Harry Knox, Director of Religion and Faith - HRC

I had an opportunity to hear Harry Knox speak 2 years ago at the Celebration of Faith and Diversity seminars held in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Knox is the Director of Religion and Faith Program at the Human Rights Campaign and a terrific orator. He blends together religion, faith, diversity and humanity to show how the basic rights for all gay and lesbian people should be honored and demanded and brings a religious perspective that is often overlooked. It is great listening to him speak which is why I was glad I found this article he wrote on the recent vote by Maine citizens to deny the LGBT community marriage rights and marriage equality. This article is reprinted from Human Rights Campaign BackStory series on its website: www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/11/a-religious-reflection-on-maine. To learn more about HRC and what they do for the LGBT community, visit their website at: www.hrc.org.

Thomas – Click Click Expose (Gay Entertainment Media)

*****************************

“This morning I am wondering who and what I am. Once again, when American voters have had an opportunity to affirm my humanity and the loving commitment I have made to my husband, a majority of those voters have made a conscious decision to deny my humanity and treat me as if my citizenship and my marriage mean nothing; all the while patting themselves on the back for their piety. The slap they intended is received. I am made to wonder – Am I human? Am I an American? Am I a Christian? Am I married?

It is clear that most voters in Maine, like majorities in other states before them, intend for me to feel less than human. People we respect as sisters and brothers in the human family, we treat as equals. Those majorities have reserved to themselves a legal right they feel specially entitled to – in spite of the fact that my husband and I face all the health, financial, familial and social challenges they do, and need the same supports they enjoy.

Here’s what I know.

I know that I was never more beautifully and powerfully human in my life than the day I committed myself to lifelong partnership with my caring, strong, handsome, wise, funny husband. We made ourselves vulnerable to care for each other forever, come what may. There is no more hopeful, faithful, joyful, generative act in all the world. It was a decision only humans could enter into both intellectually and spiritually. It was a total giving of ourselves to each other, and as such, it mirrored in part the gift Christ made for us on the Cross.

Voters in Maine have said with clarity that my husband and I are to be denied equal treatment under the law, despite the Constitutional promises made to us. The voters are unequivocal – we are something, but we are not, in their opinions, American citizens, despite the facts that we are native born or have diligently served our country over the last five decades.

What I know is that Mike and I seek everyday to contribute more to our country and God’s world than we take from it. We have given our lives and careers in the service of others through Christ, and we have invested most of our time and much of our money into helping America live into its promises and potential.

Most Maine voters want us to understand once and for all that the Bible, which has been used to subjugate women, people of color, and the poor of every gender and race is now to be used as a weapon against us. They have gleaned all they intend to learn from their faith and as far as they are concerned, my family can go to hell.

I know that we are disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, God’s incarnate word of truth, love, and justice who lived, died, and through his death and resurrection redeemed and continues to reconcile us, America and all the earth to God’s original vision of peace and caring community.

It is clear to me now that a majority of Americans have chosen to deny my human rights, deny my citizenship, and deny my Christianity, by denying my freedom to marry. So where does that leave me? Who and what am I on November 4, 2009?

I know – I know – that I am married to my husband, Mike. He defends me against all who would do me harm and is faithful to me in spite of all temptations. We have cared for each other through more sickness than health; we’ve known more financial setbacks than gains; we have nursed each others’ family members, wept over the graves of lost loved ones, helped and received help from family and friends, and assisted in raising the children of some heterosexual folks who weren’t able to raise their own. I wake in the morning and nod at night with prayers of thanksgiving for the wonderful man with whom I am building a family by God’s grace.

Today I am tempted to feel like an exile in my native land – to question who and what I am. But this I know: in the end it matters not one whit what others say or believe about me and mine. What matters, today and forever, is what we believe about ourselves. We are fully human. We are Americans. We are Christians. And we are most assuredly married.

When I remember that, the powers of hell cannot prevail against me or my marriage. I am empowered to continue to do the difficult work that will ultimately bring justice in the form of marriage equality to our land. I, and my husband with me, offer our heterosexual neighbors a vision of what the world will look like when we get the human rights we deserve – a world where everyone will live in peace and mutual respect with our neighbors.”

– Harry Knox, Director of Religion & Faith, Human Rights Campaign

Dolce and Gabba Underwear Ad

Okay…for every straight guy who turns his nose up at gay people (even those straight model types) – there are those who realize that their good looks and chiesled body can earn them a following (and a paycheck) that they can’t resist. It’s funny when I watch some of those reality TV shows that showcase models, musicians, etc and watch their reactions when they learn that gay people like them or help them in their road to success. But I bet they are not turning up their noses when they get that paycheck at the end of the week.

Enter Dolce and Gabanna. Whether you are a fashion whore or a name brand slut (i know such harsh words) – you got to admit – these straight guys and girls over at DG know how to win over the gay and lesbian community. Of course not being an American company helps!! Their underwear ad is a classic example of taking straight guys (in this case the Italian Rugby team) and exploiting them for all its worth. While I bet that none of these guys will be the first to admit in public they have a gay fan base – you better believe that many of gay men are tuned in and turned on by the images. And watch as DG sales sore and sore. Ads with cute straight guys targeted towards gay men will never go away. And let’s hope it doesn’t.

While I can’t say I own anything by DG, I appreciated them as a company when they were bold enough to make commericals that were bold and daring and meant specifically for the gay and lesbian community. Check out this commercial that we put on our gay and lesbian video sharing website at Planet Q TV. I think you will like it.

So what’s my point? Don’t tell me as a straight guy you are just turned off by gay guys liking you or what you are selling. I don’t buy it (and neither does the advertising world). You might not agree with the gay lifestyle but you are sure loving it when you get paid by us. So keep it up…we sure don’t mind.

Thomas (Click Click Expose – Gay Entertainment Media, Video, Podcasting and Blogging)

Protest against Buju Banton

It’s been just one month since five Florida performances were announced for Buju Banton. Since then, three venues have canceled the notorious singer whose lyrics call for the torture and murder of gay people.

His song “Boom Bye Bye” is advocates pouring acid on LGBT people, “burning them up bad like an old tire wheel”, and shooting them in the head with an AK-47. He also sings “Anytime Buju Banton come, f–gots get up and run … they have to die”.

Do your part to stand up to anti-gay incitements to violence. Sign the letter to venue owners and elected officials.

Buju Banton is still scheduled to perform in three Florida cities this week. Thursday, Oct. 29th, in Jacksonville, Friday. Saturday, Oct. 31st, in Miami; and a new date was added for Friday, Oct. 30th, in St. Petersburg.

While other cities in Florida and across the country have canceled Bantons concerts, the venues in Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, and Miami have not yet responded. Join Equality Florida by calling upon the venue owners and elected officials to take a stand against hate.

“Boom Bye Bye” has become an international gay bashing anthem. In 2004, Brian Williamson, Jamaica’s leading gay activist, was violently chopped to death with a machete in his apartment in Kingston. A reporter walked to his street shortly after the murder and found a crowd of people gathered outside Williamson’s apartment singing and celebrating his murder and shouting the chorus of “Boom Bye Bye”.

The staff at Equality Florida has received an unprecedented flood of hate mail and threats in response to our public opposition to Banton’s hateful lyrics. One Equality Florida staff member received a letter stating: “YOU ARE STARTING A WAR IN WHICH YOU WILL BE KILLED” And another says “YOU’LL BE 6 FEET UNDER PERMANENTLY.”

WE MUST STAND UP TO THESE HATEFUL ATTACKS

So far, due to an outpouring of opposition from Equality Florida members and community allies, management at the venues in Tampa and Orlando have canceled Banton’s performances; the Tallahassee event in now listed as withdrawn on the Eventful.com website; and Toyota has dropped it’s sponsorship of the Miami event. Jacksonville management has not responded.

Join Equality Florida along with elected officials, community leaders, and partner organizations including Save Dade, Unity Coalition, and Pride Lines for a community response to performers who incite violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Friday, October 30th 4:00pm
at the James L. Knight Center
400 SE 2nd Ave

GET INVOLVED – ITS THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT OUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Sayeed St James - Mr. Tri-County National Newcomer

Sorry pageant fans – I have been sick as a dog this last week and have not been online to send our congratulations out to the new Mr. and Miss Tri-County National Newcomer pageant winners. For the boys – Sayeed St. James and for the girls Starr Sanchez. It was a fun pageant as 6 boys and 5 girls competed for the title at Club Revolution in Orlando, Florida. I probably would have had more fun if I wasn’t sick that night and still had to drive 5 hours back home but hey – I enjoyed the pageant. I finished the DVD today and I put up one preview trailer of the lovely Tiana Norrel Santi – Miss Tri-County Latina. Although the pageant was long (we had a triple male tie breaker Q&A at the end of the pageant) – it was well worth it to see who of the guys won. And for the girls – well rumor has it points were deducted before the pageant started that may have affected the outcome – but I have no knowledge of that and no tea will be spilled here (LOL).

Congrats to Sayeed and Starr – buy the gay pageant DVD from our website at Click Click Expose (Gay Entertainment Media) and congrats Sergio for a fantastic 2009 Tri-County year. We will see you guys November 22nd for Tri-County Legacy when Simba Hall gives up the title.

This year’s contestants included for the Males:

Zayden Bonet, Dontrell Iman, Sayeed St. James, Keondre Diamond, Deahire Santi and Ashlei Santi Valentino.

Starr Sanchez - Miss Tri-County National Newcomer

This year’s contestants included for the Females:

Taniyah Dior Dupree, Tranecia Sanchez, Zaniyah Bonet, Starr Sanchez and Makayla Sanchez.

Zayden was 1st runner-up, Ashlei was 2nd Runner up.

Makayla Sanchez was 1st runner-up and Tranecia Sanchez was 2nd runner-up.

And the battle for Miss Beautiful went to Tranecia Sanchez. You go girl!!

Thomas – Click Click Expose (podcasting, gay video sharing, gay blogging and live internet TV for the LGBT community)

National Equality March 2009 - Washington DC

5 years ago if you told me that you could use the internet, a social networking site and a couple of internet videos to bring together thousands of individuals across the country to demand social justice and equality, I would have said you were crazy. But in this new and crazy world we live in, it appears that viral marketing (for lack of a better word) can be the right ticket if used properly.

Enter the 2009 National Equality March on Washington DC. While I can find no public information on the advertising budget for the National Equality March organization – it appears that the budget for advertising (that’s traditional advertising) was very little. I saw no ads in the majority of the popular gay magazines, there was no ad in the online gay advertising network BUT WHAT I DID SEE was Facebook and twitter used relentlessly to promote the event. And the result, over 200,000 people showed up for the event.

I think that speaks volumes on how businesses and organizations can speak and influence the LGBT community. While traditional marketing still has a place in advertising – the power of the internet as a vehicle to promote and inspire change is in a word – breath taking. Lord, I would have love to have known how much the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force spent on advertising when I went to the March on Washing in 1993. It’s a new world – and viral marketing is the way to go.

If you went to the march and you took any video of the march or did a video blog, please share your gay and lesbian video stories of the National Equality march on our website: planetq.tv. It will be a great way for many of us who could not attend this year to really see what it’s like. Trust me folks, its inspiring and truly amazing. So share your videos with us on Planet Q TV and let us hear your stories about this year’s march. And the real question is: will it make a different for LGBT folks across our country? I think it will.

Thomas (Click Click Expose – Gay Entertainment Media)

National Equality March on Washington DC

I remember back in 1993 when I was a field producer for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s March on Washington video.  It was certainly a different time then when the idea of civil rights for all gay and lesbian people were still a struggle and I was so far in the closet,  I could have hurt myself.  It was a great experience being around so many like minded people who didn’t care if you were gay, straight or bi – they were all there to have a good time and to promote equality for all.

I won’t get to go this year as I have a gay filming project to attend on Sunday but if you get to go, WE HOPE YOU WILL SHARE YOUR VIDEO STORIES ON PLANET Q TV.   Planet Q TV was designed 2 1/2 years ago as a place where gay and lesbian video bloggers, content producers and professionals could tell their stories in one unique place for our community. I would love to hear about your adventures, what you saw, what you liked or didn’t like and if you feel that equality is right around the corner for us or if we still have a long way to go.

Have fun this Sunday and if you are video blogging,  I would like to encourage you to upload your videos here so everyone around the world that visits our site can learn about your experience.

Thomas (Content Producer – Click Click Expose [Gay Entertainment Media])

UN General Assembly Acting President Ali Abdussalam Treki

I will have to admit my ignorance here but I did not realize that there existed on the world stage an organization interested in protecting the interest of gays and lesbians throughout the world’s nations. This organization is called International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex (or IGLA). They have gone on record to express outrage at a recent comment made at a UN general assembly meeting by the acting General Assembly President The Libyan Ali Abdussalam Treki.

The back story first: Last December 66 nations got together in an attempt to pass resolutions that would decriminalize homosexuality in UN participating countries. This call to action has been supported by the Obama White House and many leaders throughout the Western World. Acting General Assembly President Treki went on to say before the UN that he considers homosexuality “unacceptable.” While he did not go on to say anything about the call to decriminalize homosexuality, the IGLA believes Treki is against this resolution. “Considering that the Declaration calls for universal decriminalization of homosexuality, one can only conclude that the new President of the Assembly of the UN is … in favor of criminalizing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and intersex. The disturbing and serious implications of this attitude, which comes from who now heads the institution that is protecting human rights, all human rights-as the most sacred value, can not be overstated, “said ILGA in its statement.

IGLA goes on further to say “We call on the representatives of the States that signed the statement against the criminalization of homosexuality, but also voted for the election to the new position of Mr. Treki, to demand an explanation from the President of the UN Assembly by his words….”

Whether the IGLA gets its wish is unknown at this time but I applaud IGLA for recognizing that the basic civil rights of everyone should be followed and that if you are going to be a representative of the UN, a President no less, then you should recognize civil rights for all just not a selected few. Can the world’s nations finally decriminalize homosexuality? I think they can but it will be up to interest groups like IGLA to lead the way and draw attention to the plight that many LGBT people still face across the globe.

Thomas (Official Content Producer – Click Click Expose [Gay Entertainment Media])

I went to college in Texas – San Antonio in fact. Spent 4 1/2 years there and gladly called it home at the time. My partner and I called Houston home for 2 years. Both cities have a thriving if not quaint gay population. But drive a few hours over to a small east texas town called Tyler or neighboring Lindale – and you get a different tale. Very conservative, very bible belt and extremely homophobic. I think I would go so far as to say the very word “gay” is not even utter in single breath in that town (okay maybe I am exaggerating but you get the point) – it isn’t very welcoming to gay people at all.

Tyler Texas - Project TAG

In comes the AIDS service organization Project TAG (Tyler Area Gays) who decided to do a small part to introducing this community to the word “gay.” What did they do – they adopted a highway. We all have seen the signs, church groups, fraternities, lodges – adopt a section of a highway, clean it up and get their name put on a sign on that stretch of road. Project TAG sought to do this with the idea of getting the word “gay” out in public in their community. The hope – to desensitize the area about what is and is not “gay” and to get the community talking. Will it work…only time will tell. But I think it’s a great way to not only do a service for your community but to show how LGBT people have the same civic and community goals as anyone else and oh by the way; they live in your town too!!

Way to go Project TAG – that takes a lot of courage in this little small east Texas town.

Thomas

Former President Bill Clinton

Whether you love him or hate him, you got to admire his willingness to speak out and take a stand on a controversial issue – even going so far to admit he was wrong. Many people remember that former President Clinton was the one who brought the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy into effect. And he has gone on record to say that he is against gay marriage.

Well in an interview with CNN Reporter Anderson Cooper (who is also gay), President Clinton admitted he was wrong in his opinion of gay marriage. In the interview, he admitted that he was “hung up” on the actual word of marriage, considering he is 60 years of age and grew up in a time where marriage was only considered between a man and woman. He went onto explain that he has always been in favor of gay adoption and if “….people want to make commitments that last a lifetime, they ought to be able to do it…..” Former President Clinton cites his many gay friends that have helped him reached this conclusion on gay marriage.

Well I am for one glad that he came out (sort to speak) and said he supported gay marriage. Now if only President Obama would do the same, that I think would mean to world to LGBT folks who care about the gay marriage question.

Thomas (Content Producer – Click Click Expose)

We wanted to let you know that we have completed the migration of Planet Q TV to our new dedicated servers.  The new servers will allow us to expand our on-line services and provide you with more great videos from the LGBT community.  In the next couple of days, we will be doing some administrative tests to insure that full functionality has been restored.

If you uploaded videos in the last three days, your upload did not work.  Please wait until Monday September 28th to upload your videos – that will give us time to test all features of the site.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be introducing a Pay Per View component to our website where you can watch selected videos for a fee.  These videos will be movies, short films, gay pageants and content that is normally sold in DVD form but are being offered on a per day or per week rental basis.  We are excited about offering this content that will allow you to watch certain videos that you normally would have to buy but now can rent and watch on your PC.  More details coming soon as we launch new videos.

Thanks once again for making Planet Q TV the destination website for watch LGBT video content from around the world.  More news and great videos coming soon.  Stay tune!!

Happy Viewing…

The Planet Q TV Team