Gay Black Stereotypes

Check this new blog out:
http://gayminority.blogspot.com/

National HIV testing day is today

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent Wednesday urging Americans to be tested for HIV.


An estimated 1.1 million Americans are infected with HIV, but as many as 20 percent of them don't know they carry the virus, according to the CDC. It can take a decade or more for an infection to cause symptoms and illness.

More: Science & Tech newsSince 2006, the CDC has recommended that all Americans ages 13 to 64 get tested at least once, not just those considered at highest risk: gay men and intravenous drug users. But fewer than half of adults younger than 65 have been tested, according to the agency's most recent statistics.

It's important to know about infection not only for treating the condition but also to take steps to prevent spreading it to others. An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but medications now allow those infected to live longer and healthier lives.
The CDC has set up a website for you to find a testing center near you. CLICK HERE for the link.
This comes as the CDC announced a new pilot program for getting tested at your local pharmacy.
The $1.2 million program will offer the free rapid HIV tests at pharmacies and in-store clinics in 24 cities and rural communities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday.
"We believe we can reach more people by making testing more accessible and reduce the stigma associated with HIV," Dr. Kevin Fenton, who oversees the agency's HIV prevention programs, said in a statement.
The tests are already available at seven places, including Washington, D.C., Oakland, Calif., and an Indian health service clinic in Montana. The CDC will soon pick 17 more locations.
The HIV test is a swab inside the mouth; it takes about 20 minutes for a preliminary result. The test maker says it's correct 99 percent of the time. If the test is positive for the AIDS virus, pharmacy employees will refer customers to a local health department or other health care providers for a lab blood test to confirm the results, counseling and treatment. The workers are expected to deliver the news face-to-face and give customers privacy, the CDC said.

Bullying Or Legitimate Debate? GOProud, Gay Activists Spar Over Romney Endorsement

GOProud, a group of gay conservatives, recently endorsed Mitt Romney — a move that angered LGBT activists because of Romney’s position on gay marriage. Now GOProud says progressives, in condemning the endorsement, have crossed the line into hate speech. Their opponents in the LGBT press charge that the group is trying to exploit the very real issue of homophobia for political purposes.

Last Wednesday, GOProud — which aligns more closely with the tea party wing of the GOP than the other well-known gay Republican group, Log Cabin GOP — voted to endorse Romney. The vote was not unanimous: Co-founder Chris Barron reaffirmed his support for Libertarian Gary Johnson.
The endorsement sparked derision and scorn from gay columnists and progressives. GOProud said the reactions went too far.
They included:

• Gay rights advocate and columnist Dan Savage called the group “house faggots” in a tweet condemning the endorsement.

• The Village Voice’s Michael Musto compared GOProud to “Jewish Nazis” (along with a list of other incendiary pairings). Barron responded by calling Musto “a muppet.”

• Current TV’s Joy Behar speculated that the only reason GOProud endorsed Romney was because the men in the group are attracted to Romney’s sons. She also wondered how “They call themselves gay and they haven’t been to ‘The Book of Mormon?’ Unbelievable.”

On Tuesday, things escalated when Musto linked to the comment section on the popular progressive LGBT blog JoeMyGod, where a rousing defense of Musto was under way. Two of the commenters said Barron should jump off a cliff, which Barron interpreted as a suggestion that he kill himself. The comments were taken down by JoeMyGod (you can see them here on Barron’s blog).
Musto and Savage, Barron says, are hypocrites — attacking gay men and lesbians with the force and tactics that are the trademarks of the bullies they have spent their careers condemning.
Barron sees homophobia in the comments, particularly Behar’s.
‘“The tolerant left’ like Joy Behar, this is what she actually thinks of gay people,” he said. “She also said, ‘haven’t we seen the Broadway musical “The Book Of Mormon?” because of course every gay guy thinks with his dick and goes to Broadway musicals. That’s the Joy Behar-Manhattan view of the world. ‘Haven’t these gays gone and seen a Broadway musical?’”

“You know, ‘of course they’re making a decision based on who they want to hook up with, my florist does!’” Barron said, mocking Behar’s reasoning. “It’s the most disgusting and condescending attitude from someone who claims to be such a gay rights advocate.”
Barron said that young gay conservatives may feel attacked by the comments thrown at GOProud, making Savage part of the problem he is trying to end with his “It Gets Better” campaign.
Savage strongly objects to that assessment. He said GOProud was trying to hide behind the rhetoric of bullying and homophobia to protect itself from legitimate criticism from those in the LGBT community upset the group is backing Romney, who is the now the only major party presidential candidate on the ballot who does not support marriage equality.
“For these loudmouth, attention-seeking shit-kickers in GOProud to run around pretending that they’re bullied 13-year-old homos living out in the sticks is just so offensive on its face and disingenuous,” he said. “Oh, yeah, they’re the real victims here. Let’s all set aside our concerns for actual victims of actual bullying, which requires a massive power differential and someone being in a vulnerable social position and wring our hands about people who live to kick a hornet’s nest having kicked a hornet’s nest.”
Savage pointed out that GOProud leadership has used the term “faggot” before as well. Savage said he doesn’t believe the word in and of itself constitutes an attack.
“I don’t believe a word is hateful or not hateful. It depends on the context,” he said. “Which is why I had to qualify ‘faggot,’ which I don’t see as a hate term, with ‘house’ to make it an insult.”
As for Behar, Savage said he hadn’t heard the joke but it didn’t strike him as homophobic. It did strike him as lame, however.

“It’s sounds like an unfunny joke, maybe. Like half-formed,” he said. “But I don’t think that it’s that crazily offensive. … Go to any of these GOProud, you know, macho mans’ Twitter feeds, and they make really rude jokes at the expense of others and then somebody makes a rude joke at their offense and they’re folded up in the fetal position, sobbing.”



Thoughts?

RIP Nora Ephron

President Obama and his Buddy

Random I know:

Magic Mike" Co-Stars

It’s not everyday that you hear some of the hottest actors in Hollywood talk about being nearly naked and having their bodies licked. But then again, it’s not everyday you’re at a press junket for a film like Magic Mike. The Steven Soderbergh-directed male stripper opus opens this Friday and stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Cody Horn, Kevin Nash and Adam Rodriguez.


Now, what about that licking?
In the case of the filming of Magic Mike, Bomer, who plays Ken, explained that the patrons in the fictional strip club in the movie were more than a little enthusiastic. “It was part of the world,” he said during the film’s press conference last weekend in Beverly Hills, “and if they wanted to lick you in certain places or touch you or whatever it was welcomed. It was just part of the world we were creating.”
The film may be loosely based on Tatum’s real-life experiences prior to breaking into film but his co-stars agreed that it all came down to one thing - the thong. “It is one of the larger leaps of faith to trust a thong,” said McConaughey, who plays veteran dancer Dallas. “It weighs what a dollar bill weighs. It weighs nothing. At the end of this performance, this is the only protection I have. So the first time putting it on you’re going ‘what is every possible angle I can be in so I can check to make sure everything is covered?’” Tatum, with a grin, added about the tiny garment, “sometimes they completely betray you.”
McConaughey, who regularly appears sans much clothing in his films, wasn’t as comfortable as one might predict in a thong. “I was very nervous. Going out on stage to dance and taking your clothes off for everyone live is nerve-wracking.” However, that feeling didn’t last long for the hunky actor. “After doing it once I kinda wanted to get up there and do it again!”

Nobody was more impressed with his costars commitment to going from dressed-to-thong than Tatum. “I’ve done it before, and it was still nerve wracking for me. I can’t imagine what these guys had to go through. Bomer had to go first. I felt so bad for that. I thought, ‘Maybe I should go first’ [but] he just jumped in. Everybody just committed…it’s a humbling thing when you’re left very little to the imagination in front of almost 300 people. It’s very, very nerve wracking.”
One of the things that wasn’t nerve wracking for the stripping novices but, ironically, helped get into the art of stripping was the group of eager patrons playing the audience in the nightclub. Adam Rodriguez, who plays Tito, admitted, “We’re very grateful to them for that…you need that and you’re going out there and you want that audience screaming so you know you’re doing the right thing and they did that for us.”
Another thing that McConaughey said helped get comfortable in the thong is to “kinda walk around and try to have normal conversations. You’ve got to talk about football or what you ate last night and that’s what funny.” He added that “the first time you put it on your body kinda contorts and you go ‘Gotta straighten up.’ It is somewhat unnatural. Channing would be talking about what’s going on in the scene with Soderbergh and he’s in his red thong just working it out.”
In fact, knowing Tatum already had a past as a stripper helped keep competition from brewing amongst the men. “We all got to see Channing dance for the first time so it was obvious,” said McConaughey. “‘Okay, best I can do is get second place.’”
Instead of competition, though, camaraderie grew between the group of sexy men because of their respective diets and workouts as well as the element of fear. “These guys were so disciplined. They ate like rabbits,” said Soderbergh. “I’ve never seen this kind of diligence. Maybe it was just fear but, also, I didn’t sense any competition because I think the fear of doing it bonded [them]. They’re all jumping out of the plane together.”
In fact, Tatum said that all the actors supported each other even when they weren’t in a particular scene that was shooting. “Most movies,” he said, “when you’re done with your scene, you go home. You go home, you go ‘that’s it. I’m good. I’m going to go home for the day.’ And that’s not what happened with everybody. You wanted to see them do their routine and do it well and kill it. Every time that Bomer or anybody came off stage you went back and you high-fived them and told them what really worked and ‘you murdered that.’ And it really became a weird team. Like, a really weird, strange team.”
And while there is more than a little bit of jaw-dropping stripping in the film, there is also a current of a deeper story running through Magic Mike that Tatum predicted audiences would able to relate to. “You have the dreams that you want to do and then you kind of have to do other jobs until you can get to that dream,” he explained. “Mike and, I think, a lot of these guys, just sort of fell into this thing and it was fun and years just sort of ticked on as the party was happening. All of a sudden, you’re like ‘wow, it’s like 7 years later and I don’t have really very much to show for it. I’m not any closer to my dream.’ At some point the party just got in the way and became your life. I think that’s happened to a lot of people. They just get sidetracked.”
The experience of making the film, however, has had a lasting impression on the guys. Bomer, for example, took some of his stripper moves to a recent family event. “I remember being at my sister’s wedding reception a month after we wrapped,” he said, “and I’d had a few drinks and all of a sudden I was doing body rolls on the dance floor.”
One of the biggest questions about the film from a business perspective is who exactly is the film geared towards? The assumption would be women and gay men, but Soderbergh said, “some of the issues that the male characters are going through are issues that all men confront.” He added, “men tend to define themselves by what they do, and so if you’re dealing with the characters trying to figure that out or multiple characters then three’s something there for guys, too.”
In fact, if audience testing of the film told Soderbergh and the studio anything it was that this is a film anyone can enjoy. “The female scores were not significantly bigger than the male scores. The guys like it,” the director stated. “The trick is, I think, getting them to come.”
The good news for those already wishing they had a DVD or Blu-ray version for, um, private, at-home viewing, Soderbergh promised that he’d deliver with the extra features. “We have edited together the full-length versions of all the routines.” However, the director warned that watching them one after the other had an interesting effect on him. “They’re pretty disturbing…it made me really uncomfortable to watch them. We did 10 or 12, and to watch them all back to back was really disturbing.”

Adam Lambert Speaks with Billboard

Adam Lambert sat down with Billboard.com to discuss the whirlwind of the last few years, and his initial reluctance to embrace being a gay role model and voice:


"At the beginning I was a little bit like, 'I don't know what to say, I don't know how to be that role model,' even though all of a sudden people are telling me I am. One of the things I find very gratifying now is that I have grown a lot more comfortable with my position and I'm embracing the opportunity to be able to address this stuff through music."
Even though he's now settled in to his position, he's still vowing to make it on his own terms, even if it has its difficulties:
"In so many cases, I find myself saying, I wanna be the really nice down-to-earth guy who happens to be gay in order to set an example that it's not threatening. Then there's another part of me that's like, no I wanna be fierce and ... do whatever I want because I'm a rebel. I have that battle inside of me. I know a lot of people do."

All American Goddess 2012-2013

Asia Ohara
I can't wait to get this one in the mail. My girls Tommie Ross and Necole Luv Dupress turned it OUT I heard but of course congratulations to Miss Asia Ohara!!!!

Adoption Scams...

So some of you may know that my partner and I are in the process of adoption. We are still in the "waiting" phase and slowing trying to prep the house for the new baby (whenever he or she will get here). I decided to write today because I am a little frustrated at the evil scams that we've received since starting the process. Now we are not blaming our agency because they are the ones that have helped us figure this out but I wanted to say that I am disgusted with the fake "birth mothers" who've contacted us.
So far we've gotten several calls from women claiming to be pregnant and wanting to pick us are adoptive parents to their unborn child. When it's time for them to contact the agency to get all of the paperwork, there's always an issue. Either they can't get the doctor to fax proof of pregnancy or they only want to deal with my partner and I directly. Come to find out all of the women were scam artists trying to get money out of us.
My partner and I were talking the other day about how and why people do that and for the life of me, I can't seem to figure it out. Anyone who comes to the decision to adopt a child makes this decision based on a want to extend their family. It comes with a lot of thought, preparation, money, time, and not to mention the emotional toll it can take on the person doing the adopting. For someone to try and contact us pretending to be something that they are not because they are trying to get some type of financial gain is completely SICK to me. I know I can speak for everyone out their who is trying to adopt when I say that.
I know for us personally we've wanted to start a family for a long time and now that we have decided to take the steps to begin this journey it truly hurts my heart when people try to get over on us.
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on our journey and pray for those who have nothing better to do with themselves than try to get over on people who really want to start or expand their family.
I believe I'm through venting now..lol but if you found time to read this, thank you and god bless!! Just now that this isn't over and we have strong faith that we will find our baby soon!!!!


For anyone looking to place their unborn baby or infant up for adoption, please contact us @ derekanddonnieadopt@gmail.com or contact our agency about us @ 1-800-877-6736

Seeking Open Adoption

A glimpse into our lives.....Enjoy!

Becoming New Parents

As we wait for a birthmother matching, a constant thought comes in mind on how to become great parents. I know no one is perfect and it takes time and skill to be a great parent, so we just pray that we are going to be great leaders for our new baby. We are very excited and truly can't wait to meet a birthmother who would love to give us a chance at having a family.

Donnie Cormier and Derek Broussard

We are Derek and Donnie and we are seeking open adoption through our adoption agency (IAC-Independent Adoption Center). We have built our lives together for 7 years and are finally ready and eager to welcome a son or daughter in our lives. We are two strong and independent individuals who understand the importance of Family and Continuity.

Thank You to all of our friends and family for their support and love!!!!!

Take a moment to visit our Iheartpage and our new webpage:

http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/derekanddonnieadopt

http://www.wix.com/derekanddonnieadopt/journey

Help us Start our Family!!!!



Enter to Win Free Food!!!!

Anyone in the Atlanta Area and interested in willing Gumbo or 50 Honey Fried Wings? Visit my website for the details:
http://dishingderekscatering.com/

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word

A MUST SEE!!!

Atlanta Gay Couple Trying to Adopt

Ceck out our profile provided by the IAC (Independent Adoption Center)
http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/derekanddonnieadopt#

NAACP Awards 2012 airing Wednesday 2/21/2012

Who is your favorite? (GO BEYONCE!!! oh sorry, I just wanted to put that our there in the universe..lol)
It's a long list but, check out the full list of nominations below.




Movies

Outstanding Motion Picture

"Jumping the Broom"

"Pariah"

"The First Grader"

"The Help"

"Tower Heist"



Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Eddie Murphy - "Tower Heist"

Laurence Fishburne - "Contagion"

Laz Alonso -"Jumping the Broom"

Oliver Litondo - "The First Grader"

Vin Diesel - "Fast Five"



Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Adepero Oduye - "Pariah"

Emma Stone -" The Help"

Paula Patton - "Jumping the Broom"

Viola Davis - "The Help"

Zoe Saldana - "Colombiana"



Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Anthony Mackie - "The Adjustment Bureau"

Charles Parnell - "Pariah"

Don Cheadle - "The Guard"

Jeffrey Wright - "The Ides of March"

Mike Epps - "Jumping the Broom"



Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Bryce Dallas Howard - "The Help"

Cicely Tyson - "The Help"

Kim Wayans - "Pariah"

Maya Rudolph - "Bridesmaids"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help"



Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

"I Will Follow"

"Kinyarwanda"

"MOOZ-lum"

"Pariah"

"The First Grader"



Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture

"A Separation"

"Attack the Block"

"In the Land of Blood and Honey"

"Le Havre"

"Life, Above All"



Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television)

"Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest"

"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey"

"Sing Your Song"

"The Rescuers"

"Thunder Soul"



TV

Outstanding Comedy Series

"Love That Girl! "

"Modern Family"

"Reed Between the Lines"

"The Game"

"Tyler Perry's House of Payne"



Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Dule Hill - "Psych"

Malcolm-Jamal Warner - "Reed Between the Lines"

Phil Morris - "Love That Girl! "

Pooch Hall - "The Game"

Terry Crews - "Are We There Yet? "



Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl! "

Tia Mowry-Hardrict - "The Game"

Tracee Ellis Ross - "Reed Between the Lines"

Vanessa Williams - "Desperate Housewives"

Wendy Raquel Robinson - "The Game"



Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Craig Robinson - "The Office"

Damon Wayans, Jr. - "Happy Endings"

J.B. Smoove - "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Nick Cannon - "Up All Night"

Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock"



Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Amber Riley - "Glee"

Gabourey Sidibe - "The Big C"

Keshia Knight Pulliam - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"

Maya Rudolph - "Up All Night"

Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family"



Outstanding Drama Series

"Boardwalk Empire"

"Grey's Anatomy"

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

"The Good Wife"

"Treme"



Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Andre Braugher - "Men of a Certain Age"

Hill Harper - "CSI: NY"

L.L. Cool J - "NCIS: Los Angeles"

Taye Diggs - "Private Practice"

Wendell Pierce - "Treme"



Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy"

Khandi Alexander - "Treme"

Regina King - "SouthLAnd"

Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy"

Taraji P. Henson - "Person of Interest"



Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Corey Reynolds - "The Closer"

Ice T - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

James Pickens, Jr. - "Grey's Anatomy"

Nelsan Ellis - "True Blood"

Omar Epps - "House M.D."



Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Alfre Woodard - "Memphis Beat"

Anika Noni Rose - "Law & Order Special Victims Unit"

Archie Panjabi - "The Good Wife"

Diahann Carroll - "White Collar"

Loretta Devine - "Grey's Anatomy"



Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special

"Five"

"Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith"

"Luther"

"The Least Among You"

"Thurgood"



Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special

Esai Morales - "We Have Your Husband"

Idris Elba - "Luther"

Laurence Fishburne - "Thurgood"

Louis Gossett, Jr. - "The Least Among You"

Samuel L. Jackson - "The Sunset Limited"



Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special

Anika Noni Rose - "Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith" Jenifer Lewis - "Five"

Rosario Dawson - "Five"

Taraji P. Henson - "Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story"

Tracee Ellis Ross - "Five"



Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

Aaron D. Spears - "The Bold and the Beautiful"

Bryton James -" The Young and the Restless"

Emerson Brooks - "All My Children"

James Reynolds - "Days of Our Lives"

Texas Battle - "The Bold and the Beautiful"



Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

Christel Khalil - "The Young and the Restless"

Julia Pace Mitchell - "The Young and the Restless"

Tatyana Ali - "The Young and the Restless"

Tonya Lee Williams - "The Young and the Restless"

Yvette Freeman - "The Bold and the Beautiful"



Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

"BET News Exclusive: The President Answers Black America"

"Judge Mathis"

"Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel"

"Unsung"

"Washington Watch with Roland Martin"



Outstanding Talk Series

"Anderson "

"Oprah's Lifeclass"

"The Doctors"

"The View"

"The Wendy Williams Show"



Outstanding Reality Series

"All-American Muslim"

"American Idol"

"Dancing with the Stars"

"Sunday Best"

"Tia & Tamera"



Outstanding Variety Series or Special

"2011 BET Awards"

"Black Girls Rock! "

"Oprah Presents: Master Class"

"Prince! Behind the Symbol"

"UNCF An Evening of Stars Tribute to Chaka Khan"



Outstanding Children's Program

"A.N.T. Farm"

"Dora the Explorer"

"Go, Diego! Go! "

"I Can Be President: A Kid's-Eye View"

"My Family Tree"



Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program (Series or Special)

China Anne McClain - "A.N.T. Farm"

Keke Palmer - "True Jackson, VP"

Lance Robertson - "Yo Gabba Gabba"

Leon Thomas III - "Victorious"

Zendaya Coleman - "Shake It Up"



Recording

Outstanding New Artist

Committed

Diggy Simmons

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

Mindless Behavior

Wynter Gordon



Outstanding Male Artist

Anthony Hamilton

Bruno Mars

Cee Lo Green

Chris Brown

Common



Outstanding Female Artist

Beyonce

Jennifer Hudson

Jill Scott

Ledisi

Mary J. Blige



Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

Boyz II Men

Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona

Mary J. Blige feat. Drake

Sounds of Blackness

The Roots



Outstanding Jazz Album

"Chano y Dizzy" - Terence Blanchard and Poncho Sanchez

"Friends" - Stanley Jordan

"Guitar Man" - George Benson

"Legacy" - Gerald Wilson

"Road Show Vol. 2" - Sonny Rollins



Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)

"Becoming" - Yolanda Adams

"Church on the Moon" - Deitrick Haddon

"Hello Fear" - Kirk Franklin

"Something Big" - Mary Mary

"The Journey" - Andrae Crouch



Outstanding World Music Album

"Afrodiaspora" - Susana Baca

"Carnival Fever" - Brother B

"Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival" - Boukman Eksperyans

"Sounds of Blackness" - Sounds of Blackness

"The First Grader" - Alex Heffes



Outstanding Music Video

"25/8" - Mary J. Blige

"Hear My Call" - Jill Scott

"I Was Here" - Beyoncé

"Someone Like You" - Adele

"Where You At" - Jennifer Hudson



Outstanding Song

"Best Thing I Never Had" - Beyonce

"Fool for You" feat. Melanie Fiona - Cee Lo Green

"I Smile" - Kirk Franklin

"So In Love" feat. Anthony Hamilton - Jill Scott

"Someone Like You" - Adele



Outstanding Album

"4" - Beyonce

"F.A.M.E. " - Chris Brown

"I Remember Me" - Jennifer Hudson

"Lasers" - Lupe Fiasco

"The Light of the Sun" - Jill Scott



Literature

Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction

"A Silken Thread" - Brenda Jackson

"Boundaries" - Elizabeth Nunez

"Say Amen, Again" - Reshonda Tate Billingsley

"Silver Sparrow" - Tayari Jones

"The Plot Against Hip Hop: A Novel" - Nelson George



Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction

"Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America" - Melissa Harris-Perry

"Super Rich" - Russell Simmons

"The Cosmopolitan Canopy" - Elijah Anderson

"The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place" - Hill Harper

"Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now" - Toure



Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author

"2Grieve 2Gether: A Journal from the Heart Helping Survivors & Supporters Navigate the Healing Process" - Denise Hall Brown

"A Defining Moment"- Patricia Duncan

"The Loom" - Shella Gillus

"The Strawberry Letter" - Lyah Le Flore

"We the Animals" - Justin Torres



Outstanding Literary Work - Biography/Auto-Biography

"A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother" - Janny Scott

"Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention" - Manning Marable

"My Song" - Harry Belafonte

"No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington" - Condoleezza Rice

"The John Carlos Story" - John Carlos, Dave Zirin



Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional

"A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets" - Bertice Berry

"Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing" - Synthia Saint James

"Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom & Community" - Quraysh Ali Lansana

"The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God" - T.D. Jakes

"Too Important to Fail: Saving America's Boys" - Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts (Illustrator)



Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry

"Afro Clouds & Nappy Rain: The Curtis Brown Poems" - James Golden

"Head Off & Split" - Nikky Finney

"Honoring Genius: The Narrative of Craft, Art, Kindness and Justice" - Haki Madhubuti

"Intimate Thoughts" - Darrin Henson (Author), Anna Saunders (Illustrator)

"Last Seen" - Jacqueline Jones Lamon



Outstanding Literary Work - Children

"Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band" - Kwame Alexander (Author), Tim Bowers (Illustrator)

"Before There Was Mozart" - Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author), James Ransome (Illustrator)

"Heart and Soul" - Kadir Nelson (Author/Illustrator)

"White Water" - Michael S. Bandy (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator)

"You Can Be A Friend" - Tony Dungy (Author), Ron Mazellan (Illustrator)



Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens

"Camo Girl" - Kekla Magoon

"Eliza's Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary" - Jerdine Nolan (Author), Sadra Strickland (Illustrator)

"Jesse Owens: I Always Loved Running" - Jeff Burlingame

"Kick" - Walter Dean

"Planet Middle School" - Nikki Grimes

Brandy's Private Moment with Whitney Houston

Singer Brandy, the recipient of a message from Whitney Houston shortly before her death on Saturday, remains tight-lipped about the note’s content. On Feb. 9, Brandy, fellow singer Monica and Clive Davis were in the middle of an interview for E! in Los Angeles when the Grammy-winner approached them. According to a post on ryanseacrest.com, “Whitney seemed a bit manic as she told Monica about swimming “2 hours a day” and conspicuously handed a note to Brandy before hugging Davis, her long-time friend and mentor.”
Though later asked directly by E! about the subject of the note, Brandy declined to give a response, saying, “I’m going to just not say what it was and just keep it to myself for my own personal reasons.”
According to Fox News, Brandy is the older sister of “Sexy Can I?” singer Ray J, the on-again, off-again beau to Houston. The two female singers also co-starred in the 1997 film “Cinderella.” For these reasons, it can be speculated that the note was of a personal nature.
"Whitney meant everything to me ... She's the reason that I sing," Brandy continued.
With her jaw-dropping voice and enormous smile, Houston was—and still is—an inspiration to many female singers. With the ever-present pressure of the prying public eye, Brandy’s respect for Whitney’s privacy in the wake of a widely publicized death is commendable.

Beyonce is BACK

Well She never really left but,Beyonce Knowles is reportedly planning to start work on two new albums.


The 'Love on Top' singer only gave birth to her first daughter Blue Ivy Carter last month but is already said to be thinking about her music career and planning the follow up to '4', released last year. Producer Ryan Tedder - who co-wrote Beyonce's hit 'Halo' - told Theboombox.com: "The conversations about her next album literally just started and there are two projects happening.
"All I can say is you kind of feed her the best that you have and she's this phenomenal filter and she takes it all in."
OneRepublic frontman Ryan added the 30-year-old singer is being as forward thinking as ever, and planning what will sound good next year.
He added: "She's not interested in 2012, she's interested in what's going to sound good for 2013."
One of the projects could prospectively be the soundtrack to Clint Eastwood's planned remake of 1954 film 'A Star Is Born', about a young starlet helped by an ageing movie star, in which Beyonce is lined up for the female lead role

Whitney Houston's Funeral Services to be televised

(CNN) -- Saturday's funeral for legendary pop singer Whitney Houston is expected to be made available for television and web streaming from the New Jersey church where she grew up, Houston's publicist said Wednesday.

The services, to be held at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, will be in a much smaller, more intimate setting than the concert halls and arenas Houston packed during her heyday.

In every sense, she will be going home.
Publicists and entertainers by Wednesday had confirmed nearly a dozen celebrities and personalities will be in some of the 1,500 coveted, "invitation-only" seats.
Gospel singer and pastor Marvin L. Winans, a longtime friend of the Houston family, will give the eulogy at New Hope Baptist Church. Winans officiated at Houston's 1992 marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown.
Asked why no public memorial service was planned, Winans told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday night the family didn't "want to have a parade."
"I don't think knowing Cissy (Houston's mother) and the Houston family ... it was a matter of public or private as it was this is my daughter, this is my sister, this is my mother, this is my friend and we want to do this with dignity."

Warner denounces Va. anti-gay adoption bill

The junior U.S. senator from Virginia is denouncing an anti-gay adoption bill that was approved by the state legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature.
According to his office, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) spoke out against the legislation Saturday night — calling it “mean-spirited” and “wrong” —while speaking to the Virginia Democrat’s Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Richmond, Va.
“And while Virginia Democrats work to provide a fair shot to young people across Virginia, Republicans in Richmond would rather spend their time defining which families should be allowed to adopt foster children,” Warner said. “Let me tell you this: As the first Virginia governor to ban discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation — and as a senator who stood up and voted to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy — that is mean-spirited, and that is wrong. It is wrong to deny a foster child the opportunity to belong to a supportive, modern family simply because it is led by a same-sex couple in a loving and committed relationship.”
The anti-gay adoption bill would allow private adoption agencies to discriminate in placements conflicting with their religious or moral beliefs, including on the basis of sexual orientation.
Current policy in Virginia prevents unmarried couples — straight or gay — from adopting. There are also no non-discrimination protections in place for LGBT couples. Critics say the new legislation would codify the policy into law.
The Virginia Senate last week approved the bill by a vote of 22-18 and the Virginia House approved it earlier in the month by a vote of 71-28. Jeff Caldwell, a spokesperson for Gov. Bob McDonnell, said he’ll sign the legislation.
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council and among the chief advocates speaking out against the legislation, commended Warner for condemning the legislation.
“Senator Warner’s statements demonstrate why he is a leader in our Congress and why he provided good leadership while governor of Virginia,” Chrisler said. “Every child deserves a family and it is indeed mean-spirited and anti-family to deny children in foster care the opportunity to find a loving home with qualified, caring parents.”

Warner spoke out against the bill after accusing the Republican-controlled Virginia Legislature of practicing the same kind 0f obstructionist politics that he says House Republicans are playing in Congress.
 "The House is being run by a ‘just-say-no’ crowd that can’t seem to say ’yes’ to anything,” the senator said. “And, unfortunately, we’re beginning to see the worst of this style of politics here in Richmond at the state legislature.”
Warner said while Virginia Democrats are focused on creating jobs, Republicans controlling the state legislature are moving through legislation like the anti-gay adoption bill, interfering with abortion rights and manufacturing a voter ID problem to engage in voter suppression efforts.
According to Roll Call, more than 1,200 state lawmakers and Democratic activists and supporters gathered at the Greater Richmond Convention Center for the event, which raised $350,000 for the state party for President Barack Obama’s re-election and former Gov. Tim Kaine’s campaign for the seat of retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D).
The senator’s denunciation of the anti-gay bill is noteworthy because, as a member of Virginia’s federal delegation, he often doesn’t weigh in on state matters. An avowed centrist, Warner also usually doesn’t speak out on social issues.
Federal legislation pending before Congress known as the Every Child Deserves a Family Act would trump the pending anti-gay bill in Virginia by allowing the U.S government to restrict federal funds from going to states that have laws or practices allowing for discrimination in adoption on the basis of LGBT status.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) in the House and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in the Senate.
Neither Warner nor Webb is a co-sponsor of the legislation. Spokespersons told the Washington Blade the Virginia Democrats are reviewing the bill.

Washington gay marriage debate not yes or no, but both

That seeming paradox stems from competing efforts launched this week by two groups dedicated to the cause of keeping Washington from joining six other states and the District of Columbia from legalizing same-sex matrimony.

Hours after Governor Christine Gregoire signed legislation on Monday to bestow marriage rights on gay and lesbian couples, repeal advocates submitted paperwork at the state Capitol to put the issue before the electorate as a referendum.
The head of the Preserve Marriage Washington coalition, Joseph Backholm, said his group plans to start circulating petitions for Referendum 74 in early March, once the ballot language is approved by state officials.
They have until June 6 to gather the 120,577 valid signatures needed to secure a spot on the 2012 ballot.
If the referendum qualifies, the gay marriage statute -- already on hold until June 7 under the standard waiting period for new laws -- would be kept from taking effect before the election.
A majority of "no" votes on the referendum question in November would strip the new law from the books altogether.
But Thursday morning, a different repeal coalition, Protect Marriage Washington 2012, plans to start collecting signatures for Initiative 1192, asking voters to say "yes" to a measure that would define marriage as between one man and one woman.
In contrast to a statewide referendum, initiatives have until July 6 to obtain 241,154 signatures, and only the referendum can delay the gay marriage law from taking effect before the election.
Coalition leader Stephen Pidgeon, 57, also a candidate for Washington attorney general, said his petitions will be available at thousands of churches, as well as some Staples store locations and online.
"We have dropped the blade and we are plowing," Pidgeon said.
Gay marriage supporters and opponents alike speculate having both measures on the ballot could confuse some voters asked to cast opposite votes for two measures expressing the same sentiment.
So if Preserve Marriage Washington fails to collect enough signatures, there could be a window in which same-sex marriages begin and are later halted should the initiative win voter approval. It also remains unclear what would happen if both measures appear on the ballot but voters reject R-74 while approving I-1192.
"In principle, everyone's trying to accomplish the same things," Backholm, 33, said. "But it would be amazingly confusing."
Still, Backholm and Pidgeon, once allies as part of Protect Marriage Washington in 2009, which failed to win repeal of the state's domestic partnership law, insisted voters will ultimately figure it out.
Pidgeon, who has spent weeks haggling with state officials over the final ballot language for I-1192, said he supports the referendum but argued his initiative can get started sooner and has broader implications than responding to a specific law.
"They're going after condemnation language. We have a different point of view," he said. "We're part of a longer-term agenda."
Backholm said he believes voters will be more reluctant to affirm gay marriage than they were in upholding same-sex benefits.
"For better or worse, many people see a big difference between domestic partnership benefits and actually redefining marriage," Backholm said. "There's more of a grey area for a lot of people on the domestic partnership issue. Now that ambiguity has gone away, because it's unequivocally about redefining the institution of marriage."
Backholm also anticipates significant support from out-of-state donors, volunteers and agencies for the repeal effort, and noted ballot-measure campaigns tend to draw more attention when they coincide with a presidential election, as these will.
"There's an awareness that no state is an island on this issue," he said. "It's a national discussion that we're having. What happens in other places affects where you are."
On the other side of the debate, gay marriage supporters under the Washington United for Marriage banner got a head start, having organized months ago to lobby state legislators to pass same-sex matrimony.
But its members predict a tough battle, especially with the millions of dollars they expect to pour in from outside contributors to help the referendum backers, as happened with California's Proposition 8.
Annual gay-pride celebrations scheduled across Washington in June, after the R-74 signatures are due, will double as fundraisers and "Vote Yes on 74" campaign events.
Thinking ahead, Anna Schlecht, 54, a gay rights advocate from Olympia, got the governor and dozens of supportive state lawmakers to autograph two rainbow flags as they concluded the signing ceremony on Monday. She plans to auction the banners off for the "vote yes" R-74 campaign.
"Getting this far was a lot of work," Schlecht said. "Getting to November is going to take a lot of time, passion and money."

Ellen DeGeneres vs. Million Mom's

Go Ellen!

Atlanta Gay Couple Trying to Adopt

Check out our profile:

http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/derekanddonnieadopt

Prop. 8: US Supreme Court might not take gay-marriage case

Legal experts said that a federal appeals court's ruling that Proposition 8 -- California's 2008 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage -- is unconstitutional is so narrowly written that it is an open question as to whether the U.S. Supreme Court will take the case.

The 2-1 ruling by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was written to limit its scope to California's borders and possibly even avoid review by the U.S. Supreme Court, legal experts said.
That could mean the 9th Circuit might have the final word on Proposition 8 because the ruling was so pointedly limited to California, a state where, the justices ruled, voters stripped a minority of a right that already existed and where the usual justifications for a same-sex marriage ban -- responsible parenting and procreation -- are undercut by domestic partner laws.
PHOTOS: Prop. 8 ruling
Proposition 8 passed as a constitutional amendment six months after the California Supreme Court struck down a state law that limited marriage to a man and a woman, and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples married during that time. The initiative also did not affect parenting rights of gays and lesbians, which are protected under other state laws.
"That legal background does not exist in most states," said University of Minnesota Law School professor Dale Carpenter, who has followed the case.
Loyola law professor Douglas NeJaime agreed, noting that Tuesday's decision allows the U.S. Supreme Court to postpone a pronouncement on same-sex marriage until a more sweeping case comes along.


FULL COVERAGE: Prop. 8
"The 9th Circuit decided the case in a way that would allow the Supreme Court to affirm without having to significantly expand on its existing jurisprudence and without having to rule on marriage for same-sex couples on a national scale," NeJaime said.
The pro-Proposition 8 group ProtectMarriage could ask a larger panel of the 9th Circuit to review Tuesday's ruling, which could keep the case in the circuit for another year. If the group went directly to the Supreme Court and won review, the high court could rule on the case next year.
ProtectMarriage has long said it wanted the high court to get the case as soon as possible, but its representative said Tuesday that the organization has yet to decide its next step.
The court concluded that Prop. 8 served no purpose other than to "lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians."

Derek and Donnie Adoption Process

My partner and I are in the process of adoption and we would love your help in helping us find a birthmother match. Check out our profile:
http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/derekanddonnieadopt