gay persons of color

That's all folks!

2013-05-02T20:05:00.000-04:00

Well, the world is a better place today than it was when I started this blog way back in 2006. Over 1300 posts later, a series of Canadian Blog Awards, and, most important, wise feedback from you, my readers, I end this blog with a feeling of great accomplishment. Thanks to all who helped, questioned, and validated me for the past eight years. I think I made a difference with this. I really do.

Check me out on Instagram @jamespeopleplay 😁

Video: We Are Jamaicans campaign to fight homophobia

2013-01-17T14:03:00.000-05:00

Dane Lewis, the Director of the Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG), is featured in the above video, part of the impressive new We Are Jamaicans campaign to fight homophobia on the island nation once regarded as the most homophobic place on earth.

Background music is Macklemore & Ryan Lewis—Same Love—featuring Mary Lambert.

Cory Booker, a model of personal transformation for gay haters

2013-01-13T18:41:00.002-05:00

Cory Booker, the popular mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was a student at Stanford University when in 1992 he published an article in the Stanford Daily that described how he once "was disgusted by gays," but through a process of understanding the plight of a Stanford counselor named Daniel Bao, Booker chose to embrace gay people once and for all. As he wrote:

"It was chilling to find that so much of the testimony [Daniel Bao] shared with me was almost identical to stories my grandparents told me about growing up Black. People found it revolting to share a meal with them and often felt it to be their duty to beat them so that they would learn proper living."

One of the lessons here is that if we share our stories, at the right time and place, with homophobic human beings, we just might make an ally and play a role in making the world a less homophobic place. In other words, we have the power to effect positive change.

Study reveals same-sex relationships in China over millennia

2013-01-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

Sociologist Pan Guangdan has found plenty of historical documents bearing evidence to the existence and tolerance of homosexuality in China over thousands of years. For example, during his groundbreaking study, Pan discovered that almost every emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) had or was suspected of having male partners. China Daily provides a good report on Pan's research that will perhaps set the tone for a more full acceptance and understanding of same-sex relationships in the world's most populous country. You gotta love history for validating the present, and maybe, just maybe, playing a role in determining a better future.

Azealia Banks controversy comes with hypocrisy

2013-01-05T18:33:00.001-05:00

Much controversy has been stirred by American rapper Azealia Banks's tweet to gossip maven Perez Hilton, which stated "omg u should just kill yourself… Like for real… lol what a messy faggot you are." The context for their interchange is nicely summarized at digital spy. Now as much as I get how people might be offended by what some are calling a homophobic slur, I don't understand why these same reportedly offended people, like Scissor Sisters's Jake Shears (who has collaborated with Azealia Banks in the past, see video below), have not been equally bothered by Azealia's use of the n-word in her lyrics. As Ms. Banks herself tweeted later, "If u listen to my music and are not offended by the word nigga… We’re not gonna go here with this faggot shitt… We’re just not. Lol."

Some facts. Banks is bisexual, Perez and Jake are gay, and "faggot" and "nigga" are words that are pervasive within the vocabularies of various communities that intersect at points of sexuality and race. Hmm. Isn't it high time that allegations of both homophobic and racist behavior are placed under scrutiny at the same moment? In this way a more in depth evaluation of what's really going on could be achieved. Because there's lots of homophobia and racism to go around, each with their own particular brands and idiosyncrasies, to say the least.

Make love, not war, bothers and sisters.

Video: Video Games - Boy George - Directed by Mike Nicholls

2013-01-02T14:25:00.001-05:00

The process of joy on the woman's face when she first meets her man is priceless in this video. Thank you, Angel Rose and Cesare Polini (playing the featured couple), Boy George, Lana Del Rey, and Mike Nicholls.

Video: Queer Lisboa 16 - Death of the Gay Cliche!

2013-01-02T09:18:00.001-05:00

I somehow missed this awesome ad for the 2012 Queer Lisboa 16 - Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival commercial created by the agency FUEL Lisbon. It hits one of the seminal aspects of my blog, which is to destroy gay stereotypes. Enjoy!

Video: "Awkward" by Saucy Monky

2012-11-15T12:45:00.001-05:00

Behold "Awkward," the awesome and latest video from Saucy Monky, an indie rock band based in Los Angeles and fronted by Irish-born singer and guitarist, Annmarie Cullen (who formerly performed under the pseudonym Ann Marie Montade), and East Coast vocalist and guitarist, Cynthia Catania. The group's rhythm section is Steve Giles (bass) and Megan Jane (drums). All of the musicians in the band are extremely talented. And incidentally (or not?), the three ladies happen to be gay.

Vatican ups its homophobic rhetoric

2012-11-14T18:26:00.001-05:00

I am so sick of Pope Benedict XVI poking his papal nose into the bedrooms of people across the globe to encourage bigotry against LGBT human beings. As Pinknews reports:

"The Vatican appears to be continuing to launch a new wave of efforts to [strengthen] its opposition to LGBT rights, particularly equal marriage, using newspapers and radio broadcasts to describe it as ”intrinsically disordered”, and to compare it to polygamy and polyandry."

While I am certain that gay human beings will never get the approval of the Pope, I can only hope that the number of his followers eventually dwindles as people come to their senses and understand that the Vatican of today is a manipulative, corrupt, abusive, and power-hungry institution that hunts the gullible for its survival.

Video: [Stereotypical] Gay Men Will Marry Your [Stereotypical] Girlfriends

2012-11-14T10:46:00.001-05:00

I find it sad that the above video relies on ridiculous stereotypes to promote gay rights and marriage equality in the United States (where same-sex nuptials are now a legal reality in nine states and the District of Columbia). Even sadder perhaps is that the video has gone viral thus perpetuating at an accelerated rate a monolithic image of gay men as effeminate, musical-loving, ultimatum-slinging, gym bunnies, among other cringe-worthy clichés. And all this in addition to the one-dimensional portrayal of girlfriends as actually wanting to be with the aforementioned type of man. Created by the folks at College Humor, this is activism at its very lowest form of expression.

Uganda to officially pass ‘Kill The Gays’ bill by Christmas 2012

2012-11-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

Uganda is poised to officially pass the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill at the end of 2012 despite massive international criticism. "Referring to the law as a ‘Christmas gift’ to the population, [Rebecca Kadaga] spoke of ‘the serious threat’ posed by homosexuals." (From Gaystarnews.)

This is the equivalent of a contemporary witch hunt in one of the most primitive and regressive countries on the planet.

Video: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Same Love feat. Mary Lambert

2012-10-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

All kinds of awesomeness from Macklemore, a.k.a. Ben Haggerty.

Been on hiatus

2012-08-14T11:08:00.002-04:00

As some of you have probably noticed, I have been on hiatus for a few months, but I will be returning to the blog in a short while. The distance away has allowed me to refocus and recharge, so stay tuned for more from GPOC!

Video: Dubai, Don't waste your money there

2012-04-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

Some wise words from prominent gay travel writer and blogger, Carlos Melia, who decided to cancel his stay in Dubai because "gay[s] and lesbians are not welcome in this country." Filming this video at the Dubai International Airport, Melia notes that he received no responses from airlines, local hotels, and even the tourism office to his professional requests. And there you have it. Why spend money in places where we are not welcome?

London Bus Campaign: 'Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!'

2012-04-03T09:15:00.000-04:00

Source: http://www.facebook.com/stonewalluk

Well this is neat. Throughout April, 1,000 buses in London, England, are carrying ads from the British charity, Stonewall, to promote marriage equality. Bearing the tagline, "Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!" the ads link to Stonewall’s equal marriage campaign website, which includes details of the charity’s response to the British government’s consultation on the issue and explains how people in support of marriage equality can have their voices heard.

South Korea bans under-18s from Lady Gaga concert

2012-04-02T10:55:00.001-04:00

How foolish for the South Korea Media Rating Board to ban under-18s from Lady Gaga's "The Born This Way Ball" concert tour that starts in Seoul on April 27. Does the board actually believe that the under-18s are going to witness anything that they haven't already seen on television or the Internet? So absurd. Ironically, however, this will probably spark more interest in Lady Gaga, especially from adolescents who already tend towards rebellious paths, i.e., many, many teens.

Video: Testimony, music by Stephen Schwartz

2012-03-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

When I first read that the lyrics of Testimony were either taken from or inspired by the It Gets Better Project, I felt a slight repulsion in thinking that the video would be yet another simple attestation of life's merits, post the phase of high school bullying. But, Testimony is more than that. Deeper, perhaps due to it's composer, Stephen Schwartz, it carries an even more powerful, artful message than most of the other well-intentioned It Gets Better inspired productions. From the first, vulnerable line, "I don't want to be like this," I was hooked, and with the sheer magnitude of all the voices of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, I was slayed. A must watch.

Video: Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler would welcome gay teammate

2012-03-19T16:25:00.000-04:00

Not only is it awesome that Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler have expressed their support for the recently launched You Can Play campaign, which seeks to ensure equality, respect, and safety for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation, but the two hockey stars have also told Xtra! that they would accept a gay player wholeheartedly on their team. For Kesler, "We're a big family in here, and I am sure every single guy in here would be more than supportive and help him along the way."

Video: Woman proposes to girlfriend at NHL game

2012-03-19T13:28:00.000-04:00

This is one of those feel great moments (via Jezebel), not only for the lesbian couple in the video, but also for all who believe in equality in professional sports. Hats off to the folks with the Ottawa Senators organization who helped to make this happen during Saturday night's game between the Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs!

Video: It Kinda Scares Me

2012-03-12T19:13:00.000-04:00

Here is a recently released scene from It Kinda Scares Me, a 2001 documentary about a gay drama coach and the troubled boys he teaches. From my favorite documentary filmmaker, Tomer Heymann (known more recently for his works I Shot My Love and The Queen Has No Crown), It Kinda Scares Me features Heymann, as both filmmaker and drama coach, and offers a touching perspective of humanity through the lives of alienated Israeli youth.

Video: You Can Play Project for gay athletes

2012-03-05T17:46:00.001-05:00

You Can Play is a milestone project dedicated to ensuring equality, respect, and safety for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation. The campaign works to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete’s skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit.

In this video are hockey players: Patrick Burke (Philadelphia), Brian Burke (Toronto), Rick Nash (Columbus), Duncan Keith (Chicago), Brian Boyle (New York), Matt Moulson (New York Islanders), Joffrey Lupul (Toronto), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia), Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa), Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia), Corey Perry (Anaheim), Andy Greene (New Jersey), Dion Phaneuf (Toronto), Henrik Lundqvist (New York).

If you don't see your favorite player or team represented here, just wait. Visit youcanplayproject.org over the next few weeks as new players and teams join the You Can Play team.

Video: Ruling Canadian Conservatives must take responsibility

2012-03-05T10:37:00.002-05:00

Jamie Biggar, from Leadnow.ca, said it all on March 3, 2012, explaining how Canada's ruling Conservatives since 2008 have continued to "downplay, distract, and delay" on key issues and have created serious breaches in the Canadian democratic process. Canadians are getting mad, finally.

Video: Saint Petersburg passes homophobic law to cleanse society of gay people

2012-03-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Lawmakers in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday passed a controversial law banning "homosexual propaganda" in the city of nearly five million inhabitants. The city's governor, Georgy Poltavchenko, has vowed to sign the legislation, which would make reading, writing, speaking, or reporting on anything related to gayness a crime. In other words, the Saint Petersburg city council is in the process of implementing a cleansing strategy to remove gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender human beings from society. Now what's the real crime here?

Catholic Priests, not Obama Administration, assaulting Catholics

2012-02-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

As American Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, continues to decry the Obama administration for its so-called assault on the Catholic Church, the fact of the matter is that Catholic priests, not the secular left, are the ones assaulting (literally) Catholics in America. For the facts, check out the Database of Publicly Accused Priests in the United States to comprehend just how much damage Catholic priests have done to their own institution. From BishopAccountability.org:

"It is a matter of public record that U.S. bishops have knowingly transferred thousands of abusive priests into unsuspecting parishes and dioceses, placing fear of "scandal" ahead of the welfare of children."

Video: Why are you protesting against Israel?

2012-02-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

What I like about this video is the way in which it brings things down to one question, whose multiple answers are demystified, one by one. Beyond the specific subject of Israel, the video encourages thinking, something that some protesters, caught in the spirit of a movement in which they feel included, forget to do. Effective activism, while perhaps driven by emotion, also requires thought.