This is the speech that I gave at the gathering in front of the MLK statue on UT - Austin campus before we marched to the capitol building. I HAD HESITATION ABOUT POSTING THIS SPEECH. But, why should I when I have been vocal about defending all of the communities that I am a part? I am Black, Gay & Atheist and I demand respect for and from all of my communites for each other.
#ALLBLACKLIVESMATTER #LGBTLIVESMATTER #BLACKWOMENSLIVESMATTER
Friday, January 23, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
MILLIONS MARCH TEXAS - UPDATE
Saturday, January 17, 2015
MILLIONS MARCH TEXAS - Austin, TX
Today I will be marching with many others to the steps of the Texas State Capitol where we will have a rally to say that #BlackLivesMatter. I, along with many others will be speaking about our demand for justice for Black lives and intersectiona that are involved.
Updates will be posted as things develop.
LOCATION: MLK Statue (East Mall - University of Texas)
UPDATES: Text "millionsmarchTX" to 84483
ROUTE:
BEGIN at MLK Statue on University of Texas at Austin
Head SOUTH on Speedway
Turn EAST on 21st Street to San Jacinto
Turn SOUTH on San Jacinto to Martin Luther King Blvd.
Turn WEST on MLK Blvd. to Congress Ave.
Head south SOUTH on Congress Ave.
END at Texas State Capitol Steps (facing 11th. Street)
Sunday, January 11, 2015
I, Too, Sing America
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker gay brother.
They ask me not to bring it up
When we are fighting for Civil
Rights
But I laugh,
And bring it up anyway
And stand strong
Today
I am at the table gay and all
While we are fighting for our
rights
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Don’t talk about being gay”
Now.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
#WeExist
Education of Us By Us & For Us
The main thing that we, THE GLBTQ COMMUNITY, must keep in mind is that we must educate ourselves about ourselves be for we can educate others about us. There are people who dont know, understand and dare I say respect our TRANS brothers and sisters as well as other parts of the GLBTQ community at large. COMING SOON will be one solution that I have in mind, I will focus on the education of US BY US AND FOR US! NO, IT will NOT be the one and for all fix to the issues that we face, BUT IT HAS TO START SOMEWHERE.
WHY IS HIV STILL STIGMATIZED? WE NEED AN HIV 101 BTW... AND NOT JUST TESTING AND COUNSELING...WE NEED TO MAKE THIS NOT SO TABOO
WHY DO WE MISGENDER TRANS PERSONS AND THEN GET MAD WHEN THEY LEAVE OUR COMMUNITY?
WHY ARE GAYS AND LESBIANS SO SEPARATED IN MANY CASES?
WHATS UP WITH THE SEGREGATION ALONG RACE AND ETHNIC LINES IN OUR COMMUNITY?
WHY DO WE NOT STAND UP FOR OUR RIGHTS?
WHY DO WE SIT IN CERTAIN PLACES OF WORSHIP AND ALLOW CLERGY TO PAINT US AS EVIL?
AND FOR SOME OF US, WHY ARE WE ONLY GAY WHEN ITS CONVENIENT, LOOK DOWN ON OTHERS WHO FIGHT WHILE YOU BENEFIT FROM THE WORK THAT THEY FOUGHT FOR?
These are just some of the question that we need to ask and challenge ourselves with.
#WeExist
Friday, January 9, 2015
How Did We Become African American?
A Sociologist is supposed ask questions then formulate a solution to the issue: This article is just the TIP of a large iceberg in defining origins of the term African American.
Well here are some QUESTIONS:
Do many of you whom call yourselves African American know its origins, the term I mean?
Did someone tell you that this is what you should call yourself "because" or because it just the way things are?
When this change from Black to African American occurred, was the concept of race as a social construct considered? (Before you answer, consider that like debt, race does not exist, it is merely a metric and means of social control)
Do you think that it is fair, in a glocalized/global community and economy to call ourselves African American due to ancestry and distort the definition of those who migrate from Africa annually to the United States?,
NOW EXCUSE THE FACT that I am an Atheist, and ask yourself if you think that the construct of being an African American, Black, Negro and etc is tied closely to how deeply entrenched our community of color is into the church?
Did you ever question your religious beliefs and how it affected your view of self and community as it pertains to race? (It seems like we don't question religion and just see it as "this is all I know and believe, its what I was taught...") Do we view our racial identity through this same lens?
Think on it.....and remember, before you answer these questions to keep in mind that Race and Ethnicity are two DIFFERENT concepts:
ETHNICITY- refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. The most common characteristics distinguishing various ethnic groups are ancestry, a sense of history, language, religion, and forms of dress. Ethnic differences are not inherited; they are learned.
RACE - refers to groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them. For instance, while differences and similarities in eye color have not been treated as socially significant, differences and similarities in skin color have.
****these are questions, that is all they are****
-''When did they take a vote on what blacks wanted to be called?'' C. Hutherson, a black Chicagoan, asked in a letter to The Chicago Sun-Times. ''They must have done it while I was asleep. Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have a lot of nerve speaking for all blacks.'' 'I Want to Stay Black'
-''This doesn't mean that everything will be wonderful and all the poor people will get taken care of,'' said Mary Frances Berry, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania who is a member of United States Civil Rights Commission. ''But with the devastating problems in the community now, building self-esteem can't be all bad,'' said Professor Berry, who is black. ''It's not going to make things worse.''
#FOOD4THOUGHT #DoYouKnowWhoYouARE #CriticalThoughtRequired
Well here are some QUESTIONS:Do many of you whom call yourselves African American know its origins, the term I mean?
Did someone tell you that this is what you should call yourself "because" or because it just the way things are?
When this change from Black to African American occurred, was the concept of race as a social construct considered? (Before you answer, consider that like debt, race does not exist, it is merely a metric and means of social control)
Do you think that it is fair, in a glocalized/global community and economy to call ourselves African American due to ancestry and distort the definition of those who migrate from Africa annually to the United States?,
NOW EXCUSE THE FACT that I am an Atheist, and ask yourself if you think that the construct of being an African American, Black, Negro and etc is tied closely to how deeply entrenched our community of color is into the church?
Did you ever question your religious beliefs and how it affected your view of self and community as it pertains to race? (It seems like we don't question religion and just see it as "this is all I know and believe, its what I was taught...") Do we view our racial identity through this same lens?
Think on it.....and remember, before you answer these questions to keep in mind that Race and Ethnicity are two DIFFERENT concepts:
ETHNICITY- refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. The most common characteristics distinguishing various ethnic groups are ancestry, a sense of history, language, religion, and forms of dress. Ethnic differences are not inherited; they are learned.
RACE - refers to groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them. For instance, while differences and similarities in eye color have not been treated as socially significant, differences and similarities in skin color have.
****these are questions, that is all they are****
-''When did they take a vote on what blacks wanted to be called?'' C. Hutherson, a black Chicagoan, asked in a letter to The Chicago Sun-Times. ''They must have done it while I was asleep. Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have a lot of nerve speaking for all blacks.'' 'I Want to Stay Black'
-''This doesn't mean that everything will be wonderful and all the poor people will get taken care of,'' said Mary Frances Berry, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania who is a member of United States Civil Rights Commission. ''But with the devastating problems in the community now, building self-esteem can't be all bad,'' said Professor Berry, who is black. ''It's not going to make things worse.''
#FOOD4THOUGHT #DoYouKnowWhoYouARE #CriticalThoughtRequired
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