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Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
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Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
VOL. 2710 • MARCH 7, 2019 • ISSUE 1101

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Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
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Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
NEWS

Transgender Thought Leader Says ‘Transphobia Is a Sin’
J Mase III Aims to Change the Course of History on Transgender Issues
BY JASON A. MICHAEL

P                                                                                                                                                             “ learned
       oet, educator and self-described thought
       leader, J. Mase III will be speaking at the                                                                                                               This is work that I’ve
       opening ceremony for LGBTQ Week at
Oakland University on March 12. Mase will be                                                                                                                              just by doing.
speaking about faith and the criminalization
of the black trans body through poetry and a
                                                                                                                                                                   A lot of people have to
discussion. As a trans man, Mase said he was                                                                                                                       get credentials, but my
a unique insight into the issue.
   “What brought me into doing this                                                                                                                                credentials come from life.
intentionally was working at an LGBTQ youth                                                                                                                        From helping communities
center in Philly where much of my job was
outreach and education work with providers of                                                                                                                      like mine, that’s where I
                                                                                                                                                                   gained my expertise.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   ”
youth services,” Mase explained. “The questions
I was getting from medical providers, teachers,
social workers ... many were not unclear about
the physical pieces of taking care of trans youth,                                                                                                                                               - J. Mase III
but rather were asking specific questions about
whether or not they would be sending a child
to hell by affirming this truth about them.”
   Mase said that what “clicked” while doing                                                                                                                  about religious-based violence. The campaign
that outreach was that as a member of the black,                                                                                                              itself is still ongoing and folks are welcome to
transgender community, often his life, and                                                                                                                    add photos to the hashtag #TransphobiaIsASin
the lives others within that group, is dictated                                                                                                               on all social media.”
by not only his own religious practice, but by                                                                                                                   The fact that the campaign is word and
that of others.                                                                                                                                               message-focused is not a mistake, either. At
   “Which impacts our ability to access work,                                                                                                                 the heart of all Mase does is his love of words,
housing, medical care and physical safety,”                                                                                                                   for he is a poet first and foremost.
he said.                                                                                                                                                         “I have wanted to be a poet since I was 8
   Though he has a bachelor’s degree in                                                                                                                       years old and learned what poems are,” Mase
multicultural relationships, Mase said it’s not                                                                                                               said. “Yet, I didn’t become a full-time poet and
his institutional experience that qualifies him                                                                                                               educator until I, like a vast portion of black
to do this educational work.                                                                                                                                  trans people, got pushed out of 9-to-5 work.
   “This is work that I’ve learned just by doing,”                                                                                                            Being an artist is often one of the few accessible
he said. “A lot of people have to get credentials,                                                                                                            work forms for black trans people in which we
but my credentials come from life. From helping                                                                                                               get to have our own autonomy and demand a
communities like mine, that’s where I gained                                                                                                                  living wage while preserving a legacy of black
my expertise.”                                                                                                                                                trans culture and resistance.”
   Recently, Mase has been speaking out about                                                                                                                    Mase said he enjoys his work even if life is a
a new Human Rights Campaign report released                                                                                                                   little rougher on the road in this new MAGA
in November. Titled “A National Epidemic:            like the pastor in the pulpit.                     roots in colonization and white supremacy, it is      era.
Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America              “Much of the things we are facing stems         part poems, part spells and part prayers,” Mase          “When it comes to traveling these days as a
in 2018,” the report includes many sobering          from a view of religion that allows trans          said. “No other resource exists like it and it will   black trans person who is queer and reads as
statistics. For instance, more than 22 trans         people, and especially black trans people, to be   be the first of its kind.”                            trans or queer often, I have noticed an uptick
women have been killed since the beginning of        dehumanized,” Mase continued. “It is one thing        Mase is currently accepting donations to help      in people being antagonistic when I am on the
2018. Of those, 82 percent have been women of        for someone not to like you. It is another for     with this project. But perhaps Mase’s biggest         road,” he said. “White folks, cisgender folks,
color and 64 percent were under the age of 35.       them to say that not even their God likes you.     project to date has been the #TransphobiaIsASin       straight folks are definitely feeling way more
   “Thinking about Kelly Stough, who was             From that place, many learn the language and       campaign.                                             entitled to harass people, including me. It is
murdered [in Detroit] by a pastor recently;          practice of viewing trans people as something         “The campaign came out of the work we              definitely more stressful being on the road
thinking about the rising numbers of anti-           other than worthy of care and protection.”         had already been doing to lay the groundwork          these days to me, than say, even five years ago.
trans violence that physically targets black            And when not traveling the college circuit,     for the ‘Black Trans Prayer Book,’” Mase said.        That also reminds me how necessary the work
trans women and femmes; thinking about the           Mase is working on a new project called the        “Back in January, we had participants from at         myself and Dane do is.”
legislative antagonism we are facing, which          “Black Trans Prayer Book” that he is co-editing    least six countries on three continents share
also has some roots in the ways that large           along with collaborator Lady Dane Figueroa         photos with one of four phrases: ‘Transphobia          J. Mase III will be at speaking at Oakland
LGBTQ organizations intentionally divested           Edidi. The project is an interfaith resource       Is a Sin,’ ‘Transphobia Is Harem,’ ‘Trans People      University at noon on March 12 at Oakland
from protecting trans people in the ‘90s and         dedicated to healing members of the black          Are Divine’ or ‘Trans People Exist Because Our        Center, Suite 151, Gold Rooms A&B, 312
beyond; thinking about the harassment we get         transgender community and allies to them.          Ancestors Existed.’ We wanted to get people           Meadow Brook Road in Rochester. For more
on the street,” Mase said. “That can sound a lot        “It is part history that links transphobia to   both in and out of religious communities to talk      information on Mase, visit jmaseiii.com.

6     BTL | March 7, 2019                                                                                                                                                            www.PrideSource.com
Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
Stand With Trans Expands Ally Moms
Program to Include All Parents
BY EVE KUCHARSKI                                     grown so much since its inception that almost

F
                                                     all 50 states have Ally Parents ready to offer
      eeling alone or misunderstood in one’s         support services to youth in need. Keith added
      adolescent years is, for many, a rite of       that once the current round of applications are
      passage. Especially within the LGBTQ           processed that they will number close to 400,
community, that period often leads those             and the service is on track to have 600 active
enduring it to discover more about themselves        parents receiving calls by the end of 2019. For
and find a group of peers who feel similarly.        those interested in becoming a Ally Parent, the
However, for those who aren’t able to find such      requirements are simple: an applicant must
a support group there can be consequences            be the parent of transgender child and pass a
that range from anxiety, feelings of isolation,      background check. Once approved, a training
depression and, in some instances, suicide.          video will go over basic listening skills and,
Stand With Trans is a nonprofit dedicated to         perhaps most importantly, what parents should
aiding transgender Youth, and its Founder Roz        do if they encounter a caller in crisis.
Keith said it was a story of suicide that inspired      “Once they get approved, we send them the
                                                                                   welcome letter and
                                                                                   a link to the training
                                                                                   video. Basically, it’s
                                                                                   run by two people
                                                                                   who are well-versed
                                                                                   in working with
                                                                                   at-risk youth and
                                                                                   youth who have
                                                                                   been in vulnerable
                                                                                   situations,” Keith
                                                                                   said. “A lot of it is
                                                                                   about good listening
                                                                                   skills and how to
                                                                                   ass ess if t here’s
                                                                                   a crisis because
                                                                                   we’re not cr is is
                                                                                   counselors and we’re
                                                                                   not therapists. So if
her to create a helpline for transgender youth.      there’s a safety issue happening, then that’s one
   “Ally Parents started as a way to provide love    behavior that they know they need to refer them
and support over the phone for trans youth who       to call 911 or the Trans Lifeline or the Trevor
perhaps were not getting that at home. It started    Project. We don’t try to resolve those issues,
about four years ago when we heard about the         and the video will make the parent aware of
passing of Leelah Alcorn, a young transgender        what to watch out for.”
woman who did not have the support and was              Then parents are invited into the private
not recognized as a trans girl,” Keith said. “She    Ally Parents Facebook group where they can
was misgendered by family and finally just           share information about transgender resources
couldn’t take the pain any longer. Unfortunately,    available to their callers locally, seek advice from
that was her way out.”                               other parents on how best to advise their callers
   Now as of February 2019 the service is called     and view Facebook Live events that cover Ally
Ally Parents, but those familiar with it may         Parents-specific issues. Keith, who is also an
remember it being originally titled Ally Moms.       Ally Parent herself, said that it’s rewarding being
Keith said that there was “something so sweet”       a part of someone’s transition process because
about the idea of moms of trans kids serving         the correspondences offer a benchmark into a
as support centers for youth in need.                youth’s forward progress.
   “But as we grew and as we got more and               “Generally, if there’s somebody who reaches
more requests, we realized that we needed to         out and clicks with one parent, they will reach
expand the offering and open up the group to         out from time to time. I know I have people
all parents of transgender individuals,” Keith       that I might not hear from for a few months
said. “We have right now 250-plus moms on the        and then, all of a sudden, they’ll pop up and
list, but we probably have about 100 requests        send me some random text letting me know
on the list that are being processed. And then,      something or that they made progress at home,”
within that, we have started to process requests     Keith said. “That’s kind of fun because you can
from the dads and other parents. And if a parent     see how their transition is going.”
doesn’t identify as mom or dad, we felt that [the
name] Ally Parents was a way to not specifically     To find out more about Stand With Trans and the
gender the parent.”                                  Ally Parents program go online to standwithtrans.
   Keith said that interest in the program has       org.

www.PrideSource.com                                                                                         March 7, 2019 | BTL   7
Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
Michigan Churches React as UMC Maintains
Plan to Ban Same-Sex Marriage, LGBTQ Clergy
Bishop David Alan Bard Says Constitutionality of Traditional Plan May Be in Question
BY KATE OPALEWSKI

T
        he debate over LGBTQ issues may finally
        split the United Methodist Church,
        America’s second-largest Protestant
denomination.
   Following a special session of the church’s
General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, over
the weekend, delegates voted down the One
Church Plan on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The proposal
was submitted by more progressive members
of the global church to lift the denomination’s
ban on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy.
   With the threat of schism looming, a
majority of the Council of Bishops in May
2018 recommended the One Church Plan as
a way forward through the denomination’s
nearly 50-year-old battle over homosexuality. It
would have let individual churches and regional
bodies decide whether to ordain and marry
LGBTQ members.
   Michigan Bishop David Alan Bard is one of
those bishops.
   “It was a difficult day, chaotic in terms of just
the legislative process,” he said.
   The One Church Plan was first rejected
during a preliminary vote on Monday, Feb.
25, getting only 47 percent support. It was
                                                       Michigan Bishop David Alan Bard is one of the bishops who recommended the One Church Plan. It would have let individual churches and regional bodies the right to
presented again by the Rev. Tom Berlin of              decide whether to ordain and marry LGBTQ members.
Virginia as a minority report during the plenary
session of the General Conference made up              of homosexuality.”                                    marginalized in the church,” Bard said. “Our           Plan will prompt church members to leave.
of 864 invited delegates, split evenly between            These provisions have been on the books            families, our friends, we hurt. We feel that hurt      The loss of church membership is complex
laypeople and clergy. About 43 percent of the          for years, repeatedly reaffirmed by General           and the important thing is not to minimize that.       and while it can’t be traced simply to LGBTQ
delegates were from abroad, mostly from Africa,        Conference, which takes place every four years.       Acknowledge the depth and pain of that hurt            inclusion, Bard said that is a concern.
and overwhelmingly supported the LGBTQ                    Throughout that time, Bard has been                and stand with each other in the midst of that.”          “There are some broad social forces that
bans. This top lawmaking body makes decisions          traveling across the state holding dozens of             While members of the community may feel             have affected every mainline denomination
for the church and is the only body that can           listening sessions at local churches to hear          like they’re done with the church after Tuesday’s      in the U.S. and are also impacting the UMC,”
officially speak on behalf of the church.              questions and concerns from members of the            decision, Bard urges them to breathe and               he said. “Even if we get to a place of greater
   Berlin, a member of the church’s legislative        community about how the church is addressing          reassess as there are a number of unknowns.            LBGTQ inclusion, that does not fully resolve
committee, made a final push to substitute             human sexuality.                                         “Take a couple of steps back and engage your        the issue of declining membership. That is why
the One Church Plan for the Traditional Plan,             “One of the most important aspects of these        thinking as well as your feeling,” he said, noting     we continue to focus on mission and ministry
asking delegates to otherwise abstain from             listening sessions is learning how to share           there is a chance the Traditional Plan may be          that serves our local communities.”
voting for the more conservative legislation.          what’s on our hearts without causing harm to          ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial Council.           In Michigan, the denomination serves
The One Church Plan minority report failed             others. I think it has helped,” Bard said. “We           “The Traditional Plan seeks to add some             thousands of residents through local
by 75 votes.                                           have also provided lots of resources to local         provisions for more strongly enforcing those           community mission programs including
   The Traditional Plan, which delegates from          churches who want to learn more and start             provisions if a clergy or bishop violates those.       disaster response, homeless shelters, food
around the world voted 438-384 to pass, will           their own dialogues. Right now, our United            What’s still left to be determined, however,           banks, free stores, after-school mentoring
reinforce the church’s current positions.              Methodist Church polity is under question,            is the constitutionality of some of those              and tutoring programs, summer camps and
   The Book of Discipline teaches that                 but historically, it is what has held our church      enforcement provisions,” Bard said. “The               others – all of which could be impacted by the
homosexual practice – as well as all other             together. We continue to discuss, debate and          Judicial Council on a couple of occasions has          vote. Since 1972, the UMC, which claims about
extramarital sex – is inherently immoral,              pray on how to move forward.”                         identified constitutional problems with the            12.6 million members worldwide, including
bans “self-avowed practicing homosexuals”                                                                    Traditional Plan, and they may or may not              nearly 7 million in the U.S., has kept its policy
from being clergy, forbids their ministers
from performing or their congregations from
                                                       Where Do We Go From Here?                             have been rectified during the amendment
                                                                                                             process today.”
                                                                                                                                                                    against homosexuality. Many of the growing
                                                                                                                                                                    communities in the Philippines or countries in
hosting same-sex wedding ceremonies, and                 “It’s really important to acknowledge that             If that happens, the One Church Plan may            Africa are committed to theological teachings
forbids the use of official denominational funds       our current language about LGBTQ people is            be brought back as a minority report. Despite          against same-sex relationships and marriages.
from being used “to promote the acceptance             experienced as tremendously hurtful. They feel        that, Berlin said the passing of the Traditional          Yet there has been an increasingly public

8     BTL | March 7, 2019                                                                                                                                                                   www.PrideSource.com
Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
movement of more liberal United Methodists              Given where they are as a congregation, the
openly defying these standards. In May 2016,         Rev. Janet Gaston Petty of the Metropolitan
111 members of the clergy signed and released        United Methodist Church in Detroit was
a letter saying they identified as LGTBQ. About      also hopeful the One Church Plan would be
80 percent of the pastors, deacons, elders and       considered because it would have allowed for
ministry candidates who signed the letter said       further dialogue.
they were coming out publicly to their bishops          “Metropolitan is a ver y welcoming
and district superintendents for the first time.     congregation in theory,” she said. “What I mean
   Six in 10 United Methodists in the U.S. believe   by that is our former minister of music is a
homosexuality should be accepted, according          gay man who has a husband and a family. The
to a Pew Research Center Report. Despite its         church appreciated his ministry and embraced
policy against homosexuality, the New York           his family. I only had the privilege of working
Times points out that some congregations have        with him for a few weeks. He made the decision
celebrated same-sex weddings and had LGBTQ           to leave his employment with Metropolitan
pastors, at times receiving church approval to       United Methodist Church because he was
do so even though it technically violated church     concerned about the General Conference’s
policy. The report said, “Punishment of those        stance on human sexuality issues. That being
who violated the rules has been uneven, and          said, I am aware that we have members
church trials for the few who were sanctioned        who consider homosexuality a sin and they
have been unpopular.” Under the Traditional          would strongly support not changing the
Plan, regional bodies would be compelled to          denomination’s position on this matter.”
expel LGBTQ clergy.                                     “Our congregation strives to welcome all,”
   However, no progressive or traditional local      said the Rev. Marsha Woolley of First United
churches in Michigan have indicated they             Methodist Church in Northville. “We have
plan to leave the denomination. And 2,000            members and attendees who are LGBTQ, some
clergy and laity, non-clergy, will still meet in     of whom have been here for 50 years. We host a
Traverse City on May 30 to June 2, 2019, for         gay support group, we have celebrated members
the Michigan Annual Conference.                      who have married partners, have had gay
                                                     members on staff and have baptized children
What Rules?                                          whose parent or parents are gay.”
                                                        Woolley continued, “If there is a split in the
   In Michigan, the First United Methodist           denomination, we will seek to continue to be
Church of Ann Arbor is among the most                a welcoming church, open to all who want to
LGBTQ-friendly in the state. The congregation        participate in a congregation that seeks to do
voted in 2007 to adopt a welcoming statement         all the good we can.”
to make clear that they are inclusive.                  “One of the highest values of our faith
   That statement reads: “As congregants of          community is welcome. Those who are first-
the First United Methodist Church of Ann             time guests share with us that they have
Arbor, we welcome and affirm all persons.            experienced a feeling of openness and welcome,”
We are intentional in being inclusive of those       said the Rev. Dr. Sherry Parker-Lewis of the
who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender       First United Methodist Church in Brighton.
as well as all genders, ethnicities, nationalities   “We seek to offer the love of Christ to all people.
and abilities. In modeling the ministry of Jesus     While the decision before the greater UMC
Christ, we shall all journey together into full      may indicate division, our church is unified
participation in the life of the United Methodist    in its welcome and commitment to serving all
Church and a closer relationship with God.”          persons in our community. We will continue
   According to the Rev. Nancy S. Lynn, senior       to do this, no matter the outcome of the vote.”
pastor of the Ann Arbor church, one of the              In their commitment to their core values to
strengths of their denomination is that it is        Welcome All and to Put Love Into Action, the
a global church with many different cultural         sanctuary held a community prayer on Feb.
perspectives.                                        27, at the Birmingham First United Methodist
   “That said, the majority of people in my          Church known for being a loving and diverse
congregation hope that the United Methodist          Christian community.
Church would pass a plan that allows for                “As a congregation, many of us are still
full inclusion of the LGBTQI community               reading and working to understand all of the
including permission for our clergy to perform       legislation that was passed today. The legislation
gay marriages and for gay individuals to be          affects our members, families and the ones they
ordained,” she said. “If the United Methodist        love in a variety of ways. In the present moment,
Church should split, our congregation will           we are inviting people to pause, to breathe, to
consider thoughtfully and prayerfully how we         pray and, most importantly, to exemplify the
can best move forward with our commitment            love of Jesus for each other by being the church
to the LGBTQI community. We have been                together,” said the Rev. Elbert Dulworth.
present in Ann Arbor for almost 200 years.
No matter what happens, we will continue to          The next regular General Conference is set for
be here loving God’s people and serving our          2020 in Minneapolis.
community and world.”

www.PrideSource.com                                                                                        March 7, 2019 | BTL   9
Obscenity Obscene-Less - 'Triptych' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Artistic Impact - Pride Source
St. Joseph LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Ordinance
                           Could Be Passed by Month’s End
                           BY EVE KUCHARSKI

                           L
                                  ast week, commissioners in
                                  the city of St. Joseph went
                                  through the first reading of
                           a non-discrimination ordinance
                           targeted at expanding Michigan’s
                           Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to
                           expressly protect the rights of its
                           LGBTQ citizens. Now tentatively
                           scheduled for a second reading
                           and vote for March 11, if passed,
                           the ordinance will bring the
                           number of explicitly LGBTQ-
                           inclusive communities in the
                           state to 46. As it stands now,
                           it will punish all instances of
                           discrimination with a $500 fine.
                           Mary Jo Schnell is the executive
                           director of the OutCenter which
                                                                      St. Joseph, Michigan. Wikimedia Commons
                           serves the Southwest Michigan
                           LGBTQ community. She was in
                           attendance at the meeting in her
                           capacity as executive director
                           and said she’s thrilled to hear that St. law enforcement use or interpretations                         lead to unfair treatment if that person
                           Joseph is taking this step.                     of being LGBT that we’ve experienced                    were biased. Goos agrees, too.
                              “when I got the news on Sunday that beginning a year ago this last month,                               “We’re reviewing it because, again, we
                           the packet was available online to take that being LGBT is a choice, a lifestyle                        want to make sure whoever is responsible
                           a look and then show up on Monday, I and/or belief system. And so, when law                             for reviewing a complaint, and preferably
                           was over the moon,” Schnell said, adding enforcement or elected representatives                         more than one person, that they have an
                           that she had been waiting for months or people in government look at sexual                             objective understanding of the ordinance,”
                           for a decision on the issue. “Because I orientation as a choice or lifestyle, belief                    Goos said. “In other words, so that claims
                           know that part of the [commission’s] system, they’re not thinking consciously                           of discrimination would not be turned
                           conversation consisted of, ‘Now we have or unconsciously about how they’re                              away because of potential bias.”
                           [Democratic] leadership in the state, looking at the letter of the law.”                                   When asked why as an ally it is
                           why don’t we just wait for the state to             St. Joseph Commissioner Laura Goos                  important to her that the local LGBTQ
                           do something?’ And so, when we heard            said    that she values Schnell’s contributions         community have protections like these,
                           that we had the opportunity to educate          to  the   discussion on the ordinance because           Goos said that the answer is simple:
                           them about what Speaker Chatfield has           even     as an LGBTQ ally, she didn’t notice            because the Michigan legislature hasn’t
                           already kind of said and what happened          the    potentially     problematic implications         done it yet.
                           with then-governor-elect [Whitmer’s]            of  using     the  word    that way.                       “What I’m hoping is that the Michigan
                           transition team in December, that there             “Quite       honestly,     after I had read it      legislature takes up this work so that
                           was little or no confidence that the state      several     times    I didn’t   even realize it was     municipalities don’t have to create special
                           legistlure, which was predominantly GOP,        in   there   and    then  she    pointed it out and     ordinances to cover our citizens,” she said.
                           was going to amend Elliott-Larsen.”             it’s  like  it’s in  a glaring,    bold font,” Goos     “These are members of our community
                              Schnell was involved in the original         said.    “So  we   absolutely     wanted  to remove     that need to be included in the Elliott-
                           push to introduce this ordinance this           the    word     ‘practice’    because    we  did not    Larsen language and I would hope that
                           past summer, and presented to the city          want      there   to  be any     thought   of choice    our Michigan legislature would see to
                           commission the merits of expanding the          versus     nature.     We    definitely  want  to be    take care of that glaring gap. It would be
                           existing civil rights act — that does not       inclusive      in  the  verbiage     because  there’s   remarkable of course if it was our entire
                           currently include protections on the basis sexual orientation, there’s gender identity,                 state and we’re hoping we can be another
                           of sexual orientation or gender identity. there’s gender expression and nobody’s                        spark to light the fire, but the fire does
                           After reviewing the existing language in ‘practicing.’”                                                 need to be lit.”
                           the first draft, Schnell said she was happy         The second proposed change regards
                           with it overall, but suggested two changes.     the   proposed complaint review committee               The next meeting scheduled to discuss
                              First, the ordinance uses the word           put    in place by the ordinance. To simplify           the ordinance will be held on Monday,
                           “practice” in reference to the LGBTQ            the    complaint      review process, it requires       March 11. To find out more about that
                           community.                                      that    they  be  submitted     to the city manager.    meeting, read the proposed ordinance and
                              “No. 1, it’s not a practice,” Schnell        However,          Schnell     pointed    out that a     future meetings, visit https://sjcity.com/
                           said. “We are concerned about area              review     process    by a  single  individual could    government/city-commission.

10   BTL | March 7, 2019                                                                                                                             www.PrideSource.com
OBITUARY
                                                        James “Diamond Jim” Brown II
                                                        Aug. 2, 1960 – Feb. 11, 2019
                                                        BY JASON A. MICHAEL                           Bear Expo on his Wall to Wall Fur.”         said. “We would laugh and talk with

                                                        F
                                                                                                        Goddess Lakshimi, Ms. World Leather       others who were battling some form of
                                                              ormer bar owner and gay rodeo           2003, met Brown just before she ran for     cancer and he would be cheering others
                                                              enthusiast James Osmond Brown           her title.                                  on in their fight.”
                                                              II, known to many as Diamond Jim,         “We were line dancing at what I did          Brown was, friends say, looking
                                                        died Feb. 11 from congestive heart failure.   not know what his bar,” she said. “When     forward to getting back out there this
                                                        He died at his home in Detroit                                                                                    summer as the
                                                        with his rescue dog Diamond                                                                                       Motor City Bears
                                                        by his side. He was 58.                                                                                           celebrated their
                                                           Brown grew up in                                                                                               25th anniversary.
                                                        Highland Park and attended                                                                                        But it was not to
                                                        Cass Technical High School.                                                                                       be.
                                                        Following high school, Brown                                                                                          “He always had
                                                        moved to California to study                                                                                      a large presence,
                                                        architecture at UCLA in 1979.                                                                                     though he had
                                                        It was in Los Angeles that                                                                                        a s of t-sp oken
                                                        Brown came out.                                                                                                   rich baritone,”
                                                           Brown returned to Detroit                                                                                      Lakshimi said.
                                                        in 1984 and became involved                                                                                       “The Ancestors
                                                        in the city’s leather scene. He                                                                                   have gained a
                                                        won the titles Mr. R&R and                                                                                        p owe r f u l a l ly
                                                        Mr. Michigan Leather, which                                                                                       and I will always
                                                        allowed him to compete in                                                                                         know there is a
                                                        the annual International Mr.                                                                                      big gay bear, line
                                                        Leather contest in Chicago.                                                                                       dancing-loving,
                                                        He would go on to work on                                                                                         l e at h e r a n g e l
                                                        the production of IML for the                                                                                     watching over
     Michigan’s Definitive LGBTQ-Friendly Resource      next 16 years.                                                                                                    me and all of his
                                                           A love of rodeo led Brown to                                                                                   chosen family.”
         MiLGBTWedding.com                              found Michigan International                                                                                          Brown was
                                                        Gay Rodeo Association in                                                                                          also remembered
                                                        1994. Brown produced five                                                                                         fondly by Musfasi
                                                        rodeos at the Michigan State                                                                                      Ali, the founder
                                                        Fair Grounds. He was an                                                                                           of ONYX, the
                                                        accomplished bareback bronc                                                                                       leather fraternity
                                                        buster, bull rider and steer                                                                                      for gay, bi and
                                                        wrestler having won over 20                                                                                       t r ans m e n of
                                                        buckles overall in various                                                                                        color.
                                                        national rodeo competitions.                  I made the decision to run for the title       “My longtime friend and brother
                                                           Brown participated in the Gay Games        of Ms. World Leather, he said the bar       Diamond Jim has crossed over to be
                                                        in 1990 and 1994 competing in shot put,       would be glad to help sponsor me. The       with the ancestors,” Ali said. “Jim was a
                                                        discus and flag football. He would go         sponsorship was not monetary but            longtime and fervent support of ONYX
                                                        on to return to the Gay Games in 2006         advisory. He opened his bar to whatever     and our mission since our inception. He
                                                        and win a silver medal in the Masters         I desired to do. He even participated in    was a dedicated gay rodeo participant,
                When Tying the Knot:                    Heavyweight Division.                         the mock interviews I did to practice       bar owner, contest producer [Mr. Leather
                   Our Stories                             But of all his many achievements, what     answering questions from the leather        Cowboy] and Detroit leather community
                                                        Brown will probably best be remembered        and gay press.                              member who always had a huge smile
                 The Ultimate LGBTQ                     for is his bar. Brown opened Diamond             “He was known for his philanthropic      and a big hug. ... May his spirit always
                  Wedding Expo October
                                2018 2019               Jim’s Saloon on the west side of Detroit      endeavors,” Lakshimi continued. “He         ride on in us.”
                                                        in 2001.                                      sponsored many people in events and
                                                           “He did a lot for the bear community,      titles that gave back to the community.”    Funeral services for Brown were private.
             Planning Tools & Resources                 the leather community, he crossed a lot of       After more than a decade, Brown closed   A GoFundMe page has been set up to
                for Your Special Day                    genres,” said Tim Zazo, general manager       the bar in 2010 as a result of landlord     cover the cost of final arrangements. Any
                          A PROJECT OF
                                                        of the Menjo’s Entertainment Complex,         issues. He survived a bout with cancer      additional funds raised will go to create
                                                        who worked for Brown for a time at            in 2012 and a devastating car accident      the James O. Brown, II Legacy Fund to
                                                        Diamond Jim’s. “He did line dancing,          in 2014, which lead to a withdrawal from    benefit Detroit’s LGBT community. The
                                                        which was a staple of his for years. The      the community.                              link is gofundme.com/jamesobrownii-
        To learn more contact donelle@pridesource.com
                                                        biggest event he did in his bar was called       “When he had his battle with non-        legacy-fund.
              Call 734-293-7200 ext. 101
                                     16                 Wall to Wall Fur. It was a huge bear event,   Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I would sit with        Editor’s Note: Brett Reynolds contributed
                                                        a weekend event. I literally modeled my       him in his chemo sessions,” Lakshimi        to this story

12     BTL | March 7, 2019                                                                                                                                          www.PrideSource.com
www.PrideSource.com   March 7, 2019 | BTL   13
Parting
                          Glances
                      BY CHARLES ALEXANDER

Catnippers and Boners Go Gay!

A
         veterinarian-funded study by People & Friends of
         Cats and Dogs, or P-FCD, reports that “persons of
         rainbow personality make the best dog owners, but
have little influence on pussies, er, cats, although this should
not be misconstrued as homophobia on the part of America’s
feline population.”
    The P-FCD Study — “Are American Pets at Risk with
Gay/Lesbian Owners?” — finds that “dogs owned by LGBT
people are happier, better-mannered, more likely to heel and
to fetch than dogs reared by straights. They shed less — the
dogs, not the heterosexuals — during summer months, and
do their gender sniffing and hydrant marking in a covert,
more decorous manner.”
    Interestingly, too, is the study’s finding that most breeds —
with the exception of Pekingese, Chihuahuas and dachshunds
— show marked sporting instincts: catching Frisbees, treeing
squirrels, chasing unmarked police cars and guarding
unattended U-Hauls when raised by lesbians (the dogs, not
the U-Hauls).
    “Rottweilers, when dyke-raised, tend to be a one-owner                                                                              Positive Thoughts
breed. They are loyal to a fault. (The dogs, not the dykes.)

                                                                                                 I’m an HIV-Positive Gay Man Committed
Curiously, pit bulls become remarkably docile when trained
by lipstick lesbian owners in suburban settings. Rainbow
rhinestone collars help.
    “Breeds raised by gay men seldom bark, or if they do, it’s
barking in quieter tones, and are less likely to eat ill-prepared
dinner scraps or TV frozen dinner leftovers. They also show
                                                                                                 to Racial Justice
a preference for dog houses that are painted in warmer tones                                 BY MICHAEL LAMB
and edged with white lattice work. Collars are preferred with
sequins and, in leather outings, studs or spikes.”

                                                                       T
                                                                                                                    Man, I knew the pathway to my walk              I’m not trying to sound curt or
    The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”                   he day the universe decided it       of shame backwards and with my eyes          insensitive, but that was the only
has been proven, “to be utterly false and denigrating to aging                 wanted to see sugar, spice and       closed, strutting every step of the way      difference between us. Both gay men
canine populations. Old dogs — with gay owners as role                         everything nice, it was June 10,     while my hips said, “Yes ma’am,” with        living in Florida, under 25 at the time, we
models — are actually remarkably adept at doing new tricks.            1991 – the day I was born. Even as a         every sway.                                  had the same “risk behaviors.” Our skin
Especially if they - the tricks - stray into backyards.                child, I was always talkative and quite         I became an advocate for HIV              tones separated us like water fountains in
    A big study disappointment is with finicky cat populations.        the jokester. Winning “Loudest,” “Class      awareness after living with the virus for    the 1960s separated our parents. Yes, the
It’s determined that cats raised by LGBT people are just as            Clown,” and “Most Likely to Work for         two years. Stigma led me to my reactive      civil rights movement wasn’t that long
likely to be as independent as cats raised by straights. “The          The New York Times” my senior year of        test, and stigma caused me to bury a         ago. It hadn’t dawned on me yet that
truth is that cats just don’t give a rat’s winkie if you’re straight   high school proved not only that I could     friend who died due to complications         there are racial and systemic barriers
or gay. If you feed them on time, they just couldn’t care less.        make anyone laugh, but that my banter        from AIDS in 2014. “I could’ve sworn         surrounding black gay men diagnosed
And whatever you do, don’t smoke their catnip around them.             always led to greater conversation.          my doctor said the medicine nowadays         with HIV – at least not until I had to
And please leave their fur balls alone.”                                  Taboo topics have always been my          keeps people living longer! Why is my        bury two more black gay men in white
    There is a note of progress, however. For some reason “alley       favorite conversation-starters. Whenever     friend dead?” I thought to myself as the     caskets, in 2016 and 2017. Black gay
cats seem to live longer when kept by gay, single males. This          the topic of HIV/AIDS came up, I             casket closed.                               men are dying in the “better days of the
applies whether neutered or not neutered.” (The cats, not the          was the smartest man alive. “Only               When I first heard of my friend’s         epidemic.” This is news to some, but a
single males.)                                                         crackheads, hookers and people who           passing, I was shocked. Growing up           reality to many.
    Not everyone is pleased with the P-FCD findings. The               shoot up get HIV,” and, “You can tell        in Fort Myers, Florida, I’ve lost many          Where I’m from, I was often the only
Family Way, a right-wing, vigilante organization headquartered         who got that shit because they look sick,”   friends to gun and gang violence. I knew     white person, or one of five white people,
in Free-Fall, Montana, expresses outrage at the P-FCD in its           were two sentences I remember proudly        for a fact my friend wasn’t a gangbanger.    in black-dominated spaces. My mother
monthly newsletter, “The Litter Box.” (Editorial correction:           stating. That wasn’t the same energy I       After I reached out to his sister, she was   owned a daycare on Evans Avenue. She
That should be Letter.)                                                had when I was diagnosed with HIV            basically shocked at my emotional outcry     and another gentleman were the only
    “The gay agenda stops at nothing,” opines the editorial. “Not      on Dec. 19, 2012.                            for answers, responding, “Boy, you didn’t    white people who owned businesses in
only do they want special political rights, the right to marry            I was the average 21-year-old white       know he had AIDS?” I was in shock.           that area. All her employees and students
and to adopt children, now they want to raise America’s wagtail        gay man. Living it up, partying every        How could we have both been diagnosed        were black. As the years went on, those
                                                                       weekend, experimenting with drugs,           with the virus, but he’s dead and I’m
                           See Parting Glances, continued on p. 15     and of course having plenty of sex.          alive? Oh yeah, he was black.                        See Headline, continued on p. 15

14    BTL | March 7, 2019                                                                                                                                                        www.PrideSource.com
® Positive       Thoughts
                                                       situations of injustice, then you have chosen the
                                                       side of the oppressor.” I couldn’t live with myself                 Creep Of The Week
   Continued from p. 14                                allowing my black friends to become nothing
                                                       but a quota to fill for a snowcap organization to
employees became family. I have so many aunties
                                                       gain funding. As a gay white man, I don’t know
                                                       oppression like a gay black man, nor will I ever        Marc Short                                                BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

                                                                                                               T
because of that place. My mother was finishing         know. Many times, I have challenged my white                                                           crazy, but if there really was an organized
school, going through a terrible divorce, and          peers, colleagues and fellow advocates to first                 his week’s column comes to you from    and coordinated homosexual agenda I kind
running a business, so naturally her time was          have a conversation surrounding the experience                  both the “But People Can Change”       of doubt everybody agreed on “let’s die off ”
spread thin. She trusted black women to look           of their black counterparts living with HIV and                 Department and the “Yeah, but no”      as an effective strategy.
after her white children. My mother didn’t raise       to see the role they themselves have played that        Department.                                       Short also claims that homosexuals were
us on “don’t see color” – she raised us on, “Treat     contributed to the oppression of their friends,            Think back to who you were an               super excited that Magic Johnson got AIDS
good people better than the world does, because        colleagues, clients and employees. White folks          undergrad in college. I’m going to make        since it helped them further the myth that
the world will turn good people bad.”                  with badges aren’t the only ones helping kill black     an educated guess and say that you were        straight people can get it, too. He also railed
   When I entered the world of HIV advocacy,           folks – it’s the white folks in lab coats too.          insufferable. Granted, you were probably       against “sodomites” getting “preferential
I jumped in headfirst, wanting everyone to                White people who claim to “get it” and wave          the sexiest you’ve ever been even though       treatment,” and by “treatment” he meant
know their status, but I wasn’t yet hip to the fact    their allyship to black folks are the worst. Trust      you ate pizza for breakfast, lunch and         any government funding for the disease.
that knowing your status and navigating the            me, I was one of them. Always trying to prove           dinner most days. But you likely thought          But it’s not as if senior in college Marc
health care system once HIV positive is not the        myself to black people, explain racism to black         you knew everything. And that’s annoying.      Short was unfeeling.
same. From inner community stigma, culture             people, and basically telling black people how             If you’re reading this thinking, “But I        “Naturally we feel sympathy for ... all
differences, racism, lack of health literacy or        to be black. Yep, I was your typical white gay.         was a genius 18 to 21-year-old with no         AIDS victims,” he wrote, “but that does not
cultural competency, and the “one size fits all”       Not only was I singing to the wrong choir, I was        flaws and incredibly humble to boot,” my       mean we glorify homosexuals’ repugnant
messaging at play in the HIV nonprofit world, it’s     totally singing off key.                                response is: Do some introspection. Maybe      practices of frequent anal intercourse nor
no wonder black and brown bodies fall through             If it weren’t for black leaders, including Maxx      yoga will help.                                should we consider them brave for coming
the cracks of what is supposed to be the glory         Boykin, Larry Scott-Walker, David Malebranche              Anyway, I have no doubt that I wrote        out of the closet.”
days.                                                  and Phill Wilson – who taught me to check my            things when I was an undergrad that would         Got it. Homosexuals grossed Short out
   You would think after the Centers for Disease       privilege at the door and told me certain spaces        make me cringe today. Thankfully, my           and the penalty for grossing Short out
Control and Prevention released statistics             were for black folks only, black folks are a priority   undergrad years took place at the infancy      should be death.
showing that black gay and bisexual men have           to black people, and my presence or my voice            of the digital renaissance, and so most of        But what does Grown Up Marc Short
a one in two chance of contracting HIV in their        wasn’t needed at the time – I’d still be stuck in       that work is lost to history, and likely for   have to say about all of this?
lifetime before age 40 that there would be plenty      my old ways. I can’t thank them enough. I’d be          the best.                                         “I reg ret using l angu age as an
of space, education, marketing materials and           lying if I didn’t say the lesson was a hard one to         That said, a short story I wrote in high    undergraduate college student that was
representation for black leadership roles to open      learn, sometimes with tears emanating from my           school did just recently end up on the         not reflective of the respect I try to show
up to spread awareness of testing, access to pre-      own white fragility. But it helped me be a better       internet, so I guess no one is ever safe.      others today,” he told The Daily Beast. “We
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), sexual health and         person, a better white person.                             The thing is, when I was in college I       have all learned a lot about AIDS over the
navigation to care if diagnosed. Nope. Not at all.        “Nothing about us without us,” said Larry Scott-     wasn’t making grand pronouncements             past 30 years and my heart goes out to all
   I remember working for an organization that         Walker at the 2018 United States Conference             about how disgusting and awful gay             the victims of this terrible disease.”
whenever they had any need for anything to             on AIDS, as his beautiful locs hung like wind           people were. Granted, I was a gay people,         The subhead of The Daily Beast’s piece
do with black people, I was their go-to man.           chimes down his broad back. Usually, in the HIV         so maybe that doesn’t count. Still. There’s    read that Short “expressed regret for words
Why? Because I had black friends. I remember           community, this expression is used to speak to          a difference between writing bad poetry        he says are no longer reflective of his
my boss even saying, “I need a gay, black, HIV-        the need to keep people living with HIV at the          or an impassioned diatribe against rape        worldview.” Perhaps there was more to the
positive man to hire as a prevention specialist.       center of all decision-making about prevention,         culture via a compare and contrast paper       statement Short gave them, but when I read
Can you think of any of your friends that would        treatment programs and policymaking. But in             about the “Porky’s” and “American Pie”         the part they quoted, which I have included
want a job?” He wanted to hire my gay, black,          that moment in Orlando this past September, I           movies (one stellar observation that I can     above, that is not what Short means. He
HIV-positive friends, but when I wore a Black          interpreted Larry’s call as, “No discussions about      remember: ‘80’s movie nudity contained         said he regrets being disrespectful. He
Lives Matter shirt to work, I was asked to change,     the betterment of black people are to be had at the     cellulite). But if those writings surfaced I   doesn’t say that his worldview no longer
because “my politics aren’t the same as everyone       table without black people at the table.” Period.       wouldn’t be like, “Oh, wow. I hurt people.”    sees homosexuals as sodomites deserving
else’s.” He wanted a gay, black, HIV-positive man                                                                 The same cannot be said for Marc Short,     of death.
to work for him, but the only time we ever went                                                                Vice President Mike Pence’s new chief of          And here’s the thing: It’s hard to believe
to a neighborhood that was predominantly black         HIV-positive millennial Michael “Miss Mikey”            staff, who wrote super homophobic garbage      that Short is such a new and improved man
was for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness              Lamb is a contributor to TheBody.com, as well as        when he was in college and published it in     considering who he is working for. Mike
Day. I took this kind of tokenizing as a spit in the   an author, life coach, and empowerment speaker.         the March 1992 issue of The Spectator, the     Pence is anti-LGBTQ through and through.
face, and a piss on the graves of my three friends.    He blogs at www.getchalifewithmike.com. This            conservative college paper he helped found.    He has been Creep of the Week many times,
   It’s at moments like this that the voice of South   column is a project of Plus, Positively Aware, POZ,     The front cover of that issue contains a       for good reason.
African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond               TheBody.com and Q Syndicate.                            “teaser” that reads: “AIDS: Who Gets It?”         Pence’s leadership and empathy
Tutu rings in my ears: “If you are neutral in                                                                     The essay inside is called “AIDS and        failure dealing with AIDS as governor
                                                                                                               the Heterosexual” and it is vile. The gist     of Indiana is well-documented. The
                                                                                                               of the essay is that heterosexuals can’t get   Trump Administration’s approach to
                                                                                                               AIDS, only gay people can and trying to        AIDS nationally and globally seems more
                                                         The editorial ends with the usual request             get heterosexuals to care about AIDS is all    interested in shaming people than in saving
 ® Parting       Glances                               for money in the “cultural war to save our              a part of a big gay plot to both get money     lives.
    Continued from p. 14                               four-footed friends from a life of pampering            from Congress and “de-stigmatize the              So, yeah, no. If Short wants anyone
                                                       and eternal perdition. Heaven loves a cheerful          perverted lifestyles homosexuals pursue.”      to believe that he no longer believes the
                                                       benefactor.” How true!                                     That is, um, one hell of a plan. I          garbage he wrote about AIDS then he
majority — our innocent dogs and cats — as
                                                         Give a pup or kitten a loving home in 2016.           mean, so many gay men died horrible            should maybe consider working for people
same-sex, housebroken pets. Maybe a dry-blown,
                                                       Call the Michigan Humane Society today. Happy           deaths while the Reagan administration         who aren’t currently operating under the
perfumed poodle or two, but not a born-again
                                                       Arf! Merry Meow! And a perverted purr!                  basically laughed it off and the first Bush    those same garbage ideas.
Boxer. Never!”
                                                                                                               administration was hardly better. Call me

www.PrideSource.com                                                                                                                                                              March 7, 2019 | BTL            15
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