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]
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
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
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
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
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
Eva Yaa Asantewaa'sChanneling Workshop–Saturday, March 27, 5-7pm. Hosted by Moonfire Women’s Empowerment and Spirituality Network at LGBT
Community Center, 208 West 13th Street (near 7th Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. All women
welcome. Beginners welcome. Admission: $6. No reservation necessary. Information: 212-222-2467.
Special Note: Workshop begins promptly at 5:15pm, and there will be no admission after 5:40.
PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL CELEBRATES DIVERSITY IN AFRICAN DIASPORA WITH GAY PROGRAMMING FEBRUARY
5-16, 2004 LOS ANGELES, CA
Click
To View Larger Image
Largest African
American Film Festival and the Largest Black History Month Event in the USA
(LOS ANGELES) – KEVIN’S ROOM 2: TRUST, MADAME SATA,
PUNKS, South African documentary FOUR RENT BOYS AND A SANGOMA, BUTCH MYSTIQUE and other films that celebrate the lives and
diversity of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities are featured in the 12th Annual Pan African Film
and Arts Festival (PAFF), at the Magic Theatres, 3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw
Plaza, February 5-17. Highlights also include the panel “BLACK GAY IMAGES IN FILM AND TELEVISION” with Paris Barclay.
(Saturday, February 7) and the “LUV IS THE MESSAGE GRAND BALL” (Sunday, February 8) presented by the House of Rodeo
in conjunction with National Black HIV AIDS Awareness Day. [Read Press Release]
At The Festival: Check Out
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.
Saturday, February 7, 2004 11:30 a.m.
Monday, February
16, 2004 6:45 p.m.
Presented in collaboration with United Lesbians of African Descent and Cabrini Presents!
The National Black Justice Coalition will hold Valentine's Day parties
in several cities. Valentine's Day is Saturday, February 14, and the events will take place that weekend.
We would like to set up Valentine's Day parties throughout the country
that can be fundraisers for the National Black Justice Coalition. We have already made plans to hold a fundraiser/party on
Valentine's Day in New York.
We are still looking for people to host or organize parties in their
own communities. They don't have to be big fancy events. They can be simple house parties. And they don't have to take place
exactly on Valentine's Day. Anytime that weekend would probably work. It's a great way to introduce the Coalition to the community
and to merge the social crowd with the political crowd.
Some of the cities we're looking at right now are:
Boston Detroit Los
Angeles New York North Carolina San Francisco/Oakland Tampa Washington
We would also like to do one in your community too. Please contact
us (via website) if you'd like to help.
7th Annual Herstory Conference "Loving Living Embracing Our Relationships"
February 14th - 15th 2004 Rutgers University,
Newark NJ
This two-day conference will provide enlightening workshops
that will address our intellectual, emotional, and spiritual being. It will focus on the essence of love within our diverse
relationships, life topics that define and affect our daily lives, cross-cultural community relationships and issues and finally
activities that will help us further embrace our loving and sometimes difficult relationships that we as lesbians of color
share together. The days will include several empowering workshops addressing these topics of interest and concerns for womyn,
entertainment, arts and so much more.
Workshop topics will include sex and sexuality, spirituality, labor issues,
legal concerns, racism or sexism among women, bi-cultural relationships, community violence, mental and physical health &
well being, parenting/adoption/family issues, finance and real estate.
What better legacy of love to give this Valentine's
Day - whether single or partnered - than the gift of a nurturing, passionate and self-fulfilling experience of the "herstory"
conference for the "loving womyn" in you?
Each
registered participant will receive free valuable give-a ways just for attending this event. Complete hot gourmet breakfast
and lunch will be provided. Each registered participant will receive valuable give always free of charge just for attending
this historic event.
Advance Tickets: $75.00 if purchased before 1/31/04 $95.00 after 1/31/04
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR
For more information contact Tiye at 732 679 - 7687 or e-mail
at
Vendor space limited! Contact Talethea at 856 874-1268 or e-mail
Volunteers Needed!! Contact Sheila at 973 375
- 5843 or email
For More Info, Visit Their Website at: http://www.celebratesisterhood.org/aallu_herstory.htm
Love and Blessings: 
because it is the key to
your future!"
Butch Mystique
Preview 
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. 
CHANNELING SPIRIT ENERGY AND GUIDANCE -- March 27
