A Party With a Difference

Join us on Sunday, August 28th as we celebrate the life and legacy of our brother and friend Rashawn Brazell. Luke and Leroy, one of Rashawn’s favorite places to party, will proudly host “Brighter Days”, the official launch party for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship. The requested donation is a mere ten dollars, every cent of which will be used to support the college education of a New York City student committed to the fight against racism, sexism and homophobia.

For more information, sponsorship details or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact:

The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 211
New York, New York 10037-9998
E-mail: RBScholars@aol.com
Fax/Voicemail: 206-339-5449

About the Scholarship
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship was established in the wake of the brutal murder of 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell, whose February 2005 murder touched many in the black gay community and beyond. The scholarship aims to provide a sustainable tribute to the slain teen by encouraging New York City high schoolers to think critically about the impact of intolerance and violence on our communities. Selection for this need-sensitive scholarship will be based on the student’s interest in the struggle against racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression, as well as their commitment to creating peace in the community by affirming diversity.

I won't be able to attend, but I will send in a donation. I hope you can attend and/or send in your donation and please: SPREAD THE WORD.

Different For Lesbians

The Glass Closet

At 5-feet-11 and 203 pounds, Latasha Byears epitomized the power in power forward. She used her girth to set body-crunching picks that freed up Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie to score. On defense, she snatched rebounds and dogged the opponent's best shooter. If a player physically rubbed her or a teammate the wrong way, Byears exacted payback, committing hard fouls while helping the Sparks win back-to-back championships.

Then, in June 2003, a few weeks into the team's drive for its third WNBA title, Byears was dealt a blow of her own: She was accused of sexual assault following a party at her Marina del Rey condo.

Latasha "Tot-o" Byears (Mark Boster/L. A. Times)

Less than a month later, a similar allegation would be leveled against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant by a Colorado hotel worker. The athletes shared more in common than the specter of a criminal trial. They also worked for the same corporate family, an L.A. institution that would treat the two ballplayers — one famous and the other relatively obscure — very differently.

And yet the 32-year-old Byears believes her particular predicament stems from something other than her largely unheralded status as a player or her reputation for unladylike behavior. She's convinced she has been ostracized for another reason: She is gay.

[ ... ]

The WNBA keeps a strong lesbian fan base, as well as its lesbian players, in what the University of Minnesota's Mary Jo Kane calls "a glass closet." Everyone knows they're there, says Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, but no one wants to open the door.

Michael Messner, a sociology and gender studies professor at USC, agrees: The collective understanding in the WNBA is that if you're a lesbian, you'd better hush up about it. "It's OK to be who you are, but it's not OK to talk about it, and bring a male to the team party," Messner says.

The 2005 Black Weblog Awards

Although the awards were announced on my birthday, I was too lazy to post a link and contribute to the prize kitty. Better late than never:

The 2005 Black Weblog Awards

It's no secret that in the past few years, blogging has become one of the most popular Internet activites in the world. And with services like Blogger and LiveJournal, anyone with an Internet connection and a computer can start their own weblog in minutes.

While there are other award sites which offer awards of recognition to bloggers in a myriad of categories, these sites often exclude recognition of Black weblogs and Black bloggers year after year. The Black Weblog Awards seeks to remedy that by recognizing and promoting Black weblogs and Black bloggers.

It's not too late to vote for The 2005 Black Weblog Awards.

George Kelly gets my vote for The Black Blogger Achievement Award. I'm not sure who I'll vote for in other categories.

Sign of the Times

Never had coffee at the Big Cup, but I first met a long-lost friend (where are you P*ng?!) there before hanging out to discuss his first film and life in general.

Savoring a Last Cup at a Place All Their Own

...[T]he coffeehouse, which employees nicknamed Gay Grand Central, a place where many men found a welcome introduction to gay life, was closing, the victim of rising rents. Modeled after the coffee shops of the West Coast, the shop, on Eighth Avenue just south of 22nd Street, offered a casual place for gay men to socialize. Women and straight men were welcome too, but as a review once put it, "They just seem sort of irrelevant." Employees seemed to be half barista, half party host.

This week, the chalkboard sign out front that usually advertises cappuccinos and iced mochas had a different announcement. "Attention," it read, "Big Cup is closing." Sunday will be the last day of business.

iTunes Phone Finally? (Again!?)

It's looking more and more like the long-awaited iTunes capable mobile phone from Motorola may finally debut next week:

VIA CNET News.com

Apple hints at big music announcement

Apple Computer is preparing a major announcement next week, dropping hints of something as critical to the company's future as the release of the original iPod in 2001.

I don't really care for a new cellie, especially since my current one is about two months old. And I have no desire to play songs on one. I'm hoping Jobs will surprise many and announce a video version of the iPod. IMMHO, this announcement hoopla would seem too small for a simple cell phone introduction. Even one that finally showcases an iTunes-capatible cell phone. Besides, Motorola pretty much has their side of the announcement to come.

I'm not writing another word about iTunes and cell phones until September 7th.

iTunes Phone (Almost) Confirmed

Although I promised not to discuss the long-anticipated iTunes Phone from the Apple-Motorola partnership, Mac news site have pretty much confirmed its debut will happen at the September event announced by Apple. Indeed, I copied the alleged invite below from Apple Insider:

View Invite (popup)

There are also reports that Apple will update the iPod Shuffle and iPod Mini lines. Larger capacities with flash-based drives for the former and possibly the inclusion of color screens for the latter.