You Better Git Outta Our Park!

As reported in this week’s Southern Voice, the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance claims that the black gays and lesbians who converge on Piedmont Park on Sunday evenings are “a menace to society.”

As stated by the MPSA in the article:

"The black gay men and lesbians who have long gathered in Piedmont Park on Sunday evenings are probably the most dangerous ongoing situation we have encountered so far.”

And...

“The problem continues to escalate weekly, and we fear that if some concrete solutions are not found, someone will be seriously injured or even killed,” the MPSA newsletter states. “Needless to say, most regular park visitors are afraid to use this area of the park on Sunday evenings.”

As someone who has enjoyed several Sunday evenings in Piedmont Park, I am appalled. Rarely, if ever, have I witnessed any unruly or suspicious behavior. I cannot believe a group would be so bold as to say a public park, financed and maintained by public funds, should not allow or restrict people based on the color of their skin.

In Atlanta, white people are happy to have us at the table as long as we only comprise the customary 10% of the group. We are an acceptable token, but can never be allowed to be the majority. The people of the Midtown Ponce Alliance would clearly not even want to see us present.

Read the article and let me know what you think at http://www.sovo.com/2007/7-20/news/localnews/7239.cfm !

It’s Me, (X)itches… Happy Birthday, Uncle Mallory!

Last weekend the first family celebrated Uncle Mallory’s 30-somethingish birthday. Held at Uncle Gatsby's, the party was a virtual who's who of HOTlanta.

With ribs, beef brisket, and cakes, cakes, cakes, the first family celebrated in style. It is always the birthday party we remember, but its always the experience of pulling it off that warrants the story.

Cousin Douglas and Uncle Fe-Fe were the ringleaders for planning the party and they pulled it off without a hitch.

Held at Uncle Gatsby’s, Douglas and I had to help roll the floor (isn’t that a mess- a house with a saran-wrapped floor, but then again, the way these ATL queens throw ‘em back and spill tea, you gotta protect the floor), and decorate. With Doug’s keen eye for details, the tables were laid and the flower arrangement was BEAT. Uncle Gatsby, known for his killer parties, did not disappoint his fans.

The food was excellent- I am still craving those ribs with Uncle Fe-Fe’s Texas style sauce. Bay-Bay (as he would say), they show’ll (sp?) was good.

Well over 200 people showed up and stayed until the party ended. The true measure of your party’s success is when you have to tell people (politely, Uncle Gatsby, politely next time) to leave.

Yes, the party was a success. (Douglas, you laid this one out, cutie)

Uncle Gatsby with his over-the-top Martini glass (and I cannot recall Martini’s being served), Uncle Mallory’s birthday shirt (hand made with ROCK STAR beading) and mohawk (believe it or not, it was hot), and everyone else getting drunker than Cooter Brown (i.e. Dukes of Hazzard- don’t trip, you watched that racist shit), a fun time was had by all.
And I guess this weekend, we will do it all again at someone else’s house on someone else’s dime. You gotta love Atlanta. The party never ends.

Told Ya'll She Was Gonna Flop Like This!

Like many in my age range, I am a fan of Destiny’s Child. Like many, I have followed the career of this group closely, and like many I really wanted to see the success of each member’s solo career materialize but after two botched solo projects in a row, a successful solo career may not be in the cards for Ms. Kelly Rowland.

Debuting at No. 6 and selling an impressive (for her) 82,000 copies, Kelly’s CD held promise for fans (myself included) eagerly awaiting an album that would showcase what many of us thought was strong vocal abilities. We, her fans, were ready for Kelly to finally step out of the big shadow of Beyonce’s massive weave. Kelly did step out of the shadows, but only to fall flat on her face.

It seems as if Ms. Kelly has a Ms. Mess on her hands.

What hurts Kelly is the fact that her voice does not lend itself to performing solo. She is good at background and after listening closely to Ms. Kelly, it seems she should remain there.

Admittedly, having a weak voice is not the career-killer it once was. Just look at Rhianna and Amerie. Neither of these hip-hop pop-divas can sing. However, each of them has a solid summer CD on their hands that add something to the cannon of hip-hop pop. What is a career-killer is releasing a killer first single (“Like This” is like off the chains), having massive media and fan hype, but failing to deliver a quality CD.

Rowland attempts some heavy issues on this CD. Addressing the issue of lost love, her album attempts to deal with failings in relationships- the struggle to regain that lost love, but then realizing when its time to move on. Song after song deals with Rowland’s musings over losing the love of her life. Love rarely sounded this bland and passionless.

Kelly Rowland reportedly spent two years working on this CD. I hate to tell her this, but she wasted two good years of her life. She may need to give the next album four years and we’ll see if she has a hit on her hands.

Another Slap in the Face by Our Kind of People

Unlike many bloggers, I still prefer to have old fashioned newspapers in my hand. I do realize this is an unnecessary expense in the age of information, but I read more carefully when I purchase my morning paper.

On page 5A of today’s USA Today, I discovered a huge one page advertisement urging members of congress to vote against Senate Bill 1105. This ad was taken out by the High Impact Leadership Coalition (http://www.hilc.net/) which consists of some very prominent black clergy from around the country. The ad argues that Senate Bill 1105, which is also known as the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, will limit the freedom of religion and the exercise of free speech. The ad warns to not allow misguided compassion to erode America’s most basic freedoms. Needless to say, I was outraged and heartbroken.

When will the black church (as a whole, I know this is not a universal for every predominately black church) stop sending the message that it is acceptable to hate someone or to defame and demean someone because of their sexual orientation?

Almost less than fifty years ago, blacks were the victims of numerous hate crimes across the United States. Some of the same ministers who are arguing for the right to demean individuals due to their sexual orientation were fighting the good fight to simply be treated with human respect and decency by whites.

I am a member of Victory United Church of Christ (http://www.victoryfortheworld.org) and I have been a member since April of 2004, although I started attending in 2003. My church is affirming and supportive. I refuse to put my time, my talents, and my tenth in a system that tells me I am unfit to walk the earth in love and live my life in God’s light without shame. But the pain and hurt of this ad exists nonetheless because I realize that it is the black church that has done so much harm to the black community. Instead of being able to move forward and become accepting of one another and unified as a race of people, the black church continues to drive a divisive wedge between our community’s people. And this wedge simply edges me and those like me, further and further away from my own people.

View the ad from the bastards yourself: http://media.pfaw.org/Right/HILC_Rollcall.pdf

Charm School's Charming Reunion- My Guilty Pleasure (Skip if you do not watch VH1's Flavor of Love Charm School)

I must admit my guilty pleasure. I am a faithful addict of the Flavor of Love programs. I know, I know… the show is degrading and depicts black culture at its worst.. blah, blah. The show entertains the he!! out of me and I cannot help but add commentary on tonight’s reunion.

The premise of the show is thirteen females being “schooled” by Monique. A mess. From the rip, the show was a farce. Monique is foul, vulgar, and vile. Anyone who has seen The Queens of Comedy knows she’s a big slice of ghetto pie.

The winner of the show was Sapphyri. She’s a stylist, but her true calling in life is to be an actress. Everything about her screams opportunist. She played the role of being homeless and on the street, but I don’t buy it. She just put money down on a condo in Los Angeles. You don’t go from being homeless to having an L.A. condo. However, I must give it to her. Good job on that new doo. The black wig was hot, but that top was circa 1963 Mortica Addams.

The next contestant on the show I feel compelled to discuss is Brooke. I felt like Brooke (Pumpkin) was given the raw end of the deal, but when I thought about it, I realized that she probably has gotten it raw plenty of other times in her life. And yes, it was confirmed… she’s a racist.

The most notorious lady on the show was Larissa (Boots). Larissa was probably the meanest black b!t(h on television and I love her. She deserves her own show! Let’s start a campaign at VH1 to get her own television show. Whatever the price, VH1 should pay it. I would love to see her and Shay (Bucky) on a Simple Life style program.

Tonight, Larissa pulled Monique’s card and that card needed to be called. Now, if only someone would pull her McDonald’s card…

Larissa’s mom also let Monique have it. It was time for the nation to see the veil lifted and it was. Throughout this program, I felt as if Monique exploited these poor women and depicted them as ignorant and petty. While they may have been both, I question Monique’s right to sit in judgment. I do not like Monique’s self-righteousness. Who is she to judge these young women, many of whom were between the ages of 25-18? And I would understand if it was Oprah Winfrey hosting the show, but this is crude, crass-a$$ Monique. She is known for doing stand-up comedy ripe with swearing and vulgarity.

Shay (Bucky) is the fakest snitch-@$$ whore in television history. Kick rocks, chick… deuces. Oh, and by the way, I love her too!

In closing, the host of the show, Lala, needs to get on a fitness plan. Those bootylicious thighs are spreading. “You’re clicking, Lala. You’re clicking down.”
And who was the “young girl” on the front row in the green shirt snapping at Sapphayri and Monique?
At the conclusion of the show, Monique said Harriet Tubman and Dorthy Dandridge would not be proud of the actions of the girls on the show. If Harriet Tubman and Dorthy Dandridge were alive, they would, unlike myself, be doing something to better the race. They most certainly would not have watched this program.

Doing Ms. Atlanta

For many, Independence day proves a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the work world. Numerous family reunions, family vacations, and just good old fashioned family get-togethers occur during the 4th of July holiday weekend. Luckily, for many, the holiday fell on a Wednesday, so this meant two weekends of parties, barbecues, and gatherings.

I used this week to party hard and remind myself of why I love Atlanta so much. This is a loose account of a loose week in the life of myself and my friends.

Saturday, June 30th Pool Party in the Boondocks!
I received my official invite the day before the party at Towers II Night Club. I hate Towers II Night Club. (I really hate most Atlanta night spots because they are overpriced, overcrowded, and the people inside are just over the top! But that’s for another blog on another day…) I, along with the rest of the first family, went to the pool party, held in what is known as unincorporated Fulton County. The drive was so long, but so worth it. The party was hot and the crowd was hot and I was hot. Unfortunately, with this pathetic, ill-prepared pool party body, I couldn’t cool off. It was probably for the better with all of the hot, young fish swimming around. I would have eaten so much fish that night I could have met the same fate as poor Ralph and Norton (see June 12’s entry for more insight).

Sunday, July 1st- Django Night Club
A hot new addition to the Atlanta club scene, Django is mostly gay on Sunday nights and it is jumping. Originally free until 9 with free well-drinks until 10, the spot was a given success with the kids. It was a given is the operative here because the free till 9 is over as are the free drinks. But no matter. We did not know that when we arrive. We just paid the over-priced 10 and bought no drinks.

Monday, July 2nd- The Stars of the Century at the Jungle
Ah! Mondays at the Jungle have become legendary in the ATL. How I do love the show. And not because I love the Drag queens so much as I love the crowd. The hottest little fems in Atlanta are there each Monday. The eye candy is so sweet it can be sickening (not in my case, however. I do love the sweeties almost as much as I love the smarties.) The show is always professional. Uncle Mallory and Gatsby went along with Cousin Douglas. Throughout the summer, Douglas, Double Dees, and I have made this a weekly stint. As usual, the best performance of the night was Raquel Lord, but Jasmine Bonet did well also.

Friday, July 6th- Fire Fridays at Joe’s Crab Shack, Sexy Underwear Party
Every first Friday, a group of guys who hold an annual pride event called Fire in the Smokies (AKA Falltacular- check it out at http://www.falltacular.com/) in the Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee host a gay mixer. This Friday, the mixer was hot. I actually meet three cuties and had three mojitos. After the mixer, I headed to an underwear party and then ended my night at Towers II Night Club. Actually, I ended my night on Adam4Adam, but that is not really relevant, is it? As usual, the club was packed to capacity with heat radiating from the rafters. It felt like a Sauna. I endured the blazing heat for as long as I could.


Now, I know you are wondering what happened on Tuesday-Thursday, but that is for a forthcoming blog. I want to give this blog its time, and then I will spill the tea about my hot three days with Parker. Oh, Parker. Oh, me. My life
is a mess if I ever there was one.