NBJC

Greetings!

Has the National Bar Association Turned Its Back on Black LGBT Lawyers?

Despite its mission to "protect civil and political rights of the citizens and the residents of the United States," the National Bar Association overwhelmingly defeated a measure that would include LGBT-specific nondiscrimination language in its constitution in a vote of 36-120.

"How can an organization claiming to advocate on behalf of all Americans and cultivate strong legal leaders, refuse to acknowledge an entire segment of the Black community and its constituency?" asks Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBT people. "Black LGBT lawyers and judges are Black, too. Period. We've had several Black LGBT attorneys share with NBJC that they've never felt welcomed at NBA – now we see why."

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Has National Bar Association Rejected LGBT Lawyers?  

NBJC's Kimberley McLeod tries to understand why the Black legal association voted against LGBT-inclusive language:

"The National Bar Association was created because Black lawyers did not have a seat at the table. When George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, Charles P. Howard, and Gertrude E. Rush were denied admission to legal associations because of their race, they set out to create their own organization and made it their goal to fight discrimination. Almost a century later, the NBA falls short of ensuring that all African Americans are protected against unfair and unequal treatment. It is still legal in 29 states to discriminate based on sexual orientation and in 37 states to do so based on gender identity and expression. Without the same legal protections, Black LGBT people are some of our nation's most vulnerable."

WASHINGTON, DC: NBJC Attends

XIX International AIDS Conference   

Last month, leaders from the worlds of science, diplomacy, politics, philanthropy and entertainment spoke at the 19th annual International AIDS Conference. NBJC's presence was felt directly and indirectly at numerous sessions including "Leadership Role of Media in Reducing and Exposing Stigma and Discrimination" and the XIX International AIDS Conference Congressional Reception. We kept our constituents informed about the week's events through our updates on Facebook and live tweeting. ("Like" the NBJC Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @NBJContheMove to stay in the know.)

Black AIDS Institute Founder and Executive Director Phill Wilson was among the panelists at the Washington Post's "AIDS in America – The Invisible Epidemic" Forum. Journalist Jonathan Capehart led a discussion with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Meanwhile, blogger, journalist and NBJC Leadership Advisory Council (LAC) member Rod McCullom appeared on the panel "Reporting on the HIV Epidemic: Building HIV Literacy and Effectiveness for Journalists and the Media Whose Audiences are Underserved and Marginalized Communities."

Hispanic Black Gay Coalition Executive Director and NBJC LAC member Corey Yarbrough was featured on a panel in the LGBT Networking Zone exploring the findings of the Black AIDS Institute's new report.

 

NEW YORK: NBJC's Je-Shawna Wholley to Participate in GLAAD's People of Color Media Institute   

 

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has announced their 2nd Annual National People of Color Media Training Institute, funded by the Arcus Foundation and created specifically for people of color who are LGBT or LGBT allies. The Institute will consist of a two-day training program in New York (August 24-26) and Los Angeles (September 7-9), where GLAAD staff, leading journalists, talking heads and key media trainers will develop Institute participants with best practices for on-camera and radio interviews.

 

NBJC's Senior Outreach Fellow, Je-Shawna Wholley will be a part of this year's New York cohort. She will be joining LGBT activists from across the nation as she builds her skill in the art of communication.

 

"I believe storytelling is an important form of activism, particularly in our movement where our stories are not readily told," explains Wholley. "I'm excited to use my voice and platform to advocate for my community."

 

 

DETROIT: NBJC Partakes in Hotter than July "State of the LGBT Movement" Panel Discussion   

 

Hotter Than July's "State of the LGBT Movement" panel discussion was facilitated by Dr. Kofi Adoma, co-founder of Karibu House, A.L.O.R.D.E Collective, and the Ruth Ellis Center. Panelists included Rhiannon Chester, project coordinator, Empowerment Detroit: Young Brothers United; Ron Turner, co-founder, Community Health Awareness Group (CHAG); Lance Hicks, bi-racial transgender activist and community organizer; Sr. Minister Carmarion D. Anderson, Church of God in Christ; and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, executive director and CEO, National Black Justice Coalition.

The 17th Annual Gathering for LGBT Issues provided advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with one another on issues that impact lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) persons.

 

Hotter Than July (HTJ) is a program of KICK – The Agency for LGBT African-Americans. NBJC congratulates Curtis Lipscomb, Executive Director at KICK and NBJC Leadership Advisory Council member,  and Cornelius Wilson, HTJ event chair, along with the entire Hotter than July team on an empowering day of activities. 

 

 

CHICAGO: NBJC's Sharon Lettman-Hicks Featured at the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Business & Leadership Conference  

 

"Getting to Know the National Business Inclusion Consortium Session" was an interactive dialogue on how the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the National Black Justice Coalition, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the United States Business Leadership Network: Disability at Work, the U.S. Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council are working together to advocate for our business communities.

 

The National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) is a coalition of organizations committed to supporting and advancing the business interests of minority business communities. This session focused on the work of members of the consortium, and looked at programs and events that the consortium has planned and conducted.

 

 

RICHMOND: NBJC Attends the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs Training Academy

 

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs Regional Training Academy took place earlier this month at the Gay Community Center of Richmond. Co-sponsored by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and the Virginia Anti-Violence Project, the 4.5 hour program allowed a safe space for community organizers and service providers to convene and share tactics and strategies for addressing and preventing violence within and against LGBT communities. At the end, NBJC's Senior Outreach Fellow, Je-Shawna Wholley was awarded a certificate of completion and the opportunity to receive five Continuing Education Credits (CEU) by the National Association of Social Workers.

Read more about Je-Shawna's experience on NBJC's blog.    

 

A Special Thanks to NBJC Emerging Leaders and Foot Soldiers: Adah-Duval Pittman-Delancey and @Anti_Intellect 

 

NBJC thanks Adah-Duval Pittman-Delancey of the AD Integrated Marketing Solutions (ADIMS), for spreading the word about the upcoming OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit. The Atlanta resident prominently featured the event in her company's e-newsletter.

 

Another NBJC foot soldier has been Twitter follower @Anti_Intellect who has been religiously recruiting OUT on the Hill attendees and spreading the word to over 6,000 followers.

 

Emerging Leaders OWNING Their Power

NBJC thanks you! We couldn't do this work without you. 

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll Very Sorry For Insulting All Black Lesbians 

– Miami New Times

After more than a week of pressure and hundreds of online signatures, Carroll finally apologized last night, calling her comments "wrong and inexcusable."

Carroll ignited a firestorm on July 17 when she defended herself from the accusations by saying, "Usually black women who look like me don't engage in relationships like that."

In response, dozens of black women who do engage in "relationships like that" began inundating Carroll's Facebook page. Equality Florida soon launched an online drive to get an apology from the state's second-in-command.

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What Does a Lesbian 'Look' Like? 

– Florida Courier  

As part of her defense in a criminal trial, a former spokesperson for Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll said she caught the lieutenant governor in "a compromising position" with another female aide shortly before being fired last year. On WTSP Channel 10 News in Tampa, she said the charges were false and affected her family. "My husband doesn't want to hear that. He knows the type of woman I am, and my kids know the type of woman I am," Carroll said. "For 29 years? I'm the one that's married for 29 years. The accuser is the one that's single for a long time, so…Usually Black women that look like me don't engage in relationships like that." Reaction from the Black lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) community was immediate and harsh.

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Visibility Matters:

Keep Tweeting Us Your Photos! #whatablacklesbianlookslike

Help us keep this action ALIVE. Our voices and photos made a difference, and we want to build a community of our Sisterhood that holds America and public officials accountable.

When Florida's Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll attempted to deflect questions about an alleged same-sex encounter with a female subordinate by telling a local news outlet that Black lesbian and bisexual women 'don't look like her,' NBJC immediately launched a campaign with the Twitter hashtag #whatablacklesbianlookslike. Our beautiful Black lesbian, bisexual and same-gender loving sisters across the country have been tweeting their photos @NBJContheMove. (View the full gallery here!)

"All politics are local. This campaign started with Lt. Gov. Carroll but her remarks were rooted in a much larger issue of Black lesbian invisibility," says NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks. "NBJC is committed to bringing voice to Black LGBT people, especially women. #whatablacklesbianlookslike encompasses all of our radiant sisters under the rainbow."

Tweet your photo to @NBJContheMove with the hashtag #whatablacklesbianlookslike! Not on Twitter? Post your photo on NBJC's Facebook page or email it to kmcleod@nbjc.org. New photos will be added each week!

Countdown to OUT on the Hill: Register Today!

We're just a few weeks away from the third annual OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit! On September 19-22, the National Black Justice Coalition will convene over 200 Black LBGT people and their allies in Washington, DC for a week of Black LGBT empowerment.

This is an opportunity for our community and our allies to unite and engage in critical discourse pertaining to the current social and political landscape of the nation, as well as the implications that it will have on our community. Here, we provide the language, tools and resources needed to become politically engaged – whether that is on the civic or grassroots level.

REGISTER TODAY!  

Transgender Woman Found Stabbed To Death On West Side   

For the second time in four months, a transgender woman has been killed on the West Side. CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports the 19-year-old victim was found dead Tuesday night in an abandoned building on the 4800 block of West Jackson Boulevard in the South Austin neighborhood.

Authorities said Donta Gooden – a transgender woman also known as Tiffany – had been stabbed to death. Neighbors said such crimes against transgender women are not uncommon in the area.

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Stephanie and Ukea: 10 Years Later   

On August 12, 2002 on the same 50th and C Street corner in SE Washington, DC in which the car accident occurred that eventually took transwoman Tyra Hunter's life due to medical transphobia, transteens Stephanie Thomas and Ukea Davis died in a hail of automatic gunfire.

Ten years later, this double murder still hasn't been solved. It saddens me and other DC-area transpeople who remember that horrific crime that it hasn't.

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Voter Suppression and the Transgender Community

– Huffington Post 

  

Twenty states have attempted to pass laws designed to limit the number of folks who will be able to cast votes in November; the requirement of government-issued photo IDs is but one. Other efforts, like ending early voting and same-day registration and restricting voter-registration drives, aim to disenfranchise folks who tend to vote Democratic. A population that could be uniquely affected by the new voter ID laws that is not being talked about enough is the transgender community. 

  

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Mourning a Gay Son Killed in a Rough Neighborhood 

– Philadelphia Inquirer  

Wauynee Wallace was one of 13 people killed in July, the deadliest month in [New Jersey] in decades. On Chase Street, friends have put up a memorial to Wauynee Wallace at an abandoned house. Like other tributes that pop up hours after a death, the words In lovin Memory are spray-painted before his name on a white sheet. Teddy bears, cards, and empty liquor bottles line the base. This memorial also includes a rainbow flag. Friends described Wauynee Wallace as a selfless, outgoing, and charismatic gay teenager, comfortable with his sexuality despite living in a city where gay youth said they were verbally harassed constantly and warned to stay off certain blocks.

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Growing Up Gay in Camden: Remembering Wauynee Wallace, Who Was Murdered (and Remembering Myself) 

– Huffington Post  

Seventeen-year-old Wauynee Wallace was tragically killed in the city of Camden, N.J. the city that I often write about and proudly name as home. Today, however, my words are fueled by anger and disappointment, because someone in the neighborhood where I played, lived out my youthful days, and experienced community thought it OK to place a bullet in the back of the head of a young person who was budding with the potential to be an active citizen of our world… Growing up young and gay in Camden takes courage, and you were brave. May we forever remember your name. May we never forget your life.

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The Living Room 

– Huffington Post   

On Tuesday, August 11, 1981, Nathan Fain, Larry Kramer, Larry Mass, Paul Popham, Paul Rapoport and Edmund White (and their friends) gathered in Larry's living room. They passed around a hat and raised $7,000, seed money to build what would become the first AIDS service organization in the world, Gay Men's Health Crisis. The new family of men bravely struggled to piece together responses to this developing plague when very little response was coming from government officials and elsewhere. It was clear they needed each other and they needed to support each other as more and more gay men continued to senselessly die.

GMHC eventually grew out of that living room to office buildings which housed care services for people affected by HIV/AIDS, HIV prevention, testing and public policy programs.

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Opening His D.C. Church to All, Including HIV-Positive People 

– Washington Post  

At a time when there is increasing attention on the stubbornly high HIV infection rate in the African American community – with many pointing to the lack of action by many influential black churches – Bishop Rainey Cheeks is notable for using his pulpit to educate parishioners on the need to get tested for HIV. He is a vocal counterpoint to the ministers who, from the altar, condemn homosexuality.

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The Criminalization of HIV (and Why You Should Be Concerned)   

– EBONY

Pop quiz: Which nation leads the world in the prosecutions of HIV exposure and/or transmission? Perennial human rights violators such as Russia, China, or dictatorships in the Middle East or Africa? Not even close. The surprising answer: The United States.

In more than 60 nations it is a crime to expose another person to or transmit HIV. The United States has reportedly led the world with "thousands of prosecutions", according to United Nations-backed Global Commission on HIV and the Law. Thirty-four states and two territories criminalize exposure and/or transmission of HIV.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has introduced the landmark "REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act" which calls for the review of all federal and state laws and regulations regarding "the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses." 

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Once Blocked, Boy's Appeal for Gays to Wed Gets Council Audience 

– New York Times

Wearing a pressed gray suit, black shoes and a purple shirt and tie, Kameron Slade, 10, fidgeted slightly before his name was called in the City Council chambers on Wednesday. He approached the microphone set before the room full of politicians, lowered his head to the papers he clutched in his hands and began to speak.

"President Barack Obama recently talked about same-sex marriage with his wife and two daughters. Some people are for same-gender marriage, while others are against it," Kameron said. "Like President Obama, I believe that all people should have the right to marry whoever they want. Marriage is about love, support and commitment. So who are we to judge?"

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Hopeful News From Maryland 

– New York Times Opinion Pages     

A new poll of Maryland voters, who will get to decide in November whether to overrule recently signed legislation establishing same-sex marriage in the state, shows that 54 percent favor the law, while 40 percent oppose it.

Same-sex marriage is on the ballot in four states: Maryland, Maine, Washington and Minnesota. All are arguably more liberal, particularly on social issues, than North Carolina, where a significant majority of voters in early May passed an amendment to the state's constitution that banned same-sex marriage.

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Maryland Gay Marriage: Don't Cue the Wedding Bells Just Yet 

– Baltimore Sun    

There was a brief explosion of optimism from those supporting same-sex marriage in Maryland last week after a poll by Hart Research Associates indicated that voters in the state support it by a significant margin of 54-40. No state has ever approved gay marriage at the ballot box, but advocates here and elsewhere – The New York Times published a piece titled "Hopeful news from Maryland" – contend that the issue hasn't polled this well before either.

They shouldn't get too excited just yet. Gay marriage is an issue in which polls don't necessarily reflect what voters will actually do at the ballot box because it is increasingly politically incorrect to oppose such nuptials. And there is particular reason to doubt the accuracy of this poll.

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Black Pastors Group Has Deep Conservative Ties, Records Show

– USA Today  

Since the Rev. William Owens launched his national campaign in May calling on African-Americans to withdraw their support of President Obama because of his stance on gay marriage, he has claimed the backing of 3,700 black clergy and touted his organization as predominantly Democratic.

But Owens and his group, the Coalition of African-American Pastors, are drawing criticism from black leaders and the political left who note Owens' long-standing ties with GOP politicians. They charge CAAP misrepresents itself as a non-partisan grass-roots organization when it is actually backed financially by right-leaning conservative groups.

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Little Evidence That Rev. William Owens, Leader of Anti-Gay Black Pastors Group, Was Involved In Civil Rights Movement

Rev. William Owens, the pastor who has lambasted President Obama's gay marriage stance and warned that the president's endorsement could cost him black support, appears to have been lying about his involvement in the civil rights movement.

Owens, who runs a group called the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP), has claimed that he participated in protests and sit-ins in Nashville in the late 1950s.

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Paul Ryan as VP Matches Mitt Romney on Homophobia 

– Advocate

Mitt Romney's pick for Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate means he's chosen a potential vice president who matches his views on LGBT rights, and who is on the record with votes against those rights in Congress.

Romney announced his pick Saturday morning with the battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin in the background, though Chuck Todd of NBC News interrupted Olympics coverage on Friday to be first with the news.

Romney supports amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. And Ryan twice voted in support of the failed Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006.

 READ MORE

Required Reading: For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough

– EBONY

The much-anticipated new anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Still Not Enough will be released online Wednesday August 8 and in bookstores August 13. The collection is edited by Keith Boykin, the New York Times bestselling author, television commentator and NBJC co-founder.

For Colored Boys collects the writings of more than three dozen Black gay and transgender voices who are media personalities, scholars, activists and other thought leaders.   The book was launched last summer in the wake of numerous "young Black men literally committing suicide in the silence of their own communities," Boykin told EBONY. "The anthology was inspired by the tragic stories of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, Jaheem Herrera, Raymond Chase and Joseph Jefferson."

The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. 

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Ugandans Both Proud and Brave 

After months of preparation, and despite arrests, Uganda's gay community concluded all its planned Pride events, including a beach parade, parties and a film festival. All were well attended by a courageous LGBTI community, considering that Uganda is a country that criminalizes homosexual sex acts and seeks legislation to kill its gays for "aggravated homosexuality" with long prison terms for so-called "promotion of homosexuality."

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Tongues Untied: 'Man Hugs' and Manhood

– Huffington Post  

Men seem to hug on the basketball courts or show affection on the football field, but why are some men afraid to embrace on a busy street corner? Sylvia Harvey, journalist and producer of the mini-doc Out of Bounds, which is a short work that "explores the strange double-standard that allows black men to express intimacy on the basketball court, but keeps a tight lid on those feelings and actions off the court," joined us in this Tongues Untied conversation as we tackled the topics of male-to-male affection and black masculinity.

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End the Chill: This Winter, Help LGBT Homeless Youth Come in From the Cold

– Huffington Post   

LGBTQ runaway and homeless youth are one of Detroit's invisible populations, seldom seen on the streets like their adult counterparts — often for fear of being sent back to the homes they fled by local cash-starved runaway and homeless youth services. And there are far too few shelter beds for them, with many of the programs in the area being unprepared to help or outright hostile to LGBTQ people. Detroit is far from the only city with a significant LGBTQ homeless youth population. But in a city ravaged by economic decline, it is these youth who bear a disproportionate share of the burden.

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Beenie Man Apologizes

– Advocate   

Back in May 2012, Beenie Man took to YouTube posting the first ever apology video by any dancehall artist to date, in which he said, "Let me make this clear…I have nothing against no one. I respect each and every human being regardless of which race or creed, regardless of which religious belief…regardless of which sexual preference you have including gay and lesbian people."

In an exclusive interview with The Advocate, Beenie Man explains how he arrived at his current view on gay rights, whether he believes Jamaica will ever be accepting of the LGBT community and how he would respond if his son grew up to be gay.

 READ MORE  

Partnering for Peace 2012: A United Effort Raising Awareness and Promoting Justice, Equality, and Tolerance for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender People 

Friday, September 14

6-8pm

Days Inn – Banquet Room

1024 E. Oglethorpe

Hinesville, GA 31313   

This free community education panel will be discussing issues and providing solutions to school yard bullying, local hate crimes and discrimination in employment, health care settings, places of worship, etc.  Link to resources and learn how to support your family members, co-workers, neighbors, classmates, and friends.