HAPPY NEW YEAR

San Francisco DA taps gay man to admin post

The San Francisco The Bay Area Reporter reports that San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris appointed veteran deputy district attorney Paul Henderson as head of administration at the beginning of December. His appointment to the new position creates a power team of openly queer managers running the district attorney's office: Martha Knutzen, a lesbian, is manager of legal operations; and Tim Silard, an openly gay man, is chief of policy.
"It was really a natural progression for my career," said Henderson, who worked under two other district attorneys: Arlo Smith and Terence Hallinan, "and dovetailed with some of my own personal interests."

Henderson, 40, who is openly gay, told the Bay Area Reporter that he is excited about his new job, in particular managing the Community Justice Center. This past spring, the district attorney's office partnered with Mayor Gavin Newsom to create " a collaborative, problem-solving service center with a court on site," according to a May news release announcing the program. The program was developed to help communities build safer neighborhoods through prevention and accountability of low-level crimes in a local setting, according to the release. more>>>

Congratulations Paul...keep pushin' on!
Joe

Archbishop apologizes for persecution of gays

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has apologized to gay people all around the world for the way they have been treated by the Church. He recently criticized Anglicans for being 'obsessed' with homosexuality. In a world exclusive interview with production company Made in Manchester, Tutu spoke to creative director Ashley Byrne. Click here for complete story on Pink News UK

You can also listen to audio coverage by clicking here.

DIRTY LAUNDRY STRAIGHT TO DVD?

Well, I guess that after a weaker than expected turn out during the limited release of my friend Maurice Jamal's film Dirty Laundry, it has now gone straight to DVD and will be released in February 2008.

You can now also purchase all episodes of the now cancelled Noah's Arc, and in 2008 purchase the soon to be released first season of the DL Chronicles, and the release of the cult classic from Patrick Ian Polk "PUNKS."

Click on any of the links above to purchase or pre-order your copies of some Black gay cinematic history today!

Chris Stokes Says Sexual Abuse Claims False

TMZ has followed up with an official response from former B2K Manager Chris Stokes regarding sexual abuse claims by Raz B and brother Ricky Romance.

Click here for story.

Merry Christmas And Happy Kwanzaa

Ray J (Brandy's Brother) Shoots Off Homophobic Rant Against B2K

On the heels of the Raz B molestation confession in our previous posting below, someone claiming to be Ray J, brother of Brandy and amateur porn video star, waisted no time by posting his own rediculous homophobic response to the confession on youtube today. See below.

Grow up Ray J.
Joe

Raz B Shocker About Molestation

I just got this from my boy Ron at Keeping It Real...DEEP!

I first met Raz B in 2005 after booking him for a peformance at Oakland's Black LGBT Film Festival. His peformance at a gay event fueled rumors that he too was gay. Now "Raz B." and his brother "Ricky Romance" come out about sexual molestation by cousin and Film Director Chris Stokes ....DEEP! Also click here to see video from his Oakland peformance.

And judging from the confessions and the lyrics of the rap song, it seems as if the bitterness and guilt resulting from their molestation may be causing them to project their internalized homophobia as well.

Joe

Thugboy At Rimshot Holiday Party

I didn't get a chance to blog anything about the club rimshot holiday party on December 15, because directly after that party I had to head out to Palm Springs for a planning meeting for Blatino Oasis.

Our parties at Club Anton in Oakland have been less like Uptown and more like Club Rumor use to be with strippers and porn stars. This was our last party for 2007 & Dj Rapture was excellent and the people were out in full force and ready to party.

Our special guest this month was Flavaworks who were promoting their new site THUGBOY.com and their new reality show called "Thug Mansion: Smooth's Crib." They flew the star of the video "Smooth" and one of their other adult film stars "Breon" out from Miami to giveaway copies of the new reality show, posters, and magazines. Flavaworks has also been nominated for a 2008 Blatino Erotica Award for one of their products but I am now allowed to say which one.

Thanks guys for coming out and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Joe

Ramone Jackson with About.Com Gay Bashed In NYC in October

Ramone Johnson is the gay lifestyle columnist for About.com, a New York Times Company and top 10 Web-based information and resource site. Gay Life on About.com is a practical guide to better gay living.

I briefly met Ramone while in Atlanta 2006 during the first Click Magazine Elite 25 Awards.

Below is his account of what happened taken from his myspace blog.

--------------------------------------------

I Was Gay Bashed.

I thought I knew, but until Friday, October 6, 2007 I had no idea what it was like to be gay bashed. A few friends invited me out to a club I don't usually frequent. All was well—for hours—until it came time for a late night cigarette break.

New York has a no-smoking law, so that stupid activity happens outdoors. I accompanied my friend. It was a great time for us to share one of those rare bonding moments. A few puffs equaled months worth of gossip. Two guys stood in front of us hugging.

The usual New York traffic passed without dismay until the white Mercedes C-class appeared. The tall bald guy leaned out of the window yelling and screaming obscenities that no one would be proud of—the usual clichés spit towards gay men. It seemed like an incident that could easily be brushed off until he got out of the car. He came toward us, still yelling. He was angry, as if we had personally offended his entire being.

All I saw was a tall muscular man coming toward my friend and these other unsuspecting guys in the path of what seemed to be a disaster. He continued to yell, the couple broke their hug. My instinct told me that I was the most beefy of all of the guys standing in the breezeway—a silly notion seeming I only stand 5 foot 6.

He come within inches. I tried to ward him off by telling him that no one is trying to mess with him. I pleaded for him just to go away. He spit in my face and I knew that I was no match for him. I immediately ran toward the bouncers of the gay club. I got behind the huge door man. The guy was quickly in pursuit behind me fired up. Out of nowhere a punch landed on the right side of my face. It was the bashers friend from the passenger seat. I swung, at which point the basher kicked me in the stomach.

The bouncers quickly yelled at me to get in the club. I tried to keep my composure, but ended up in the bathroom stall, crying, ashamed that I wasn't able to protect myself, my friend or my fellow gay brothers. And then the worst happened... To my dismay, one of the bouncers found me and told me I had to leave. Leave, I said. I've been gay bashed by a stranger. I was protecting my friends and in turn was socked and kicked in the stomach. He stayed firm to his orders.

As I walked up the stairs of Splash Bar NYC, I saw one of the managers. I pleaded with him not to kick me out because I was afraid the guy and his friend were still out there. His response: "I don't know anything about that!" Before I knew it I was outside and I started to tremble at the sight of a white Mercedes parked down the street. And then a hand grabbed my back and pushed me toward a cab. "Get in, I'm taking you home," my friend said. I hurried inside trying not to cry before the driver pulled off. As I write this I don't know what hurt worst: My stomach or my eye or the fact that a gay bar kicked me out and refused to help me.

I've spent the past five years trying to empower gay men, hoping with all my heart that we can one day roam the streets without being afraid and here I sit at my computer, hurting physically and psychologically. If we can't protect ourselves who will? In five years I've managed to post nothing but positive comments about any establishment or gay product. During this time my mindset was that there is enough negativity out there for me not to join in and down other gays. Yet I sit here wondering why I even bother when a gay bar (albeit a tragic one called Splash Bar NYC) threw me out to the wolves.

Thank my higher power that I nor anyone else was seriously hurt, but the pain is piercing. I feel for other victims of hate crimes. I feel for those who've been hurt or accosted just because of who they are. I feel for an establishment that loves to take our gay dollars, but could care less about us once the doors are closed.

I feel for the people out there that think violence and hatred is the answer. I feel alone working in vain for a cause that seems so far beyond my reach. And yet I sit here writing to you instead of tending to my wounds, because for some reason I can't stop caring. I can't stop writing and hoping that one day I can gossip with my friends outside a club without being kicked in the stomach.

-----------------------------

Stay strong Ramone and I hope that your story will help our community to realize how at risk for violent attacks we are.

Click here for other stories about violence against black LGBT people.

Joe

DL CHRONICLES DVD ON SALE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

That's right everyone, my boys Quincy & Deondre now have one complete season under their belts of the DL Chronicles on HERE TV and you can now own it as a sexy stocking stuffer.

Purchase your DVD now at AMAZON.com

Congratulations guys.

Happy Holidays To Our Troops

Related link 1

BARACK OBAMA...IS HE THE ONE

I think so....Vote for Barack Obama!

JANET JACKSON BACK WITH THE HOTNESS

40 plus never looked so beautiful or sounded so youthful!

I just received an anonymous email including the first single "Feedback" from Janet Jackson's new CD "Discipline," that will be released in February 2008. The new single is HOT, HOT, HOT! for the clubs and the youth and Janet fans will definitely know what I mean.

Here it is so enjoy and spread the word....JANET IS BACK!

Click here to hear the club hit "FEEDBACK!"

OUT 100 AWARD RECIPIENT DEMARCO MAJORS TO HOST BLATINO EROTICA AWARDS

My ultra sexy friend and former American Basketball Association player, 2006 Gay Olympic Gold Medalist, Model, and Out 100 Awardee Demarco Majors will host the 2008 Blatino Erotica Awards in Palm Springs, California, May 9-12.

Demarco will also be starring in the new MTV Logo reality series "RockDogs," which will document the challenges and triumphs of the players with the San Francisco RockDogs who won the gold medal during the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.

The show is scheduled to premiere in the Summer of 2008.

That's my boy!

FIRST BLACK MAYOR INSTEAD OF FIRST GAY MAYOR

Just 20 minutes outside of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area is a small city called Vallejo, which has an African American population almost exactly equal to its white population, according to census data.

Mark Cloutier, 45, is a white gay city Councilman who was running neck and neck with African American real estate attorney and former Solano County Supervisor, Osby Davis, 62.

The drama first began with premature reports that the Vallejo city councilman had won and had become the city's first openly gay mayor by four votes on Tuesday, just hours after apologizing for his weekend arrest for public intoxication after drinking too much at a bar in Palm Springs, California.

Cloutier's African American opponent, Osby Davis, used $10,000 dollars of his own money (raised with community support) to pay for a re-count which ended with him winning the election by 3 votes, making him the city's first Black Mayor.

Maybe old boy Mark Cloutier should have saved the partying in Palm Springs for after the elections.

See video below.

Joe

A4A USED IN THE MURDER OF ANOTHER BLACK GAY MAN

A grieving Chicago mother is asking for the public's help in finding out who killed her "gay" son. This is the second time (that we know of) that Adam 4 Adam an online men's "hook up" service, has been used to lure gay men to their death.

See the full story here at rod2.0 blog.

SUNNY HAWKINS' GOSPEL ALBUM FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND BEYOND

Off the success of her run as one of the leads in the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit musical, “Rent.” Sunny Hawkins has taken her career to the next level with the release of her debut CD “More of You,” on Stillwaters, the contemporary inspirational imprint of Hidden Beach Recordings.

I recently interviewed Sunny during the World AIDS Week event in Oakland and shared with her that I love so many of the songs on this gospel/inspirational CD that I can't stop playing it. I really love "Like Air," "Love Me Too," & "More of You."

The daughter-in-law of the legendary Tramaine and Walter Hawkins, the project boasts 14 songs and is co-written and produced by Sunny Hawkins and her husband Jamie Hawkins. Jaime built a reputation for himself as musical director for several multi-platinum acts, Boyz II Men, Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige, while Sunny Hawkins is no stranger to the music business as she along with hit producer, Troy Taylor penned “The Only Thing Missin,” which became the lead single on an Aretha Franklin hit.

Clearly fluent in a wide range of genres, Sunny Hawkins delivers a rivetingly original amalgam of jazzy R&B and pop, with flashes of everything from edgy to power-chording rock guitars finding a perfect place in the final mix. Delightfully defying easy categorization, she paints a canvas that can be truly be called her own.

Sunny Hawkins calls her sound urban inspirational and that comes as close as any label would, if you need a label. Better still to just call it Sunny Hawkins, and “More of You,” then pop in her CD, and listen as her voice begin to soar above the stars.

Thanks Sunny for making the Oakland AIDS Benefit Concert even more special by adding your beautiful voice.

Keep the inspiration coming because I want to hear MORE OF YOU!

See one of her videos below.

Joe

Mayor Ron Dellums On AIDS - World AIDS DAY

Last week, my Real Talk Director Ron and I (see video below)participated in Oakland's AIDS Week with events held each day in collaboration with various organizations as part of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellum's "Get Screened Oakland Campaign."

Below see our Real Talk interview with the veteran Congressman and now Oakland's Mayor, Ron Dellums and interviews at the AIDS Benefit Concert held at Sweet's Ballroom featuring performances by Hip Hop intellectual Talib Kweli R&B crooner Martin Luther, Gospel Singer Sunny Hawkins, Spoken Word Artist Ise Lyfe, and veteran Bay Area Hip Hop and R&B Songstress Silk-E.

Sad to say that the organizations that receive the lyon's share of money in

Alameda County to reach out to black men who have sex with men (the group most seriously impacted by the disease) were nowhere in sight (as per usual). The same organizations that rarely, if ever bring condoms to my clubrimshot.com parties (the Bay Area's largest black gay/bi men's parties), but we will discuss more about that later.

Kudos to the Mayor and Marsha Martin and her staff who coordinated the week of events. It was also good to see Cal Pep out there, as usual, testing people and other organization representatives from the Pacific Center, La Clinica De La Raza, The Alameda County Office Of AIDS, and others, making people aware of their services.

Enjoy the interviews.

ROCKMUND DUNBAR PLAYS GAY IN NEW FILM DIRTY LAUNDRY

I just received an email from my friend and Oakland native, Film Director, Maurice Jamal that his film "Dirty Laundry" featuring an allstar cast including Loretta Divine, Rockmund Dunbar and Jennifer Lewis, will premiere in Los Angeles and New York this Friday, December 7, 2007. The film will be released nationwide on December 28, 2007.

I must also note with pride that three of the actors, Rockmund Dunbar (Oakland), Terri J. Vaughn (San Francisco) and actor/director Maurice Jamal (Oakland) are all from the Bay Area!

As some of you may already know, Rockmund Dunbar plays a "gay" character in this film and we were fortunate to have screened Dirty Laundry during the 2006 Oakland International Black LGBT Film Festival thanks to our hometown celebrity actor and director Maurice Jamal (see interview below).

If you want to see a good, funny, family film this holiday season, definitely go to see Dirty Laundry when it opens nationwide on Friday, December 28.

Visit this link for the Dirty Laundry website and for details about the film. Also, see trailer and Real Talk interview with Maurice Jamal below.

Congratulations Maurice and here you go....again!

Joe

"DIRTY LAUNDRY" TRAILER

Keeping It Real Interview with Maurice Jamal during 2006
Oakland International Black LGBT Film Festival

Angela Bofill - SF Benefit Concert With Narada Michael Walden

Music industry extraordinaire and Bay Area resident Narada Michael Walden has rallied his colleagues and friends, including Carlos Santana, to perform Saturday, December 8, at The Spirit of Giving concert, in tribute to singer, songwriter and Bammy-Award (now called the California Music Award) winner Angela Bofill at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

In January, 2006, Angela suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for quite a while. She was uninsured, so many of her friends organized benefit concerts to raise money for her medical treatment.

She has been in the prayers of millions ever since. Sadly, while seemingly on the road to recovery, Angela suffered a second massive stroke on July 10, 2007.

Raised in New York by a Cuban father and a Puerto Rican mother, Angela Bofill was a student of many styles of music, from the latin sounds played regularly by her family to the soul and jazz sounds of her neighborhood in the Bronx.

She began singing professionally as a teenager as a member of New York's All City Voices and as featured lead soloist for the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Bofill scored several dance hits in the 1970s and 80s, such as Angel of the Night, in 1978 and 1983's Too Tough, but has recently suffered significant health setbacks.

Walden and Bofill have worked together for more than 25 years - Arista Records' then-chief Clive Davis teamed Bofill with Walden in 1981 to produce her first commercial jazz-pop-R&B crossover recording, Something About You.

Walden produced her next two recordings, 1983's Teaser and Too Tough.

We love you Angela and know that you will be alright and supported through this crisis so please be encouraged.

Joe

You can contribute to her medical fund at http://www.angelabofill.com/ .

ANGELA BOFILL - "I TRY"