Angel Mason's Blog

When an Angel Speaks

Part 1: Don't Blame the President! Don't Blame the Congress! Blame yourselves!

It is January 2012 and the insanity of the 2012 Presidential Election has begun. I believe the word "insanity" is appropriate and succinct because of the axiom which defines the word. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

This adage takes on an even more prophetic and Nostradamean meaning when you consider that this fall, once again, the American people are going to the polls and insanely attempting to elect a President to lead them out of the morass, muck and mire that has submerged our country and symbolized its politics!

I contend that "insanely" is the correct word because unless we do something different, we will not effect any meaningful change, no matter who wins the White House this fall. Moreover, the different thing we must do is pause for a moment and reflect upon our choices and the actions that we must take in order to save our country, which is dangerously teetering on the edge of the abyss.

First, we must vote according to our self-interests. This is usually what most voters do, but in this Presidential election we must intelligently re-define what our most important self-interest is. Because I am advocating for the endangered middle class, I assert that the most important and critical self-interest we have is survival! The Republican party is hellbent on destroying us, the endangered middle class. Why else would Congressional and Senatorial Republicans try to eliminate Social Security and Medicare through the Ryan Plan, in addition to killing almost every job bill that the White House has proposed. These are job bills that could have added thousands if not tens of thousands of high-paying jobs to a crippled economy.

The Democratic Party has been feverishly attempting to resuscitate a grievously ailing national economy and the Republican Party is withholding the critical assistance needed to heal the patient. Why is this? You need only to recall Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's vow in 2008 when he said, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

Let's be real! The elected Republican party officials don't care about the economy because they've morphed into the party of the rich! The reason why they don't worry about the endangered middle class is simple: They can't relate to us! They don't know how hard it is to balance a shrinking paycheck against rising expenses. They don't know the pain of losing long-held, treasured jobs because of greedy avaricious bank-initiated financial recessions. They don't lose sleep at night worrying about staving off foreclosure on their homes, despite the fact that many of us have already lost their homes! So why should the Republican party care about the endangered middle class? The answer is they don't and they never will because it's not in their best self-interest to do so. Period!

This brings me to the crux of my argument: It is an important and irrefutable fact that it's not enough for us to re-elect President Obama. We must elect Democratic Congressional representatives and Democratic senators to aid President Obama in implementing his policies. It is not enough to just vote for the man with the vision. We must also put in place people who support that vision and the visionary who sees it! President Obama should not have to do all the heavy lifting! It is our responsibility to give him some help!

What's more, it's imperative we elect enough Democrats to regain control of the House of Representatives and maintain control of the Senate. Hello, endangered middle class America, are you listening?!! It is only by the regaining and maintaining control of Congress and the White House that we can thwart and undo the grievous damage inflicted upon our beloved nation.

Make no mistake. The Republicans are masters of distraction! Their current strategy is to portray President Obama as a promise breaker. They've said he hasn't kept his campaign promises. But what they don't say is that every promise he has attempted to keep--promises ranging from rescuing the economy to delivering jobs--the Republican party has thwarted, obstructed, or down right killed!

What we have to realize is that a divided government does not work when one faction is composed of zealous extremists who would destroy the country to win an ideological point. Remember the "Debt Ceiling Crisis" and how perilously close the Republican Tea Party Congressional officials brought us to defaulting on our national debt? If that had happened, it would have destroyed our economy and plunged the world into a global depression.

What did happen was that this unnecessary political posturing resulted in the downgrading of America's credit rating. Moreover, the Republican party has the audacity and malevolent cunning to blatantly lie and falsely attribute this debacle to President Obama.

An anonymous writer who wrote under the pseudonym General R. Never said, "People deserve the government they permit!" If we permit the Republican party to pull the plug on us by refusing to wake up and vote in our own best interests and vote for President Obama and other Democrats who support him then we, the endangered middle class, deserve the inevitable pain, misery, heartache and death that will surely come.

I don't know about you, but I don't plan on "going gently into that good night." I'm going to vote for every supportive Democrat I can find!

About Global Author Terry Angel Mason

Terry Angel Mason is an internationally renowned author, columnist, keynote speaker, poet, singer, songwriter, minister, and Civil Rights activist who currently resides is Southern California. He is the author of three popular titles, Love Won't Let Me Be Silent, They Say That I am Broken, and The Dream Keeper, set to be released in 2012. A revered leader and global change agent, Terry Angel Mason's mission is to inspire, educate and empower millions around the world, and promote love and acceptance for all people. A highly sought after author and activist, Mason has been featured in (Lee Bailey's) eurweb.com, Healthy Black Men, The East County Magazine, Five (5) Magazine, Whosoever Magazine, SGL Weekly Magazine, Outword Magazine, The NBJC Newsletter, The Advocate, Frontier Magazine, Broadway World, The Windy City Times Newspaper, New Pittsburgh Courier, New England Informer, Our Weekly Magazine, Out Impact, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, The San Diego Union Tribune, ME Magazine, POZ Magazine, The New Civil Rights Online Magazine, A&U Magazine, Religious Tolerance, Marriage Equality International, Homorazzi, BN&S News Commentary, Real Health Magazine, Q Magazine, MSNBC News Vine, ILGA, Out Military Online Magazine, Proud Parenting Web Magazine, Fuse Magazine, Echelon Magazine, The Bay Area Reporter, Connextions Magazine, and in many other publications.

WWW.TERRYANGELMASON.COM

BISHOP TERRY ANGEL MASON WAS JUST NAMED NATIONAL HIV/AIDS SPOKESPERSON FOR 2012

Follow Angel Mason on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALOVEBALLAD

LAWRENCE, TYLER, COLLE, ASHER AND COUNTLESS OTHER LGBT YOUTH WERE MURDERED AND BULLIED TO DEATH
BUT THEY DIDN'T CALL A PRAYER MEETING AND NO ONE
SIGNED A PETITION!

It has only been a few days since I boldly marched into the KJLH radio station in Los Angeles, CA to be interviewed by Pastor Xavier Thompson, senior minister of Southern Missionary Baptist Church. This would prove to be one of the most talked about interviews on the internet since it was the result of an article that I wrote about this very charismatic minister's controversial City Wide Prayer Meeting to reverse SB 48, a bill recently signed into law by Governor Brown.

What prompted me to write the article was my complete dismay over the fact that several members of the Jordan/Rustin Coalition (an LGBTQ advocacy group) who attended the event to present an open letter to the pastor that had been written to all faith leaders in the black community regarding SB 48, were ousted from the meeting. Members of the coalition explained to the newscaster, while at the event, that they were told that if they did not leave voluntarily, they would physically be removed from the premises, if necessary.

As I sat quietly in my living room and listened to members of the coalition express their dismay about what had just happened to them, admittedly I became extremely angry. But what I did not know was that prior to the prayer meeting, the Los Angeles Sentinel had published an article announcing the prayer meeting, complete with a huge photo of Pastor Xavier Thompson splattered across the page with a headline that read: Southern Fights SB48 with City-wide Prayer Meeting, written by the Religion Editor. After learning of this, I thought to myself, "I cannot believe this! This is exactly what I was referring to in my last article entitled: The Tragic Consequences of Being an Anonymous Minority Statistic, when I wrote, "Black newspapers ignore and overlook the importance of pertinent issues that impact the lives of gay African-Americans, they tacitly approve and condone acts of hatred and homophobia. Black publications depend heavily on financial support from religious institutions, and indirectly these papers must shoulder some of the responsibility for the spread of the virus because an innumerable amount of anti-gay sermons have been preached from their pages."

Immediately after my article was published denouncing what appeared to me to be the ultimate insult against the LGBTQ community, I was immediately contacted by Rev. Thompson via email to which I promptly replied. After speaking with him several times, we arranged a time to meet. During the meeting, Rev. Thompson stressed to me that he had nothing against the LGBTQ community and that he was totally unaware that the members of the Jordan/Rustin Coalition had been asked to leave since he was inside of the meeting conducting the prayer rally.

He further explained that the guards had been hired because once it was made known through the media that he was planning the event, he immediately began to receive death threats and was advised by the Los Angeles Police Department to hire security officers to prevent any violent attacks of any kind while the event was in progress. He admits that the security officers did not receive the proper orientation prior to the meeting and overreacted as a result of a heightened sensitivity in an effort to ward off any potential danger.

As I sat next to Pastor Thompson in the radio studio, he publicly apologized to the Jordan/Rustin Coalition and has since then reached out to them to coordinate a reconciliation meeting and he claims to also want to form alliances with other LGBTQ groups and organizations in the city. In attendance at the radio broadcast were his lovely wife and other enthusiastic members of his congregation. During the taping, Rev. Thompson expressed to the listening audience that both he and I were passionate and unrelenting about our positions, but were not at odds with one another personally and that we had simply agreed to disagree in spirit of respect and civility - and this is true! I do respect Rev. Thompson's constitutional right to disagree with my stance and I am not even going to call him a "HATER or BIGOT" for doing so! I even applaud him for the fact that he boldly stated to thousands if not millions of listeners that he didn't believe that all same-gender-loving people were hell bound - something most black evangelical ministers would never do!

But there is one question that came to mind as I glanced through the many photos posted on Rev. Thompson's Facebook page from the event. I would like to ask Rev. Thompson and every person that attended that meeting to repeal SB 48, why is it that no one called a citywide prayer meeting with the same passion and zeal when 15-year-old Lawrence King (a gay child) at E.O., Green School in Oxnard, California was killed in class by a fellow student? Newsweek has described the shooting as "the most prominent gay-bias crime since the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard", bringing attention to issues of gun violence as well as gender expression and sexual identity of teenagers.

Why is it that it did not weigh heavily on anyone's heart to call a citywide prayer meeting to express their outcry and outrage when a Cal State Long Beach transgender student, Colle Carpenter, was cornered in a campus restroom by an assailant who carved "It" on his chest or when Tyler Clementi's roommate illegally streamed a video of him being intimate with another male student, outing him for the entire world to see, and as a result, killed himself the next day? Where was the legislative passion necessary to guarantee the safety of our children? You know; the same children that the religious right (the opponents of SB 48) claim to be so concerned about protecting when Asher Brown, an eighth grader at Hamilton Middle School in Harris, TX was bullied and taunted by classmates on a daily basis so horribly and consistently until he decided to end his own life, just days after coming out to his parents.

Oh, but I get it. These children are not worthy of protection or any safe space because they are perceived by the local and national religious community as being demon possessed, mentally deranged, or bewitched by the white gay community because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Yes, Pastor Thompson, I looked at the hundreds of hands lifted heavenward in the photos of parishioners and community leaders from all over the county who were in attendance at the SB 48 City Wide Prayer Meeting. As I glanced through the photos, I could see how they were piously petitioning and invoking God's power to omit the contributions of the LGBTQ community from history books. But, I also know that what may appear to the naked eye to be just courageous community activists and spiritual leaders making an urgent heavenly petition, to me, is just another proposed Ugandan Gay Genocide, only cleverly disguised and dressed up in American religious legalism.

And, you can count on all the grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts, church mothers, fathers, deacons, trustees, pastors, priests, bishops and evangelists who were in attendance to pray in agreement with you that the bill be overturned, that is at least until one of their grandchildren, or extended family members is brutally murdered at the hands of some desensitized homophobe who felt completely justified doing so because he reasoned that if we devalue the historical contributions of the LGBTQ community and consider them unworthy of even documenting historically -- then certainly, their human lives couldn't be of any value either!

What saddens me all the more is the hurtful and hypocritical attitude of the churches that is still prevalent today as mentioned in this article. When will they realize that God considers all of His children's lives precious and sacred including the aforementioned LGBTQ youth who were murdered, tortured, and even bullied to death? When will the church and its members realize that Christ's admonishment, "Whatever you do to the least of them, you also do unto me!" is a divine indictment against such uneven applied Christianity? Furthermore, when will they realize that the teachings of Christ exhorts us to demonstrate love and compassion to all of God's children, not apathy and indifference! Until they understand the consequences of their misdirected religious actions, then I guess they will continue to hold citywide public prayer meetings to advocate for their intolerance and ignorance, while Heaven awaits for more truly Christ-loving and Christ-centered churches to pray for and advocate for Lawrence, Tyler, Colle, Asher and the thousands of other LGBTQ youth who were murdered and bullied to death!

About Global Author Terry Angel Mason
Terry Angel Mason is an internationally renowned author, columnist, keynote speaker, poet, singer, songwriter, minister, and Civil Rights activist who currently resides is Southern California. He is the author of three popular titles, Love Won't Let Me Be Silent, They Say That I am Broken, and The Dream Keeper, set to be released in 2012. A revered leader and global change agent, Terry Angel Mason's mission is to inspire, educate and empower millions around the world, and promote love and acceptance for all people. A highly sought after author and activist, Mason has been featured in The East County Magazine, Five (5) Magazine, Whosoever Magazine, SGL Weekly Magazine, Outword Magazine, The NBJC Newsletter, The Advocate, Frontier Magazine, Broadway World, The Windy City Times Newspaper, New Pittsburgh Courier, New England Informer, Our Weekly Magazine, Out Impact, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, The San Diego Union Tribune, ME Magazine, POZ Magazine, The New Civil Rights Online Magazine, A&U Magazine, Religious Tolerance, Marriage Equality International, Homorazzi, BN&S News Commentary, Real Health Magazine, Q Magazine, MSNBC News Vine, ILGA, Out Military Online Magazine, Proud Parenting Web Magazine, Fuse Magazine, Echelon Magazine, The Bay Area Reporter, Connextions Magazine, and in many other publications.

Follow Angel Mason on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALOVEBALLAD

(As supporters of gay rights were kicked out of Southern Missionary Baptist Church last week, Terry Angel Mason was reminded of the church's better days fighting for equality.)

The scene that unfolded last week as proponents for gay rights were expelled from Southern Missionary Baptist Church in California seemed out of sync with its history. It's not how I remember the community.

The year: 1963. The place: the very same popular and well attended black church nestled on the west side of Los Angeles. The political climate: blacks engaged in a revolutionary struggle against Jim Crow laws, hoping to eventually eradicate them and acquire civil rights -- a struggle that would ultimately change the political climate of America forever. Standing in the wings is a young visionary by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., destined to emerge as leader of this new cutting-edge movement and perhaps the most revered and inspiring black civil rights leader humanity has ever known.

At the piano is the incomparable Bertha Keys, daughter of the renowned Dr. Rev. Kelly Keys (pastor of the church) and over in the opposite corner, an extremely gifted organist (affectionately known as Jimmy). Center stage is a choir stand filled with young talented voices from all over the city. Suddenly the music begins to play and in typical worship fashion, feet begin to tap, hands begin to clap and the music fills the huge sanctuary as a young man only 9 years of age walks down the aisle singing from the depths of his soul, "Rock-a-my soul in the bosom of Abraham, oh rock-a-my-soul!"

Suddenly one of the church mothers rises to her feet, followed by hundreds of other parishioners and shouts to the 9-year-old boy, "Sang baaaaaaby sang!" Hats begin to fly, wigs get turned around, and purses get tossed in the aisle as ushers rush to parishioners' sides in an effort to calm down those who appear to be overwhelmed with emotion from the Holy Ghost, as they dance in the aisles vocalizing shouts of praise.

The little child singing is me, Terry Angel Mason, only one of hundreds of other same-gender-loving children who grew up in this church and spent what seemed like thousands of hours in worship services, choir rehearsals, prayer meetings and participating in countless other church events.

Now the year is 2011 and reflections of Jim Crow are as apparent as it was in the '60s, as evidenced by the emergence of radical right-wing groups like the Tea Party, STOP SB 48 and religious extremists known as The Family. Now, same-gender loving people have moved to the forefront of the modern day Civil Rights Movement as we struggle to achieve equality, not just for ourselves but for all disenfranchised and marginalized people who are victims of homophobia and discrimination.

The new Southern Missionary Baptist Church that was recently caught on video cameras as gay people were ejected from the premises has been transformed from a traditional red brick building to a new contemporary stucco building with beautiful stained glass and lush red pews that replaced the old wooden ones damaged by an earthquake. The pastor now is Xavier L. Thompson, who invited clergy on Wednesday from all over Los Angeles County to Southern Missionary Baptist Church in an effort to overturn SB 48. The law, which was recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, and which is dubbed the FAIR Education Act, ensures the correct teaching of the history of the LGBT community, along with that of the disabled and other minorities.

As a civil rights activist I am not surprised that black religious leaders would attempt to reverse this legislation because of the false and inaccurate distortions that have been purposely spread in the black community about the bill.

The opponents of SB 48 have once again skillfully and masterfully played upon the deeply entrenched homophobic prejudices of the black church. They have once more distracted black religious leaders by distorting the issues that SB 48 addresses.

"We believe you cannot sexualize history," Pastor Thompson explained to a news crew.

But the new law has nothing to do with sex. It merely enforces the fair writing of history, meaning all those who have meaningful and positively contributed to history should have their contributions accurately chronicled regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. It is a bill that promotes inclusiveness and proscribes and prohibits the bigoted omissions that have denied Americans the complete truth about how all types of Americans have contributed to this great land of ours.

But because the black church has been so historically and irrationally homophobic, all the opponents of SB 48 had to do was wave the rainbow flag in their faces, invoke the word "homosexual" and then sit back and cunningly watch as Black religious leaders do their dirty work by mobilizing to repeal a bill that actually honors and protects the contributions of all minorities, regardless of race and sexuality. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Moreover, in their fanatic zealousness to begin this misguided process of repeal, the leaders of Southern Missionary Baptist Church committed one of the most un Christ-like actions of all -- they expelled from the church all other interfaith religious leaders and proponents of SB 48 who peacefully attended in order to dialogue with them. They even implied physical threat if gay rights supporters refused to leave.

What kind of message does this send to our LGBT youth? What message does it send to the 9-year-old boy who verges on a fight for his own emotional, spiritual and physical survival as he sits in those same pews Sunday after Sunday, hearing himself marginalized and damned to hell?

What kind of message are those of us who are Christians sending to that little boy, and to the world, if we do not step up and speak truth to power and firmly declare that our God is a god of love, mercy -- and equality.

Terry Angel Mason is a gay HIV/AIDS activist and author. His book Love Won't Let Me Be Silent speaks about homosexuality and homophobia in the black community. Look for his upcoming book, They Say That I Am Broken, this fall.

The Tragic Consequence of Being an Anonymous Minority Statistic!

It is common knowledge that at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, gay men in many countries were frequently singled out and targeted for physical abuse. Why? Because they were seen to be responsible for the spread of HIV. This view was fueled by sensational reporting in the press that became progressively homophobic.

This homophobia was reflected in newspaper headlines such as "Alert Over 'Gay Plague'," and "'Gay Plague' May Lead to Blood Ban on Homosexuals!" Those and others like them were essentially a form of "yellow journalism" that demonized the gay community even more! As a result, U.S. groups monitoring homophobic violence reported an increase in incidents when public awareness about AIDS in America heightened in the 1980s. Today, this targeted abuse seems very unlikely to end in the near future (especially in America), especially since the CDC recently announced in a stunning report that young people in the United States are at persistent risk of HIV infection. This risk is particularly high for minority and ethnic youth, ages 13 to 29.

Currently, homophobia is not only a national concern. The intolerance it breeds also continues to be a major international barrier to ending the global AIDS epidemic and hate crimes against same-gender-loving people. In many countries, such as Uganda and Ghana, stigma and discrimination prevent men who have sex with men from accessing vital HIV prevention, treatment and care services. Without a doubt, if we are ever going to prevail over the AIDS virus, tackling and combating homophobia must become an essential priority in order to encourage individuals (who fear for their safety) to get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, which are on also on the rise.

Every so often, however, there's a glimmer of hope. This year, the United Nations passed a resolution--hailed as historic--that endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever. The resolution expressed grave concern about acts of violence and discrimination committed against individuals in all regions of the world because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. While it is tempting to point a finger at other countries, such as Uganda and Ghana, and condemn them for their extreme homophobic acts and heinous crimes against same-gender-loving people, we must also realize that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Simply put, even though we pride ourselves on living in a technically and socially advanced democratic society and the United Nations was instrumental in proposing their Resolution, in many ways we are hypocrites! For many years, America has allowed bigots and religious extremists to enshrine countless unethical laws that illegally deny same-gender-loving people equal rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (in almost every state) in our own constitution.

Many religious leaders and right-wing politicians use the Bible to justify their outlandish actions. What's more, many also feel absolutely no remorse for their homophobic statements that fuel attacks on innocent people of all sexual orientations. Just as racist bigots in the Civil Rights era used scripture to justify their heinous attacks and social oppression of black people and women, these leaders use similar tactics. Can't people see the same pattern being repeated here? Nowhere is this attitude more prevalent than in our current political climate. As presidential candidates debate, many extol divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. In doing so, they pander to the most extreme elements in the electorate as they campaign on a desperate quest to solicit and garner conservative votes.

Is it any wonder then that the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs' researchers recently published a report that noted a 23 percent increase in murders of LGBT and HIV-affected people in the United States, the second highest yearly total ever recorded?

According to the Advocate:

Twenty-seven LGBT people and HIV-affected people were killed in 2010, according to the latest numbers from the NCAVP. Total incidents of violence, which include victims who survived, were up 13% from 2009 to 2010. The statistics found that LGBT people of color and transgender women were subject to a disproportionate number of attacks--70% of the 27 murders in 2010 were LGBT and HIV-affected people of color, while transgender women made up 44% of the murder victims.

In order to understand the cause of these disturbing attacks that disproportionately affect LGBT minorities, one need only recall the disturbing interview with J.L. King, author of the controversial book On The Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of Straight Black Men Who Sleep with Men, and the former queen of daytime television, Oprah Winfrey. The interview was an alarming, bold confession of what life was like for him, a Black man on living life on the down low. King immediately garnered national fame and became a trusted, self-proclaimed HIV prevention activist and educator to the nation (especially Black America). The show was promoted by a sensational trailer that warned viewers, "It's a shocker. It's called on the 'Down Low': Men with wives and girlfriends secretly having sex with other men.

Immediately after that interview, a series of articles published in Essence, Vibe, and the Washington Post attempted to expose a secret sexual cultural phenomenon called "the Down Low." Although those articles caused somewhat of a stir, I agree with Johari Osaze Jabir, an artist and African-American studies lecturer, that none were as troubling as one that appeared on Sunday, August 3, 2003 in the New York Times Magazine cover page article entitled "Double Lives On The Down Low." Written by journalist Benoit Lewis, the work sent a shock wave through the African-American community as the article aired some very dirty laundry. Jabir properly noted that while the previous articles in Black publications were written and read by black people, Benoit's piece, displayed on the cover of the Sunday magazine for the entire world to see, had far more impact!

Among the story's many shocking insights, the article revealed that after 25 years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic not only had HIV infection rates steadily climbed for African-American women, but black religious institutions, in particular, created and supported homophobia within black communities. The result of this homophobia, according to the article was the birth of a subculture of dishonesty and denial with respect to black masculinity, desire, and sexuality. In addition, this subculture sabotaged any attempts at HIV prevention and/or treatment, the article said.

In my popular new book Love Won't Let Me Be Silent, I pointed out the tremendous negative influence that hip hop has had on the nation (in regards to the LGBT community) as a whole. Many are reluctant to admit this, but the denial is particularly vehement in the African-American community. Even today, although much of the homophobic language has been toned down in contemporary rap lyrics, there are cleverly disguised subliminal homophobic messages that still make it absolutely clear that being gay is totally unacceptable and definitely not manly!Personally, I feel that most hip-hop artists will never truly fully embrace same-gender-loving people publicly. What's more, some gay and lesbian hip-hop artists conceal their orientation, as Terrence Dean, author of Hiding Within Hip-Hop, asserts. Clearly, these and many other factors all contribute to the rise in attacks against both HIV-positive and -negative same-gender-loving people, Because I have ministered in the black church for over 40 years, I am very aware of how their refusal to address issues such as HIV/AIDS and the fact that there are thousands of same-gender-loving people within its congregations has gravely crippled us. But there is one more commonly overlooked culprit. The African American community has hundreds of local newspapers and online publications that frequently omit many pertinent issues concerning the gay community, with the exception of such extraordinary black newspapers as the New England Informer and the New Pittsburgh Courier. (Full disclosure: Both papers have also published my blog content and columns.)

But too many black newspapers don't possess the journalistic integrity to follow the outstanding leadership demonstrated by these two exceptional papers. These other black publications depend heavily on financial support from religious institutions. This means indirectly and, perhaps, unfortunately, these papers must shoulder some of the responsibility for the spread of the virus. Why? Because of innumerable anti-gay sermons preached from their pulpits. Ironically, the original purpose of the free press was to inform and educate their readership about vital issues that affect and impact the lives of its readership. But when black newspapers ignore and overlook the importance of pertinent issues that impact the lives of gay and straight African-Americans, they tacitly approve and condone acts of hatred and homophobia.

One example of this is the incident concerning Rev. Rick Warren, well- as witnessed by the case of Christian evangelical minister Rev. Rick Warren, Martin Ssempa's mentor. Ssempa was the chairman of the anti-homosexuality task force in Uganda who attempted to solicit Warren's advice when devising horrific homophobic laws in his administration's "Kill The Gays" bill. Rev. Warren, who had previously made his anti-gay feelings known from the pulpit, never responded to Ssempa. Perhaps this was because when Ssempa revealed his "Kill the Gays" bill, the magnitude of how evil and oppressive this legislation was, was revealed! Rev. Warren attempted political and spiritual damage control by issuing conciliatory videos pleading for tolerance and putting distance between himself and Ssempa. But Rev. Warren never issued an outright condemnation of Ssempa's bill. Instead, he issued a comment that his calling did not include interfering in the political process of other nations.

But in my opinion, Rev. Warren's position may still be viewed as a personal endorsement of Ssempa's genocidal bill. It brought to mind the words of British statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke who prophetically said, "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing!" The same can be said about newspapers that ignore their original mandate to speak truth to power and prefer to place their love of money above the public good.

We, as a nation must evolve. We must move forward and we must embrace the more noble aspects of our humanity. Needless to say, it won't be easy; it never is! Nor is living easy, particularly for HIV individuals who are being assaulted, as you read this, or all the transgender women who are being murdered, or the thousands in the LGBT community, white and black, male and female, who desperately and simply want to live as God created all his children to live--happily and freely because we were all made in His image!

by Terry Angel Mason, Global Author & Intl. Columnist
WWW.TERRYANGELMASON.COM

THE VIDEO YOU MUST SEE!

Marsha Ambrosius sings about these crimes against humanity - Far Away

Follow Angel Mason on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALOVEBALLAD

Three days after penning this article two black men were murdered in Iowa and Mississippi:

James Craig Anderson -- Brutally Murdered in Mississippi

Marcellus Richard Andrews -- Brutally Murdered In Iowa

JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA!
(When will the madness ever end?)

"A vicious immoral insanity has invaded Uganda like a biblical plague, and is now eating away at her soul and festering amongst her people like a virulent malignant disease. Moreover, this plague, if not stopped, excised and exorcised from Ugandan culture, will continue to incite more political oppression, more unjustified murders and more unwarranted and illegal imprisonments. This insanity that I refer to is extreme homophobia, which has been tragically and purposely imported into the country by Right wing Christian evangelical leaders, resulting in disastrous consequences for the people of Uganda. This intolerant mindset has been eagerly and cruelly embraced by Ugandan government officials, who have now codified this extreme form of homophobic genocide into their very country's constitution..."

These prophetic, compelling words grabbed the attention of the entire international community in an article penned by my personal assistant Asim (Editor, Author and Creative Writer) and I, entitled: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARCHITECTS OF THE UGANDAN GAY GENOCIDE. Even though we both hoped these words would never come to fruition, and that somehow the human rights violations being committed against same-gender-loving people would at least taper off, if not stop all together, regretfully, they have not! In fact, on July 20, 2011, Paul Evans Aidoo, the Western Region Minister of Ghana, urged "landlords and tenants" to report suspected homosexuals and suggested gays should be rounded-up in an effort "to get rid of these people in the society." The comments followed the announcement that 8,000 gay men have registered with AIDS charities in the area. Not long after this information was disclosed, Muslims and Christians began staging anti-gay protests and The Christian Council of Ghana called on Ghanaians not to vote for any politician who believes in the rights of homosexuals.

Before I go any further with this article, I want to state that I know for a fact that there are far more than just 8,000 LGBT people living in Ghana because it is a proven fact statistically that same-gender-loving people who live in areas where they are stigmatized and marginalized, that hundreds if not thousands never disclose their sexual preference to anyone! As an author, Civil Rights Activist and AIDS advocate, I can personally attest to receiving countless emails from African same-gender-loving people who reach out to me all the time. I am often overwhelmed by their numerous requests for advice and reading materials, so I know firsthand that 8,000 is only a drop in the bucket! I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've spent agonizing over the plight of my brothers and sisters in Africa because they are so severely oppressed, jailed, abused and even put to death simply because they are gay!This heinous mandate (to round up the gays and kill them) bares a chilling resemblance to the recent proposed Ugandan Gay Genocide and the evil mandate issued by Adolph Hitler and his monstrous regime before the Enlightenment, when Jews (like same-gender-loving people) were hated because they were different and refused to assimilate. The word, "GENOCIDE" seems to be the theme of Africa, known also for the horrific Rwandan holocaust, where an estimated 800,000 people in the small African nation of Rwanda were brutally murdered!

You may recall that not long ago, The Obama administration introduced its first statement calling for the United Nations' top human rights body to combat discrimination against gays and lesbians around the world, implementing a U.S. reversal from years of ambiguity on the subject during the presidency of George W. Bush. "We are very concerned that individuals continue to be killed, arrested and harassed around the world because of their sexual orientation or gender identity," said Suzanne Nossel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations. "This statement sends a strong message from across the globe that such abuse should not be tolerated. Again, I can only applaud the Obama administration for championing equal rights for all same-gender-loving people across the globe, especially in view of the recently proposed gay genocide in Uganda!"

Both Ghana and Uganda and other surrounding countries' inhumane acts of violence and overt discrimination directed at same-gender-loving people have blinded them to truth and compassion which subsequently has clouded their good judgment and sense of self-preservation. It now also threatens to undo 30 years of progress made against the spread of the virus as previously stated in the aforementioned article. We are already seeing signs of these repercussions, since thousands refuse to seek medical care, fearing that doctors, nurses and practitioners will disclose their sexual preference--something mandated by both Ghanaian and Ugandan's Legislators. The daunting reality is that millions more will die, not only in Ghana, but all throughout Africa needlessly because of fear, ignorance and intolerance.

What I find amazing is that the use of laws to arrest, prosecute or imprison individuals for consensual same-sex relations in private or on the basis of their gender identity or expression is a violation of Ghana's international human rights obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The rights enshrined in these international treaties include the rights to privacy, freedom from discrimination, equal treatment under the law, freedom of expression, association and assembly. The Ghanaian government has obligations under these standards to promote, respect and protect the human rights of its population without distinction or discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Ghana's own constitution recognizes the right to freedom from discrimination in Article 17. Furthermore, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, ratified by Ghana in 1989, affirms the equality of all people. Article 2 affirms the right to freedom from discrimination, article 3 guarantees equality before the law and article 26 outlines the duty of all individuals not to discriminate, and to "maintain relations aimed at promoting, safeguarding and reinforcing mutual respect and tolerance."

It is well known globally that many African nations depend heavily on outside support from other countries because of the severe poverty ravaging the continent. This is why the threat of proposed sanctions against the Uganda government was effective and helped to neutralize and dismantle the "Kill the Gays Bill." These distasteful, inhumane acts grieved the international community to such an extent that humanitarian activists united with an unrelenting resolve, driven by the spirit of justice, vowing never to rest until Uganda was forced to eschew, foreswear, and permanently renounce all efforts to imprison gays for life and/or kill them.

Often, international advocates warn that global pressure could be misconstrued and have an adverse effect. However, even though some caution that international sanctions could be seen as an attempt to impose foreign values on a sovereign country, we cannot sit idly by and do nothing lest we also be found just as guilty as the crazed homophobic abusers, who beat, rob, rape, unjustly imprison, and even murder innocent same-gender-loving people in these oppressive nations. There is no doubt in my mind that despite the possibility of a backlash from African countries who may resist global intervention; international pressure is essential, necessary and needful in order to send a message to reactionary African nations that any such type of horrific genocidal legislation will never be tolerated, nor condoned! Moreover, we, the civilized nations of the world community, must send these purveyors and architects of such cruel inhumane bigotry and genocide a clear strong, unambiguous, and resounding message! A message that proclaims such blatant and overt contempt and willful disregard for the rights and safety of its citizens will always be met with moral outrage, international censure, and financial sanctions, without question or hesitation!

It is important to note that even though American Right Wing Evangelicals were not directly responsible for inspiring this travesty of injustice in Ghana, still, they cannot be completely absolved of responsibility for it, since for decades they have infused African people with a spirit of intolerance and homophobia that has even grieved the heart of the very Creator Himself!!! While many discount the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures and multitudes flee legalistic driven houses of worship (and rightfully so) because of narrow-mindedness, homophobia and gay bashing from the pulpit, still I can't help but wonder (as a proud same-gender-loving believer) if the following particular scriptures have accurately and historically framed this overt insane expression of hatred, when they foretold of a time when men would kill each other in the name of the Messiah, foolishly thinking that they are doing God a service; a time when the love of men would grow cold and men would be fierce despisers of those that are good, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, and extremely brutal? Even so, I am encouraged because I know that these same scriptures declare that perfect love casts out fear, and that the power of love always triumphs over injustice! While the mills of justice may grind slowly, ultimately justice will prevail if you and I will boldly step up to the plate and take aggressive action! We must never forget the words of Edmund Burke who said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

In conclusion, we should all turn our attention towards beautiful New York harbor, to Ellis Island, where stands The Statue of Liberty. This icon of Human Rights continues inspiring, illuminating, and enlightening the world. This wonderful gesture of kindness and symbol of freedom was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. This is why I call on all democratic nations of the world, the United Nations, Congress and President Obama to emulate and duplicate the heroic and compassionate example of The U.K. and likewise offer political asylum to the persecuted same sex community of Ghana and Uganda. Surely, these famous words inscribed upon the Statue of Liberty which I now quote, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" should include them as well!

By Terry Angel Mason, Global Author and Intl. Columnist

This article is featured in my new book: THEY SAY THAT I AM BROKEN

About Global Author Terry Angel Mason

Terry Angel Mason is an internationally renowned author, columnist, keynote speaker, poet, singer, songwriter, minister, and Civil Rights activist who currently resides is Southern California. He is the author of three popular titles, Love Won't Let Me Be Silent, They Say That I am Broken, and The Dream Keeper, set to be released in 2012. A revered leader and global change agent, Terry Angel Mason's mission is to inspire, educate and empower millions around the world, and promote love and acceptance for all people. A highly sought after author and activist, Mason has been featured in The NBJC Newsletter, The Advocate, Frontier Magazine, Broadway World, The Windy City Times Newspaper, New Pittsburgh Courier, New England Enquirer, Our Weekly Magazine, Out Impact, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, The San Diego Union Tribune, ME Magazine, POZ Magazine, The New Civil Rights Online Magazine, A&U Magazine, Religious Tolerance, Marriage Equality International, Homorazzi, BN&S News Commentary, Real Health Magazine, Q Magazine, MSNBC News Vine, ILGA, Out Military Online Magazine, Proud Parenting Web Magazine, Fuse Magazine, Echelon Magazine, and in many other publications.

Follow Angel Mason on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALOVEBALLAD

A Time For Us And Marriage Equality!
"Today, you would think that because I am an African-American, that I would have awakened with a new zest for living, a belief that all things are possible and a renewed hope in America, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. But instead, I felt a chilling numbness emotionally very similar to the kind of feeling that I experience when someone close to me in my family has just died!"

These were the words penned in my Pulitzer Nominated book, "Love Won't Let Me Be Silent" after Proposition 8 passed in California, amid the euphoria and jubilation of electing America's first African-American President. At that time my feelings were very conflicted because there was a part of me that was overjoyed because Barack Obama had been elected. Conversely, another part of me was in complete despair because of the bigotry and hatred that would later take on the form of denying same-gender-loving people the right to adopt children in other states and/or the right to wed the person of their choosing; in addition to the countless suicides, abuse and extreme acts of violence committed against LGBT community - all the direct result from the implementation of this hideous Bill!

Prior to the passing of Proposition 8 (aka Prop. 8), African-American clergy, Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons and some non-denominational Christians urged their parishioners to vote "YES" on Prop. 8, ignoring and completely disregarding the fact that thousands of LGBT people attend their churches and participate in every aspect of ministry, pay their tithes, and have an undying devotion to the ministry. Parishioners were told, "We must do everything we can to preserve the Institution of marriage." Oh, if they would have only acted earlier with the same fervor years ago, perhaps heterosexual Christians would not lead the country in divorces and separations -- long before Prop. 8, gay marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships were ever established.

This morning I was awakened by a communiqué from my publicist, Florence Edwards, informing me that a recent article that I had written about actor/comedian Tracy Morgan, had been published in a very popular Australian magazine (FUSE). What was even more thrilling was when I did a Google search and discovered that several other magazines and newspapers in the USA had also printed many of my other articles. Feeling that my day was going to be a very productive one, I immediately began to prepare to run some very important errands, but before I could leave my home to do them, a huge news article on Yahoo appeared with the headline: Super Bowl hero's shocking same-sex marriage comments!My heart almost literally dropped out of my body, as I thought to myself, "Not again! We haven't even gotten over the shock of Tracy Morgan's homophobic rant and now this!"

Even though the article was disheartening, still, I could not help but recall the moments of ecstasy and joy I experienced yesterday (June 16, 2011), when I learned that New York, where the gay rights movement was born (but has run up against conservative forces), could again change the political landscape for the LGBT global community by becoming the largest state to allow same-sex marriage. Although five states allow gay couples to marry, New York would be by far the most populous and diverse state to do so. On Wednesday, the Democratic-dominated Assembly easily approved the bill a fourth time, but the Senate remained divided, with 31 of 62 senators committed to approving it.

Four years ago, Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington was fired from the hit ABC series after using a homophobic slur during an off-camera altercation with co-star Patrick Dempsey. A few months ago Kobe Bryant hurled a gay slur at Bennie Adams, an NBA referee without conscience or remorse because he wanted to strike an emotional chord that would reverberate through the man's psyche. It was crystal clear that the Laker star meant to hurt the referee in the worse possible way, and that was to assassinate his character publicly and demean his manhood.

Then, almost like a nightmare scene recaptured on instant replay (and unfortunately viewed by millions), Bulls center, Joakim Noah another NBA player catapulted the exact same gay slur at a fan heckling him in the stands with the same intent; calling him the what he surmised was the worst thing any man could ever be called a, "F*@king Faggot!" Noah still succumbed to his homophobic preconditioning even in the aftermath of Kobe's stupid mistake, costing both players collectively over $150,000 in penalty fees, to the dismay of team owners.

Now, even before the dust could settle on the NBA courts from both of these unfortunate incidents, Tracy Morgan, a renowned comedian and actor did what I consider the ultimate, when he said in a monologue performed at a show in Nashville, Tennessee at Ryman Auditorium, that if his son was gay he would "pull out a knife and stab that little [n-----] to death." Additionally, he made other serious inflammatory remarks about lesbian women, claiming all lesbians have "daddy issues" and just hate men.

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED GAY AUTHOR IS REUNITED WITH HIS SON AFTER 10 YEARS

It is said that there are over 100,000 children in the foster care system and at one time, my son Rickey was one of them. At a very early age, he was taken away from his mother because of allegations that she had abused him and was not caring for him properly (something I did not know when I first met her).

I will never forget the day Lydia (not her real name) walked into my church! She appeared to be an intelligent woman who was very strong-willed and very self-motivated. Even still, I was able to discern anger, bitterness and a deep kind of pain not visible to the naked eye. As the months went on, I learned the source of that pain. Lydia was going through the final phases of regaining custody of her only son, Rickey. Even though the process seemed daunting and rigorous, Lydia prevailed and her son was returned to her after living three years with a foster family.

Little Rickey, as his mom affectionately called him, was now living in a two bedroom apartment with his mom and his little sister Sherry (not her real name). Routinely, his mother would bring them to church and eventually the family became an intricate part of our congregation. As time went on, Lydia began to express to me that she was having some difficulty rearing her son and asked for my advice and intervention. Since I had an excellent relationship with all the children, youth and young adults at my church, I was more than willing to do anything I could to help.

Only weeks ago one of NBA's most prominent and admired basketball players hurled a gay slur at a referee during an NBA game. Immediately after, repercussions reverberated around the world. The audience attending the event and millions of viewers gasped in utter disgust and amazement, not quite believing that Kobe Bryant (America's Star Player) would ever do such a foolish thing!

So outraged was the LGBT community, Human Rights organizations and community leaders that they insisted that the NBA Commissioners take appropriate disciplinary action to right this horrific discriminatory outburst. Kobe was immediately fined a whopping $100,000 dollars.

After Google's search engines revealed countless articles, blogs, video blogs and news articles written by angry and dismayed viewers regarding the incident, it wasn't long before Kobe Bryant's face was plastered on the covers of hundreds of publications. News programs replayed the event over and over, sickening viewers again and again as they were forced to relive the incident! Even though Kobe attempted to apologize and make amends by participating in a video encouraging others not to ever use gay slurs, still his actions are forever enshrined in the hearts and minds of millions of people all over the world. What's more, the Lakers Team and its owners paid a hefty price for his huge indiscretion.