the young people's professor

I guess this is a function that I must attend. Wow. Thanks for the heads up.

As always in Parting,

I came in Peace and in Peace I leave.

i swear if i hear the term "positive images" deployed lazily ONE MORE TIME, i'm going to write a book.
i'm not "coming for" this particular event (heavens, no! it features one of my favorite writers/performers in the world, ms. samiya bashir!), but i gotta gotta gotta ask... are we so dense that we believe some objective standard of a "positive image" to exist? that there's a particular way of representing the black LGBT experience that will satiate all of the stakeholders invested in this matter? that the media is willing to shoulder the responsibility it has to the public? that a consensus is possible on what that responsibility looks like?

and does the televising of mass gay wedding constitute the kinda "postive image" we're looking for? (the flyer certainly suggests as much) wouldn't many within the black community (you, mr. roberts, included) cite that as a potentially self-destructive use of the master's tools?

or maybe i should step back for a moment and ask this: do positive images of white LGBT folks exist? do positive images of straight black folks exist? what cultural, social and economic hierarchies inhere our application of the word "positive" and why might that problematic (i.e. equating monogamy and affluence with positivity)?

again, i'm not presuming that the organizers of this event have neglected to ask these questions. i only hope that in this conversation and in future conversations that we can steer clear of the naive objectivism and classist, heteromormative assumptions that can defeat a dialogue like this before it begins.

that said, i hope i can make it (but it's lookin' kinda gangsta right now!).

im hoping to make this..and larry makes some very good points..

but i am going to make every effort to go...

OOOOOOOOO Frank - Double L is coming at you! Well...more so the event but okay. I will be there!

oooh, larry you need to be there because i'd love to hear you articulate those points very tour de fource. you brought up things i hadn't even thought about. there is way too much going on this weekend and i'm afraid i'd be spreading myself thin if i tried to attend all of them. but i will definitely be at the function co-hosting a bit with frank.

i'm looking forward to the exploration of R Kelly...really...cuz i have many feelings towards his closet ish...