My Home, My Dream

LAX Shooting: WATCH Live Report

Wow, this is crazy!

This morning there was a shooting at LAX! Here's what I know so far.
The gunman had high-powered rifle and sources say he was an off-duty TSA agent.
Three people were wounded, including one TSA agent.
Suspect is in custody.
Police are looking for other possible other suspects but so far have found none.

I have a LIVE video for you if you want to watch

Pics from the Trayvon Martin March in Los Angeles

Here are some pics from yesterday's March for Trayvon. I missed the second half that went all the way to Hollywood, but I was glad to be a part of the historic event.

Check them out after the jump

We Marched for Trayon Martin in Los Angeles! Shut Down the Freeway

I was fortunate to be a part of this

I was a part Gay History

Yesterday, I got to speak to a huge group of people during the Decision Day event in Los Angeles/WeHo. It was truly an inspiring moment.

Seeing the faces and listening the stories about marriage, love and hope was what I needed to hear. I felt very honored to be a part of history yesterday. Who would have thought we would be talking about the end od DOMA and Prop 8.

Hell, who would've thought I would be on stage, speaking about Black voices and the continuing fight for equality.

Who knew.

Black Gay Club celebrates 40 Years in Los Angeles

Catch One is a piece of gay history in LA. The dance club has a rich background and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Frontiers LA did a nice story about the club:

In 1975, Catch One Disco—named for the promise of “catching” a partner or lover—became an “underground” oasis for gays, progressives, artists, and people who appreciated mixed diversity and singers such as Etta James who would perform live. Eventually, she bought the entire building, affording her the opportunity to provide three dance floors, DJ-run disco music, and themed-events in the smaller rooms. And at a time when white gay discos and bars would demand three pieces of identification and other gender and racially-specific restrictions, The Catch was a retreat where LGBT African Americans could feel free, respected, dance and network—and where TV and pop stars from Sammy Davis Jr. to Warren Beatty and Madonna could safely hang out and have fun. Madonna held an album release party at The Catch, and several TV and film scenes have been filmed there, as well.

Catch One also symbolized Black empowerment, especially during the depression of the AIDS crisis when Thais-Williams provided space for different “Houses” of style to stage runway shows and contests in a manner considerably more upbeat—but just as catty—as Paris is Burning. And even though she ran a bar, Thais-Williams always put her patrons, her family, her “kids” first; helping them get clean and sober, helping them deal with their AIDS diagnosis and helping resolve “family” issues.

Indeed, during the AIDS crisis, Thais-Williams co-founded the Minority AIDS Project and the Imani Unidos Food Pantry in South L.A. and she joined the AIDS Project Los Angeles Board of Directors to bring the services they provided “down to the hood.” With her wife Rue, Thais-Williams also founded Rue’s House, the country’s first housing facility for women with AIDS and their children, most of whom were poor and black. During the L.A. Riots in 1991, the neighbors protected Rue’s House, which is located on 39th and Normandie, near the epicenter of the riots. After the life-saving AIDS medications became available in 1996, they transitioned the house into a sober-living facility.

I have been to Catch One and it is truly a place for the fam. This Memorial Day weekend, Catch One will host a four-day 40th anniversary celebration as a fundraiser for the Village Health Foundation.

For more, please go here

Shopping in the Real DTLA

My friend Salvadore found this awesome book.

We are going to have a party based on the fashion tips from this book.

Rodney King is Dead

Rodney King was found dead at the bottom of his pool early this morning. The police are seeing this as a drowning.

His name will always be remembered to many of us, especially here in South Central. His incident not only started the LA Riots, but sparked a national conversation about race and equality. 

And even though he walk away from the incident alive, Rodney never escaped the problems that beset him afterwards.

Maybe now, he can rest in peace.

L.A. Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties

The Abbey, one our popular gay bars in L.A., has put their disco boot down on wedding bells bliss. The top bar is banning Bachelorette parties.

Here's a statement from the owner, David Cooley:

Every Friday and Saturday night, we’re flooded with requests from straight girls in penis hats who want to ogle our gogos, dance with the gays and celebrate their pending nuptials. They are completely unaware that the people around them are legally prohibited from getting married. Over the past 22 years, The Abbey has been a place that accepts everyone, gay, straight, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and everything in between. We love our straight girlfriends and they are welcome here, just not for bachelorette parties. It has long been a policy at The Abbey to deny admission to groups in costume, including  regalia. 

Bachelorette parties had previously been allowed inside if they removed their costumes. The Abbey's Bachelorette Ban comes on the heels of a ban on Gay Marriage in North Carolina and a number of other states across the south. The Abbey encourages other gay-owned and operated establishments to institute their own bans as a sign of solidarity until Marriage is legal everywhere for everyone.

I think it's fair. Why host a wedding parties for some, when you can't host for all?

New Promo: Bent-Con Fundraising Party

Working on Bent-Con is a blast and the event is going to be epic. Next weekend, we are hosting our first kick off event, The Fundraiser Party.

This event should be hot!

If you are around the area, please come out and have some fun with us!

It's Hard Out Here For a Geek

This is a night out at the LA bars...

So a friend and I went out last night to a couple of bars. He made out with 3 guys for the hell of it. But these 3 guys were best friends. One of them asked me if I thought it was hot and I said... "No, I couldn't make out with someone my best friend just made out with. That's a little tacky." He said I was uptight and bitter.

Later, we met a couple of guys who asked why I was out at a bar when I had a partner. I told them that my partner hates the bar scene. One of them told me I wasn't happy in my relationship, because no one in a relationship goes out without their partner.

A guy asked if he was doing me could he pull my hair.

Another guy said that I was high maintenance. I asked why and he said because, "I look too smart."

A daddy type guy said he would do me just to put me in my place. I ask him to elaborate on that statement. What is "my place"? He told me as his bitch. Oh well.

Then this guy told me I was too young to handle him. He needs a man, not a young man. I said, "Sweetie, I was sucking cock at 14, I think I'm old enough to handle any guy."

This is my night life in Los Angeles

FIRST LOOK: A Realistic Statue of Christopher Reeve as Superman

This weekend, I will have pleasure of attending L.A. Times Hero Complex Film Festival. And while I'm there, I will get to see this life-like statue of Christopher Reeve as Superman.

The sculptor, Mike Hill had this to say about his work:

“I made this piece to remind me of my youth,” the 42-year-old sculptor said. “As adults we forget the magic moments that forged our childhood dreams. For me ‘Superman’ still ignites that little boy who couldn’t afford popcorn watching an uplifting and incredibly exciting superhero save the planet. I believed a man could fly … and I still do.”


The statue is a bit startling to behold and its creation was a complicated one. “This figure was sculpted in clay from various stills of Mr. Reeve,” Hill said. “The sculpture was then reproduced in silicone rubber and fiberglass. The skin is painted in layers to reflect human skin tones. The acrylic eyes are custom made to match Reeves’ own. Each hair is punched [into place] one at a time. The costume is an exact replica of the original.”

I will take pics of this statue this Saturday. So excited!

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Los Angeles kicks off the 1st LGBT Heritage Month

We are making history up in the city. We now have our first LGBT Heritage Month in L.A.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will kick off what is intended to be the city's first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month at City Hall today.


The mayor will present the Spirit, Dream and Hope of Los Angeles awards to three prominent members of the LGBT community, including comedian Wanda Sykes, during a special presentation in the City Council chambers. About 200 young people from the Gay-Straight Alliance Network are expected to attend the presentation.


"For them the event is important because it shows there has been an LGBT history longer than the last five or 10 years," said Sam Borelli, communications director for the nonprofit LGBT advocacy group Christopher Street West.


Among the honorees is Rev. Troy Perry, who fought with the city in 1970 to obtain a permit for the first public gay pride event in Los Angeles, Borelli said.


Perry also founded the gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Churches. Villaraigosa will also honor Chad Griffin, the founder and president of American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is the lead sponsor in the legal case against voter-approved Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in California.


"The celebration is an opportunity to be loud and proud," Borelli said. "And also to remember our history in this 30th anniversary year of HIV/AIDS, which devastated our community."

More info to come about this.

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WeHo's gay bar The Abbey gives Christina Aguilera top Honors in their Gay Hall of Fame?

I'm trying to understand this bit of news. The Abbey, L.A.'s top gay bar, has started a Gay Walk of Fame. Okay, cute, but here's the crazy part... They giving the 1st honors to Christina Aguilera.

Now, I like X-Tina, but this is "honor" really out there. When I think of Gay Hall of Fame, I think of the LGBT folks that held it down, made sacrifices and maybe even died for our rights. The last thing I would think about is a straight pop star.

Seriously, this doesn't make sense. But then again, it's WeHo. To many of the LGBT community in L.A., WeHo doesn't make sense. Maybe The Abbey is really trying to do something with this Gay Hall of Fame, but to be real, it's not off to a good start.

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The Wonder Woman Pilot starts filming Today

I just learn from ON LOCATION VACATIONS on Twitter, that Wonder Woman starts filming tomorrow in downtown Los Angeles.

I wish I could be there, but I'm in Philly until Wednesday. Hopefully, someone will catch a glimpse of the filming.

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My Friends are coming for the Holidays

My friends from college are coming in today! Tavares is coming from NYC and JuneBug (Charles) is coming from Lexington, KY.

It's been raining for 6 days straight, so I hope it gets sunny for their vacation. I will be posting light (I doubt it), but I will post pics of their vacation.

My plea to the LGBT Protests in Los Angeles... Let's change it up, please!

The Prop 8 stay has inspired another protest tomorrow in WeHo. But to be honest, I'm tired of these protests.

Now don't get me wrong, I believe in them and I'm very supportive of fighting for our rights, but the way it's done in Los Angeles is getting old. Let me share my reasons:

• We ALWAYS protest in WeHo. It's the gay mecca of L.A., so basically we are preaching to the choir.
• For some reason they love to start at 6pm. Hello, 6pm in L.A.? It's rush hour or better yet rush hours. Traffic in L.A. starts at 4pm and slows down at 7 or 8pm. And if you live in South Central, East L.A. or in Venice, you will need to leave work or where ever early to make it. And parking SUX in WeHo.
• At these protests, there are no set plans. You are just standing there with 100s of other angry people. Maybe someone will speak; but after driving for 40 minutes and spending 20 more minutes looking for parking, you just want a little more structure.
• L.A. is a huge city. I think to only stay in WeHo is too safe. This is a protest, we need to really take it to the streets for real. No one takes us serious if we are shouting in our own backyard.
• Also it sends a message that WeHo is only place that matters.
  

So how do we change this? Well, you know me, I always have solutions.

• We should be in many parts of the city as possible. Our anger or frustration should be expressed in ALL of L.A.
  
• We should be somewhat sensitive with time. Starting at 6pm works on the weekend, but I think 8pm is a better time. I believe more folks would come out and support.
• Have a plan. There should be next steps and strategies developed at these events. We have a captive audience, let's take advantage of that.
• Make sure the protest actually makes sense. Tomorrow's protest is nothing more but a bitchfest, let's not waste time. Let's make something happen.

As I said before, I love a good protest. But it's time to change the game. We need to take our issues to the STREETS. Hell, the civil rights movement went everywhere. They didn't just stay in the Black neighborhoods, they took it to the white neighborhoods, sock hops and schools.

It's time to follow suit.

Court says: No gay marriages in California before December

Hot news on the Prop 8 case.

Now, gay marriages are on hold until December

L.A. Times reports

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday agreed to keep same-sex marriages on hold until at least December.

In a brief order, a three-judge panel agreed to an expedited review of U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker's Aug. 4 ruling that overturned Proposition 8 as a violation of the federal Constitution.

The panel agreed to hold a hearing on the case during the week of Dec. 6 and ordered both sides to present arguments on whether the campaign for Proposition 8 has legal authority to appeal Walker's order.

Okay, not cute; but at least the Prop 8 was overturned.

Prop 8 Rallies in Los Angeles Pics

I went to both Prop 8 rallies in Los Angeles. And it was EXCITING!

But traffic from WeHo to Downtown L.A. was crazy!

LOS ANGELES BLACK PRIDE at the Beach in Malibu

Yesterday, I had a great time at the ATB (At The Beach) Black Pride celebration in Malibu, Ca.

BTW, if you haven't been to Malibu, please do, it's beautiful.

Anyway, a few of us ventured out to the beach for 2 reasons. 1) to interview folks for a mini-documentary about Black Pride and 2) just to celebrate with the Fam.

Here is a slideshow of the festivities