My New York: A couple of reminders

Funeral services for Willi Ninja are tonight at the Roy L. Gitmore Funeral Home in St. Alban's, Queens. Gay City News ran their obituary yesterday.

The truly unique 13th Annual Clubhouse Jamboree takes place this Sunday at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. For more info, visit DJ lil Ray. (yup, that's DJ Spinna above spinning records at last year's event, he's on the bill again this year). Other DJ's on this year's line up include Karisma ("4 the Love"), Carlos Sanchez, DJ Soto. There will also be a performances by the Diamond Temple & The Temple Dynasty and Afro Mosaic Soul Dance Company.

For the politically inclined, there'll be lots of pavement pounding by those running for political office and those they are challenging as they brace for Tuesday's primary. My suggestion is that if you decide to volunteer, you stay away from the larger and better-funded campaigns, and devote a couple of hours to a local campaign that you like in your district.

Reberverations: Willi Ninja's passing

COMMENTS FROM OTHER BLOGS

• RIPs: Steve Irwin, Willi Ninja, polar opposites (evillaugh, Sept. 4, 2006)
  
• The loss of an ICON (Lavish Magazine, Sept. 4, 2006)
• An appreciation: Willi Ninja, legend (1961-2006) (Slaves of Academe, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Willi Ninja, RIP (J's Theatre, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Sweet dreams Willi Ninja (justBthat, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Willi Ninja Supreme (LaTasha Natasha Diggs, Sept. 3, 2006)
• RIP, Willi Ninja (kb Network, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Rest in peace, Willi Ninja (The Adventures of an Extroverted Wallflower, Sept. 3, 2006)
• To Willi (Faux Real, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Willi Ninja, RIP (Living Out Loud with Darian, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Paris still burns: Willi Ninja R.I.P. (Terrence Says, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Hold that pose: Remembering Willi Ninja (Karl Xtravaganza, Sept. 3, 2006)
• RIP Willi Ninja, you will be missed baby (Michelle Visage, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Willi Ninja, father of vogue dancing, passes (Da Greasy Guide, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Strike a pose... (Make Up Beat, Sept. 3, 2006)
• Willi Ninja, R.I.P. (Harry2Much, Sept. 2, 2006)
• Willi Ninja, a true friend (Angel Eyes Rodriguez, Sept. 2, 2006)
• In loving memory of the icon Willi Ninja (Jasmyne Cannick, Sept. 2, 2006)
• End of an era: Willi Ninja steals away (taylor Siluwé, Sept. 2, 2006)

UPDATE #1: MEDIA COVERAGE

• Godfather of voguing, star of "Paris is Burning" dies in NYC - Includes comments from Madonna (AP, Sept. 5, 2006)
• New York Times obituary (NYT, Sept. 6, 2006)
• Gay City News obituary (Sept.7, 2006)

UPDATE #2: COMMENTS ON WILLI'S MEMORIAL SERVICE AND FUNERAL, HELD ON FRI. SEPT. 8, 2006 IN ST. ALBAN'S, QUEENS

• Last night (Emmanuel Xavier, Sept. 9, 2006)
• Remembering Willi... (Preboot a/k/a Donald Agarrat, Sept. 9, 2006)

Willi Ninja, rest in peace

So word is already out there and, since we have already written about Willi Ninja's recent health problems and hospital stay, let us join the rising chorus of voices mourning the passing of a true legend. Willi Ninja passed away this morning on a rainy and grey New York day.

I will let others tell the story:

• Rest in Peace Willie (Aimee)
• Willi Ninja - You will always be 'Legendary' (Emanuel Xavier)
• Willi Ninja, RIP (Keith Boykin)

I am sure a whole choir will speak up for this tremendous loss. And, yes, Paris will still be burning...

UPDATE: Over on his blog, Emanuel Xavier has updated information about a funeral service for Willi Ninja to be held this Friday in St. Albans, Queens. At the time of his passing, there were some hospital bills that still had to be paid and friends are trying to set up a way for people to donate and help his mother cover some of these expenses; below you can find information should you want to give a donation. Additional information about a fundraising event / memorial party tentatively set for November will be forthcoming. Aimee is also asking people who might have photos of Willi to send them to her at Dancemusicdiva@aol.com. For the latest, you can visit Willi Ninja's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/willininja which is being updated by Aimee. I will share additional information as it becomes more concrete (also, candlelight vigils are being organized in Chicago this Friday to coincide with Willi's funeral as well as Miami Beach though this comments doen't give a date).

Funeral Services for Willi Ninja
Friday, September 8, 2006 (7-9 pm)
Roy L. Gilmore's Funeral Home
19102 Linden Boulevard
Saint Albans, Queens, NY 11412
718-529-3030

DONATIONS
Please send checks or money orders c/o "Aimee Newman" with "Willi Ninja" writen in the memo line. Donations will be cashed in and given in their totality to Willi Ninja's mother. They should be sent to the following address with a note that clearly indicates who is sending the donation.

Aimee Newman/ Willie Ninja
72 Van Reipen Ave
PMB 122
Jersey City, NJ 07306

Update: Willie Ninja happy to see friends

[UPDATED-INFORMATION: Unfortunately, while Willi Ninja did live another day, he ultimately lost the battle with his deteriorating health and passed away on September 2nd, 2006. For more information please go here - Andres]

Over on his blog, Emanuel Xavier has posted a couple of updates on Willi Ninja's health status here and here following reports that he was in the hospital and might not make it through the weekend.

And, while the situation does not seem as dire as some reported, it is not necessarily all good news either.

According to Emanuel, Willi has been in the hospital for more than three weeks and might not be able to walk after he leaves the hospital. He is also poor of sight but concerned that his death might have been foretold a bit too soon. He has asked, through Emanuel and others, to request that bloggers spread out the news that he is not on his deathbed and will make it out of the hospital soon (Emanuel also says that he was among those who went to see Willi at the hospital and that, while Willi's still very much a diva, he has been grateful for the notes of support and visits he has received).

Aimee, who posted an older message on Willi Ninja's blog saying that he was in the hospital with some back ailments, also posted a new message asking for people to stop sending alerts that Willi might be dying this weekend and, like Emanuel, she says he is in good spirits.

That's Willi in the photo with "The Devil Wears Prada" fashion maven Patricia Field at a party to celebrate her 40 years in the fashion industry (photographed by Andrew Der back in April).

Seems as if Willi will live another day! Yay!

When Andrew Sullivan's blog tags you

Who knew? Within the past hour pundit Andrew Sullivan added a link to my Fotki photo site, on his Time Magazine owned blog. On Fotki, I've uploaded photos of different LGBT-related events that I have attended and also acted as a host to images that accompany reporter Rex Wockner's weekly columns for several newspapers. Well, within that hour more than 1,400 people have visited with more than 7,300 hits. Kinda scary.

The direct link on Andrew's site is to a folder of photos in one of the Wockner folders taken by Nikolai Alekseev of GayRussia.ru at an anti-gay pride rally in Latvia last week (pictured: A religious woman with holy water and an icon flings herself upon a car carrying gay activists).

Bt the way, Rex Wockner's report on the Latvia gay pride disaster can be read here.

Word is Willi Ninja is in the hospital

An e-mail message has been making the rounds with disturbing news that legendary Willi Ninja is in the hospital and not doing well. The original message, sent by ballroom house Mother Juan Aviance, says that Willi "is in the hospital amnd he's not doing well and may not make it through the weekend."

Emmanuel Xavier reminices:

"Willi recently stepped forward as yet another one of our most legendary ballroom figures living with HIV, lovingly referred to as "The Grandfather of Vogue." I've known Willi since I was barely legal and surviving at the West Side Highway piers as a hustler. They were just filming the documentary "Paris Is Burning" which would introduce the world to voguing and launch his career as a talented performer. Besides being amazing to watch on the dance floor, Willi Ninja remains one of the most beautiful and gifted souls of our community. He has reached so many people with his love and laughter. Willi was one of the very first people to support my dreams and ambitions as a writer and with the founding of the House of Xavier. Of course, I am simply one of many lives he has touched."

He also send out an excerpt from his poem "Legendary"

There are Gods amongst us in these ghettos
so black, so fierce,
so brown, so beautiful,
their time on earth may be as oppressive as ignorance
limited to the demons flowing in their blood
but after safely passing over back to the clouds
the wind will still carry their auras and prophecies
their bones will still beat drums for their children to dance'
the phoenix will still rise from the flames of Paris with hope in womb

Over on Willi Ninja's MySpace.com page, someone called Aimee posted a message on the 24th that simply says: "[Willi] asked me to let his friends and fans know that he is sorry for not getting back to anyone that has emailed him but he hurt his back and is resting. He will answer you as soon as he feels better. Thank you again for your love and support. Have a wonderful day & God Bless."

Let's hope he does get better.

• UPDATE: Willi Ninja, rest in peace (Blabbeando, September 2, 2006)