On Tuesday, January 18th, three members of the Buenos Aires Bear Club in Argentina visited the offices of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) and filed a claim detailing a number of recent homophobic attacks against the club and its members.
Club coordinator Gabriel Sánchez tells Tiempo Argentino that on the night of January 15th, as club members and their friends began to arrive to a monthly grill-and-meet event, twenty or so individuals living in a nearby hotel started harassing them and asking them for money.
When members refused to give money, Sánchez says that some of the assailants began to shout "You getting together to fuck, fat faggots!"
As the tone got more aggressive, club members went inside the clubhouse and shut the door. Outside, assailants pulled a discarded mattress and some trash bags against the door and set them on fire, as captured in this photo which was posted on the paper's website.
Club members were able to open the door and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. By then, Sánchez says, the police had arrived and kept guard preventing further violence.
"We are well aware of the different economic situation and the reality of living in an overcrowded hotel, but were never hostile to them," said Sánchez, "These people are enraged by sexual diversity, something that has never been a problem in the neighborhood."
Sánchez says that the problems began a month earlier when the hotel accepted a number of new residents a month before the latest incident. Bear club members started to complain of being verbally harassed as they made their way to the clubhouse or that their vehicles were damaged after refusing to pay them a bogus parking fee.
AG Magazine says that, in their complaint to INADI, bear club members describe the assailants throwing rocks and glass bottles which left a few of their members hurt. They also say that while the police did eventually arrive, they treated the altercation as a minor problem between neighbors but refused to arrest anyone or to register a complaint.
Maria Rachid, a former president of the Argentinian LGBT Federation who was appointed as Vice President of INADI in December by Argentinean president Cristina Fernandes de Kirchner, said that the government-led agency would accompany the members of the bear club and help them to file criminal charges on the basis of any personal damages or injuries as well as attempted murder. She also vowed to approach the local police department to address the way their officers responded to the attack.
After the rally at the Spanish embassy yesterday and the bad news from Colombia this weekend I needed to head out and hang out with friends. I did - and I have to say I had a great time with The Doug at the usual bear haunts (Dugout, Ty's. et al.). At Ty's? The Bob! Yeah, yeah! I know, the Hüsker Dü stuff? Primo! But his solo stuff? Love it even more! Promised him I'd make it to Joe's Pub when he's back in New York in April. I don't easily get star-struck but, trust me! I was.
On Saturday, I urged you to donate what you could to The Lesbian and Gay Bands of America (LGBAC) so they could defer costs related to their historic participation as the first-ever LGBT marching band to have been invited to take part of the Presidential Inaugural Parade (which takes place tomorrow on inauguration day).
One of the marchers is Sal Garcia (left), a friend who agreed to answer a couple of questions for this blog on the eve of the event.
Blabbeando: I know that you have been marching locally at the different pride events throughout the New York City metropolitan area during the past few years. I always love it when I see you in the crowd. What has that experience been like over the years?
Sal: To elaborate on this, NYC is not our only venue, as the LGBAC, we represent the Lesbian and Gay community in places such as New Hope, PA, Ausbury and Montclair, NJ, Albany, Providence RI, Boston, DC, as well as participation in gay games across the nation etc. As a member of the LGBAC, my fellow band members and I are ambassadors for the LGBT community. We are in essence a family that through our love for music, dance, and the art of the color guard artistry bring attention to our community of LGBT citizens in positive light,
Blabbeando: You will be marching at the Inaugural Parade for the President of the United States. The first time that an LGBT marching band has ever been invited to participate. How did you find out that you would be marching? What was your reaction?
Sal: We put in our application as did other groups. We found out that we were being considered for participation shortly after Obama's election. At this point, whether it was a pre-parade performers or actual parade performers was unknown. In the early part of December we were informed that we would be a parade unit. Since then, we have all been on pins and needles.
Blabbeando. It will probably be an incredible experience. What are your expectations about the weekend?
Sal: We don't know what to expect. We have worked hard to represent our LGBT community across the nation and the world for that fact. We just all see this as a 'Brand New Day', which happens to the title of one of our songs (from The Wiz)
Blabbeando: BTW, it will probably be REALLY cold. Mittens or gloves?
Sal: Mixture depending what instrument or equipment you handle but I am wearing gloves.
Blabbeando: Finally, what does it mean for you that the event is part of the swearing in of Barack Obama, the first African-American president that this country has ever had?
Sal: What Joe (my partner) wrote on his Facebook wall gives you some perspective…
Being Part of History! 9:27am: In just hours Sal and I will join our brothers and sisters of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association in Washington, DC as we make history by being the first lesbian and gay marching group to march in a presidential inaugural parade.
This is truly an honor, one which we approach with excitement as well as, nervousness. But the love of family and friends have been a source of courage and empowerment to all involved in this magical day.
Our friend and fellow band member, Leslie Becker, had this to say about the history of our civil right trek.
I have made a lot of history with some of you. Together as the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps we were the first openly gay group to perform for a president when we marched in the bicentennial of George Washington's Inaugural in 1989. That was Daddy Bush we played for then. And in 1993 with the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America (now Association) we played for the new president, Bill Clinton, at the Inaugural parade as pre-parade performers. That was truly an amazing experience, and many of my BAC friends were there to share the experience with me. And, it was so much fun that we did it again in 1997.
But this, this is by far the best. We have elected our first African-American president. Just 143 years ago the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished. In 1870 black men were given the vote. But I am betting that many were turned away at the polls until after the civil rights movement was well underway, thanks in large part to Rosa Parks being tired (and sick and tired) that night back in 1955 when she flat out said, by virtue of not getting up: 'No. YOU stand up. I was here first and my feet hurt.'
1945 saw Jackie Robinson in a Dodgers uniform as the first black man to play a major league sport. In 1969 schools were desegregated and "WHITES ONLY" signs finally disappeared from water fountains and public pools. So how historic is Barack Obama's election? Well, look at those dates. Much of it happened mere moments ago, in the grand scheme of things. So this is very historic indeed.
And now we continue a civil rights movement started by some drag queens who said "No," just as Rosa Parks did. (Only these queens battered police cars with parking meters.) In 1969 when our civil rights movement started it was a crime to be homosexual. Next Tuesday an LGBT band is marching in the Inaugural Parade. But we still have so very far to go, so we cannot ever rest on our laurels. We continue to fight the fight started that hot June night, only now we do it with flutes and flags rather than lighter fluid and matches.
I have faith in America. I have faith in our new president. And I have faith in us. We will march along that parade route just as proudly as any other band. No...maybe just a little bit prouder, indeed.
To Sal and I, the LGBAC is a family that as you can see from Leslie's beautiful words has its own rich history within our Lesbian and Gay community. However, as we all know, nothing can grow without proper nourishment and thus, we thank you our family and friends for the never-ending nurturing and support that you have shown. Thank you for giving our LGBAC family and us, the drive, courage and fortitude to be the presence, sound and spirit of the Lesbian and Gay Community now and always! Hold on, We're Coming for it's a brand new day!
The event is being put together by my friend (and amazing cartoonist) Ivan Velez and is meant to celebrate bears of colors everywhere. He promises it will be "oso beeyootiful!"
Who knows, I might even show up!
Ivan is the author of the influential and seminal comic book series "Tales of the Closet". It literally changed my life. Check it out if you're in the city.
"Bears: Protected Species" is the first nationally funded HIV prevention campaign to target the bear community and consists of a stand-alone website ( ososcontraelsida.com ) which provides access to information about HIV and STD prevention, drug use as related to sexual risk taking, and directions and phone numbers for HIV testing sites throughout the country.
Once on the site you can click on "Descarga Campaña" in order to get access to the posters, post-cards, stickers and website banners for the campaign as well as a 32-page "Illustrated HIV prevention Guide."
In a press statement the FELGBT said that they had chosen to target men who identify with the bear scene "because they have an image of being healthy, robust men who appear not to be at risk of getting infected, but are in reality just as vulnerable when it comes to HIV as any other homosexual."
This is not the first time that Spain's gay bars have seen an HIV prevention campaign targeting the bear community. You might still remember that back in February of 2006 I featured the "BEARback yes, BAREback NO" campaign organized by bear event photographer Antinoo and some of his friends which was not officially sanctioned by the country's health departments but pretty effective as well.
A few weeks ago I got news that the meeting place for the Buenos Aires Bear Club (Osos de Buenos Aires) had been abruptly shut down on January 23rd by police right in the middle of what had been a birthday celebration for a club member.
Jump back to October of 2005: When journalist Rex Wockner told me he was heading down to Buenos Aires I told him to contact da' bears and maybe pay them a visit. He did.
Let's say he was impressed. So when I got the news that the Oso clubhouse had been closed, I alerted Rex.
Rex, in turn, wrote up a summary of the events leading up to the police crackdown and the contradictory reasons given by authorities for his weekly international LGBT news column. You can check it at this Windy City Times link (2nd story down, it features a photo of Rex at the Oso clubhouse).
Not much to ad myself. Only that in the club's website - under "Events" - they still say that the clubhouse remains shut down (they still meet on Sundays at the Contramano bar).
For those of you who understand Spanish, there was a great Feb. 2nd OpEd piece by Graciela Mochkofsky in Perfil calling into question just how gay-friendly Buenos Aires is in light of the apparent attempt of intimidation by the authorities and the fact that the clubhouse remains closed.
In the OpEd Mochkofsky says that the club had already been shut down once by authorities in February of 2006 following allegations of noise violations but the club, which is a non-profit organization, had successfully applied for the appropriate permits and had been able to reopen.
This time María Rachid, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans (FALGBT), tells Mochkofsky that two inspectors visited the clubhouse on February 21st to make sure it was closed. When the club explained that they had gotten the proper permits, the inspectors stepped inside anyway and later said that everything seemed in order except for one thing: They warned that there were no condom dispensers in the bathrooms for people to purchase using coins.
The bears, Rachid said, were more than surprised: "At several places throughout the site baskets are always kept full of free condoms provided by the national government to the Bears as active participants in campaigns against AIDS."
No matter. The inspector insisted that condoms should be available for sale and not given away for free (in her column, Mochkofsky notes that - as absurd as the demand might seem - she remembered that a while back authorities had also threatened to shut down a lesbian bar under similar allegations that no condoms were being offered for sale to the bar's clients).
The authorities came back on the 23rd and shut down the club.
This seems to be the type of police harassment that was so prevalent in Latin America during the past few decades but coming from as "gay friendly" a city as Buenos Aires it still shocks. Let's hope that the bears regain access to their lair sooner than later.
By the way, a few years back a television show from Chile featured the Osos de Buenos Aires. Here is a look at the segment:
Adil Doukali (pictured above), the 32 year old Moroccan man who won the Mr. Bear Spain 2007 sash last summer - and then drew heated criticism for comments he made about his sexual orientation during a nationally televised gossip show - has sent me a link to a new interview he did with a Spanish gay magazine called MOXOW.
Although I can't find a direct online link to the interview, a .pdf version of the magazine can be downloaded here (the interview is featured on page 9 of the magazine).
Here's my translation of the interview from the original Spanish:
MOXOW: Why did you decide to present yourself at [Spain's] 2007 Bear Fest? Adil Doukali: Simply because I'm a Bear. I have a beard, I'm hairy, handsome, I had what the contest required. In my opinion the Mr. Bear contest is, before anything, a "beauty" contest, which is to say that people are judged on aesthetic terms. I match the Bear aesthetic. M: You were named Mr. Bear 2007 last summer and you went on with a normal life until you appeared in an Antena3 show. Why did you want to appear on television? AD: I thought it would be interesting to show that a Muslim Moroccan man could be gay. I also thought we would talk about the bear world. M: Nevertheless things became complicated. AD: The show's hosts stopped asking about this subject and went directly to the topic of religion. If you ask me what the Koran [says] about homosexuality I will say the same thing that I told them, that it's a sin. It was very harsh [for me] when they showed a segment taped outside a mosque and asked my countrymen about me, showing them photos of me in underwear which had been published in Hot Bear magazine - to be naked in public is a sin in the Muslim religion. M: What we didn't understand was your desire to return to a good path by marrying a woman. Can you explain? AD: I am bisexual and it's true that one day I may want to marry a woman. It's a possibility. What happens is that if you ask me who I am, I would tell you that I am gay. Because in Marroqui culture - and also in mine - to be gay or bi, is the same thing because in either case you sleep with men. People did not understand that a boy who says he is gay [can also] declare that he wants to marry a woman. For me bi and gay is the same thing. There were people and journalists who said that I regreted being gay and this I never said, nor is it the truth. M: What was your reaction to everything that happened [after] that show? AD: It hurt me that people didn't try to get in touch with me before printing that information. It surprised me that a lot of gays [reproached] me and did not want to accept that a bisexual could be Mr. Bear. M: That is something that is still not clear to us. A bisexual can participate in the Mr. Bear contest? AD: I wasn't told anything before participating nor was I asked anything. After the show on Antena3 I remained with the organizers of the contest. The only thing I was told was that it would have been better if I hadn't said that I was bi. But they didn't give me trouble nor was I stripped of my title as many have said. M: Do you regret appearing on that show? AD: No, even if things got pretty bad afterwards. The news even came out in Morocco where my whole family lives. My mother and my sister had a rough time. They wouldn't leave the house for fear of people. There were rumors that I would be killed. I have friends there who used to say I was a very good person who now say I am a woman. M: At the very least in Spain things are better? AD: A lot of hetero people recognize me in the streets. And that's what I wanted, that the Bear [lifestyle] reach heterosexual people. Nevertheless a lot of people have not understood me, I have work colleagues that don't greet me [Doukali works as a home painter], don't talk to me or throw insults at me. Even the old Mr. Bear 2006 took it up against me in a Barcelona magazine, calling me false and telling lies about me. M: We hope you're not also angry with us. AD: Nah, you are the only ones who have agreed to interview me to know what really took place. I get angry if I'm not given the possibility to tell the truth and respond. You have listened to me and that's why I respect you. M: Well, thanks, and to finish the interview: Do you know if you are heading to San Francisco for the selection of Mr. International Bear? AD: Well, at the moment I don't know a thing. The contest takes place in February and to date nobody has gotten in touch with me. If they ask me to go, I'll go.
The annual International Bear Rendezvous ends today in San Francisco and the International Bear competition took place last night. No word on whether Adil made it to the event or won any new titles.
Earlier in the week I contacted Adil Doukali, Mr. Bear Spain 2007, and asked him about comments he made on a Spanish gossip / talk show on Antena 3, one of Spain's largest television networks.
Though I haven't actually seen the interview, 20 Minutos reported on Dec. 8 that the Morocco-born man revealed he was bisexual and said "I hope to some day recover the good path, to have a woman and children" - comments that have drawn the ire of some in the gay community in Spain (see comments at this Spanish-language site) and glee from some conservative websites (including this one, also in Spanish).
20 Minutos also implied that Doukali lied to organizers of the Mr Bear Spain contest by representing himself as being "100% gay" and claimed that he was on the verge of turning his back on homosexuality (an eye-catching claim that probably sold more than a few papers) even as blogger GayMenGC provided better context).
In the e-mail message he sent me, Mr. Doukali denies he lied to the Mr. Bear Spain 2007 organizers but stops short of addressing some of his most problematic comments (you can write to me directly if you want to receive the original Spanish language message - in the meantime here is my transtation):
Hello and good day, today I am afraid to say anything, today I live feeling terrorized, what has happened to me is very rough, I am a sincere and sensible guy, and when I participated in this contest it was to show the beauty my God gave me, showing favoritism to a hairy and bearded man that doesn't shave, and to show that there are men from Morocco who have an open mind.
In the contest there are no questions as to whether you are bisex or gay, the jury's questions were 'Why do you want to be Mr. Bear?' and about my Islamic culture, and whether I knew who the president of France was, and if I was willing to fight against homophobia.
The truth is that I am going through a bad moment. I thought that people would respect my ideas in the same way that I respect everybody else, at no time did I have the intention to offend anybody, neither gays nor Muslims, something that nowadays has placed my life and that of my family in an unbearable hell. I am sorry for this misunderstanding and I am sorry, my friend, because I cannot write any more because I am very depressed.
What strikes me about this whole thing is the the intersection between sexuality, religious dogma, negative views about immigrants in Spain (which are similar to those in the United States and particularly in this presidential race) and the rush to demonize anyone who does not conform to gay ideals. Yes, I am still struck by Mr. Doukali's choice of words when it comes to what the right or wrong path is for a man when it comes to his sexuality but I am also struck by his willingness to condemn - as a Muslim man - abuses against gay people in Islamic countries as well as the hypochrisy of other men who might sleep with men but never aknowledge it.
Furthermore, in one of his online profiles he proudly features a video that showcases his nomination as Mr. Bear Spain 2007 which seems to indicate he is more comfortable with his sexuality that others are giving him credit for. Part of his participation at the contest night itself is also available on YouTube (he is the last one featured in this clip):
I say give Mr. Doukali a chance and welcome him to San Francisco in February.
Well, this certainly has gotten a bit more interesting.
With my recent post about Morocco-born Adil Doukali getting massive online hits this week, a bit more information has become available about the context in which he stated that he hoped to be "on the good path" to meeting a woman and raising kids in the future after being elected to defend Spain's crown at the upcoming International Bear Rendezvouz.
Over at GayMenGC there is a substantial description of the interview that ran on Spain's Antena3 this Friday - which I am quoting almost in its entirety - that provides additional context to Doukali's comments:
The programme’s presentation team were openly supportive of him as the contest winner, and respectful of the bear and wider gay community: but they didn’t pull any punches in questioning him about how he felt about the public repression and ill-treatment of gay men in many countries which describe themselves as “Islamic”.
He’s 32 and Moroccan, but has been living in Spain for some time, working as a painter and decorator. There’s no doubt he publicly identifies himself as a gay man, but also says there’s a bisexual side to him, and he doesn’t rule out the possibility of marrying a woman and raising a family.
What he does rule out is the possibility of marrying a man, for religious reasons. This sits somewhat strangely alongside his new role, since he’s been elected to act as an “ambassador” for the bear community, and it’s probably a comment which the contest organisers may find uncomfortable, and many in the gay community will find unacceptable; though it’s clearly a personal view, and not one which he said others should necessarily agree with.
In some ways, it was a very uncomfortable interview, seeing someone - who is in so many ways a modern Western gay man - still wrestling with the contradictions of the religious teaching he has grown up with (something which affects those gay men here who are also devout Catholics). But it was an interesting snapshot too, which probably captures the confused loyalties of other gay men brought up under Islam.
He accepts that Islam talks about homosexuality as being a sin, but says that God should be his judge not men: he openly condemns the treatment of gay men in those muslim countries where we suffer persecution, and is calling for more HIV/AIDS education in Morocco and elsewhere.
He also acknowledges that there’s a great deal of hypocrisy in Morocco and elsewhere, and that men frequently have clandestine gay relationships, particularly before and often after getting married. But he also admitted during the interview that though he didn’t believe he would suffer any consequences should he go home to visit his family in Morocco (he says in particular that his family are very “modern”), living in Spain has given him a very different life.
As a man born in South America, I know how tough it is to turn away from religious dogma when it goes against every grain of your body and yet, as I cringe about Doukali's choice of words in describing a "good path" to marriage and children, there is part of me that is impressed by a man who says he is a devout Muslim and is willing to be chosen as Spain's representative to IBR and to openly condemn "the treatment of gay men in those muslim countries where we suffer persecution." A curious aside: One of the men Doukali beat for the title was Javier Gónzalez (left) who came in third place. Gónzalez is better known in the States as gay porn sensation Edu Boxer who has performed for a couple of Lucas Entertainment features along with his boyfriend Manu Maltes.
Lucas Entertainment is, of course, run by pouty Zoolander-type Michael Lucas who has an opinion column in the New York Blade that often riles against all things Muslim (which my friend Faisal Alam has taken to task in the past).
I'm sure not all will agree with me but we certainly hope to see Doukali at IBR despite the recent controversies.
Spain's 20minutosis reporting that the man elected to defend the country's international beaut... - er - bear contest sash at the International Bear Rendezvouz in San Francisco this February has shocked the gay establishment by going on national television talk show and declaring that, hm, he wants kids with a woman down the line and, hm, that he's not 100% gay (he now says that he is bisexual).
Though not denying his attraction to men, Morocco-born Adil Doukalisaid "I hope to some day recover the good path, to have a woman and children" (indicating that he might be on the bad path to IBR?)
Last year Spaniard Andrés Piedehierro won the crown - er sash. Now the sponsoring organization says that current candidate Doukali lied by representing himslef as being 100% gay - a prerequisite for being nominated as a candidate from Spain - and says they are distraught by his comments (even though I went through the IBR files and I didn't find anything that precluded a bi guy or even a straight guy from participating in the contest).
Doukali also happens to be the first foreign-born man to be elected to represent Spain in the event.
Is this much ado about nothing? Probably. I've always found these type of bear contests a bit silly (even if three of the winners in the past couple of years are personal acquaintances) but this certainly ads a little fun drama to the proceedings and what would a beauty contest be withouth the drama?
I sorta stumbled upon Pinups Magazine yesterday and thought it was cute. Furry Brooklynite photo-artist Christopher Schulz (not the furry Brooklynite on the cover of Issue 3, mind you, but still furry nevertheless) puts it out and it's supposed to fold out so that you get a nice groovy poster you can hang just above your bed.
With a run of 200, the hot-sheets sell like pancakes at $20 bucks a pop (plus $2 for shipping AND handling) so get sum. Issue 3 is out in September.
For kids that found themselves visiting or going through the Hetrick Martin Institute during the late 1980's and 1990's his work on "Tales of the Closet" probably remains indelible from their minds. Here was a multi-issue comic book that portrayed gay youth and their lives in uncompromising and direct fashion which was made available to youth at the center for free and sold to visitor for a small donation.
My acquaintance with the Bronx native goes further back to my teen years in Syracuse, New York. At the time (the early to mid-1980's) Velez drew an ongoing comic strip for the Syracuse University student newspaper The Daily Orange which also dealt with coming out issues and homosexuality and certainly made a big impact in my life.
When I found out about Planet Bronx Productions a while back, I sent Ivan a quick message thanking him for the positive impact of his work in my life. Still, despite living in the same city, we have yet to meet. I hope to thank him personally on Saturday and, for the comic book lovers out there, I hope you can make it too.
Keith Boykin has some interesting thoughts on that YouTube video making the rounds of Enrique Iglesias more than performing at a gay bar in London (see above). Terrance is smitten. I personaly retch everytime I hear his voice, but - hey - that's me.
Rex covers the recent violence at Moscow Pride, so does Doug Irelandhere, while Joe.My.Godtook pictures at yesterday's small protest outside the Russian consulate in New York. Michael Petrelis also has photos of a similar protest outside the Russian consulate in San Francisco. Good as Youtakes issue with one aspect of the protests in NY and SF.
Miss Wild Thingpicks her tribe over news that a former Democratic National Committee gay outreach advisor is suing the DNC.
Donald asks dancehall-reggae singer Buju Banton to explain himself in light of a recent performance he did in New York (and has a related poll for his blog readers).
From Venezuela, Jogregadmits that it wasn't easy to open up about his life as a gay man in Venezuela in as public a venue the BBC (he won a contest and was given access to write in blog-form on the BBC site for a couple of months) [NOTE: Both of those links lead to Spanish-language only entries, sorry].
While some are entranced by Eurovision weirdness, we have always swooned for this season's edition of "Dancing with the Stars." You know why, don't ya.
So we'll say it: Joey Fatone: You were robbed! And you will always be a winnah in our eyes...
Now, if only Joey would be willing to teach me a few dance steps. I swear, the hubby would not mind!
First it was supposed to be gloriously sunny and mild earlier in the week, then it was supposed to be rainy all day long. Luckily the rain held off for most of the day and the 1st annual New York Dance Parade was able to get off the ground a little after the announced 1pm starting time.
The deal: 157 dance organizations dancing in 57 different dance styles.
The goal: To shine a light on New York’s unfair cabaret law, which bars three or more people from dancing in a venue without a special permit; a law reinforced by one of our own current presidential candidates, Rudy Giuliani and his Nightclub Enforcement Task Force which clamped down on - gulp! - unlicensed dancing (where's Kevin Bacon when you need him?).
We've got more photos here but, most importantly, we also got lotsa videos too! Including a carioca version of Danny Tenaglia's "Music is the Answer," those hottie cops I mentioned before, Freedom doing "Everybody Dance Now" despite some technical problems that plagued his performance (OMG, I think I can hear myself singing in that one) and his protege Alkebulan.
Best ones by far, Afro Mosaic Soul and the Dance Factory (see below for YouTube videos).
So when Steven passed away last year (and thanks to comments I made on this blog about it) some cool peeps reached out and shared their thoughts on him as well. One of them was Wika who lives in Hawaii and did this vlog in remembrance. Beautiful voice, no?
Well, a few days ago we all screamed like a little girl when Wika faced his office nemesis. Thankfully Wika overcame.
Unfortunately, having overcome, Wika pinched his sciatic nerve at work yesterday (ouch!). Anyone wanna keep him company?
American Idol... Grease: You're the One that I Want... Big Brother... I have never picked up the phone to vote for any participant in any of these neuron-wasting experiments...
Until TONIGHT!
Unfortunately my hormones got the better of me tonight. Yes, the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars was a brain drain of untold proportions (not so the rat loving Amazing Race: All Stars). But I just could not stand idle while Joey Fatone (formerly of N'SYNC) stole the show outright. So I (gulp!) picked up the phone and voted for him. Helps that it was an 800-number! Yay!
Then there's Bill Goldberg in Bull Run! Or Tango in VH1's "I Love New York." Damn it popular culture! Then again, please more husky guys!!
This one is a little late in coming, considering the 2006 International bear Rendezvous took place in San Francisco in mid-February but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Puerto Rican daddy bear extraordinaire Ali Lopez, a hot man with a heart of an angel, took away one of the 5 coveted event titles. Appropriatedly he was named Mr. International Daddy Bear 2006. The event, organized annually by the non-profit Bears of San Francisco as a fundraising event and bear social, draws thousands of burly men to the Golden Gate city for what is perhaps the preeminent bear event in the world.
I mention Ali in particular because - well, I know him - but aside from that he has also been an unsung hero to me for many years. Through his participation in these events, his visibility in other bear media, his artwork and generosity, Ali has consistently brought attention to bears of color within bear culture in the United States (go here if you need to ask). Most recently he has been hard at work on efforts to raise money to help those affected by the 2005 Katrina and Rita hurricane disasters.Ali was also featured in a chapter on bears of color in Ron Suresha's landmark 2002 "Bears on Bears" book.
In any case, congratulations go to Ali for a much deserved recognition.
Be careful what you wish for.
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Esta semana en Diversidad Capital por Capital 21 hablamos sobre
discriminación por edad con: Ana Francis Mor. Humberto Álvarez. Victoria
Beltrán del Consej...
MIT Fellowship and Relocation
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Very excited and grateful to begin a new chapter in my life. The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has awarded me one of ten Knight
Science Journalism ...
The Years Of Writing Dangerously
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Thirteen years ago, as I was starting to experiment with this blogging
thing, I wrote the following: [T]he speed with which an idea in your head
reaches th...
Joining the Trans Advocacy Network
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Post by Christopher Argyros, Pride Agenda Transgender Rights Organizer I’m
excited to announce that the Pride Agenda has joined the nationwide Trans
Advoca...
Chess, anyone?
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Art by MUROB
From Wikipedia...
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It
specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early ro...
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