SGL Café

When I was Eleven ...

When I was Eleven... © 2009 Taylor Siluwé I wanted to be scientist. While other boys played with sports, I played with bugs. Though my attempts at creating Bugzilla by injecting them with all sort of junk always failed, I never gave up. For me, creating something new and wonderful - like a fifty-foot Potato Beetle – was infinitely better than practicing getting little balls through little holes, or down field without breaking my glasses. The other boys thought I was weird and loved telling me so, hourly. Through all the getting suddenly shoved into the lockers, mocked for getting A’s without really trying, laughed at for doing anything more outgoing than just standing quietly in a corner, I never once thought of wrapping a rope around my neck and hanging myself. But then again, maybe if it were all the rage at the time, I would have. Maybe. ~ Another Bullycide: Jaheem Herrera, 11, Kills Himself The Bullycide & Same-Sex Marriage Apathy Connection Whence Cometh Evil? Why Visibility is Da Bomb UPDATE: Anderson Cooper addresses Bullycide as prosecutors ponder criminal charges in the Jaheem Herrara case.

The Bullycide & Same-Sex Marriage Apathy Connection

I got this note recently in a same sex yahoo group: "Plain and simple men should not marry men and women should not marry women. Another waste of time when we as gay people should be worried about more important issues right now. Gay marriage my ass! IT IS NOT IMPORTANT!" Sadly, this is the attitude of many in the gay communtity. This issue reminds me of a line from the musical Funny Girl, the track Sadie, Sadie: "...oh how that marriage license works, on chamber maids and hotel clerks..." Barbra Streisand's character believed (as did all women then) that being married was the ultimate, being married meant something, it carried a powerful punch, it opened doors. So I agree that we have issues to worry about other than marriage equality, or, as I like to say, just equality -- because its really not about that "simple wedding band". For as long as they can deny us this basic right of human existence, and justify it for whatever reasons, it sends the unspoken message that: ...its OKAY to look down upon gay Americans, its OKAY to deny us an apartment or medical treatment, it's OKAY to fire us from our jobs, and its OKAY to kick the shit out of kids on the playground who are only suspected of maybe, possibly, being gay one day. By saying we don't deserve the right to [ fill in the blank ] shouts to the world that we're different, we're "less than", and opens the floodgate to discriminate, abuse, and even kill. That's unacceptable. That's why this seemingly unimportant issue is so very important. Some gays say they don't want to get married. Cool. Neither do I. But that's also aside from the point. And to even think that we can't work for EQUALITY and at the same time tackle all those other issues effecting us is pretty silly. Like Obama said, we have to be able to handle more than one thing at a time. And while we bicker over whether we should fight for this or that right, people, children, are dying. This heartbreaking story of an 11 year old who was bullied and called "gay" so much that he hung himself is becoming all too common. "Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover hanged himself by tying an electrical cord around his neck that was fastened to a support beam in his home after enduring another day of being taunted at New Leadership Charter School." And yet, many of us STILL sit by while we are marginalized, and while our youth are tormented so that they hang themselves. It's truly sad what self-loathing homos will allow to be heaped upon their bowing and scraping heads. Thank God, I'll never be one of them. ~~ Visit XJW Net

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...Whence Cometh Evil?

Riddle of Epicurus Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? Children are clean slates for the most part, 'til we dirty them up. Hitler Youth In March 1933, before the onset of World War II, Hitler became chancellor of Germany and created this nationalistic youth group, with Nazi ideology and physical fitness as top priorities. A young boy is pictured with a doll hanging from a noose at the home of deceased South Mississippi Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard Jimmie Maxey during a memorial rally for Maxey on Aug. 10, 2002, in Petal, Miss. An adult member of the KKK had joked earlier with this child and other children about the importance of hanging blacks from the nearest tree when necessary. All in the Family - KKK on the rise since Obama's election American photographer Anthony Karen spent over two years trying to get access to the Ku Klux Klan before being able to actually document them. His photos, published in The Invisible Empire: Ku Klux Klan (powerHouse Books 2009), show that the white supremacist group created over 140 years ago is still alive and well today. And even more so since the election of America's first black president, Karen tells us. McKKK - "Start ‘em young, they said. This picture demands double takes; off the bat, you notice the fateful three letters on the little kids’ flag, and you’re thinking “oh shit kkk children”. Then you see the gun. Then you see how fat the kids are. While I suppose its comforting knowledge that down in kentucky, the future of the Klan is raised on McNuggets and Whoppers, making them slower, pictures like this make you scratch your head." And last but not least, the pic which inspired this montage of ignorance, Nigeria. Where gay activists are up in arms over the proposed bill outlawing Same Gender Marriage. The bill defines SGM as any gay couple living together. Anyone who "witnesses, abet and aids the solemnization" of a same gender marriage would face five years in prison, or a fine. And a child shall lead them -- after being spoon-fed choice bits of dogma from church leaders more ignorant than the last, of course. When will we learn there is no salvation in those Holy books, just death. Hasn't it always been that way? Am I the only one with a memory? Every atrocity throughout history, in someone's mind, was mandated by God. Wake up people, and ask yourself -- so, whence cometh evil again? In case you forgot what it looks like, see below. ~~ Visit XJW Net

Milk epiphanies ...

I finally, at long last, got to see Sean Penn and James Franco in Milk last night. These are some of the things that became clear to me, feel free to add to this brief list: 1. How a celebrity, especially a black one, could remain in the closet after seeing Milk is beyond me. All the usual arguments echo hollow, and weak. Pick an argument, shout it out loud, and see how feeble it sounds when verbalized. I realize now that my stance for full marriage equality as opposed to the 2nd class status of Civil Unions has been right all along. 2. I'm a Know-It-All who doesn't know as much as he thinks. Yeah. I've always said that I know all their is to know about Harvey Milk and that time in our queer nation but I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm ashamed I waited this long to see this amazing film, one made at a time when its needed the most, a time that actually mirrors Milks fight for our most basic rights. Thirty years later, Anita Bryant's holier-than-thou contingent is just as determined that we return to the closets of our past -- and like Anita they STILL, ironically, love us (but now, throwing shoes is even funnier). 3. The Rainbow Flag sprang from Harvey and this movement. A know-it-all like myself should have uh, known, yet I was blissfully ignorant. Like many modern day homos, I didn't realize we had our own gay Betsy Ross (Gilbert Baker) stitching the very first one 'cause we're a nation and need a flag. Now that flag drapes the world. Almost breaks my heart that I didn't know how that came about. 4. I'm in love with James Franco. Well, more in love than I already was. That's really no epiphany. My heart has had a hard-on for Franco since he played James Dean with amazing accuracy. Now, I'm all his. Just say the word Franco, and I'm so there. Here he is as Dean filming Giant.

Pride 2009

"Pride 2009" - in celebration of GLBTQ pride and the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the birth of gay pride. From the upcoming CD "Pride at 40" (JGLsongs LLC). Performed by Jon Gilbert Leavitt featuring Kevin Hannan Music and lyrics by Jon Gilbert Leavitt ©2009 JGLsongs LLC (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Special thanks to: (photographers) Daniel Greene, See-Ming Lee Footage includes: "Two Men Dancing" - Thomas Alva Edison (1895); "Dizzy Red Riding Hood" - Betty Boop cartoon (1931) "Call Her Savage" (1932); Tel-Aviv Pride; Manchester (UK) Pride; Bangkok Pride; Toronto Pride; Copenhagen Pride; Christopher Street Day, München (Munich).

Terror in America: Assault on Galveston Gay Bar

See, kids who grew up with children's books like King & King, And Tango Makes Three, My Two Uncles, etc ... would never do dumb shit like this. Gay people live under terror in this country, have no doubt. And the cure for terror is education. [Chronicle.com...] Three knuckheads burst into a Texas gay bar, one which served as a haven for hurricane survivors after Ike. One held the door open while the other two hurled rocks and doorstops at patrons - two of whom were struck in the head, one hospitalized. The three were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and the charge includes a hate-crime enhancement. Each of the suspects is being held on bail totaling $120,000. The attackers were identified as Lawrence Henry Lewis III, 20, Lawrneil Henry Lewis, 18, and Alejandro Sam Gray, 17, all of Galveston. Police did not say whether the Lewises are related. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see how this played out. Just at the mention of the word 'gay' insecure teenage boys feel the need to man up, instead of what these three should have done -- go home and fcuk each other. But wait, some reports say the two Lewis' are brothers (though they damn sure don't look alike). Still, they couldv'e found a better way to vent their sexual frustration. But ironically, this assualt will teach them lessons they may not want to learn. Recently I've been accused of a certain vicious schadenfreude in the past - as if I'd take pleasure in the suffering of criminals. There is no excuse for this sort of disrepect to society and civil order -- no lack of home training can excuse it. So, yes, if these three who threw a 4lb rock at unsuspecting strangers' heads for sport should get fucked raw in lock-down I would take pleasure in that. Extreme pleasure. I only wish I could get it on pay-per-view. There. I said it. Sue me. photo:Mayra Beltran Chronicle ~ Victor Clements embraces partner Marc Bosaw, injured in the assault. "I almost lost my soul mate," Clements says. Marc shows his stitches below. See, its all fun and games 'til someone almost dies. Interesting article about Robert's Lafitte, the scene of the crime: Gay Bar Haven After Ike ravages Galveston

Phoenix claims self-defense in José Sucuzhañay murder!

[from the NYT] He asked for it -- says Keith Phoenix, the man accused of bludgeoning José Sucuzhañay to death. According to Phoenix, one of the brothers kicked their vehicle, which led to the fight, during which, Phoenix claims, Jose reached for something at which time he proceeded to strike him repeatedly with a bat. The look on the faces of Congressman Anthony Weiner and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at the press conference after the December murder express exactly how I feel about this slap in the face to the victim's family. Phoenix will still get 25 to life, which is what you deserve even if one of the Sucuzhañay brothers had kicked the vehicle -- when you leave your car and beat someone to death, its murder. Period.

related: José Sucuzhañay: Fear & Defiance in The Streets of Bushwick Arrest made in anti-gay/immigrant murder of José Sucuzhañay!

Arrest made in anti-gay/immigrant murder of José Sucuzhañay!

UPDATE: 02/27 Second arrest and confession!

[from NYT] ~ The police on Wednesday arrested a man in the December killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant who was beaten with a bottle and a baseball bat in Brooklyn by men who yelled anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs at him. The man, Hakim Scott, 25, of the Bronx, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime in the beating of Jose O. Sucuzhanay, 31, who died five days after the attack. The police are seeking a second suspect in the attack, Keith Phoenix, 28 --> of the Bronx, who is on parole for armed robbery and is a friend of Mr. Scott’s from their Bronx neighborhood, officials said. ~~ SGL Café orginal reporting and photos of the candlelight vigil that brought attention to this case: José Sucuzhañay: Fear & Defiance in The Streets of Bushwick

Gay couple attacked / Regal Cinema staff does nothing

Michael Musto informs us of an incident at the Union Square Regal Cinema @ Broadway & 13th St. Well, here are excerpts from the email he got: "On Sunday ... February 15th, my boyfriend and I attended the Regal Union Square theater. While inside, he had placed his head on my shoulder and four boys behind us began calling us 'faggots' and 'homos' and began forcefully kicking the back of our chairs. We contacted the management twice and they did nothing, and the second time I was speaking of what happened and the manager rolled his eyes and walked off and ignored me while I was talking. After the movie was finished, the homophobic remarks continued and the boys began to physically threaten us and surround us. "We looked for any security, of which none was available. Once outside the theater, we were both assaulted by the four boys with glass bottles, shards of glass, and a box cutter, and taken to the hospital. I had suffered a head contusion and my boyfriend suffered a wrist and head contusion and a facial laceration. The case has been classified as a hate crime by NYPD .... Also, it should be noted that the boys were related to an employee of the theatre, and were underaged, therefore they should not have been given tickets/admitted into a rated-R movie. Sincerely, Branden McGillvery-Dummett I believe this disrespect for gay men is trickling downward from (among other sources) the NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg with his recent nonsensical waste of city funds by entrapping older gay men for prostitution. Yeah. Cute twinkie [cop] lurking in a porn store offers to PAY some poor schlub for sex. Just as the poor fool is thinking his luck is changing, SWAT pounces. But that's another rant for another day. I went by Regal Cinema today and took the above picture. A day after Sean Penn received the Academy's praise, I saw the Milk poster hanging in the window. Maybe the next thing will be us being disrespected by the pimply-faced popcorn kid; maybe he'll sneak a booger in when we're not looking. I wonder if the management at Regal Cinema has ever even watched Milk, or ingested the message that 'gays are people too'. Maybe its time we all called the head muthafukas in Corporate and explained it to them. ~~ Regal Entertainment Group Corporate Offices 7132 Regal Lane Knoxville, TN 37918 Customer Service (!) M-F: 1-877-835-5734 Update, 02/24: Regal Cinema 'SPINS' a reply

As Valentine's Day approaches: Rashawn Brazell ~ We Refuse to Forget!

From the first annual memorial march in '06 We marched. We chanted. We cried. Still, years went by -- four now -- and despite being featured on America's Most Wanted several times, the monster who dismembered 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell on or around Valentine's Day is still free. This man is still celebrating his birthday, Christmas, sitting down to dinner with his family on Thanksgiving, and possibly even bouncing babies on his knee. Desire Brazell used to bounce baby Rashawn too, but now she just needs to know who murdered her son. As Valentine's Day approaches, again, with still no justice, its up to us to light a fire under this case. Lots of things have happened this year we never thought we'd see -- like the election of Obama. Let's focus on re-igniting this cold case now with the knowledge we can accomplish the seemingly impossible -- for Rashawn, to give his mother, Desire Brazell some peace and closure, and for all those who need to know that Black Gay Lives do matter. Let's get Justice for Rashawn, at last. ~~