING!!!!!!!