One Helluva (Perversely) Rich Tradition
It is one of the most sordid and shocking chapters that has ripped through U.S. history. As a result, it’s hush-hush. Unspoken. Not talked about. Sooty and soiled, it’s secreted way back in the dark corners of the closet of American history. And the entrenched unwillingness to acknowledge it has resulted in a paucity of research. This period of depravity [...]
HartStrings 4: Before Pose
"Before Pose" Guest Writer: Bishop Hartsel Clifton Shirley Pose is the current television program that unapologetically displays the lives of gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. For some of us, it’s just short of sacred as it helps to reveal the hidden lives, pains, heartbreaks, and joys of a segment of the population all too often overlooked, ignored--and even worse--forgotten. Mainstream [...]
The IPV/A Chronicles, Part Nine: Paintin’ the Month Purple!
I’ve made it my ongoing--and fervent--mission to continue to shine a bright light on a certain demoralizing, insidious and horrific cycle of behavior that continues to be a growing concern within the LGBTQ Community. This is Part Nine of the ongoing series that will address this potentially life-threatening cycle of abuse. It’s purple month! “Yeah? Really? Well, what’s it [...]
Revitalize and Fortify Your Soul!
COVID-19. The Pandemic. The Coronavirus. Or simply, ‘Rona. Whatever you choose to call it, this societal scourge is wreaking havoc in so many innumerable ways. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), “The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness [...]
Old School New Kid 16
"Staying Sane in 2020" Guest Writer: W.D. Foster-Graham 2020, in many respects, has been a year of insanity. I won’t rehash that which we already know, but the negative energy from it is something we cannot allow ourselves to be inundated with. As a man of a certain age, I have learned much from my 90-year-old [...]
Honey, Let Me Tell You Something! 21
“The Midas Touch” Guest Writer: R. L. Norman We were standing six feet apart from each other. Because of the coronavirus, it was the ritual. We’ve been dealing with this virus for the last seven months, and social distancing has become a part of life. So, here we stand. We’d just finished having lunch and walked to my [...]
HartStrings 3
"A Devastating Truth" Guest Writer: Bishop Hartsel Clifton Shirley History’s gatekeepers often write it, omitting crucial characters and events. While they shine a more positive light on the misinformation, this does history an egregious disservice. The history of AIDS--particularly in the United States--is no different. A case in point is the ethnicity of the individual suggested to represent [...]
Old School New Kid 15
"The Right to Be" Guest Writer: W.D. Foster-Graham Indeed, it is exciting to have a new book launched. In writing Never Give Up: A Christopher Family Novel, I wondered in the beginning if I could write a whodunit, given that I love to watch movies and shows like Midsomer Murders, Forensic Files, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Inspector [...]