Blabbeando nominated for the 1st ever GLAAD "Oustanding Blog" award

Seriously. Seriously? --- OK, "Seriously" is probably the one of those 2010 expressions that I hoped wouldn't survive the new year but I can't help but use it as I express my surprise at being chosen as one of five nominees to the first ever Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) "Outstanding Blog" awards.

And the nominees are:

• The Bilerico Project / Twitter
• Blabbeando / Twitter
• Joe.My.God. / Twitter
  
• Pam's House Blend / Twitter
• Rod2.0 / Twitter

For a long time, GLAAD has used its awards ceremonies to highlight excellence in media and televised coverage of LGBT issues but this the first time they honor excellence in social media including blogs.

It's bizarre, though, to be named in the same list as Burlesque (a nominee for 'Outstanding Film - Wide Release'), Grey's Anatomy (a nominee for 'Outstanding Drama Series'). Modern Family (a nominee for 'Outstanding Comedy Series'), the Scissor Sisters (a nominee for 'Outstanding Music Artists) and others

A preview:

I wanted to highlight some of the other nominees that might not get as much attention elsewhere.  They include the incredibly moving Peruvian film "Undertow / Contracorriente" which I saw in December and thought was the best movie of the year (nominated as 'Outstanding Film - Limited Release').

And, under Spanish-language nominees, I wanted to highlight amazing Mexican singer Christian Chavez who came out a couple of years before Ricky Martin did (he released a solo album called 'Almas Transparentes' last year and is a nominee for 'Outsanding Music Artist - Spanish language nominees'').

The great thing about being nominated for this first-ever 'Oustanding Blog' award is not necessarily that I expect to win. It's that I know each and everyone who has been nominated and consider them to be friends.  It might certainly be a cliché, but I am truly honored to be nominated.

Thanks, GLAAD, for considering this blog worthy of the nomination.

Related:

• GLAAD website here
• GLAAD media awards page here
• GLAAD on Twitter here

What LGBT bloggers do when they write about blogging conventions

In a piece published today at Bay Windows and the Bay Area Reporter by Lisa Keen, she reports on the LGBT Blogger and Citizen Journalist Convention that I attended last weekend in DC ("LGBT bloggers learn the ropes at summit"). The event was organized by blogger Mike Rogers (pictured right).

I know I already posted an unofficial listing of the blogs that were represented at the gathering. But now that everyone seems to have returned home, here are some thoughts on the convention by some of the participants.

Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend has several posts up mostly filed as the gathering took place which include a number of photos and video grabbed at several of the presentations / workshops. Here is her take on the on the opening day of workshops including video of a panel on the lessons of the passage of Prop. 8 in California; additional photos and videos; and her take on the second and last day of workshops including a presentation on the history of LGBT organizing by former Human Rights Campaign ED Tim McFeely and another on techniques to promote your work as a blogger in the larger media / blogosphere presented by the great Cathy Renna.

The Bilerico Project had an array of their contributors present bloging for the site as well as their individual blogs. Father Tony posted part of a speech by Barney Frank that I mentioned in one of my posts which actually took place at the Victory Fund luncheon (you can watch it here) and Alex Blaze commented on the few days that the Bilerico crew spent in DC.

Father Tony, whose personal blog can be found at over Farmboyz, posted some photos - including one of myself standing next to Buffawhat, Jimbo and Joe.My.God.

Which brings us naturally to my roommate for the weekend, Joe.My.God, who did this recap with a link to a slide show of lotsa-pics. Buffawhat has this and rugger Jimbo has this as well (he also was telling anyone who listened to go out and buy Robyn's latest CD).

Knucklecrack a/k/a Eric Leven attempted something similar to this post on Tuesday and might have done a better job at linking up to others than I am doing. He shares this... "There's Buffawhat, who by the end of the weekend I solely referred to as Buffawhaaaaaaat or would say, 'Buffawho? Buffawhat!' and sometimes I'd snap" which - amazingly - were exactly my thoughts when I met Buffawhat, except I didn't outwardly express those thoughts. Oh, and I didn't snap.

Greta Cristina has a great post in which she admits that she has "never done one of these conference reports before. I'm not quite sure how you do it" but nevertheless shares some interesting thoughts on the event (instead of describing the workshops she analyzes what they meant for her as a blogger).

Working Films, who I did not list in the original list of blogs I posted, reflected on the Prop. 8 panel, among other things.

Rod2.0 had did a brief rundown of the events Saturday and Sunday (with photos) while Mad Professah Lectures posted a photo of him and I (courtesy of Joe.My.Blog, I believe). I was looking forward to meeting both Rod and Ron as supportive as they have been of this blog over the years.

Other bloggers mostly reflected on how great it was to be there including Michael at Coming Out in Mid Life or had brief reactions like enGender, Existential Punk, & Gay Person of Color (who has more pics!). Matt at InterstateQ reflected on how cold DC was compared to his home city of Charlotte, NC.

Amazingly, one of the people I didn't meet was Ask the Gay Latino (!) who wrote this about the event. I kept wondering who he was and making a point of trying to ask about which blog he wrote but the chance never came.

So, not a complete rundown by any means. But a sampling of what bloggers took away from the weekend's convention.

Previously:

• LGBT Blogger and Ctizen Journalist Convention - Day 2 (Dec. 6, 2008)
• LGBT Blogger and Citizen Journalist Convention - Day 1 (Dec. 5, 2008)

Back from the Dead: Bloggers at Creating Change

Here is the thing: I never get sick. I don't know why. That's just the way it is. So when I began to cough and sniffle last week I hoped it would not turn out to be my first bout with the flu virus since the start of the millenium. Specially as I had a scheduled trip.

Instead, it was a miracle I made it to Detroit on Thursday for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change conference - and survived to tell the tale!

Let's just say I spent Thursday and Friday having an out of body experience in my hotel bedroom (at least that's what I call it).

And that I managed to get in good enough shape to boogie the night away last night in the company of comedian Kate Clinton and her partner, Urvashi Vaid (a former Task Force Executive Director); Lorri L. Jean, Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center (also a former Task Force Executive Director); and a hundred or so other revelers who honored activist Trishala Deb of the Audre Lorde Project in a secret annual ceremony that ended with a "Pomp and Circumstance" march down the elevators into the Detroit's Marriot Hotel Renaissance Center (Shh! Don't tell anyone!).

Back in New York tonight, feeling much better. Day off tomorrow so I might very well have recovered 100% by the time I get back to work.

One good thing: I got to meet some other bloggers at a small get together organized by Bilerico. Pictured above (l-r): H. Alexander Robinson from the National Black Justice Coalition; Lane Hudson, the former Human Rights Campaign staffer who exposed Florida State Representative Mark Foley for his indiscretions; blogger Wayne Besen; Bilerico's Bil Browning; former GLAAD staffer and current PR maven Cathy Renna; Bilerico's Jerame Davis and - hm - yours truly (even though I don't think I was feeling my best just yet as the photo was taken on Friday).

Here is more about Bilerico contribuitors. Here's Mike Roger's take.

Blabbeando goes orange for a day

Today we are joining other blogs out there, including Bilerico, in being orange for a day.

It's in solidarity with the American Civil Liberties Union's efforts calling for the closing of the prisons in Guantanamo.

You might want to join us as well. If you do so, please let Bil Browning of Bilerico know by leaving a message on this post and the ACLU as well by writing to them at: closeguantanamo@aclu.org .

Bilerico love and some thanks to start the year

A couple of weeks ago Bil Browning over at The Bilerico Project reached out and asked me to submit what I considered to be the best blog post on Blabbeando from 2007. This as an effort to promote blogs that people might not have read before (how nice!).

It might not be the best post of the year, but if you want to know which post I chose, just head over here and read on.

It's as good an opportunity as well to thank, for my first post of 2008, some of the larger blogs and news aggregator websites that have supported Blabbeando by highlighting some of our posts or linking up to the blog.

They include:

• Bilerico
• Citizen Crain
• Gay News Watch
• Guanabee
• Page One Q
• Rod2.0

Thanks guys!

By the way, two of those, Gay News Watch and Page One Q, are mentioned in an interesting Press Pass Q article posted online today ("News compilation websites get the word out but kinks remain"). It's written by Michael K. Lavers better known as Boy in Bushwick on our blog roll.

Bilerico also gets a nice write up in the Washington Blade this week ("Bilerico's 'underground flavor' draws gay fans").

I've been Bilerico'fied

Blabbeando has received The Bilerico Project's stamp of approval! We are now under the "Poject Recommended" blog roll.

Thank you guys! That's sweet!