Photo-essay: Emergency Town Hall meeting to denounce Ugandan MP David Behati's "kill the gays" bill.

--New York City Saturday, 11 December 2010
Community Leaders, activists and concerned citizens gathered at the Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church in Harlem for an emergency Town Hall meeting to address the proposed Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Bill which if passed, would broaden the criminalization of homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for people who have previous convictions, are HIV-positive, or engage in same sex acts with people under 18 years of age. The bill also includes provisions for Ugandans who engage in same-sex sexual relations outside of Uganda, asserting that they may be extradited for punishment back to Uganda.



The Town Hall's Keynote speaker was Frank Mugisha of the non-profit organization Sexual Minorities of Uganda, whose vision is that of a peaceful non-discriminatory society with respect for human rights and equal health, social, economical and political opportunities for Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda. Mr. Mugisha spoke of horrific conditions LGBT people face in Uganda such as corrective rape for women thought to be Lesbian, cramped living conditions for those nineteen men living in an isolation shack, fearing for their lives because they are gay, and if found out, will be put to death.

Frank Mugisha, of the non-profit organization Sexual Minorities of Uganda.



Frank Mugisha and Bishop Zachary Jones of Unity Fellowship Curch.




Last Wednesday, the author of Uganda's "Kill The Gays" bill, David Behati, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show where Maddow repeatedly called Behati out on his absurd claims about wealthy American homosexuals "paying Ugandan school children to become gay." Behati's bill came to light after The Family, a powerful GOP-based lobby of anti-gay Christianists, visited Uganda to preach against homosexuality. Here's Part I of the interview:




Needless to say, after this interview aired, a town hall meeting was quickly organized to denounce the hateful message and bill brought to the US by MP David Behati.

Pastor Joseph W. Tolton, Pastor and Founder of Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church addressing the audience.



Bishop Zachary Jones offering reflections on "kill the gays" bill and what that could mean for African Americans in the US should the bill be passed.




West African African Adinkra symbols and proverbs serve to connect and inspire...



...and song healed the pain.












The town hall ended with African American members from the audience standing in solidarity with Frank Mugisha, Pastor Joseph Tolton and Bishop Zachary Jones, denouncing the "kill the gays" bill.






Watch this video interview to learn more about the "kill the gays" bill from Ugandan LGBT activist Frank Mugisha:



"We are the one's we've been waiting for."

Photo-essay: Rally to Stop the BS, Washington Square Park, NY

On October 28, LGBT community organizers, leaders, activists and members gathered in Washington Square park for a rally to STOP THE BS, with BS in this case meaning BULLYING and SUICIDE. Recently, there's been a spate of LGBT suicides, and the community mobilized to raise awareness, comfort one another, and to demand a STOP TO THE BS.

The most recent suicide happened just last week when twenty-six year old NYC activist Joseph Jefferson hung himself. Joseph's last Facebook message read: "I could not bear the burden of living as a gay man of color in a world grown cold and hateful towards those of us who live and love differently than the so-called 'social mainstream.' Belonging is one of the basic human needs, when people feel isolated and excluded from a sense of communion with others, they suffer..." To the members of New York's LGBT community, the loss of Joseph Jefferson struck too close to home, and very quickly, a series of community discussion's, celebration of life, and the STOP THE BS rally was organized by organizations including GMAD, GMHC, Ali Forney Center, Anti-Violence Project, FIERCE, and the Audre Lourde Project.
The moving, hour long rally to STOP THE BS was held on an unseasonably mild October day in Washington Square Park, as dusk approached. About one hundred people were in attendance for the rally that included, speeches, poetry readings, remembrances of the deceased and singing.

Kenyon Farrow, Queers for Economic Justice









Carl Siciliano, Founder Ali Forney Center



Steve Williams, Community Activist



Activists, (unidentified), Nathan James, and DJ Baker.


New York State Senator Tom Duane





Representatives of FIERCE



Vaughn E. Taylor-Akutagawa, Deputy Director GMAD



Close friends of Joseph Jefferson.





Tokes Osubu, Executive Director GMAD`



The rally culminated with a candlelight vigil.












According to Mental Health America, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth deal with additional violence targeting them everyday. They hear anti-gay slurs such as "faggot", "queer" and "homo" every 14 minutes. A study found that thirty one percent of LGBT youth had been threatened or injured at schools in the last year alone in the U.S.

According to www.TheTrevorProject.com, nearly nine out of ten LGBT youth experience harassment at school. There are two-to-three times more likely to be bullied than heterosexuals and are four times more likely to attempt suicide. Often times, LGBT youth contemplating suicide will display signs of distress. Here are signs to look out for:

--Withdrawal from family or friends
--Abusing drugs or alcohol
--Expression of a lack of future orientation
--Loss of interest in usual activities



For more information on the "STOP the BS" campaign, please contact GMAD at (718) 222-6300 ext.136

Message from President Obama: IT GETS BETTER

1st Annual Harlem Pride

On Saturday June 26th, 2010 was the 1st Annual Harlem Pride block party on 119th street. According to the press release: "The purpose of Harlem Pride is to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Same Gender Loving Pride in Harlem by providing opportunities for networking and communication among organizations and community members in Harlem".

Lawrence Rodriguez and Carmen Neely, two Harlem LGBT activists/residents saw an opportunity to celebrate the LGBT & SGL community and its role and contributions to Harlem’s rich history. They envisioned an annual celebration of gay pride in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park Historic District because the area has become a thriving “gayborhood,” and would be an excellent symbol of up-town gay pride. Harlem Pride will become a community partner to support existing programs and will also produce events that celebrate LGBT & SGL pride.

Harlem Pride's block party consisted of Vendors, lot's entertainment, and neighborhood fun for LGBT folk and their allies. It was a peaceful afternoon, and the event by all accounts was a great beginning for what's to come for future LGBT events in Harlem.