Reggae Concert canceled in UK because of Sizzla's Lyrics

I know all of you are aware of the very strong anti-gay sentiment in Jamaica. This has been demonstrated increasingly in the last few years. The most prevalent demonstration of this sentiment is through Jamaican reggae music that often suggests and promotes acts of violence against gay men. I think more attention has come to the issue of Jaimaicans and gayness with the revelation this week concerning Terri McMillan's gay Jamaican born husband. Even when this madness starts affecting the reggae artists wallets it seems that they are not deterred in the least bit. Read more about the ReaggaeFest cancelled in the UK (It's a 15 year tradition) over homophobic lyrics.

Spain Legalizes Gay Marriage

Well as many of you may have heard by now Spain has legalized gay marriage, following a similar step in Canada this week. You know, here in the United States we have always considered ourselves to be world leaders...Especially in the areas of human rights and democracy, however we sorely lack many places in our tolerance for diversity. I am very glad to see this movement sweeping the world. These changes can only mean better things for those of us in the US. Read more on this news here.

Canadian House Passes Gay Marriage Bill...Do Black Gays Care About Gay Marriage?

Our neighbors to the North seem to be on their way to making gay marriage legal. I am sure that when that happens scores of gay and lesbians will flood the border, and many may even move permanently. As I think about this forthcoming change in Canada, I cannot help but wonder where black gays stand on this issue. As far as I can see, we have not been very outspoken on the issue, and with segments of our population still extremely closeted, I wonder if all this talk affects us at all. Check out the full article here.

Check Out Matthew St. Patrick of HBO's Six Feet Under

I have been a devout fan of Six Feet Under since it premiered on HBO, but the show really took an interesting twist when they added St. Patrick's character to the show. Matthew was cast as a homosexual black male, in a relationship with a white male. This storyline really kept the show fresh, and in keeping with the theme of the show...there truly was something for everyone. Read this interview with Matthew St. Patrick, on his role, and the show's final season.

Link Courtesy: Windy City Times

Stella Groovin' with the DL?

Well...the wonders never cease to amaze me. Terry McMillan, noted African-American author was married to her very own DL brother. Based on divorce filings, it seems that the Jamaican born hottie (who is 23 years younger) that helped Terry get her groove back turns out to be gay! How do you like that, she writes a book, sells a screenplay, and makes a movie all about the rejuvenation that can be found in a younger man. I wonder how many black women who rushed out to get themselves a sexy young thang after the movie ended up with a DL brutha. I pity Terri...but really our black women have got to get smarter. I have a sister...and I worry about her, and her prospects for finding a "straight" black man. I am not sure if such a thing exists anymore. Read more about Terry McMillan's DL man here!

Are We Losing YAHOO?

Most of you may have heard, or noticed by now that Yahoo has shut down it's user-created chat rooms. I know a lot of us spend time in the groups...and get lots of pertinent news and information (pics, party invites, invites to HITdatSPOT, etc.) This change was made on Thursday and was in response to an expose done on the sites by a Houston television station, where they focused on rooms that solicited under age girls for sex. I only see one thing coming next...Yahoo Groups! However, the Yahoo Groups are protected by an age restricted login if they contain adult content, I think they will have to increase the security there or face more trouble...looks like it may cost the up to $10 Million in fines for hosting the chat rooms...ouch!

Does J.L. King = DL?

Firstly, I apologize for using space for this article...but someone must say it!
As some of you may know, J.L. King author of On the Down Low has recently published a new book Coming Up from the Down Low. His ex-wife has also thrown her hat into the ring with a book that supposedly tells women how to identify and handle being with a man on the DL. I don't know about you guys, but from the first time I saw J.L. King on Oprah there was something fishy about the brutha. I don't profess to be DL...but he is certainly not what comes to mind when I think of my DL bruthas. J.L. King is simply a brutha who was either in denial or simply trying to hide his sexuality, however he is severely lacking in the attributes that make up a DL brutha. Now he and his ex-wife are trying to milk the unassuming public for all they can by creating this stir. (I'm not sure I can blame his ex though...I mean he did expose all of her business too.) What is the consensus of this guy? What do you guys think?

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Are Black Gay Prides Dying?

While the Black Gay Population is growing (the admittedly gay population at least) it seems that Black Gay Pride celebrations are shrinking in size, or shifting from longtime stronghold for new exciting destinations. Washington DC, which was once a black gay Mecca as far as prides were concerned has seemingly been replaced by the more en vogue Puerto Rico this year. I was not there, but from what a hear it was a great time. In other instances a particular city may not have been replaced by a more desirable location, their event may simply be fading away all on its own. Not only are our black gay prides struggling to keep their organizational structures and attendance rates up, they are also struggling to find much needed corporate sponsorship. Jasmine Cannick explores this issue in a recent article in the Southern Voice. One point she highlights is that most of the major sponsors of white gay pride events are airlines, hotels, alcoholic beverage companies, etc. while black gay pride events are primarily sponsored by pharmaceutical companies...as if we don't consume these other products. Once again, the black consumer and the black economy has been snubbed. You can read Jasmine's article here for more info on the sponsorship issues.

Are bruthas afraid of raw sex anymore?

No matter what term you use - raw, bareback, skin2skin, etc. one thing is very clear: black men are becoming more comfortable than ever with raw sex, or are they? On the surface it seems that we are becoming more comfortable with the thought - parties are held in every major city on a regular basis advertising themselves as "raw dawg events", a place where everyone know what to expect and no questions are asked, however I wonder whether this is a resurgence of pre-HIV times, or if this is simply a revealing of what was already there. Many experts believe that while safe sex was hyped throughout the 90's and early 2000's, this was merely hype, and that behind closed doors brothas and sistas for that matter were getting their grooves on skin2skin. Also, most experts agree that the development of HIV drugs that make the disease manageable in most cases has caused people to have a lot less anxiety about the epidemic. No matter how you feel about the issue, it is very clear that brothas are taking it back to the natural, what are your thoughts?

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