“Piano in the Background” Guest Writer: Bishop Hartsel Clifton Shirley Aaron Bridgers was once called one of the “last remaining links with the sophisticated, elegant musical world of Duke Ellington and his collaborator Billy Strayhorn.” Sophisticated and elegant he was. Born January 10, 1918, in Winston-Salem, Bridgers grew up studying classical piano, having an affinity for French [...]
Essex Hemphill. That groundbreaking, uber-talented, and openly and unabashedly gay/SGL (same gender loving) African-American poet and author—truly was a force of nature. Ahead of his time, Mr. Hemphill blazed the way for talents including James Earl Hardy, E. Lynn Harris… …And myself. Today is the birthday of this sensational scrivener. Therefore, I pay homage to this phenom, who [...]
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 dysfunctional and potentially life-threatening syndrome is Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPV/A), which is domestic violence and abuse within the LGBTQ community. Often, Sexual Assault [...]
“To Thine Own Self: Darrell Lives His Truth” For all of you who have been following my column, you have seen both the book cover and read an excerpt of To Thine Own Self, to be released later this year. As we LGBT/SGL brothas know, coming out isn’t a finite event. It is an ongoing process, as [...]
Mark the date: Saturday, March 12! That’s the return date of WYATT!— the engaging, thought-provoking, and scintillating radio show! WYATT! does a deep dive into those timely and critical issues that impact Gay/SGL (Same-Gender-Loving) men with a diverse set of LGBTQ movers, shakers, and change agents. The podcast is absorbing, informative, provocative…and sprinkled with sly, spicy (and sometimes [...]
Intense strokin’--with no worryin’! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a condom for use during anal intercourse for the first time. Now, this doesn’t mean that a new prophylactic has been created specifically for this use; rather, an existing condom can be marketed as reducing one’s risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during anal sex. Late last month, the FDA [...]
“Still in Love with You” What we give is what we receive. As those of you who check out my column know, I am all about Black Love, and my favorite recreational reading is romance novels. It thrilled my heart when I came across love stories written by LGBT/SGL authors such as E. Lynn Harris, [...]
“Boscoe Holder, Renaissance Man” Guest Writer: Bishop Hartsel Clifton Shirley An artistic ball of energy, creativity, passion, and fire sums up Arthur Aldwyn Boscoe Holder. Trinidad’s and Tobago's leading contemporary painter, he also had a celebrated international career spanning six decades as a designer and visual artist, dancer, choreographer , and musician. Geoffrey, his well-known younger brother, traveled a [...]
Breaking News! I was honored and privileged to be the special guest on the uber-popular Nicholas Snow Show on the celebrated, well-respected PromoHomo.TV! The theme of the nearly hourlong program was the top priorities I focus on in my world--and why. I discussed my journey as an artist and media professional; how my childhood presented both obstacles [...]
Saturday, February 5! That’s the return date of WYATT!— the engaging, thought-provoking, and scintillating radio show! WYATT! does a deep dive into those timely and critical issues that impact Gay/SGL (Same-Gender-Loving) men with a diverse set of LGBTQ movers, shakers, and change agents. The podcast is absorbing, informative, provocative…and sprinkled with sly, spicy (and sometimes a wee bit) [...]
At least half of Americans feel that COVID is harming their mental health, according to the Kaiser Foundation. This demonstrates how the pandemic has ballooned into a nationwide psychological trauma. These results make one thing clear: if you’re scared, anxious, depressed, struggling to sleep through the night—or just on edge—you’re certainly not alone. “It’s a huge number,” Kathy HoganBruen, [...]
This Thanksgiving: prepare yourself for the uber-exciting and erotic-charged continuing saga of Wes and 'Tonio with the release of DELIRIUM!, the long-awaited, brand-new installment in my Nothing Can Tear Us Apart (NCTUA) series of novels! Here’s a refresher on how NCUTA goes down: What would you do after the man of your dreams battered you because he believed you’d been unfaithful? Could you forgive this man [...]
