Guest columists
“School Daze” Recently, a group of my classmates was in a meeting, planning for our 50th high school class reunion. As we reminisced, the subject turned to high school crushes. For the first time, without naming names, I shared my own crush. To a certain extent, times have changed due to the greater visibility of [...]
“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 [...]
“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 [...]
“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 [...]
“With a Smile” Yes, I am getting older, as my mind and body are telling me. Later this year, I will be the first of my numerous cousins to cross the threshold of 70! I have my “senior moments” where I go into a room and forget what I went in there for. My sleep [...]
Tall and imposing. Standing 6'3”, fluent in Italian and French, James Arthur Johnson (stage name of Raymond St. Jacques) was a man who recreated himself into an actor of distinction--when it was rare for Black actors to get more than bit parts in movies and plays. Johnson was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1930; shortly [...]
“What a Difference One Voice Makes” These days, many people consider December 1 as World AIDS Day; I acknowledge that this does have its place, given how it has impacted the lives of the LGBT community and beyond. However, I remember this day in history for a different reason. I was three years old on December 1, [...]
“Black Love, Meet Cute” During my life, I have certainly read my share of LGBTQ novels. Unfortunately, many of them have portrayed African American pastors as villains and antagonists, including in the romance genre. However, I remain ever inspired by Toni Morrison’s quote, “If there is a story you wish to read, and it hasn’t been written [...]
“The Most Handsome Man in Harlem” Guest Writer: Bishop Hartsel Clifton Shirley A teacher, model, and passionate patron of the arts, Harold Jackman was particularly known for his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance and his dedication to preserving African American cultural artifacts. From the outside looking in, he was beautiful, yet elusive -– that’s the first impression one may have gotten [...]
“Summer Daze” Despite the challenges these past two summers have brought, this is still my favorite season of the year. This has been my time to chill and enjoy the outdoors, the open road, and the beauty of nature. As a child of the 1950s and early 1960s, this was a time for such treats [...]
“Tales of the 1940s B*tch” Are you a card-carrying geek/nerd? Have Mean Girls been giving you a hard time, past or present? Then have no fear. You have an avenger, a crusader, an advocate--the 1940s B*tch! Indeed, I own it; I inherited Dad's offbeat sense of humor. In my VSS365 Twitter community, I have had [...]
