Source: AP

Earlier this week, NBA player Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay professional athlete playing in a major team sport. A couple of weeks prior, No. 1 WNBA draft pick Brittney Griner made an announcement regarding her homosexuality as well, following in the footsteps of former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes. Beyond sports, there was Frank Ocean last year and now rumors are swirling about singer Janelle Monae (who denies being gay, but opposes traditional gender norms). Not to mention, there is the ongoing debate about gay marriage, gay rights, and tolerance. Last year, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis even released a song called “Same Love,” which was a personal call for equality for gay couples in light of the rapper’s childhood wonderings.

In case you hadn’t noticed, the gay community has cemented their place in culture. But of course they haven’t done so without a fair share of controversy. Yet, from where I stand, all I see are two caricatures presented by the media— a voice of tolerance and a voice of hate. A group simply wanting people to be happy, and the opposition wanting to deny them of that inalienable right, and doing so with absolutely no compassion. If you’re gay, be gay! Or God hates gays, so go to hell! Those are the only options society gives us.

Yet, what I don’t think is being given a voice is the side of those who love gay people (and any other group of people), believe in human rights, but also ascribe to a faith that has transformed their own thinking and being—all the way down to challenging their own sexuality. This became apparent when Chris Broussard made his comments regarding Collins’ announcement. Although I understand why ESPN viewers could be bothered by Broussard’s religious commentary, considering they watch ESPN for sports and not sermons, I think it’s unfortunate that he’s now experiencing media martyrdom. I began asking myself what I would have done if (for some reason) ESPN asked me for my opinion. I’m not sure what would have come out of my mouth that particular day, but I know I would have tried to communicate a message of truth and love. And if I could write a response, instead, here’s what I would say in my open letter to Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, and every person that wants to be who they were meant to be:

I’m a 25-year-old follower of Jesus. I’m black. And I grew up wondering if I was gay.

Growing up as a tomboy, I never played with Barbie dolls (except for that MC Hammer figure I was geeked about); I played outside with boys instead; wore boys’ clothes; played basketball most of my life, and didn’t really like doing any girlie things including liking boys. I can recall being in middle school trying to figure out what was wrong with me.  I even remember how awkward it was for me to have a boyfriend (for like 2 months). Was I supposed to feel something when he hugged me? Or that time he gave me a peck on the lips? Well, I didn’t. And if not for my ponytail, I’m sure we looked like two dudes walking down the street. I began wondering was I gay. My teammates were tomboys too, so I figured maybe we just represented a different type of female—a hybrid of genders perhaps. But as time went on, some of those teammates and other girls I’d played basketball with were now openly pursuing girls. They were gay. What did that mean for me? Confusion. But I didn’t decide that I too was gay. Why not? If it was something I could have decided, does that mean I never was? Is it because I grew up in church and heard being gay was a sin, so I never fully considered it an option? Or did I decide that I would fight to be whom I believe God created me to be despite any of my own thoughts or dispositions? What about one of my best friends  or other individuals who once embraced a homosexual lifestyle, but don’t anymore? Does that make it a choice?

While you were chilling in the house last night preparing dinner, the most interesting thing happened. According to Missjia.com, Antoine Dodson, you know, the YouTube star from the “Hide ya kids, hide ya wife” bed intruder video, went to his Facebook and announced that he would no longer be presenting himself as a gay man. Why? Because he’d had a change of heart because of his faith. He claims to now be a True Chosen Hebrew Israelite descendant of Judah. Here’s what he had to say last night:

His last real Facebook status before this very big announcement was on April 1, so who knows how long he had actually been learning about this faith and going through such a transition. But despite how he might feel about himself now–while still toting a profile picture with pressed hair that looks better than most of the women I know–it seems some of his followers were turned off by his profession. Claiming that it perpetuates the idea that if you want to, you can choose not to be gay.

“…by renouncing your homosexuality you add fuel to the argument that being gay is a choice and this will in no doubt end up hurting someone young LGBTQ. Shame on you.”

But others were supportive of his decision, including one who said “all who hatin, why hate on someone willin to change….”

With people who make a living from an identity they create on YouTube, I can’t help but wonder if this could possibly be a publicity stunt of some kind to help keep his name relevant. And if it is, that’s definitely a very irresponsible thing to say and do in front of your mainy gay and bisexual Facebook followers/supporters. However, if it’s not, then more power to him. That’s his life, not ours…but what do you think?

Let us know below!

Source: Twitter

Washington Wizards center Jason Collins recently came out as a gay man. The 34-year-old Los Angeles native made the announcement in a thought-provoking letter published in the May 6th issue of Sports Illustrated. His letter in its entirety reads:

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.

I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, “I’m different.” If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

I’ve played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you’re in the league, and I haven’t been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates’ teammates. Or one of your teammates’ teammates’ teammates.

Now I’m a free agent, literally and figuratively. I’ve reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.

Why am I coming out now? Well, I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I’m a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall. But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.

The first relative I came out to was my aunt Teri, a superior court judge in San Francisco. Her reaction surprised me. “I’ve known you were gay for years,” she said. From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin. In her presence I ignored my censor button for the first time. She gave me support. The relief I felt was a sweet release. Imagine you’re in the oven, baking. Some of us know and accept our sexuality right away and some need more time to cook. I should know — I baked for 33 years.

When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.

I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I’m seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn’t even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I’d been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, ‘Me, too.’”

Collins has already received the public support of notables such as Kobe Bryant and Bill Clinton.

What do you think of Jason’s letter?

Source: Shutterstock

For Christians and non-Christians alike, the Bible and understanding of it has always been somewhat controversial, with many questioning just how much of the word was written by man and inspired by God, not to mention concerns over accurate translation of New and Old Testament languages to convey the original intended meanings. Nevertheless, most people have either accepted the Word of God as just that, while others have dismissed it altogether. But now a controversial new version of the bible, labeled “Queen James,” has been created with new translations that “prevents homophobic misinterpretation of God’s Word,” according to the Daily Mail.

Pegged as the world’s first “gay bible,” publishers of the book, which is printed in the U.S., make the case for this version of the text on their website, saying:

Homosexuality was first mentioned in the Bible in 1946 in the Revised Standard Version. There is no mention of or reference to homosexuality in any Bible prior to this – only interpretations have been made. Anti-LGBT Bible interpretations commonly cite only eight verses in the Bible that they interpret to mean homosexuality is a sin; Eight verses in a book of thousands!

The Queen James Bible seeks to resolve interpretive ambiguity in the Bible as it pertains to homosexuality: We edited those eight verses in a way that makes homophobic interpretations impossible.

The King James Bible is the most popular Bible of all time, and arguably the most important English language document of all time. The brainchild and namesake of King James I, who wanted an English language Bible that all could own and read, it has been in print for over 400 years and has brought more people to Christ than any other Bible translation. Commonly known to biographers but often surprising to most Christians, King James I was a well-known bisexual. Though he did marry a woman, his many gay relationships were so well-known that amongst some of his friends and court, he was known as “Queen James.” It is in his great debt and honor that we name The Queen James Bible so.

The editors, which have not been named, as they have listed the author of the Queen James bible as God, and Jesus Christ as “contributor” say that they edited the eight versus in question to eliminate ”interpretive ambiguity” as it relates to homosexuality. Two of those versus are  Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which read:

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination. (KJV)”

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (KJV)”

To explain this text, which is one of the most prominent passages used by Christians as evidence that homosexuality is a sin, the authors said:

The Hebrew word “to’evah” from which abomination is translated simply means something that is “ritually unclean,” or a “taboo.”

Given the definition of the Hebrew word “to’evah” and the other “to’evah”s in Leviticus, we suggest that by today’s standards, a biblical abomination would be understood to be “scandalous.”…

To simply replace “abomination” with “taboo” would only address 18:22, and not the death penalty proposed in 20:13. Furthermore, we don’t believe homosexual relations to be taboo, so that solution would have been unsatisfactory. Since abominable offenses aren’t all punishable by death like this one leads us to believe there was translative error at some point: If having sex with a man is punishable by death, it wouldn’t be called an abomination. Therefore, we left the word abomination as is, and found a much more elegant and logically clear solution to this interpretive ambiguity…

We assert that Leviticus 18:21 refers to “lying” with these pagan male prostitutes as a form of pagan idolatry. This fits in with the story order of Leviticus, and with the other offenses punishments punishable by death within Leviticus. We therefore change Levticus 18:21 and 20:13 to read as follows:

Leviticus 18:22

Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind in the temple of Molech: it is an abomination. (QJV) (Page 75)

Leviticus 20:13

If a man also lie with mankind in the temple of Molech, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (QJV) (Page 76)

In the Editor’s Notes, the other six passages in question are rewritten in similar ways to further what many say is just one piece of the overall same-sex marriage agenda in the United States. As far as the accuracy debate,  Douglas J. Moo, Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College and a professional Bible translator, told The Christian Post that the explanations the Queen James editors’ have come up with to address so-called homophobia in the King James version of the bible, isn’t necessarily correct either:

‘Few, if any English translations use the actual words ‘homosexuality’ or ‘homosexual.’ But the history of English translation shows that versions have consistently used other language to refer to what we would call homosexual relationships’, said Mr Moo.

‘For instance, the King James Version of Romans 1:27 refers to ‘men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly.

‘It would be very difficult to deny that this language, and the language found in many other places in both the OT and the NT, refers to homosexuality.’

You can read more on the bible on the Queen James website. The text is also available on Amazon.

What do you think about this new translation?

Source: ew.com

In news that won’t surprise anybody, former American Idol and The Voice contender, Frenchie Davis, announced she is gay.

If you remember, after a controversial dismissal from Season 2 of American Idol, the big girl with a bigger voice found herself back in the spotlight singing “I Kissed a Girl” on the premiere episode of The Voice.

How telling.

After that, she posed for a picture with America’s Next Top Model Eva Marcille at the Atlanta Gay Pride festival that fueled speculation of her (and Eva’s) sexual preferences. Now, Frenchie confirms she is a lesbian.

The Huffington Post reports:

The “American Idol” and “Voice” alum has revealed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she’s been dating a woman for the past year, though she offers no other details on the relationship.

“I wasn’t out before the relationship, but I wasn’t in,” she told the publication. “I dated men and women, though lesbians weren’t feeling the bisexual thing. Now I’m in love with a woman I think I can be with forever.”

The singer, who performed in Broadway’s “Rent” and toured with a production of “Dreamgirls,” also professes her love of gay men in the interview. “I love the gays,” she says. “I love the gay boys. They have that awesome, masculine energy, but there’s also something else going on as well.”

Frenchie, who is a staple at gay pride events around the country is performing at Chicago Pride Fest this weekend and she is also working on a new album.

How long until celebrities don’t feel the need to come out of their gay closets? Especially when the doors on that closet were wide open anyway?

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink

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Source: wbtv.com

If you had any doubt that people are still creating and running religious cults these days, this story is proof that they are thriving, and some of the sickest of people are leading them. Peter Lucas Moses is a 27-year-old man, and polygamist, who is the leader of a radical religious group made up of a number of women and young children, most of the women he had been involved with, and eight of the nine children were his. According the Associated Press, the group was called the Black Hebrews, individuals “whose members believe they have descended directly from the ancient tribes of Israel.” While living with Moses, the women and children were said to call Moses, “Lord,” and he and these individuals all shared a one-bedroom home in Durham, N.C. There were nine children in the home, including Jadon Higganbothan, the son of one of Moses’ “wives,” Vania Sisk. He was the only child in the home who wasn’t blood to Moses. The 4-year-old boy became a threat to Moses and his group after the man claimed he allegedly saw Higganbothan hit the backside of another young boy, and was also suspicious because the father of the young boy left Sisk and Higganbothan high and dry. Because of these incidents, Moses came to the conclusion that Higganbothan was gay, and of course, homosexuality is something the group was very much against. With what seems like no opposition from his mother, Moses took the young boy into the garage, played the Lord’s prayer, and then shot Higganbothan in the head. His body was disposed of in a garbage bag and buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of Sheilda Moses, the mother of Peter Lucas Moses.

Moses also claimed responsibility for the murder of Antoinetta Yvonne McKoy, a woman staying in the home who wanted out. According to WRAL-TV, she had a romantic relationship with Moses as well. When she tried to flee the home and seek help from a neighbor, asking them to let her use the phone, McKoy was dragged back home by other “wives” of Moses, and the neighbor did NOT call police. She was then beaten by them, taken to a bathroom, and again, religious music was played, and ironically, she was shot by Vania Sisk, the mother of little Jadon Higganbothan. McKoy’s body was also disposed of as she was wrapped in multiple trash bags and put in the backyard of Peter Lucas Moses’ mother’s home.

Moses - Source: newsobserver.com

The Black Hebrew’s leader plead guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, taking responsibility for both deaths as prosecutors said they were done because Moses wanted to preserve the sanctity of his group. Prosecutors hope to seek out the death penalty against Moses, and he’s being held without bond. On top of that, Moses’ brother and sister, as well as his “wife,” Lavada Harris, were charged as accessories in McKoy’s death, while Vania Sisk and two other women were who lived in the home were charged with murder and as accessories in Higganbothan’s death. If you were wondering how all this came to the attention of police since that shady neighbor didn’t call them, a young woman who lived in the home at one time allegedly escaped and was able to alert police of the murders in the small Durham home that belonged to Moses. The eight children left that stayed in the home are now in the custody of social services and are said to be very scared of Moses.

I really don’t have too much commentary to add to this story because it completely shocked and disgusted me. Let’s just hope that this innocent young man, who probably knew nothing yet of the difference between being “straight” and “gay,” as well as McKoy, get some justice for these heinous crimes. And to use religion and the Lord as a reason to do things like this always irks me to no end. This is just an all around sad and crazy story.

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Source: lovemyblack.com

According to the site, Kollege Kids:

“There may be a big lawsuit in preparation against the oldest and most renowned sorority founded for African American women. Men interested in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, also known as MIAKAs, are threatening to file a lawsuit against Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a sorority founded at Howard University on Jan. 15, 1908. The group of men, whom all are homosexual, are alleging homophobia and gender discrimination by the sorority.”

There is not much about the MIAKA out there except a few pictures posted mostly on blogs and online message boards. In these photos, you see these men donning the pink and green, signature colors of the organization, wearing AKA paraphernalia and doing the signature “Ske-Wee.” But from what I gather, the group in question has established themselves at Prairie View University, a HBCU in Houston, Texas, sometime around 2005. The group is said to be rogue chapter of MiAKA Inc., which really stands for Men Interested in Alpha Kappa Alpha. MiAKA Inc., acts as a support auxiliary for the sorority, much in the same way that Alpha Angels Inc., Omega GEMS, Kappa Sweethearts, Sigma Rhomeos Inc., Delta BEUAX Inc. and so on work to support those fraternities and sororities.  However, real members of MiAKA Inc., according to the message boards, strongly contend that they do not support or condone the MIAKA chapter at Prairie View.

No lawsuit has been officially filed as of yet.  MIAKA has no official website (that I know of) or leader to speak on nor confirm this issue. So right now the story seems to be all speculation. However, MIAKA is real. And this story raises all sorts of questions about the intersection of gender, sexuality and inclusion. It seems that the same sort of national conversation on gender identity, which found its way at the steps of the Girls Scouts, the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Miss Universe Pageant, now has landed on the yards of black Greek-letter sororities and fraternities. And while the authenticity of this lawsuit can not be fully confirmed, the reality is that it may not be too long until we start having to have this conversation. And there is no better time than the present. So in the interest of creating dialog: would it be homophobic and discriminatory for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., to deny homosexual men membership into their sorority or are these guys barking up the wrong Ivy vine?

I am not a black Greek. In fact, the only colors I wave with pride are the red, the black and the green, so I don’t have a horse in this race. But personally, I am leaning towards the latter. While I can sort of understand their reasons for wanting to challenge the status quo of gender-specific organizations, I find their quest for acceptance a bit misguided.  For one, from what I have read, none of these men, while gay, identifies with being women. They are not transgendered or even women, who love the same sex.  In fact, I would be more sympathetic and willing to side with them if these were transgendered women. But to claim homophobia, or even gender discrimination against a sorority doesn’t quite jive with me.

I don’t think members of the AKA organization are upset with these young men for trying to have a group of their own to identify. This is less about discrimination than it is about appropriation, peppered in with a little misogyny.  The reality of a male-centered society is that women do not have a significant political or social identity or existence outside of the realm of what men have decided as appropriate definitions and actions of women.  Thus, women-centered circles, such as sororities, which were created in response to women being excluded from the male fraternities, help to create a space on college campuses where women can bond, network and assist each other for a common goal.  This is especially true of black Greek-letter sororities, who established themselves not just in response to male fraternities but because of their exclusion from the historically white sororities as well.

Yet these men, while gay but certainly still men, have taken to adopting the colors, symbols and other paraphernalia of the AKAs, which is not only tantamount to theft but also disrespectful to the historical identity that this women’s group has fought hard to establish.  And while these men probably don’t see their actions as insolent–in fact, I’m willing to guess that they truly love the AKA organization – you have to ask yourselves, if this was truly a matter of inclusiveness, why not direct their angst at the fraternities as well?

There are a number of LGBT black Greek-letter organizations all over this country. For example, there’s Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc., the nations first Greek letter organization catering to the needs of black lesbian women, and Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Inc, whose mission is to improve the public stature of same gender loving people by supporting a progressive interest in the social and civic welfare. There is, indeed, a need for such organizations because, just like the rest of society, there are folks within these sororities/fraternities organizations that do not openly embrace the GLBT community.  In that spirit, I have lots of appreciation for the MiAKAs, who just want to be accepted and celebrated for who and what they are, and also support the AKAs when they can. However, I also believe that this rouge MiAKA chapter would probably blaze more trails, if they would, in addition to fighting for inclusion of our GLBT brothers and sisters into these organizations, help the existing black LGBT Greek letter organizations establish more chapters on black college campuses as well as take their rightful place among the Divine Nine.

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Source: Hiphop-n-more.com

I can’t tell yet if President Obama’s really started something with black male rappers and acceptance of homosexuality or if these stars are just being trendy, but after Jay-Z expressed his support of the POTUS’ controversial same-sex marriage stance, T.I. has done the same.

In an interview with MTV’s RapFix Live, TIP made it clear that the push for gay couples to be able to marry is a non-issue for him.

“Just to speak honestly and being frank, I don’t care,” he told Sway. “I think that if a matter doesn’t affect your daily life, you shouldn’t take a hard stand on it. If it’s not something that directly affects you, if it doesn’t affect you, what difference does it make to you what other people are doing with their lives?

“I think that you should be able to do whatever you want to do,” T.I. remarked. “I don’t see how it matters one way or another.”

Although Tip hasn’t been able to vote for the past several years due to being on probation since his 2007 weapons arrest, this September his probation will be lifted and when he was asked who he was voting for he responded:

“I don’t think that’s a hard question….Obama.”

When we think about it, there are only a handful of rappers who really matter in the game right now and I wonder if T.I. and Jay-Z’s endorsement of same-sex marriage will start to peel back the anti-homophobic layers covering hip-hop. There’s a big difference between saying I don’t care what they’re doing over there and backing a gay or lesbian rapper but if these guys openly support homosexuality in one form they better be ready to accept it in another if confronted with it.

What do you think? Are T.I. and Jay-Z being trendy or could they really bring about change?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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In what has to be a first for the LBGT community, Fat Joe, the rapper, has come out and embraced gay acceptance in hip-hop.

During a recent interview, the Bronx native shared his thoughts about the circumstances around the recent arrest of Mister Cee, former Hot 97 DJ, who was allegedly caught with a transgender prostitute. The Bronx rapper told Vlad TV that “Whatever his preference is, it’s up to him. I’m not here to tell him what’s right or wrong.” On questions about whether or not he believes that there were gay rappers “hiding” in hip-hop, Joe unleashed with a litany of some of the most profound quotables on gay rights including: “I’m pretty sure I’ve done songs with gay rappers,” he continued. “I’m pretty sure of that. I’m pretty sure the football ni–as is gay, the basketball ni–as is… ni–as is gay….There’s millions of gay people in the world, girls too,” Joey Crack further went on to say; “…I think its 2011, going on 2012. So if you gay, rep your set.”

With that homophobia in hip-hop has been banished.  No but for real, Joe and his Elton John moment has gotten lots of praise from folks both within and outside of the hip-hop community. Although, within the same interview he did manage to go off on a tangent about some conspiracy theory about the “gay mafia” running hip-hop.

Nevertheless many folks have come to see Joe’s endorsement of gay acceptance and tolerance within hip-hop as a progressive milestone, signifying the first step in changing an environment, which has appeared to be hostile to the LBGT community. I mean, how often do you see a rapper, whose entire image is based around the most hyper-masculine, gangster image come out and support being openly gay in hip-hop?  But Joe isn’t the first rapper of late to flex his gay friendly muscles.

In September, Game, formerly The Game, said in an interview that not only does he not have a problem with gay rappers but also believes he may have already collaborated with closeted rappers before. Around that same time, Lil B aka The Based God released an album titled, “I’m Gay,” to the confusion and angst of most in his fan base. And then there is Kanye West, who has long (well since 2005) been a vocal critic of the negative connotations associated with “gay” within hip-hop lexicon. His revelation, he said, spawned from his discovery that his favorite cousin was gay and he believes that it’s time for the culture to become more open-minded.

So with this rather broad acceptance of the gay community from at least among some members of hip hop community, is it still fair to believe that the genre of music and its accompanying culture still deserve its perception of being a hostile place for openly gay rappers?

There have long been stories and rumors kicked around about homosexuality among the genre’s biggest emcees but no one has ever actually come out the closet.  However, there are a number of openly gay underground rappers making some noise but that noise is mostly hidden inside of the LBGT circles. Bringing an openly gay hip-hop artist to the mainstream is another beast altogether. And we can’t ignore the major freak out that happens among fans when news broke about Mister Cee’s off-wax exploits with a male prostitute.  Besides Mister Cee himself, who took to Twitter to adamantly deny the incriminating allegations against him, fellow Hot 97 DJ Funk Masta Flex vehemently defended not only Mister Cee from the allegations but also his sexuality.

Nothing compared to fan reactions to the scandal, which went beyond the shits and giggles reaction that I and a few other friends had. On various social networking sites and on radio programming, fans of hip-hop broke out into rants and raves about gays and their deviant behavior, cited Biblical versus against homosexuality, sending out death threats and filling their streams with a good bit of the expected homophobia and transphobia. These are the fans, who upon hearing the news about their beloved DJ,  immediately wrote him off and his legacy.

So perhaps the idea of an openly gay hip hop artist doesn’t have to do so much with their fellow rappers but the audience itself. As hip-hop album sales continue to lag you might began to see why a gay rapper would be reluctant to come out and face the music.

However, with the record sales dragging somewhat among the most loyal, and sometimes homophobic, older audience, perhaps there is room to build a new audience. Some hip-hop artists have learned that there is money to be made in a gay market.  Artist such as Nicki Minaj have written songs about having sexual relations with other women and has become a great supporter for queer youth.  And if there is money to be made from embracing the gay community, I sure we can expect to see more rappers come out in the near future singing to a different tune.

I don’t believe that hip hop is any more homophobic than the rest of American society, just more blatant in its language and bravado. Even though the thug and gangster mentality is so prevalent and it is very common to hear rappers clown each other with some very anti-gay rhetoric, the last time I checked there were no rappers in Congress blocking and stonewalling against critical gay rights issues. Likewise, as the business end of hip-hop remains the dominating factor as to what gets heard, promoted and brought, the paradigm will ultimately have to shift to embrace a newer, more tolerant fan base.  Because at the end of the day, it’s still all about the Benjamins.

Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.

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by Charing Ball

I have a seven-year old nephew, who does really oddball things at times.

Don’t get me wrong, he is a smart kid with lots of imagination but he definitely has a penchant for marching to the beat of his own drum.  Like one time, my brothers, his kids and I went to see the new Transformers 2 (this was some time ago). We were piled in the car, heading to the IMAX Theater when I noticed that my nephew had on a blue and yellow Sponge Bob Squarepants mitten. Just one mitten, in the middle of August, while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Now, no one around me seemed to notice this. So to ensure that I wasn’t the crazy one, I asked him, “dude, why do you have on a mitten?” In typical fashion, he smiled sheepishly, shrugged and said, “I dunno know. I just like it.”  So I asked his dad, my brother, who rolled his eyes in the back in his head like he’s been down this road before. He said, “Look, he had this glove on for three weeks now. He refuses to take it off; he even sleeps with it on. I asked him, he doesn’t know why – or at least he doesn’t tell me. I just let him wear it. It’s makes him happy.”  Fair enough.

I thought about my nephew and more specifically, my brother’s response last week when I watched a news report, via YouTube about the seven year old kid in Denver, who prefers to dress like a girl and is joining the girl scouts. Yeah, I’ll give you a few seconds to comprehend that one. Okay, got it? Good, let’s move on.

The kid,, says he likes “girl stuff” including wearing wigs and dresses and playing with dolls.  Recently, his older sister joined the Girl Scouts and being a boy that likes “girl stuff,” Bobby decided that he wanted to join too. But when Bobby’s mother took her son to register, a troop leader told her, according to published reports, “It doesn’t matter how he looks, he has boy parts, he can’t be in the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts don’t allow that [and] I don’t want to be in trouble by parents or my supervisor.”

When the Girl Scouts of Colorado heard that a local troop leader had denied Bobby, they released a statement saying that “Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization and we accept all girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”

Well that story seemed to have a happy ending, but does it? If it was up to me, I would like to see an end to the silly gender specific boy/girl scouts organization in favor of a single “The Scouts.” As a child, the boy scouts always seemed cooler and much more fun than the girl scouts anyway.  They went hiking, camping and made fires and stuff. Whereas my ghetto girl scout troupe hawked cookies all the time. Why would Bobby want to join the Girls Scouts is beyond me.  Nevertheless, despite being accepted into Girl Scout organization, some folks still believe that even if Bobby thinks of himself as a girl, his family treats him like a girl; he’s still not a girl.  Therefore what the parents, and the Girl Scout organization, are doing is aiding in the confusion of a child. In short,  there’s something about seeing a boy in a dress that really freaks people out.

But of course, this is not the first example of how trans-gender exploration at young ages has levied similar charges.  Last year, one mother’s decision to allow her 5-year-old son to dress up as a female cartoon character for a preschool Halloween party spawned a mini-controversy in the blogosphere about if that was an acceptable parenting decision. And by now, we are all familiar with My Princess Boy, a book by Cheryl Kilodavis about her 5-year-old son Dyson’s love of pink, dolls and sparkly dresses. That book, as well as Cheryl’s decision to allow Dyson to appear on various talk shows in a dress led to a lot of outrage and condemnation from adults, who felt that Cheryl was exploiting her child’s confusion for financial gain. But lots of parents are grabbling with what to do when children, specifically boy children who want to do things outside the normal scope of what is considered “boy stuff.”

It’s weird how girl children have the whole range of gender expression open to them. They are free to climb trees and be fairies; go fishing and have tea parties, play football and play Barbies, and at worse we call them tomboys. But let a boy child want to dance ballet or play Barbies or even exhibit qualities typically associated with girls including sensitivity, crying and gentleness, than the entire world is ready to call him gay and suggest “corrective” action before the behavior before “it gets out of hand.”

It seems totally unfair to boy children to only exist under this narrow set of options of manhood.  And it speaks volumes of our own issues with homosexuality, particularly in men. What does it say that fears of homosexuality take precedence over the mental well being of the boy child himself?  The truth is, he may grow up to be gay or he may not, but pretending to be Wonder Woman or Ariel from the Little Mermaid every once in a while isn’t going to “make” him anything other than the creative and playful child he obviously already is.

I’m not trying to totally dismiss a parents’ anxieties, as there are some justifiable concerns, particularly the social pressure of fitting in. And even if you’re open-minded about your son’s choice of toys or dress-up clothes, we can’t simple ignore the reaction from family, friends and even complete strangers, who might be less than understanding, if not downright dangerous.  If safety is the concern than it might make sense to limit his imagination time to places and environments where it is safe to do so. However, the fact that your son enjoys playing with “girl” things or has qualities we typically associate with girls, should not be seen as failure to instill some archaic notion of masculinity on him but rather a power implication of the good job you, as a parent, has done to allow your child to embrace his feminine side.  After all, in our essence of being, we are all composed of feminine and masculine energy.  And in no way, especially in a society where hyper-masculinity has contributed to so much violence and pent up aggression, should we continue to deny our sons the opportunity to explore all sides of themselves. When all is said and done, we are trying to create well-balanced people.  And isn’t it important that we allow our children to do, in the words of my brother, what makes them happy?

Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.

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