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February 2004
This Month On . . .
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The E-Zine And Web Portal For Lesbians Of Color
Last Updated Thursday, February 12, 2004

Celebrating Black History Month

Leaders & Legends

Mandy Carter

Mandy Carter is one of the nation's leading African American lesbian activists. An extraordinary political activist, Carter has organized the grassroots in almost every major region of this country over the last 30-plus years. 

Mandy grew up in upstate NY Born November 2, 1948, in Albany, NY where she was raised in orphanages and foster care. She arrived in NC via San Francisco.  Mandy's early political activism includes her work with the War Resistors League. Mandy was an early director of NCPRIDEPAC, and helped found SONG--Southerners On New Ground -- at the Durham Creating Change Conference in 1993. A noted speaker, Mandy has traveled extensively, educating audiences about LGBT rights in a broader social justice movement. A winner of the prestigious Stonewall Award, Mandy Carter has enough energy for an army of organizers, and she never fails to maintain her sense of humor. Mandy is an articulate and non-confrontational doer, who get things accomplished by her motivational mentoring and by exemplary and tireless activity. She has forged strong and indelible ties between the natural allies that exist in the African-American, religious, and LGBT communities. Mandy is unforgettable as a symbol of what organizational skill can mean to the development of a movement and the centering of a culture.  [Read More]

Commentary

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A.D. Odom

Butch Mystique

 

Some women come into "the life" through many doors.  She may walk through the doors of a gay and lesbian center, or a gay and lesbian organization while in college.  She may walk through the door of a lesbian club after circling the site for days or months before entering.  She may walk into the life of another woman and fall in love.  Later, when the heat of the relationship grows cold, realize she is who she is and will seek out other women like herself.  She may walk through the door of a good friend and find herself in her good friend?s bed, discovering her bisexuality and later, realize she is a lesbian.  She may walk through the doors of a swinger?s club where both men and women cohort together and soon discover she really does prefer women to men.  She may even walk through the door of an instructor?s office, like I did, and find herself being introduced to women who do not identify as lesbians, but as women who prefer the company of other women.  [Read More]

 

Multimedia
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Gay Marriage and African Americans, Part 2

Wednesday, Massachusetts legislators debated whether to amend their state's constitution to ban same-sex marriages. NPR's Tavis Smiley talked to Jasmyne Cannick with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and Keith Boykin, a long-time gay rights activist and president of the National Black Justice Coalition.

»  Listen to Gay Marriage and African Americans, Part 2

» Gay Marriage and African Americans, Part 1


If the listening links above fail to work, go to site here: http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=1670553
 
 
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Keeping History
The Black Gay and Lesbian Archive
by Sidney Brinkley (Blacklight Online)

Steven G. Fullwood is a collector of Black Gay history. He is the curator of the Black Gay and Lesbian Archive, developed for the sole purpose of documenting Black Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Same Gender Loving cultures. BGLA officially began in 2000 and presently holds hundreds of items. ?I have books, magazines, journals, flyers, music, film/videos, and other related files that so far measures twelve linear feet,? he said. ?Actually the archive started before I started it, meaning that much of what I owned as a collector inaugurated the archive.?  [Read More]

 
Love and Blessings:
A Moment with Me'Shell Ndege'ocello
By Ronda Racha Penrice (Swirl Magazine)

Me'Shell Ndege'ocello can not be categorized and the gatekeepers of the industry hate that. How many times have we read that Me'shell doesn't sell records because she is gay. This is despite the fact that she refuses to classify herself. "I don't really care," she says. "Whatever. I just like to go play, have a good time." And that's what pisses them off.

She's bold. Unlike other new artists, she came into the game irreverent. "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)," her first single from Plantation Lullabies, shocked many with its audacity. In 1993, affairs were discreet, especially on the part of women. Listening to today's records, female singers are still not in confrontation mode. Amazingly, over the years, Me'Shell hasn't lost that fire. She still does not buck down to anyone.  [Read More]

On The Web

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Kimberly "Q"

Kimberly "Q", is Artistic Director and Co-Founder of ToDaz Woman Productions.  She is an actress, singer, writer, has performed in numerous award winning productions such as, The Children?of the Night, winner of 3 NAACP awards, and a GLAAD award; Shakin The Mess Outta Misery, winner of an OOBR; and is a six-time AUDELCO award winner, ?Best Supporting Actress? in 1998 for Gertrude Jeannette?s Gladys? Dilemma and ?Best Leading Actress? in 2002 for her one-woman piece entitled J?ai Deux Amours? A Journey With Josephine Baker and four AUDELCO's including Best Dramatic Production in American Menu.

"Q", as she is so affectionately called, has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a " high-steppin actress with drop dead looks" and by the New York Times as "a convincingly, satisfying actress". "Acting is life; life that changes and grows and if you don't live it?you're not in it!" Know your past, because it is the key to your future!"

Her most recent production, J'ai Deux Amours...A Journey With Josephine Baker was written and Performed by Kimberly "Q".
J'ai Deux Amours...A Journey With Josephine Baker, takes you through the life and career of Madame Josephine Baker. From her start as a street performer to her taking Paris by storm; her stance on civil rights, to her undercover days as a spy for the French Resistance; her motivation to adopt 12 children to her eviction from her precious Les Milandes and right back to her triumphant return to stardom! A spectacular and inspirational story that will leave you saying "For what I may have known of Josephine, I've learned even more."

Discover ToDaz Woman and other productions on their website at:  http://todazwoman.org/index.html

Playing This Month On Black Starz

Sisters In Cinema
Director: YVONNE WELBON 2003
Synopsis: Filmmaker Yvonne Welbon goes off to Hollywood in search of African-American women directors only to make some shocking discoveries along the way.
Copyright: © 2003 OUR FILM WORKS
Cast: EUZHAN PALCY, JULIE DASH, DARNELL MARTIN, KASI LEMMONS
Preview: Preview

Date

Time (et)

Channel

Runtime

Sun, Feb 8

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Mon, Feb 9

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Thr, Feb 12

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Thr, Feb 12

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Wed, Feb 18

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Wed, Feb 18

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Mon, Feb 23

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Mon, Feb 23

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Sat, Feb 28

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Sat, Feb 28

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Sun, Feb 29

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Sun, Mar 14

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

Sun, Mar 14

Black STARZ!

1h 01min.

 

Multimedia

BUTCH MYSTIQUE gets personal and political with the stories of butch, black lesbians revealed in bold, lucid interviews.

Butch Mystique
Debra Wilson,
34 min, dv, color
Preview

Playing On Showtime's Black Filmmaker Showcase: Butch Mystique
February 4, 2004

Butch Mystique a film by Debra Wilson (USA)

BUTCH MYSTIQUE is a documentary by Debra Wilson that exposes the rules, thoughts, passions, and concerns of African American butch-stud, identified lesbians. Women from varying backgrounds-as mothers, activists, and artists - share raw, powerful and intimate thoughts on being outside the norm, being powerful butch identified women and being themselves. 

Air Date:  Showtime Black Filmmaker Showcase:  February 4, 2004 @ 8:00 p.m.
Butch Mystique (Color/34:52)

Other Sheduled Showings: 
February 14, 2004:    12:15 p.m.    Showtime Too
February 15, 2004:    12:00 p.m.    Showtime
For more info, visit Showtime

Ms. Wilson is an award-winning filmmaker whose most recent work, Butch Mystique, opened to critical acclaim at the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Butch Mystique
Debra Wilson,
34 min, dv, color
Preview

Announcements

Monday, November 17, 2003

MODELS NEEDED FOR NATURAL HAIR ANTHOLOGY
Photographs will be taken during the months of November and December for the upcoming Natural Hair Anthology. If you are a person with natural hair*, such as locs, twists, braids (NOT extensions), afros, etc., live in the Detroit or Atlanta area, and would like to be considered as one of the models for this project, please send an email indicating your availability to . You may also submit your own photographs via US mail to Natural Hair Anthology, PO Box 76906, Atlanta, Georgia 30358. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of your photographs.

Persons whose literary or photographic submissions are selected for publication will receive release agreement and payment information in the mail.
 

* = by NATURAL we mean no chemicals, dyes, or synthetics.
4:47 am pst

Monday, November 3, 2003

Lisa Moore

Lisa Moore to appear on In The Life TV

Ongoing throughout the month of November

Writer and editor Lisa Moore (Redbone Press) faces another conflict between competing identities: one where she must reconcile being black and being lesbian. Moore has set out to unearth the chasm between race and sexuality/gender. "I am one woman in a one bedroom apartment taking on the black church," Moore exclaims. Check air dates on In The Life TV.

2:58 pm pst

Sunday, November 2, 2003

Purple Diamonds Goes To Las Vegas

November 7th (Fri) – 10th (Mon)
Veterans Day Weekend!

4 Days and 3 Nights
@
MGM GRAND Resort *4 Star Property


Departures from NY, DC, Atlanta, LA…

Join us for Ultimate Party in Vegas!
It’ll be Cold in NY in November but in Vegas it’ll be in the high & 70’s!
So bring your swimsuit!

We’ll stay at the famous MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip and Yes Ladies there is a Spa at the Resort

Gambling, Dining, Shows, Gay Bars Open 24 hrs! & More..

Join us Saturday Night, in Vegas for a Birthday Celebration for Rose! at one of the hottest Gay Clubs in the City

For More Info:
http://www.purplediamonds.biz/events/vegas.htm

7:21 am pst

2004.02.01 | 2004.01.01 | 2003.12.01 | 2003.11.01 | 2003.10.01 | 2003.09.01 | 2003.08.01 | 2003.07.01 | 2003.06.01

 
FemmeNoir (c) 2004

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