Ending the Epidemic Atlanta Events Mark World AIDS Day

http://www.southernvoice.com/2007/11-23/locallife/feature/7743.cfm

By RYAN LEE
NOV. 23, 2007

Letter to the Editor
With HIV infection rates among black gay and bisexual men rising in recent years, compounded by the scarcity of HIV-prevention messages that explicitly address the experience of being black and gay, AID Atlanta is turning to the source to come up with creative ways to get these men to embrace safer sex.

AID Atlanta’s “Evolution Project,” which targets young black gay men, celebrates it first anniversary by hosting the ­­­­­­ “Final Fantasy Ball” on Dec. 2 in conjunction with World AIDS Day, which is observed Dec. 1.

“We thought it was really important to tap into the community and get some of their creative input,” says Stephaun Clipper-Wallace, a community building specialist at AID Atlanta and a mainstay in Atlanta’s gay ballroom scene.

Known for their flamboyant fashion and their imaginative environment, house balls are pageants where gay “house” members compete in a variety of make-up, fashion, voguing and gender-twisting categories. Themed after the popular “Final Fantasy” video game, the “Final Fantasy Ball” features several categories inspired by the video game’s characters and themes, including who can most realistically impersonate specific characters.

The event culminates with a trio of categories where house members will apply their creative genius to come up with novel HIV-prevention messages. In one category, participants must create a two-minute HIV-prevention public service announcement, and create an outfit that incorporates their favorite brand of lube and condoms.

In another category, contestants are charged with countering the notion that safer sex is boring by creating a cleverly erotic HIV-prevention message into their appearance.

“Our goal is to put on a really good event, and one where people can learn and get information,” says Clipper-Wallace, who is also known by his ballroom name, Stephaun Elite Manolo Blahnik.

The Final Fantasy Ball, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center, is one of several house balls the “Evolution Project” has produced this year in an attempt to tap into an underserved population that is also the group hit hardest by HIV/AIDS, black gay men.

“The ballroom scene is a population here that is really consistent with the target population for our agency — there’s a lot of overlap there,” says Clipper-Wallace, who notes that AIDS agencies in Atlanta have not been as successful reaching out to the ballroom scene as agencies have in other large cities.

“Since the ballroom community had typically not been tapped, I thought it was something good for the ballroom scene and the community in general,” he says. “This is not just about us coming into the ballroom community, this is about us nurturing a relationship with the ballroom community.”

SEVERAL LEADING NATIONAL FIGURES in the ­­fight against HIV/AIDS bring their voices to Atlanta for World AIDS Day. Emory University hosts a Dec. 1 networking breakfast and speeches by Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA, and former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders.

Also on Dec. 1, AIDS Survival Project hosts a “Call to Action” fundraiser featuring speeches by state Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) and Robert Greenwald of the Harvard Law School’s Health Law Clinic. A foremost authority on healthcare issues, Greenwald says he plans to talk about the lack of access to healthcare in the U.S., as well as recent efforts to improve a “system that is basically broken.”

“Healthcare should be a right, and not a privilege in this country, and somehow, that our elected officials have failed to make sure that healthcare is available to all is unacceptable,” says Greenwald, author of the Early Treatment for HIV Act now stalled in Congress.

“What ETHA would do is, the moment a person tests positive for HIV, if they are poor or low-income, they would immediately be enrolled in Medicaid,” says Greenwald, noting that current Medicaid rules allow many states to wait until a person has full-blown AIDS until granting them Medicaid eligibility.

Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been ETHA’s chief sponsor in the past, but that has yet to help the bill’s prospects for becoming law, Greenwald says.

AIDS Survival Project also hosts a “Call to Worship” on Dec. 2, with a special AIDS-themed service at Central Presbyterian Church, officiated by Rev. Bradley Schmeling, who is gay.

THE NATIONAL CENTER for Human Rights Education is also coordinating a faith-based World AID Day campaign, asking black churches to display panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in their churches from Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

“Ignorance, prejudice and silence are fueling the spread of a preventable disease,” says Dorinda Henry, an Atlanta lesbian serving as interim executive director of NCHRE. Some 800 panels of the AIDS Quilt will also be on display at Emory University’s Quad area on Nov. 30.

Georgia representatives of the Prevention Justice Mobilization, a national group designed to increase political awareness about the inter-connected social factors that help spread HIV, host a World AIDS Day “Speak Out” at the Martin Luther King Center on Dec. 1. The group will continue advocacy and protests throughout the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s National HIV Prevention Conference, which starts Dec. 2.

Also on Dec. 1, the Spruill Gallery in Dunwoody hosts a one-day show by gay artist Terry S. Hardy entitled

“The Lost Boxes — Mourning the Loss,” which features boxes Hardy created after his partner died of AIDS complications.

Ending the Epidemic Atlanta Events Mark World AIDS Day

http://www.southernvoice.com/2007/11-23/locallife/feature/7743.cfm

By RYAN LEE
NOV. 23, 2007

Letter to the Editor
With HIV infection rates among black gay and bisexual men rising in recent years, compounded by the scarcity of HIV-prevention messages that explicitly address the experience of being black and gay, AID Atlanta is turning to the source to come up with creative ways to get these men to embrace safer sex.

AID Atlanta’s “Evolution Project,” which targets young black gay men, celebrates it first anniversary by hosting the ­­­­­­ “Final Fantasy Ball” on Dec. 2 in conjunction with World AIDS Day, which is observed Dec. 1.

“We thought it was really important to tap into the community and get some of their creative input,” says Stephaun Clipper-Wallace, a community building specialist at AID Atlanta and a mainstay in Atlanta’s gay ballroom scene.

Known for their flamboyant fashion and their imaginative environment, house balls are pageants where gay “house” members compete in a variety of make-up, fashion, voguing and gender-twisting categories. Themed after the popular “Final Fantasy” video game, the “Final Fantasy Ball” features several categories inspired by the video game’s characters and themes, including who can most realistically impersonate specific characters.

The event culminates with a trio of categories where house members will apply their creative genius to come up with novel HIV-prevention messages. In one category, participants must create a two-minute HIV-prevention public service announcement, and create an outfit that incorporates their favorite brand of lube and condoms.

In another category, contestants are charged with countering the notion that safer sex is boring by creating a cleverly erotic HIV-prevention message into their appearance.

“Our goal is to put on a really good event, and one where people can learn and get information,” says Clipper-Wallace, who is also known by his ballroom name, Stephaun Elite Manolo Blahnik.

The Final Fantasy Ball, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center, is one of several house balls the “Evolution Project” has produced this year in an attempt to tap into an underserved population that is also the group hit hardest by HIV/AIDS, black gay men.

“The ballroom scene is a population here that is really consistent with the target population for our agency — there’s a lot of overlap there,” says Clipper-Wallace, who notes that AIDS agencies in Atlanta have not been as successful reaching out to the ballroom scene as agencies have in other large cities.

“Since the ballroom community had typically not been tapped, I thought it was something good for the ballroom scene and the community in general,” he says. “This is not just about us coming into the ballroom community, this is about us nurturing a relationship with the ballroom community.”

SEVERAL LEADING NATIONAL FIGURES in the ­­fight against HIV/AIDS bring their voices to Atlanta for World AIDS Day. Emory University hosts a Dec. 1 networking breakfast and speeches by Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA, and former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders.

Also on Dec. 1, AIDS Survival Project hosts a “Call to Action” fundraiser featuring speeches by state Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) and Robert Greenwald of the Harvard Law School’s Health Law Clinic. A foremost authority on healthcare issues, Greenwald says he plans to talk about the lack of access to healthcare in the U.S., as well as recent efforts to improve a “system that is basically broken.”

“Healthcare should be a right, and not a privilege in this country, and somehow, that our elected officials have failed to make sure that healthcare is available to all is unacceptable,” says Greenwald, author of the Early Treatment for HIV Act now stalled in Congress.

“What ETHA would do is, the moment a person tests positive for HIV, if they are poor or low-income, they would immediately be enrolled in Medicaid,” says Greenwald, noting that current Medicaid rules allow many states to wait until a person has full-blown AIDS until granting them Medicaid eligibility.

Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been ETHA’s chief sponsor in the past, but that has yet to help the bill’s prospects for becoming law, Greenwald says.

AIDS Survival Project also hosts a “Call to Worship” on Dec. 2, with a special AIDS-themed service at Central Presbyterian Church, officiated by Rev. Bradley Schmeling, who is gay.

THE NATIONAL CENTER for Human Rights Education is also coordinating a faith-based World AID Day campaign, asking black churches to display panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in their churches from Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

“Ignorance, prejudice and silence are fueling the spread of a preventable disease,” says Dorinda Henry, an Atlanta lesbian serving as interim executive director of NCHRE. Some 800 panels of the AIDS Quilt will also be on display at Emory University’s Quad area on Nov. 30.

Georgia representatives of the Prevention Justice Mobilization, a national group designed to increase political awareness about the inter-connected social factors that help spread HIV, host a World AIDS Day “Speak Out” at the Martin Luther King Center on Dec. 1. The group will continue advocacy and protests throughout the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s National HIV Prevention Conference, which starts Dec. 2.

Also on Dec. 1, the Spruill Gallery in Dunwoody hosts a one-day show by gay artist Terry S. Hardy entitled

“The Lost Boxes — Mourning the Loss,” which features boxes Hardy created after his partner died of AIDS complications.

Circumcision Status and HIV Infection Among Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men in 3 US Cities

Epidemiology and Social Science
JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 46(5):643-650, December 15, 2007.
Millett, Gregorio A MPH *; Ding, Helen MD, MS, MSPH *; Lauby, Jennifer PhD +; Flores, Stephen PhD *; Stueve, Ann PhD ++; Bingham, Trista MPH, MS [S]; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex PhD [//]; Murrill, Chris PhD, MPH [P]; Liu, Kai-Lih PhD, MPH [P]; Wheeler, Darrell PhD, MPH #; Liau, Adrian PhD *; Marks, Gary PhD *

Abstract:
Objective: To examine characteristics of circumcised and uncircumcised Latino and black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States and assess the association between circumcision and HIV infection.

Methods: Using respondent-driven sampling, 1154 black MSM and 1091 Latino MSM were recruited from New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. A 45-minute computer-assisted interview and a rapid oral fluid HIV antibody test (OraSure Technologies, Bethlehem, PA) were administered to participants.

Results: Circumcision prevalence was higher among black MSM than among Latino MSM (74% vs. 33%; P < 0.0001). Circumcised MSM in both racial/ethnic groups were more likely than uncircumcised MSM to be born in the United States or to have a US-born parent. Circumcision status was not associated with prevalent HIV infection among Latino MSM, black MSM, black bisexual men, or black or Latino men who reported being HIV-negative based on their last HIV test. Further, circumcision was not associated with a reduced likelihood of HIV infection among men who had engaged in unprotected insertive and not unprotected receptive anal sex.

Conclusions: In these cross-sectional data, there was no evidence that being circumcised was protective against HIV infection among black MSM or Latino MSM.

(C) 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Robert J. Reinhard
425 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2482
Tel: 415/268-7469
Fax:415/268-7522
email: rreinhar@mofo.com

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2008 Presidential Candidates and their Policy Positions on HIV/AIDS Issues

This is a really great resource. The 2008 Presidential Candidates were given a questionnaire regarding their positions on domestic and global policy related to HIV/AIDS. The site lists their responses.

http://www.aidsvote.org/candidates

Matthew Shepard Act at Risk

The Matthew Shepard Act is at risk!

Tell your lawmakers to protect the hate crimes legislation we've worked so hard for.

The Matthew Shepard Act could be abandoned by Congressional leaders unless we act immediately.

Email Congress today and stand up against hate crimes.


Dear Stephaun,

I have alarming news. The Matthew Shepard Act – whose passage in the Senate and House required months of effort – is now in serious jeopardy of not making it to the President's desk.

The hate crimes legislation we've fought for has reached its final step before being sent to President Bush, but some lawmakers are working to derail it. Right now there is a very real danger that the Matthew Shepard Act won't even make it to the President for his signature or veto. If that happens, we could lose months or years of progress.

We likely have less than a week to act. Tell your lawmakers the Matthew Shepard Act must not be abandoned by the Conference Committee next week.

How can a hate crimes victory be so close and yet still so much in jeopardy?

Here's what's happening: Senate leadership employed a commonplace strategy with this bill. They calculated that the only chance of the Matthew Shepard Act surviving Bush's veto pen was if it were attached to a "must-pass" Department of Defense bill. But now that House and Senate are reconciling their versions of the DoD bill, it is under attack from anti-GLBT conservatives against hate crimes legislation, as well as progressive, pro-equality lawmakers who oppose some of the bill's provisions for the war in Iraq.

We cannot let the Matthew Shepard Act be abandoned when we have come so close to getting it to the White House! We only have a matter of days before Congress is back in session and the final decision is made. This issue is especially timely right now. Last week, the FBI reported that hate crimes rose nearly 8% last year.

You know how hard we've worked to pass the Matthew Shepard Act. Since April, hundreds of thousands of HRC supporters like you have bombarded Congress with letters and phone calls. You've enlisted friends in the fight, written to local papers, passed out postcards at events. You've given time and you've given financial support.

Don't back down now – not if you care about the safety of GLBT Americans.

Ask your Senators and Representative to make sure the Department of Defense bill passes with the Matthew Shepard Act included.

Thank you, again, for your ongoing commitment to equality and justice.

Warmly,
Joe Solmonese
President

APD Targets Another Gay Leather Party

http://www.sovo.com/2007/11-23/news/localnews/7753.cfm

Atlanta police target gay leather party
Tactics similar to ’06 raid that led to three arrests


By RYAN LEE
NOV. 23, 2007


Atlanta police recently raided a local gathering of gay leather enthusiasts for the second time in 12 months, even though organizers of the second event took specific steps to avoid attracting the police attention that shut down a leather party at the same location in 2006.

Organizers of last month’s “Blackout” party hosted by Onyx Southeast, a black gay leather group, said they are considering filing a complaint against the Atlanta Police Department officers who “threateningly” broke-up the private party without providing a sufficient reason. No one was arrested and there is no police report from the Oct. 7 incident.

An undercover police officer attempted to enter the “Blackout” party at the Spring 4th Center at 726 Spring St., but was told by the doorman that it was a private party and no one could pay to get inside, according to Ejay Session, president of Onyx Southeast.

“No sooner than the security guard left [the front area], that’s when the police came in,” Session said. “The police came in and were being very disrespectful to what was going on. Nobody got arrested because nobody was doing anything — it was just the way they went about it.”

The half-dozen officers that raided the party allegedly made sly comments about there being “a lot of cakes and pies in here,” and them “never having seen motorcycle riders look like that,” said Session, who added that his brother allegedly heard officers calling more police to the scene.

“He heard them on their radio, calling other officers, saying, ‘Oh, you gotta see this,’” Session said. “It wasn’t like they were calling for back-up, but instead, ‘Come and see this freak show.’”

Police searched Spring 4th supposedly looking for the venue’s capacity certificate, although with only about 20 people present, the Onyx crowd was “well under the occupancy,” Session said. But before Spring 4th owners arrived at the club with the capacity certificate, Onyx organizers decided to close their event.
“We ended up shutting down the party,” Session said.

There is no official paperwork on the incident, said APD spokesperson Officer E. Schwartz.

“I don’t know the circumstances because there’s no report on it,” said Schwartz, who added that police could have been responding to “noise complaints.”

Officer Darlene Harris, LGBT liaison for APD, could not be reached for comment by press time.

APD raided a different gay leather social at Spring 4th in October 2006, shutting down the party and arresting three organizers for collecting money for a cover charge and for drinks.

“Which is why I stressed it will be a dry party, just water —we didn’t even get a chance to buy juice,” Session said of the “Blackout” event, which also didn’t have a cover charge.

“They were looking to see if we had money on the premises, or if we had been charging at the door,” Session said. “The only people who were there were invited guests.”

“You could just hear comments flying,” Session said of the officers. “I find it a shame that there’s not a space were you can be yourself and practice your craft.”



this poem might provide an interesting context:

"First they came…"
by: Martin Niemoller


When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Sen. Kennedy's statement on ENDA

Subject: Sen. Kennedy's statement on ENDA

November 12, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Last night the House passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with a strong bipartisan vote. The House bill prohibits employers from discriminating against workers on the job because of their sexual orientation. It protects Americans from being fired, denied a job or promotion, or otherwise intentionally discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. Although the bill is narrower than many of us had hoped, the House action is still a main step in the long journey toward full civil rights for every American.

In the Senate, I will work to move the Employment Non-Discrimination Act this Congress. The bill that the House passed is being held at the desk and I'm working with leadership to move this bill forward as quickly as possible.

This nation was founded on the principle of equal justice for all. That noble goal represents the best in America – that everyone should be treated fairly and should have the chance to benefit from the many opportunities of this country. The House action brings us closer to that goal.

Forty-three years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At that time, some in our country were violently opposed to outlawing racial discrimination, and it was very difficult for Congress to reach a consensus. But the best in America, and the best in the Senate, prevailed. My first major speech in this body as a freshman Senator was on the Civil Rights Act. I said then that I "firmly believe a sense of fairness and goodwill also exists in the minds and hearts" of Americans, and that laws creating the conditions for equality will help that spirit of fairness win out over prejudice. I still believe that today.

Since the 1964 Act was passed, we've seen enormous progress in this beloved nation of ours. Civil rights laws giving national protection against discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, age, and disability have made our country a stronger, a better, a fairer land. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians have made extraordinary advances in the workplace. People with disabilities have new opportunities to fully participate in our society. The workplace is far more open to women in ways that were barely imagined four decades ago. In countless businesses (large and small), glass ceilings are being shattered. Women and girls have far greater opportunities in the classroom and in the boardroom.

But that progress has left some Americans out. Civil rights is still the nation's unfinished business. Today, it's perfectly legal in most states to fire an employee because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Many hard-working Americans live every day with the knowledge that, no matter what their talents and abilities, they can be denied a job simply because of who they are. Many young students grow up knowing that no matter how hard they study, the doors of opportunity will be locked by prejudice and bigotry when they enter the workplace.

Although some states have outlawed job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in most of the country, workers have no recourse at all if they fired because simply because of who they are. That's unacceptable, and we have a duty to fix it, and to do so on our watch.

In the past 40 years, our country has made great progress in guaranteeing fairness and opportunity.

When we passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and then the Fair Housing Act of 1960, we took courageous steps, and we were proud that the Senate did the right thing each time. We must also do the right thing -- the courageous thing -- today. In the 1960s, these laws were controversial. But today, none of us, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, would question that they were the right steps to take, and we must take the right steps today.

Over the years, the Senate has recognized time and again the importance of our goal of equal employment opportunity. Even if we have sometimes disagreed over the years about its proper interpretation, there is no division among us that the principle of equal employment opportunity is a core American value.

That is what the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is all about -- equal job opportunities for all Americans. By extending the protection of Title VII to those who are victimized because of their sexual orientation, we are moving closer to that fundamental goal. No one should be denied a job simply because of who they are.

That ideal is at the heart of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

In 1996, we fell one vote short of passing the bill in the Senate. In the decade since, public support for outlawing such discrimination has only grown stronger. Now that the House has acted, I hope that we will be able to finally succeed in the Senate in passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act this Congress, and I look forward to the coming debate.

America stands for justice for all. Congress must make clear that when we say "all" we mean all. America will never be America until we do.

SAVE THE DATE: 2008 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS in Oakland, CA January 24 - 27, 2008!


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Press Contact

Melissa Wagoner (202) 224-2633

Donna Crews
Director
Government Affairs
AIDS Action
1730 M Street, NW Suite 611
Washington DC 20036
Tel. 202 530 8030 x3040
Fax. 202 530 8031
dcrews@aidsaction.org
www.aidsaction.org

Without Prejudice!!!!!!!

First impressions are not always what they seem. Would you be able to judge someone…

WITHOUT PREJUDICE???

Join us for a special 2nd Sunday Event. We will be recreating the hit show Without Prejudice (From The Game Show Network) as a special discussion. But this is not your average discussion. It is a competition that will look at just how much our prejudices affect our decision-making processes.


For More Details: http://www.gsn.com/withoutprejudice/


Join us THIS Sunday for

Second Sunday of Atlanta, Inc.

Sunday, November 11,2007

3:00PM - 5:00PM

139 Ralph McGill Blvd.

(Off Piedmont Road)

Atlanta, GA 30308

Atlanta To Debut Two HIV Prevention Balls

(By: Father Jon Jourdan-Zion)

Atlanta is about to finally expose itself to the world of "Houses" and "Drag Balls" with not one but two upcoming FREE HIV Prevention House Balls!!!

If you haven't heard of the "Ballroom Scene", "House Balls" or Paris Is Burning then you've been living in the dark ages for far too long. But before we can talk about that, it is important to give a brief intro to the ballroom scene.

BALLROOM 101
Back in the `70s the streets of Harlem bursted into flames by the evolution of the then Drag Pageants into what is known in modern day society as "Balls" (also known as House Balls, Drag Balls, Ballroom Scene). This underground subculture founded mainly by New York Blacks and Latinos gay kids and drag queens from various houses (think fraternities or sororities) to compete at a "ball" for prizes, which can range from trophies to cash. The ballroom scene is a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of color can go and not be judged for their sexuality or alternative gender. Throughout the years they have opened up to include all orientations (YES Heteros do walk balls as well, but not with the same flair that the homos do, lol).

Back in the day, these surrogate family constructs were created to deal with the reality that many people in the scene were being rejected by their families, and often-times by their communities. Many found refuge in these alternative families which also provided a space for them to explore and shape sexual and gender orientations. However, is important to point out that not everyone in the ballroom community is a product of rejection especially since homosexuality has arguably become more tolerant throughout the years.

Understanding the makeup of a “house” can be confusing. While they loosely follow the models of fraternities and sororities, they have a heavy influence of heteronormative family constructs. Each House has a Mother and Father (neither being gender-specific) and Children. Each house has itz own flair, credo, and mode of operandi. The House Name is adopted by each member of the house…thereby each member of the House of Xtravaganza would be named Such and Such Xtravaganza.


ATLANTA’s TURN AT BAT

New York saw early that there was a great need to bring HIV Awareness to the ballroom scene, thereby forming the House of Latex, founded in 1989 to support the efforts of youth and young adults to stay healthy and prevent the spread of HIV.


New Jersey soon followed with Project: Fire Ball which was the brainchild of People of All Colours Together (PACT) to bring HIV Awareness and Prevention strategies to The Greater Newark “Houses". This project was the first to successfully bring together a coalition of houses for a common cause greater than the pageantry of the balls.


Throughout the years almost every large urban city has adopted some form of the ballroom scene and often time have held “community service” balls either on a yearly bases or in conjunction with special health conferences.


Now Atlanta, which debatably has the largest ballroom population, second only to the originating New York scene, will be taking its turn at focusing HIV prevention methods to the ballroom scene. Although the ballroom scene has existing neatly tucked beneath the underground club scene, two of Georgia prominent HIV powerhouse organizations, NAESM and AID Atlanta, will seek to expose the ballroom community to mainstream social service community.


On Sunday, November 11, 2007, the National AIDS Education And Services for Minorities (NAESM) will sponsor Da C.R.I.B.B.'s Kombat Ball. Da C.R.I.B.B., a drop-in "safe space" and educational resource center for young gay and bisexual men of color, will invite participants to not only but to incorporate HIV Prevention messages within many of their categories. The Kombat Ball will be held at the TRAXX Niteclub (1287 Columbia Drive Decatur, GA 30332) from 3pm – 12Midnight.


Shortly after on Sunday, December 2, 2007 AID Atlanta’s Evolution Project, whose mission is similar to Da C.R.I.B.B., will feature The Final Fantasy Ball at the Georgia World Congress Center from 4pm – 12Midnight. This event will serve two purposes. The first is to utilize a creative modem that provides prevention education in a fun, culturally appropriate way. The second is to celebrate members of Atlanta community who are role models and leaders in community mobilization and HIV/STD Prevention. It is being held on the weekend of World AIDS Day when Atlanta will be home to the HIV Prevention Conference hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and The 2007 Prevention Justice Mobilization.


Both The Kombat Ball and the Final Fantasy Ball are FREE of Charge. They both will be filled with fun. Excitement, Creativity, Fierce Competition. Arrive early because seating will be limited and Standing Room Capacity will definitely be a sure thing.

My Two Pennies: National Black Out Day

My two pennies.....

This is probably one of the most ill-thought-out plans I have seen in my 30 years on this planet. WHY IN FUCKIN GAY HELL do our people continue to operate in "principle" with the hopes of gaining liberation in a society that does NOT operate in "principle", but in "results". This whole thing is upsetting to me, and while I do support our community standing up to the establishment (I mean, I have went days without buying anything before), UNLESS every black person follows through on this (to include not stocking up days before or days after) then the impact will be hardly felt. Do not get me wrong, I am not the antagonist sitting in the corner with my arms folded, but I tend to think about things strategically, and this "plan" does not exude that. Movements and media "hot buttons" like Genarlow Wilson and the Jena 6 are not situations in which demonstrating economic influence could've had any real impact. Political and economic mobilization however, could have greatly changed those situations. But, I guess we still think its important to let "master" know that we exist, instead of just existing.....

I am reminded of a quote by Carter Godwin Woodson:

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary."

Book Review: Choices by Skyy

New young author Skyy has brought some light to the forefront. In her debut novel, she sheds some positive yet dramatic light on the lives of black lesbian women. The story line brought me into the world and experiences of the characters in such a magical yet surreal way, and it certainly lends itself to the authors' credit that although the characters do not exactly look like me, I can relate to their experiences and lifestyle. Concepts such as homophobia, misogynistism, domestic abuse, acceptance, self-esteem, and other psycho-social issues are highlighted. If you like to read, (I won't carry that line too far...lol) then pick up this fictional novel, you will sure to enjoy it!

Prior Intro

Kings Crossing Publishing