Thursday, May 28, 2009

Chris Brown Tribute to Michael Jackson (Thriller) from the 2008 World Music Awards

Cocaine Found in Red Bull???

http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/cocaine-found-in-red-bull/

Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Doing It

Spectacular from Pretty Ricky giving them what they want....

What I want to say before you watch it though, is I find it disturbing how people are so desensitized to self-expression that isn't wrapped up in some psuedo-straight or hyper-masculine image, that whenever folks see someone doing something that they feel is in conflict with their gender expression (or perceived gender expression), for black men....they are then called "gay"??

What is that about?? Can't the brotha just like his flow with the ladies???



Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Speaking of Commitment

May 27, 2009

Thoughtful Conclusions About Commitment
Deciding Whether To Marry
www.dailyom.com

Though we may make many commitments throughout our time on earth, few have a lifelong impact on the path our lives will take. The decision to marry someone you love—to bond yourself to them completely—is unlike any other and can reshape your existence. When two people have similar goals, values, and needs, marriage can result in a lifetime partnership of love and respect, shared laughter and tears, friendship, and intimacy that is ultimately fulfilling. Love is often cited as the sole prerequisite of a strong and stable married life. However, the decision to get married should be made with the mind and the soul as well as with the heart. Carefully considering whether you truly want to get married, both individually and as a couple, can ensure that if you do choose to marry, your relationship can grow to unimaginable depths.

The decision-making process you employ to determine whether you should marry should be a thoughtful and honest one in which you appraise not only your partner but also yourself. Consider that love and attraction do not guarantee long-term compatibility. If your relationship is not secure, marriage will not make it so. Likewise, if your partner is not as attentive, loving, or kind as you would like, your becoming spouses will not change that. Marriage has no power to permanently fill any emotional or spiritual gaps in your life. Before you choose to marry, ask yourself whether you and your partner are adept at resolving conflict, can speak openly to one another, and fully respect one another.. Your attitudes regarding the nature of marital commitment, children and child rearing, and marital roles may be the same or they may differ. It is your shared responsibility to discuss your similarities and come to agreements regarding your differences that will predict how successful yo! ur future marriage will be. Often times, younger couples rush into marriage just for the wedding dress, the ring, the party, and honeymoon. Would you still be willing to be married if you couldn't have these things?

Remember that planning a wedding is simple when compared to the intricacies of nurturing a marriage. The honeymoon and nesting period will eventually wear off, and what you are left with is a partner for life. When you work together with your partner, reassure and support one another, and are honest about your feelings regarding marriage, you'll come to the right decision.


What do you think???

Stephaun Clipper-Wallace
www.stephaunelite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite

"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"~ Audre Lorde

"Those who say it can not be done.....should not interrupt the person doing it"~Chinese Proverb

Black AIDS agency shuts down; Will Woods become 1st Black, gay elected to US House?


PrideTV Header
 Your network for progressive information
 
 POCC
POCC shuts down;
Atlanta-based AIDS group set to fill void, open Brooklyn branch
(May 27, 2009) People of Color In Criss, a Black gay AIDS service organization, closes its doors afer delivering more than 20 years of service to the New York City metro area. The agency's closure brings word that Rudolph Carn, CEO of National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities will expand the Atlanta-based organization into the Brooklyn area.


Finding Me'Finding Me' screens in Atlanta
9:30 pm. Friday, May 29th at Plaza Theatre
The fresh, "indie" film about a young gay black man's journey of self-discovery, affirmation and love will screen during Atlanta's Out On Film Festival preview week. "Finding Me" is directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr., a second generation Haitian American.


AJFF 2009 CoverWill Anthony Woods make history?
PrideTV's Executive Producer Anare Holmes goes one-on-one with U.S. Army Veteran Anthony Woods. A progressive Democrat, Woods is also young, gifted and gay.
In this week's edition of "Pride & Politics," Woods talks about his bid for Congress, school bullies and the source of his strength. Hear this informative interview now.
 
Visit: www.PrideTV.org for these stories and more progressive information.
 
 
'Pride & Politics' gears up for 2nd season
If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to join the production team of the television newsmagazine "Pride & Politics with Anare Holmes," please send your resume and reel to: producer@pridetv.org.
We are gearing up for special broadast productions that include: Outside Blackness: The Artistry of James Baldwin, Josephine Baker and Alice Walker; The State of Black Gay America Summit and Sweeping Through the City: Change within the Black Church.
 

 
AJFF 2009 CoverAbout Anare Holmes
Anaré V. Holmes is the creator and executive producer of PrideTV.org.
As a journalist his work explores race, class, faith and sexuality. He has secured interviews with many of America's best and brightest talents, including Tyra Banks, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Chappelle, the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
He is the winner of National Newspaper Publishers' Association's Ida B. Wells Best News Story Award. He can be reached at: producer@pridetv.org




 


PrideTV.org
Everyday people, everyday stories 
producer@pridetv.org



Unity Fellowship Church Movement Speaks on Prop 8

UFCM NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ALERT

CONTACT: Elder Kevin E Taylor, President
UFCM National Office of Communications 732-214-0390


The House of Bishops of UFCM, Inc. Speak Out
Against CA Supreme Court Decision Upholding Prop 8



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Los Angeles – National UFCM Headquarters
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Earlier today, the California Supreme Court voted to uphold Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, after a referendum vote in November 2008. The Court also elected to make a statement about the 18,000 same-sex couples who were able to marry in the interim period between their original May 2008 decision and the November vote, allowing those who were married prior to the referendum, to remain legally married. The decision threw out an argument by activists that Prop 8 unjustly modified California's equal protection clause within its Constitution, and would need legislature approval.

The announcement of the decision caused strong reaction from around the country and from the House of Bishops of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a denomination that includes many Lesbian, Gay, Transgender
and Bisexual members, though affirming to all people.

Founder and Presiding Prelate Archbishop Carl Bean and other clergy in the Western Jurisdiction have been actively engaged in the fight against Prop 8 in California. He noted that “this (issue) is the last hold-out of the regime of people who want to control people’s lives. The church has always had the right to determine whom they will marry in their own church, but the marriage contract is in the civil arena. Everyone ought to be able to partake in that civil practice. We need to stand firm on that right and not budge. We are a democracy. We are not a Theocracy! We as Black people surely should not shut up and be quiet after the experiences that we have had in this country around civil rights. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE!”

Bishop Jacquelyn Holland, Prelate of The Mid-Atlantic Jurisdiction, voiced encouragement and determination as her own home State of New Jersey grapples with marriage equality, which may go to a legislative vote later this year. “The decision, though disheartening, reminds us that the fight for equal rights must continue. It is imperative that we also remember the power of visibility. We are encouraged by the 18,000 couples that are able to stand, but this is really about lives. I am proud that we have churches (throughout the country) that are very much involved in this issue. This is social justice at its best.”

Bishop Zachary G. Jones, Prelate of The Northern Jurisdiction, which includes the State of New York, where Governor David Patterson has vowed his support of marriage for all, questioned, “How does America continue to live with this duality? How can we have couples in the same state who are able to be married, while others are left without legal protection? A divided house cannot stand. Eventually we will have to acknowledge that our civil rights, and the necessity of America to deal with the truth of this country, are the issues for the ages. We, as a country, as its people who love life and liberty, must struggle with what it really means to have equality!”

Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Prelate of The Southern Jurisdiction, which includes Washington, D.C., where marriage equality was supported by the City Council with a 12-1 vote. She serves on the Faith Advisory Council of the National Black Justice Coalition and added, “While I commend the (CA) Supreme Court for not denying 36,000 gay and lesbian American citizens who were married in CA the right to all of the privileges and protections that accompany said institution, we should, as a country, stand more resolute than ever to extend those privileges and protections to all. Marriage is the foundation upon which so many of the founding principles of this nation are built. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are for all. I beseech the citizens of CA and of this great nation of ours to fight for the right of all Americans to have legal marriage.”


*****


The primary work of the UFCM is to proclaim the “SACREDNESS OF ALL LIFE,” thus focusing on empowering those who have been oppressed and made to feel shame. Through an emerging international network, the UFCM works to facilitate social change and improve the life chances for those who have been rejected by society’s institutions and systems. The scope of its work is inclusive and has significance for all people.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

NYAC: LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week

National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week starts May 25!

The five-day Awareness Week is designed to highlight some of the significant issues faced by today's LGBTQ youth, empower them to continue their involvement in solution-making, and to honor the many allies and programs that are working to support LGBTQ young adults in the face of disenfranchisement and discrimination. As part of the Awareness Week, NYAC, and the more than 2,500 youth-serving organizations that it works with, will coordinate activities and programs aimed at raising awareness about youth issues within the broader LGBTQ movement. Here is the theme for each day:
• Monday, May 25: Honoring the Silenced LGBTQ Youth Serving in the Military
• Tuesday, May 26: Putting An End to Violence Aimed at LGBTQ Youth
• Wednesday, May 27: Addressing the Crisis of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
• Thursday, May 28: Creating Safe Schools and Community Spaces for LGBTQ Youth
• Friday, May 29: Providing LGBTQ Youth with Resources to Stay Healthy

For up to date information about National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week, click here.

Federal Policy Briefing Webinar, May 28 at 1 p.m. ET
As part of National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week, get an update on many of the federal policies important to LGBTQ youth, what's happening on them and what you can do to help! Policies discussed will include an inclusive ENDA, hate crimes legislation, safe schools initiatives and more! To register for this free webinar, click here.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Los Angeles Gang Seeks to Eliminate Blacks

Click the title above to access the news article.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality?

Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality?
Bob Setzer Jr.
Posted: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 5:29 am
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=14165


Can Christians Have Constructive Talks on Homosexuality? | Bob Setzer, Homosexuality, Dialogue

Surely the church can and should be a community of serious moral inquiry, Setzer writes.

Recently, both Miss California and megachurch pastor Rick Warren got slammed for speaking to the issue of gay rights. While each pleased some and infuriated others, both got beaten up pretty badly in this very public and often nasty debate.

Perhaps I feel more sympathy than most for these public figures because I have never said or written anything on the subject of homosexuality without unintentionally hurting or angering people I love. Still, the question of how the church and culture should respond to the issue of gay rights is not going away. Is it possible for Christians to enter into a constructive conversation on such a contentious matter? Toward that end, let me suggest some "talking points."

First, gay people are not first and foremost an "issue." They are people. And as people, they are beloved of God (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8). Even those who regard certain people as their "enemy" are called by Christ to love them (Matthew 5:44-45).

Second, gay people are part of just about everybody's family or extended family and just about everybody's church. Before making strident statements about this issue from either side of the divide, please remember you are talking about someone's son or daughter, sister or brother, or perhaps your own friend or neighbor.

Third, for serious Christians, the Bible must be part of our moral discernment process. Two common extremes must be avoided.

The first extreme says the Bible is irrelevant to this debate because it was "wrong" about slavery, women's rights or whatever. The other extreme is that the Bible condemns homosexuals, end of discussion. Instead of ignoring the Bible on the one hand, or cherry-picking passages to condemn homosexuals on the other, the Bible should be read holistically on this and every issue. It should be read in the Spirit of Christ (John 14:25-26; John 16:12-15) and in dialogue with other believers (2 Peter 1:20; Matthew 18:20). In all such reading, a key question for me is "What reading of the Bible is closest to Christ's own heart as revealed in the Sermon on the Mount?" (Matthew 5-7).

Fourth, the question "What Did Jesus Do?" – not just "What Would Jesus Do?" – can be answered only by a careful reading of the New Testament in general and the Gospels in particular. What did Jesus teach about God's intention for sexuality? (Mark 10:6-9; Matthew 19:10-12). If we believe Jesus is the fullest revelation of God's truth, then how does his teaching on sexuality shape our thinking? And when Jesus encountered those who clearly fell outside the norm of God's intention, such as the woman at the well (John 4:16-18) or the woman caught in adultery (John 8:10-11), how might Jesus' response to them shape our response to others in our own place and time?

I certainly don't expect the "talking points" I've proposed to bring complete agreement about the difficult moral and theological questions of our day. Our differing experiences, assumptions and interpretations of both the Bible and life make that impossible. But surely the church can and should be a community of serious moral inquiry where kind, thoughtful conversation replaces the angry tirades so common in our culture.


Bob Setzer Jr. is pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Ga.

Monday, May 11, 2009

The Company You Keep

It is better to be alone than in the wrong company.

Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad.

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:

* Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
* Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
* Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening, with others you invest it.
* Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.

"Wide is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships….." ~“Anonymous”

Saturday, May 9, 2009

NC: Cell Phones Enhance Sex Education

NORTH CAROLINA: "When the Cell Phone Teaches Sex Education"
New York Times (05.03.09):: Jan Hoffman

The Durham-based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina recently launched the Birds and Bees Text Line, a cell phone line where youths ages 14-19 can anonymously text sexual health questions. Within 24 hours, one of nine APPNC staff members anonymously responds with text message answers, information, and referrals. The staffers have graduate degrees in public health, social work, or years of experience working with teens.

The service reflects a trend in reaching out to teens by using technologies with which they are most familiar. Based partly on a similar service in Alexandria, Va., the Birds and Bees Text Line is supported with a $5,000 state Department of Health and Human Services grant. In programs in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto, and San Francisco, teens can text a number and scroll through a menu of frequently asked questions and receive automated replies and referrals. Last month, California began "HookUp 365247," a statewide service that refers people to local clinics and offers weekly health tips.

"The technology can be used to connect young people to trusted, competent adults who have competent information," said Sheana Bull, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Public Health and an expert on STDs and technology.

APPNC staff follow a few ground rules: No medical advice - urge clients to visit a doctor; Do not advocate abortion; When necessary, refer questioners to local clinics, Web sites or hot lines; Give reasoned, kind advice; Read answers twice before sending; and No sarcasm.

Sally Swanson, an APPNC staffer who answers text messages, never divulges her age or gender: "I'm a texter. I want them to find someone real to talk to." Were parents to read some of the teens' messages, she said, "it would highlight how much disconnected information kids are already getting at younger ages than we did."