GET MORE OF THE BLAQUE/OUT YOU KNOW & LOVE
@blaqueoutmagtv
WWW.BLAQUEOUT.COM
TAMARA S. LEIGH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTENTS BLAQUE/OUT MAGAZINE IS A MONTHLY DIGITAL PUBLICATION CENTERED FIRMLY IN BLACK & BROWN QUEER QULTURE. BLAQUE/OUT FEATURES WRITERS, ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, CREATIVES AND INFLUENCERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE ARE WORDS. WE ARE ART. WE ARE FASHION. WE ARE CULTURE. WE ARE MUSIC. WE ARE PROTEST. WE ARE WHERE BLAQUE QUEER CULTURE LIVES. FIND US ON FACEBOOK, IG, TIKTOK. TO SUBSCRIBE TO BLAQUE MAGAZINE, VISIT: HTTPS://ISSUU.COM/STORE/PUBLISHERS/BLAQUEOUTMAG/ SUBSCRIBE
FOR ADVERTISING, EMAIL ADVERTISING@BLAQUEOUTMAG.COM FOR SUBMISSIONS, EMAIL TAMARALEIGH@BLAQUEOUTMAG.COM
06
WWW.ISSUU.COM/BLAQUEOUTMAG WWW.BLAQUEOUT.COM
COVER ARTIST FEATURE: PARIS FAISON-LUCAS
40
QUEER REVOLUTIONARIES JAVANNAH DAVIS
45
THE OLD MAN'S CORNER E.L. WINSTON
14
BOOK BANGERZ BOOK REVIEW
DOES A SAFE HAVEN STATE REALLY EXIST?
COVER ART: PARIS FAISON-LUCAS, COLLABORATIVE ESSENCE COVER MODEL: ANGELIQUE YOUNG-CAVALIER COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN LE SHADE, BLACK ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY
WHOSOEVER RENEWS RONI WINSTON
03
08 BEST OF 2023 AWARDEES
COPY EDITOR: RONI WINSTON ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER: DOREEN SCANLAN
JAN 2024 | ISSUE# 039
53
58
BlaqueOUT columnists & contributors Javannah J. Davis (she/her) resides in Rochester, NY where she has worked in healthcare for 19 years, is a self-published author, Founder/President of W.A.V.E Women Inc & CEO/Owner of Linjé Enterprises LLC. Javannah is passionate about healing, self-love, self actualization & helping others to live the best of their lives in a healthy way.
E.L. Winston of Fayetteville, NC (He,Him, His) Trans Community Advocate, CoFounder of Lambda Gamma Omega Nu Fraternity. Just your everyday introspective old man and 1 half of Team Winston
Roni Winston aka The Mrs. aka Pastor Roni (She/Her/Hers) Fayettevlle, NC. Minister, educator, entrepreneur, couples' coach, writer, mom, and grandma. Half . of Team Winston.
Immani Love, (she/her) A Lesbian Erotic Poet, Author, Ordained Minister, Freelance Writer, Real Estate Agent, and overall witty, seductress with the voice of a Siren. An educated Vixen in sunny St. Pete, Florida.
Lade Breez (He/Her/Them) is an award winning 3x published author, publisher, philanthropist, humanitarian, motivational speaker, life coach, event host, youth tutor, artist developer & spoken word artist. Owner & founder of Express Me Poetry Business Services & Events, & Educated Blessyns LLC, improving this world one stage at a time. ExpressMePoetry.com
Mel Howard (he/him) Resides in Newport News, Virginia where he worked in finance industry for over 5years, is a columnists for BlaqueOUT Magazine and Founder/President of THRIVING TRANSMEN OF COLOR. Mel is passionate about community, self acceptance and forgiveness.
Tina Marie Jones (she/her/hers) Founder of Uncover, LLC, mother of 4, activist, motivator, and columnist.
Courtney L (she/her) designer, developer, business owner, who loves to travel. When she is not doing that she loves to write poetry, a bit of a nerd, spend time with family and friends and help people learn technology. She lives in Los Angeles, with her dog.
Angelique Davis (she/her), Pastry chef turned teacher. I who enjoys empowering the youth of inner city communities.
Ashanti S. Taylor-Alexander (she/her) is a life educated poet who believes in riding each wave of this world to the fullest. She is passionate about writing poems people can truly feel. Have a subject throw it at her and she'll make a master piece!
It sounds crazy to say Happy 2024. Not only did the year go by In the blink of an eye, this 80's baby feels like a year that big belongs In a fantasy movie where cars fly and you can visit other dimensions. 2023 was a rough year for our community. It was a rough year In general for many of us. As we step Into the next chapter, I personally feel a renewed hope. There Is a sense of things getting ready to shift after this period of dark times that we’ve been experiencing. But even In the most prevalent darkness- there
to bloom and grow, create successes In even the most difficult circumstances. Resilience should not be the goal
a word.
Is light. I think It Is a unique gift of Black folks that we still manage
of any people. You should be able to strive without struggle. But It IS our superpower. So as we face towards the sun, Blaque/OUT wants to take a moment to celebrate the points of light that have led us through the darkness. Please join with us In celebrating the Best of Black Queer everything! Happy New Year
Tamara Sanaa Leigh Editor-In-Chief
FLORIDA
B Y I M M A N I L O V E
P A R I S
I
always prepare for interviews by researching the subject but in the case of our cover artist for this month, Paris Faison-Lucas, that task was limited because their social media presence Is limited so I took the opportunity to allow them to tell me about themselves. “I grew up in Niagara Falls, NY, 2 hours away from where I am now in Rochester, NY. I grew up like many Black Queer individuals in a lower income neighborhood, what most people would call, ‘projects’ and my family does a lot of nonprofit, social justice, and healthcare work and that’s where my background is and what I do now. If I had known back then I’d be doing this now, I probably would have taken more interest in what was going on around me, but as a kid you don’t really take in everything. Since I’ve been working in this field this past year, I have been able to reflect on my life and realize that back then my grandmother was helping children in our neighborhood learn how to read and helping people obtain resources and housing! Later on, she and her husband worked together at a bar called ‘The Oaks’ and now I work in a Queer bar called ‘Roar’, so it’s crazy to see the correlation and the parallels between her life and mine. She’s been gone since 2012 and I have processed her passing but to tie my life into hers
F A I S O N and see the connections is very humbling. When I speak to my ancestors now, because I don’t pray, I’m not a very spiritual person, I don’t pray to a God, I speak to people I know, something tangible, and I speak to my grandmother. I was primarily raised by her, my parents were drug dealers when I was growing up so I spent a lot of time with my grandmother at the Center to the point of going from a youth in summer camp to eventually being a youth worker and now after college I circled back and am now back into the same work and I work solely with the community. My focus right now is helping Black and Brown Queer people at The Mocha Center.” I.L.- TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK AT THE MOCHA CENTER. P.F.L.-The main work we focus on is sexual health, STI testing, HIV testing, connecting people that are living with HIV to resources for medication, food, housing, insurance navigation, care management, etc. We also help community members that are not living with HIV to get the same things as much as we can but we get grants for those with HIV because they are part of a global community that is underserved. A lot of our work is tailored to making sure that they get
J A N U A R Y C O V E R
L U C A S the resources that they need even down to social things. We host movie nights, game nights, we work with the ballroom community, host a practice night, we do sponsorship with them, and even collaborate with them to host our own community ball. I.L.- WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU DESIGN OUR JANUARY COVER, I UNDERSTAND YOU’RE BRANCHING OUT INTO MARKETING. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT. P.F.L- I am very nervous but very excited. This year, in this position, I went from being lead programming and the person who works on a lot of marketing pieces to the lead supervisor who is the person directing those marketing pieces or asking for them and doing a majority of the creation. It took me back to my college cheerleading days, where because we didn’t really have a coach or anyone coordinating things for us, like our roster etc., we all took on roles and mine was social media coordinator and I started making flyers for our practices, competitions, and any information we were giving out. From those days to now I’m working on a magazine cover. I can now see the growth from my first flyers to now. Just working on each marketing piece, I learn something
F E A T U R E
A R T I S T
different or add a new skill and it drives me to be better. I.L.- SO YOU’VE FOUND YOUR NICHE? P.F.L- Yes! And I wasn’t looking for it! I love it. It was something that was a hobby that I had fun doing, but now I’m making it a business. In 2024, I’ll be launching my marketing business. I’m starting small with flyers for small organizations and community members. There’s a lot for me to learn. My degree is in healthcare administration so my background is in policies. So if I’m going to do this I know I want to learn as much as possible. I.L.- TELL US SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU. P.F.L.- I think in this last year I feel like what I would love for people to know about me is that my intentions are truly pure. What I want and what I want to do with the work that I do in the community that there is no ulterior motive. The work I do is for the community's needs, not my own, our community’s needs are the priority. The work needs to be impactful, we have to help people. That’s our mission statement, that’s what we’re here for.
I.L.- WHAT IS ONE THING THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT GUESS ABOUT YOU? P.F.L- I am a chameleon. A lot of people knew me from one aspect. Like when I was bartending and that’s all people saw me doing so they had no idea that I had a background in healthcare, or in marketing, or in non profit work, or working in the kitchen. Even down to yard work, there’s a long list that I don’t think people see me for until they see me outside of what they know me from. They’ll say, “what don’t you do?” and I just say, “I’m a chameleon! I do it all!” I.L.- FINALLY, HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU? P.F.L.- I’m rather private but once you’re connected to me you won’t stop seeing me! Instagram is @bonjourParis and Facebook is Paris Faison-Lucas, but I vet people before I accept them into my world. “That’s how we grow by sharing ourselves with people and sharing our stories and experiences. The less we share, the less connection there is.”
and their hearts to someone who was not a native. Being able to come here and connect with these people and receive love and opportunities with these people has been really nice and I really cherish it. I’m hoping that I’m able to give that back to someone else here.
Thank you, Paris, for your contribution to the magazine and to the communities you serve! As I told you at the end of our conversation, sharing your story will perhaps be a mirror to someone out there that needs to see success come from strife. @ImmaniLove (She/Her)
I.L.- IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVEN’T TOUCHED ON THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE? P.F.L- I want to thank the Rochester community for opening their arms
J A N U A R Y C O V E R
F E A T U R E
A R T I S T
MAGAZINE
B E S T
n o i t a z i n a g n I r O s ue a l v g i f D alo do, doi rlan
Divas in Dialogue is a non-profit to be a sisterhood for trans women of color that empowers, builds, and strengthens each other. Ensuring that we all have a seat at the table.
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
Creating Change has grown to over 3,500 attendees from all over the country, and from all walks of life. And it’s getting bigger every year. The five-day program includes hundreds of workshops and training sessions, plus tons of networking opportunities and ways to meet people who also work in our movement. Our speakers have included Julian Bond, Dolores Huerta, Ben Jealous, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Labor Secretary Shaun Donovan, Bishop Yvette Flunder, Jose Antonio Vargas, and the inimitable Laverne Cox. In 2024, Creating Change will be held at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans 1/17/24- 1/21/24 https://www.thetaskforce.org/creating-change/register/
e c n e e r g e f n n a o C ch
e g c in ren t a fe e cr con
of 2023
SOUTH CAROLINA
@DMAURICEGRIFFIN83 DMAURICE83
DAVID MAURICE
NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Expansion
On November 21st, Florida’s State Legislature introduced House Bill 599 by freshman representative Ryan Chamberlain. This bill would prohibit government employees or contractors from being compelled to use a person’s pronouns if those pronouns “do not correspond to his or her sex.” Also, employees and contractors cannot “provide to an employer his or her preferred personal title or pronouns” if, again, they do not match the worker’s assigned sex. It would also bar employers from asking any worker to state their own pronouns. Furthermore, the bill would prevent Trans employees from sharing their pronouns. Under the proposed law, any tax-exempt nonprofit or employer that receives state funds would not be required to provide “any training, instruction, or other activity on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” Instead, the proposed law would establish nondiscrimination protections for what it calls ‘deeply held biology-based beliefs’, a new spin on religious exemptions that are commonplace in other anti-LGBTQ+ bills and conservative talking points. Should citizens in other states be concerned? Yes! “Don’t Say Gay” has gained national attention in the past year due in part to Florida’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis’ stance against the LGBTQIA+ community. However, this isn’t our first rodeo with “Don’t Say Gay”. An earlier iteration of “Don’t Say Gay” was “No Promo Homo” in response to the AIDS crisis in the 80s & 90s that banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools, specifically in sex education classes. These bills were passed in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Fortunately, these bills have since been repealed or struck down in all but four states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, according to GLSEN.
Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, GLSEN's Executive Director, explains that the difference between the "No Promo Homo" bills and the "Don't Say Gay" bills is that the latter is often heavy-handedly mandated on parent and family involvement - essentially targeting our LGBTQIA+ youth and transgender community. Parents would have the authority to veto books or other material they wouldn’t want their child(ren) exposed to and would require the divulging of information from their child(ren) shared with a teacher or counselor. Variants of the “Don’t Say Gay” law have been introduced in 23 states. Of these, four states have passed laws in 2023: Arkansas in March, Indiana and Iowa in May, and North Carolina in August. Other states, like Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, and New Jersey have bills in their respective Houses or Senates. Will the expansion of the “Don't Say Gay” law in Florida pass? Unfortunately, I believe so. It has the full backing of Gov. DeSantis and the state legislature. We will have to sit back and wait until the next legislative session begins in March. What are your thoughts on “Don’t Say Gay”? Do you know if a bill has been introduced in your state? Reach out to your state legislators and get out to vote to let YOUR VOICE be heard! ~Contains excerpts from “A New Florida Bill Proposes Expanding ‘Don’t Say Gay’ to the Workplace” originally reported by Samantha Reidel for Them on November 22, 2023 and from “16 States Pushing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills and Censorship Laws Right Now” originally reported by Trudy Ring for Advocate on March 29, 2022.
MAGAZINE
B E S T
https://www. beautybyten. com/
t s i t r A p y u l e r k e a v M be l
l o, I a t ag s y ic r k ch
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E 6. BREAK MY SOUL S T m e th l n A u r o ee s u y ’ Q m e k c a on e br bey
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
r e h p a r e g d o a phy ot h h P les ogra
n phot l a g se a, f r moack ro tamp bl
of 2023
YORK
NEW
LI ING IN THE LIGHT n i a h c k Brea
Javannah Jasmeen Jjasmeend20 wavewomeninc www.wavewomeninc.com
ever y
In this time of uncertainty and social unrest, I feel that it is imperative to look inward. We should remember who we are always as well as heal from the generational scars and traumas that can reflect outwardly in our lives and beyond. Remember what it has taken to build the foundation on which you stand today. The words we speak can become the house we live in. From where we’ve been to where each of us is now, we have given so much and have come so far. No one can tell you that your life doesn't matter, but you have to also believe it. We are not bound to conform to the boxes or mind frames of society, our communities, or even ourselves that they try to place us in. BE yourself, LOVE yourself, TRUST yourself, PROTECT yourself, VALUE yourself, ACCEPT yourself, FORGIVE yourself, EXPRESS yourself, and ENCOURAGE yourself. So many of our brothers and sisters have been struck down by the evils within our communities before having the opportunity to meet their full potential. I encourage us to honor their memories and their lives by embracing our authentic selves and fighting for our right to breathe every day in the manner which our conscience dictates.
The time of victim blaming or shaming and spinning a narrative that depicts us as the problem is no more. It’s time to continue to speak out and expose the monsters that inflict harm on those in the Black and LGBTQIA+ community due to their own ignorance or bruised ego which is the real problem. We as a people are tired and not going to take this anymore. You come for one you will truly be coming for us all. Your life, my life...Our Lives Matter! Self-liberation and acknowledgement of self can be powerful and life changing occurrences that will change your perspective on many variations in your life. Not too long ago, I was afforded the opportunity to either take the chance to travel and experience things I had held myself back from doing for a long time. I could have either allowed a continuation of hindering excuses to stop me from seeing new things as I’ve previously done or I could allow myself the chance to experience a fraction of a part of life I know I deserve. I chose the latter and it was the best thing I could have done for myself at this time in my life. It was also a blessing to have the friends and family around me that brought the most peace to share these moments with.
LI ING IN THE LIGHT The love, support, and encouragement I received made me comfortable with my decision and comfortable with being away from my “safe haven” or home for so long. In everything we do, every decision we make, there are always lessons. So what did I learn? I learned that my freedom as an individual should never be compromised or taken for granted; even if the one obstructing me from that freedom is myself. I kept myself in what I thought was a safe “bubble” for many years of my life. Every step had to make sense before I took it. I never really took chances on experiencing things that took me outside of my comfort zone. In so many ways that limited not only my life’s experiences and chances to make bonds within my community, but it also limited me in broadening my view of my environment or even the world. No matter how many books I read, documentaries I watch, or stories I am told I will never get a full life experience until I venture to any point of interest myself. A lived experience can’t occur if a physical initiative isn’t taken in your life. I made a promise to myself long ago that I will no longer stand in my way of life, love, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness neither will I allow anyone else to stand in my way. As well as allowing my gifts and blessings to make room for me and lead me to my purpose. Oftentimes when we feel stuck in a situation or unable to move as we would want to, we tend to blame the situation or environment we’re in; when in fact, it’s we who are holding ourselves back.
Javannah Jasmeen Jjasmeend20 wavewomeninc www.wavewomeninc.com
So this trip I took was more than a much needed vacation, it was my emancipation from the shackles I had placed on myself for so long. People ask me, “Why’d you wait so long?” My only logical response is that I waited in the time I needed to better appreciate and to live the life I’ve been given to the fullest. If I had to take anything away from this past year, it would be that I want to experience things I’ve never done before as well as the things I never thought I'd do. I want to fight for others and be a voice to those who feel they are voiceless. It’s going to be interesting to see how this goes. I’m ready! Are you?
MAGAZINE
B E S T
THE HOUSE OF Comme des Garcons
MOTHER
Keisha Kalyso, ORLANDO, FL
o r l o l a
ses
o h u m
FATHER
Leryia Garcon NYC
of 2023
b
MAGAZINE
B E S T
r a t S m o i o r r l p l a a y l B n , h r a j ste e d he c o r
“I discovered my passion for dancing/performing at the age of 12 and from there I began to flourish. I’ve been participating in Ballroom for about 6 years now. I’m so ready to continue to strive & truly make my mark”
- Dejah
of 2023
“Folks
don’t like nobody being too proud, tamara leigh or too free.”
Over the Christmas weekend it seemed as though everyone and their mama, literally, went to the movies to see the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s classic, The Color Purple. Much like Black Panther, but at the same time very different, The Color Purple was a Black cultural phenomenon that led to the 2nd biggest box office opening Christmas weekend of all time. Unlike Black Panther, which was new and different for many, The Color Purple took many of us back in time to when we saw the movie for the first time in the 80s and early 2000s to a different time when the movie and Broadway show were set and endless memories of watching it over and over again over the last 40 years. The Color Purple was something of a phenomenon, both then and now, because it peeled back the thinly veiled ills that happen in the Black community and American society every day. At the time, it touched on subjects that were barely whispered about within families and the general community either in the early 1900s when Cellie’s story begins or the mid-1980’s when the movie version was released. The conversations of rape, racism, incest, intimate partner violence, misogyny and the tyranny of the Jim Crow South were up on the big screen for the world to see.
With the remake and rerelease of a cultural statement piece like The Color Purple, Beyonce’s internet was abuzz with conversation about the confusion of the new movie being an adaptation of the musical more so than the book or movie to whether Fantasia and Taraji lived up to the standards of the original 1984 film. Maybe because it's tied to my own identity or maybe because somehow rhetoric tinged with homophobia still surprises me to some degree, the most interesting posts centered around a sense of shock/surprise/disgust in “discovering” Miss Cellie and Sug Avery weren’t just each others’ saviors but were lovers. Both seasoned folk who had seen the movie the first time around and now adults who were children or maybe not even thought-of then were all of a sudden exposed to the idea of lesbianism also being a central theme of the book. It is commonplace in the Black community to say that hip-hop, music, social media, reality tv and gay characters in television commercials are indoctrinating children into a same-sex relationship agenda plot. But imagine your favorite character in a book that your grandmother read in the 80s, that your church going auntie watched in your living room and the pastor had on DVD on his bookcase had a gay character! {insert clutched pearls}. My first thought when hearing those questions was, “You ain’t read the book, Sis?” This didn’t start when Taraji P. Henson and Fantasia kissed in this screen adaptation. Cellie and Sug been in love since 1939 and it was clearly evidenced in the Alice Walker novel where The Color Purple all began. Miss Cellie says in no uncertain terms:
FLORIDA
“She say, I love you, Miss Celie. And then she haul off and kiss me on the mouth. Um, she say, like she surprise. I kiss her back, say, um, too. Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other.” The character then describes getting intimately acquainted with her partner’s nipples and they wake up in bed together. This scene is distinctly more subtle in the movie version but between what they do show and Sug’s serenade of Miss Cellie- you get the point. Or at least you should, and if you didn’t, you need to ask yourself why. While you toss through that existential question, hear this: Not everything has to be a soapbox, but I’ll die on this one like Custer’s last stand. People tripping on "discovering" Cellie and Sug Avery were having an affair is yet another symptom of the wider Black community's lack of acceptance of the Queer Black community. It was EXPLICIT in the book- if you read it. And it was subtle in the original movie but it was in there if you didn't choose not to see it. You chose to not see it. In the song, in their behavior, in the physicality between them in the book, the movie, the musical, and in the musical adaptation. The story is about a woman doomed by poverty, colorism, a cruel fate, a sadistic father and abusive husband to be tortured by every man she came in contact with. Cellie’s story is about getting free. Now whether the injection of sapphic love is but a metaphor for the freedom from men or an actual representation of what happens when
people are forced to hide all of themselves, including the desire for another woman or another man, is up for debate I suppose. I like to think that both are equally true. But what is not debatable is that The Color Purple has become a Black cultural classic and one that AGAIN affirms that Blackness is innately Queer. It's not a new cultural phenomenon caused by music videos and TikTok. Just like the Black community notoriously ignores the other issues brought up in Color Purple... molestation, church hurt & alienation, domestic violence, slut shaming etc etc. And the world as a whole ignores racism and justice system issues- it addresses sexuality. It wasn't NOT there, you just didn't WANT to see it. There is a famous quote from the movie where Celie comes to the conclusion after listening to Mister and his father discussing Sug Avery that says, “Folks don’t like nobody being too proud or too free.” ‘Folks' in that context refers to Black Folks… and to men, but as the story moves forward, it describes what happens to Sophia at the hands of white folks as well. But it's clear to me, it very much applies to this conversation as well… in 1935, in 1982, in 1984 and 2023. …..And while we’re here, somebody give Danielle Brooks an Oscar.
MAGAZINE
B E S T
r o n h o t hns u A . jo ey
m s e g jer r o ew e g n
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
l a v i t s e F t / t e n b e a v l h E p a l iv a st Il k e go, c f a bl film hica c
Black Alphabet NFP (BA) is a Black-focused LGBTQ+ fullservice arts organization based in Chicago with national and semi-international programming. Black Alphabet's mission is to promote social equity awareness and education in all aspects of life for the Black LGBT+ community through the use of media and the arts. BA's annual event, Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) is the longest-running Black LGBTQ+ focused film festival in the world.
https://www.blackalphabet.org/
of 2023
THE DMV
:2
LET’S TALK STANDARDS
A SERIES ON THE STATE OF EDUCATION FROM AN EDUCATOR
This month Blaque/Out is all about “the best of”. By being part of THE Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., my personal belief is that my founders were the BEST educators of all time. A quick history lesson: we were founded by seven Black school teachers who were all focused on the growth and excellence of women and children. Of course, I had to take a minute to shout out the “best of education”; now back to our regularly scheduled content… STANDARDS. As discussed in the previous edition, I explained the lack of standards in our school systems and how it is setting our children up to fail. I also shared that I perceive this to be systemic racism.
ANGELIQUE DAVIS
Now let’s expand on that previous idea a bit. It seems extremely wild to me that the schools that have lowered their expectations and standards are those that have a large population of Black and Brown children. We, as educators, can’t even get the support we need inside of the classroom. Children, parents, administrators and the school system overall lack empathy, structure and natural consequences. These kids use the “good parent/ bad parent” tactic on us regularly with educators having standards and everyone else wanting to just pass these children along. As a community, we are no longer holding our children’s hands to the fire because we are
The system wants us to fail while successfully moving us through school at the same time. If this sounds confusing, it’s because it is and it is the reason that the Black and Brown communities as a whole are blind to it. The school system is flawed. We allow kids to come to school, turn in assignments when they want and MAKE the educators grade as if there is not a problem with that. I have a student who has come to a handful of classes, doesn’t turn in their assignments and when they do come to class they come in with 5 minutes left of an 80-minute class. Not only as a teacher do I have to allow this student in my class, I also have to mark them as present. That’s not even the kicker. These students can turn in ANY and ALL assignments up until the LAST day of the term and I have to grade it. Also, if they do not turn something in, they get a code in the gradebook that is equivalent to a 50%. I’ll say that again, the child that turns NOTHING in gets a 50% in my class. If a child turns something in and scores less than a 50% on the assignment, I am not ALLOWED to put less than 50 in my gradebook. As time goes on, we will dissect how and why these practices and policies are detrimental to our community as a whole. I am excited for our knowledge to grow together as a unit.
NORTH CAROLINA
LOVE LIVES IN US...
The Winstons Winston and the Mrs. (E. L. and Roni)
Love lives in us…the Winstons and we want to share a little bit of it with you. We are going into a new year. With the new year comes excitement and opportunity. Many of us still honor a new year with the traditional black eyed peas and collards. The black eyed peas represent luck and the collards are hope and money. Now, we believe in creating our own good fortune and maintaining our hope boundlessly, but the tradition can still be special and fun. We don’t just leave it at the tradition though. The strength of our relationship keeps our hope alive and the love we have for each other is our hope for everyday’s abundance.
The Mrs. When we got married, Winston and I knew that our relationship could not be built on luck. We had to create our good fortune, so we decided that we would not damage the bonds of our marriage with ugly words. The most significant one being the word ‘divorce’. We would never use it in a disagreement. No matter how angry we became, we knew that that kind of language does permanent damage during a temporary problem. So many couples use the d-word like it’s water rolling off their back and it causes so much pain. It shuts down something in us emotionally and it takes something special out of our relationships. In order to keep that from happening, Winston and I are very purposeful about the kinds of words we speak to one another. We refuse to sit around and wait to see what happens with us. Winston isn’t the mate I was lucky to get; he is the one I am blessed to have and that blessing is something I never forget. In addition to the work of keeping a grateful heart, Winston and I have to hold onto a hope for our future. We didn’t get married as teenagers, so our future dreams and aspirations look a little different. But we married with the same boundless hope all newlyweds do. We decided that our hope for things to come would not be a passive thing, but it would be an active one. It means we talk through our plans, speak of our desires, and plan for our next steps. We know what we want and we get after it. I’m the dreamer married to the planner and together we make our hopes come to fruition.
Winston I’ve never believed in luck. When I met the Mrs., I knew God was blessing me. She most certainly was not crossing my path by happenstance, so I put forth every day to show God and the Mrs. that I'm grateful for the blessing of being able to do life with my best friend. I think it's the craziest thing for people to say that they love someone and have divorce come out of their mouth like they’re saying, “Please, pass the butter.” Today’s couples suffer from that instant gratification thing. If it doesn't feel good all the time and right right now then I’m out. How do you ever expect to have anything last longer than 10 minutes if you keep that attitude? I also think that because more people view their partner as someone they just came upon by luck that they believe that they can just get lucky again. With luck in mind, they treat their relationship like it’s disposable and allow it to end in misery down the road, then they rinse and repeat. It’s time out for that way of thinking. We have to start putting in the value and effort it takes to foster a healthy and loving relationship, making permanent plans with the one we love. When you start to see those plans come to reality, you start to see the blessing in who you’ve been blessed with. Life is so much better sharing it with that person you feel blessed to have. I’m blessed to be able to say that I get to wake up everyday to do life with this woman.
Thoughts to Leave You There are so many ways that we can enter a new year: chaos, confusion, uncertainty. Instead though, let us take the reins and understand that life requires purposeful action on our part. For your love to grow and expand, now is the time to go beyond all of the negative. Take hope with you and enter the new year with a determination that love lives in us and we are blessed to share it with a partner. May your 2024 be filled with many blessings and boundless hope!
MAGAZINE
B E S T
e d i r e P d i k c r c a p l B ack n, d l gto b dc shin wa
Kenny Blanco
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
r e k a M g m n i Fil K
n e v se
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
p o h S r rs e b r e a p B lip a v , C d A on V R hm ric
of 2023
BLAQUE/OUT MAGAZINE
Does A “Safe Haven State” Really Exist? "By asserting the problem is so much worse elsewhere, by creating an illusion of equity and inclusion somewhere where there is so much work to do, we do a disservice to everyone. Where problems are acknowledged, resources to correct them typically flow. By this same logic, creating narratives around what resources, protections, services and level of acceptance exists in the North vs the South for Trans and LGBTQ+ community members is potentially a dangerous narrative to promote. This isn’t a regional problem, it's an American one."
BY TAMARA LEIGH, EDITOR JANUARY 1 2023 8:00 AM EST ***updated 1/4/24 1PM EST
As a native New Yorker living in Florida and a full-time activist up North and a full-time educator down South, I think it puts me in a unique position to dissect the blue and red, rainbow and Black state of our country as we step into 2024. It’s my job to know what is happening in the world, especially when it comes to Black and Brown Intersectional Queer identities. We are walking bullseyes in most cases, in a country that has labeled us as less than or felonious for being Black and Queer. Legislation hits us differently because we typically fall into the groups most vulnerable to it. Although we are already in those categories, additionally, we are most likely to fit in all the other risk categories: poor, undereducated, under-resourced, unhoused, worst medical care and access, least opportunities, least family support, highest incidences of illness and poor mental health care. I find the rhetoric between the North being a safe-haven and the South being a danger zone most interesting. The legislation being passed in the states of Florida and Texas, for example, are certainly devastating to families and LGBTQ+ individuals, but the truth is my friends who are activists in New York and those who are fighting in the South are fighting very similar battles. Recently, The Guardian published
an article, “Trans people are finding safe haven in an unexpected place: upstate New York” about how upstate cities like my hometown of Rochester, New York, have become a destination for weary Southerners escaping persecution and to gain access to life saving gender-affirming surgery and pharmaceutical intervention. The story that article didn’t tell is that according to the US Census, Rochester has a 29.3% poverty rate compared to the 12.4% national average. In 2021, there were 85 recorded homicides and in 2022, 75 in a population of less than 210,000. That is equivalent to a murder every 8.8 days in 2023 ***. There are few shelters that will accommodate any unhoused folks. There are tent cities set-up in open fields as well as under bridges and overpasses that are regularly destroyed by city government, only one youth shelter with a handful of beds to accommodate LGBTQIA+ youth, and none that I’m aware of for adults. I consulted several agencies and organizers in Rochester and no one could provide me with an exact number of medical providers offering gender-affirming care, but I know from the difficulty of my peers in finding care in Upstate New York, let alone quality and culturally-
competent care, is increasingly challenging. Braden Reese, the founder of a Rochesterbased grassroots mutual aid and LGBTQIA+focused community group, Rochester LGBTQ+ Together, started in the wake of the pandemic to serve a severely underserved local LGBTQ+ population and distributed nearly $20,000 to community members in the form of cash asks, grocery shops, and community giving between 2021 and 2022. The need continues to grow, thus he continues to seek funding (which has become more and more difficult), that typically comes from individual LGBTQ community members. People in the community looking to help each other through difficult times and mutual aid, not major nonprofits or corporate sponsors because if those resources are being given, it is rarely to these types of groups. Organizations like Reese’s and small independent Trans-led orgs like WAVE Women, Inc. and Next Generation Men of Transition who serve the Black and Brown Trans community, specifically, are inundated with requests for help with housing, complaints about equity and mistreatment by medical providers and larger agencies, a need for food, employment and transportation. When asked about the available resources and access to care for Rochestarians and residents of New York, the President/Founder of WAVE Women, Inc.,
BLAQUE/OUT MAGAZINE
Javannah Davis, states, “As progressive as most of the New York State legislature is towards improving the lives of its LGBTQIA
It is also concentrated in some pockets of the country, including both those with larger [T]ransgender populations (and larger
This false ideation contributes to, even to this day, diminishing the very prominent existence of institutional racism, implicit bias and
residents, there is still much that it lacks when it comes to healthcare resources for its Transgender/GNC (gender non-conforming)
populations overall), and more restrictive anti-[T]ransgender legislative environments. Almost two-thirds (63.6%) of all victims
inequity suffered by people of color in the North. By asserting the problem is so much worse elsewhere, by creating an illusion of
residents; especially BIPOC Transgender/GNC
identified to date were killed in just ten states:
equity and inclusion somewhere where there is
residents. Whilst we now hold the title as a ‘safe haven’ state, as a healthcare professional of over 19 years, it concerns me that the potential influx of asylum seekers
Texas, Florida, California, Louisiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, and North Carolina. Texas and Florida, two states with some of the most extensive slates of anti-
so much work to do, we do a disservice to everyone. Where problems are acknowledged, resources to correct them typically flow. By this same logic, creating narratives around what
will prevent the current NYS residents of 76,000+ who identify as Transgender seeking
LGBTQ+ bills in place, are home to the highest number of fatalities, with 34 reported in
resources, protections, services and level of acceptance exists in the North vs the South for
the already scant resources for genderaffirming care, may continue to struggle even
Texas, and 31 reported in Florida. At the same time, California, which has non-
Trans and LGBTQ+ community members is potentially a dangerous narrative to promote.
more to get the care they need. Does this mean [to] turn anyone away? Absolutely not!
discrimination protections on the basis of gender identity, and which has declared itself
This isn’t a regional problem, it's an American one. Since 2015, hate crimes have nearly
But it does mean that we can’t just focus on the victory of being a safe haven state, but start to focus on how we create more
a sanctuary state for [T]ransgender youth seeking medical care, is home to the third highest number of fatalities, with 23 fatalities
doubled nationwide and that emboldened campaign of hate amplified and uplifted the legislation we see today.
resources, train our existing healthcare providers, and implement policies and
–including three in the last 12 months. ”
procedures that will benefit the existing >0.5% of our Trans-identifying residents in NYS. This will also allow for a smoother transition into our system for those that are
Those numbers are disgraceful and abysmal. If you are part of the community or work in the field and keep track of the names and
The ACLU is currently tracking 510 pieces of legislation that are detrimental to the life, liberty, and safety of Queer and Trans people in this country with the most severe and highest
In no uncertain terms, while New York State
numbers as they climb throughout the year, you are also aware that the murders are spread North to South and East to West. It's significant to note that these homicides are occurring in Southern states passing
number either having been proposed or passed into law in Southern states like Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, North and South Carolina and Tennessee. But the truth is, they are in motion in every state outside of New
passed bills like the Marriage Equality Act in 2011 and Gender Expression NonDiscrimination Act (GENDA) in 2019, Queer and Trans people, especially Queer and Trans people of color are still fighting for basic
Transmisic and homophobic legislation, as well as states like New York and California designated as “safe haven” states that will welcome in LGBTQ+ residents openly. 2023 saw Jasmine Adams’ maced, drug out of a
York, Illinois, Delaware and DC**. There is no question that the LGBTQ+ folks, youth, and families living in those states are in danger and in crisis. Living in Florida means depending on the make-up of your local city government
needs.
corner store in Staten Island by her hair, and kicked in the head by an employee because he thought she was Trans, she was not. In July, O’Shae Sibley, a 28 year old Queer Black man was stabbed to death in a gas station parking lot in Brooklyn because he was voguing to the new Beyonce’ album.
leadership, you may or may not have access to gender-affirming care or access to appropriate rest rooms. It means your venue may be shut down or refuse your drag event due to public pressure and the oppressive state government and accepted climate that exists openly. With that being said, I live in the Florida city with the biggest Pride celebration in the lower US, run a successful group of nearly 1,000 Black and Brown Queer women and partner with St. Pete Pride to host a Black sapphic wonderland of a Pride party every June. I would never suggest any Trans person move to any of the aforementioned states right now. Your access to life-saving and gender-affirming care may very well be limited and worse down here and EVERYONE deserves to be able to live authentic lives and receive the care it requires to do so. In several states, you may even run the risk of the state removing your children from your custody for allowing them access to genderaffirming care and that is a risk no family should have to take. But it’s also dangerous to create a false narrative of a Queer utopia when no such place in this country exists. The difference may be as simple as Northern activists fighting for legislation and Southern and Mid-Western activists fighting against legislation. An important differentiation, but still a slight one, because the fight for all of us is far from over.
seeking a better way of life and offer the choices necessary for quality genderaffirming healthcare. ”
According to the Human Rights Campaign’s, “The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in the United States 2023 Report”, “Since January 2013, HRC and other advocates have identified 335 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who were victims of fatal violence in the United States. As of this report’s release on November 20, 2023, we have recorded 33 fatalities since the last Transgender Day of Remembrance, including 25 deaths to-date in the calendar year of 2023. Fatal violence impacts [T]ransgender and [G]ender [N]onConforming people of all ages, races, gender, gender identities, and from rural and urban areas. However, people living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities have been disproportionately impacted relative to others. ”
Since the release of this annual report, 5 additional names have been added to that list. The report goes on to say, “to date, cases have been recorded in 177 cities and towns, across 38 states, territories and the District of Columbia. Fatal violence is found in blue states and red states, in cities and rural areas.
Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times presented a relatively foreign concept in the 2019, The 1619 Project. The collection of essays by brilliant minds attuned to history, Black culture, politics, transportation, housing, capitalism, incarceration and the like, told the much more well-rounded version of history that considered enslaved Africans as the foundation of America not just the once upon a time property of it. 1619 highlighted how American history as it is traditionally taught was a miseducation and not only affected how white culture views Black culture but how the Black community views itself. In a project I contributed to for the University of Rochester-Center for Community Practice and the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health) AIDS Institute, we examined how not only are Southerners widely uneducated about the truths of the institution of slavery, but Northerners are miseducated about the very real existence of slavery in Northern states, including New York and including Rochester.
BLAQUE/OUT MAGAZINE
In the same breath, none of this is disparaging against New York. In a pervasive climate of hate, New York has probably been the most successful in evading the onslaught of anti-legislation. And much due to the influence of New York City, a vastly red upstate still keeps the state as a whole, consistently blue. With coalitions like Gender Equality New York comprised of powerful advocates like Ari Moore and extremely visible advocacy organizations downstate like New Pride Agenda led by Elisa Crespo, fighting for NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2860 (Gender Identity Respect, Dignity, and Safety Act (GIRDS)) and the Expansion of the New York Safe Haven Act. In addition to the powerful voices that have made their way to tables where decisions are being made like Chanel Lopez (Deputy Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for the NYS), New York continues to push forward in protecting its LGBTQ+ citizens.
With all of that being said, there is so much work left to do and that fight presses on every single day. The fight in Florida, Texas and beyond on behalf of the communities at the most dire risk does as well. That is the moral of this story as a whole. The sad truth is, there is no corner of this country that is a safe space or real “safe haven,” especially if you are Black, Brown, and Trans. Neither is there a list of risk factors that doesn’t list Black and Brown, Queer and Trans folks as the most at risk no matter what city or state you call home. In this political playground of semantics- we can NEVER lose sight of that.
.
RESOURCES: https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.theguardian.com/usnews/2023/dec/18/trans-americans-upstatenew-york-rochester Reference: NYS Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2021-2022 The 1619 Project; Nikole Hannah-Jones The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in the United States: 2023 Report; https://reports.hrc.org/ ***Rochester, NY Police Department Open Data Portal
MAGAZINE
B E S T
CASCADE: TheHilltopOnline.com/2019, “As Queer As It Is Black:”LGBTQ At Howard Resource Guide Photo from Amy D. Dodd, Howard Magazine Article,”Celebrating LGBTQ+ Life at Howard”
e f i L SITY e g R e l E C l V I D o C RD UN ON,
T A G W HO HIN S A W
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t u O / t e s i u q mn a s i l u v B Col a d h a n n a v a j
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
e f i L e g M l e l & l Co ida A ee, f
s r s flolaha l a t
courtesy of: rattlernation.blogspot FACEBOOK: FAMU SPECTRUM
of 2023
FLORIDA
THE BEST OF FORGIVENESS WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD FORGIVE SO MANY THINGS COME TO MIND BUT THE ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT MOST IS THE SAYING “FORGIVENESS TAKES TIME” THEY CAN NEVER TELL YOU HOW MUCH AND IT’S BECAUSE NO ONE TRULY KNOWS HOWEVER TO SAY YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE IS SO DIFFERENT FROM WHEN IT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE HARDEST THING IN LIFE IS TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO AREN’T EVEN CONTRITE THOSE WHO WOULD OFFEND AGAIN DESPITE HOW THEIR ACTIONS MAKE YOU FEEL THOSE WHO SAY IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW IT WILL FORGIVING IS EVERYTHING BUT EASY BECAUSE IN ORDER TO FORGIVE YOU HAVE TO TAKE RISK AND TO TAKE A RISK ON A PERSON WHO HAS ALREADY LET YOU DOWN IS, WELL RISKY FORGIVENESS SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH THE HEART YOU KNOW FOR SURE THERE IS A CHANCE YOU WON'T MAKE IT OUT BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTS THE DAMAGE THAT CAN BE DONE JUST FROM PLAYING THE GAME CAN INDEED BE LIFE OR DEATH AND AS YOU MANEUVER THROUGH THIS GAME CALLED FORGIVENESS, YOU’RE PUT TO THE TEST “DO THEY DESERVE MY FORGIVENESS?” IS A QUESTION THAT OFTEN COMES UP BUT I’M BEGINNING TO LEARN THAT FORGIVENESS IS MORE FOR YOU THEN IT WILL EVER BE FOR THEM THE BEST OF FORGIVENESS COMES FROM WITHIN FORGIVING SOMEONE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO AND NOT BECAUSE OF THEM DON'T GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF CONTINUALLY TAKING SPACE IN YOUR MIND AND JUST BECAUSE YOU FORGAVE THEM DOESN’T MEAN THEY NOW DESERVE YOUR TIME FORGIVE SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE ON IN A HAPPY AND HEALTHY PLACE LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES FORGIVE SO THAT BITTERNESS WON’T EAT YOU ALIVE AND AS SAID BEFORE I KNOW FORGIVENESS TAKES TIME BUT DON’T TAKE TO MUCH AS LIFE WILL BEGIN TO PASS YOU BY YEARS LATER AND YOU STILL WON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION “WHY?” WHY DID YOU GIVE THEM SO MUCH POWER OVER YOURSELF NOW, NOT FORGIVING THEM HAS TURNED YOU INTO SOMEONE ELSE SO TAKE IT FROM ME WHEN I TELL YOU FORGIVE NOT FOR THEM BUT FOR YOU DO WHAT EVER IT IS YOU NEED TO DO TO BE FREE FROM THE SHACKLES THEY PLACED UPON YOUR SOUL AND MIND FOR ONCE YOU FORGIVE ALL WILL BEGIN TO BE JUST FINE DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRAVEL THE DISTANCE FOR AT THE END OF THE ROAD IS THE BEST REWARDS OF FORGIVENESS
ASHANTI TAYLOR-ALEXANDER
MAGAZINE
B E S T
n a i c l i l s u a h M e , ga c nta y roatla
roycehalltheartist iamroyce hall
www. theroycehall experience.com Email/Booking: roycehallmusic @gmail.com
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
y r a t n e e m m u c o r e D b m e ow rk m Re nw yo ne
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
s s e t n r i s Hea ng u B My aini
h tr c u ls ,tx o T /b as r all p c d
of 2023
Writer: Javannah J. Davis Javannah Jasmeen Jjasmeend20
REVOLUTIONARIES Tabytha Gonzalez isn’t a stranger to hard times or playing the jacked up hands some of us are dealt in life from time to time. Through it all, addiction, alienation, homelessness, sex work, and incarceration, Tabytha has overcome her fair share of hardships. She shares much of her story, along with several other black women of Trans experience, during her days of sex work in the new Kristen Lovell and Zachary Drucker documentary, The Stroll, streaming now on HBOMax. In the film. the ladies detail their times of walking the streets of the lower Manhattan meatpacking district during a span of almost four decades; surviving, protecting one another, and forging a fire of strength and resilience to thrive. Today, Tabytha is no longer allowing herself to be defined by her past, but is being empowered by her current positive experiences within her career, family, and community. She is also implementing her knowledge and expertise to help improve the lives of those around her, all the while relearning so much of herself and life. Tabytha looks nothing like what she has been through and every step she takes is a testament of her faith and hope. As a Black woman of Trans experience, she reveres the fact that her existence is resistance despite the insurmountable odds that were and still try to be against her and Trans folks like her. Tabytha is now a public speaker dedicated to empowerment and equity for Black and Brown gender diverse communities and has consulted on several projects for capacity building and inclusion for many LGBT organizations. Tabytha is also a Human Rights Specialist for the NYC Commissions on Human Rights where she provides expert Transgender/Gender Non-conforming cultural competency education to community and intergroup relations to enforce human rights laws. She is also the winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s 2023 U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for her participation in the HBO Documentary, The Stroll. Tabytha is also a founding Member of The National Trans Visibility March and Trans Equity Coalition NYC. She has received a Proclamation for her activism from the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul as well as a Citation of Merit from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson for her years of work in the non-profit sector.
Writer: Javannah J. Davis Javannah Jasmeen Jjasmeend20
REVOLUTIONARIES
Tabytha is committed to ensuring that LBGTQIA+ communities have access to health and wellness with dignity and respect. She has created innovative virtual outreach strategies to engage and meet the needs of NYC’s most vulnerable populations during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. These strategies have also allowed open access and essential resources that give support to individuals with dual diagnosis of substance use and mental health. These programs have reached over 500 BIPOC gender diverse populations during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022. Amongst her many accolades, Tabytha is also one of the leaders in the Haus of Maison Margiela and the lead advisor of the ‘Margiela Matters Initiative’, which is a group of house members with a community organizing mission addressing social issues specific to the Black and Latino LGBTQIA House and Ballroom community. Tabytha has expressed that it is often us finding our balance between knowing what success looks like for you and learning to heal from the guilt of surviving when so many of those who were around in the struggles with you are no longer here. It’s about giving yourself grace and understanding that the work you have left to do is far greater than yourself. Tabytha’s story and her passion for life is a beacon of hope and light in the darkness of what all Trans folks, especially Black and Brown Trans folks, need during these times of political persecution.
Learn more about Tabytha and the work she does by clicking the link: https://linktr.ee/tabythagonzalez? utm_source=linktree_profile_share &ltsid=5b005cd4-6189-431b-a92a72740dbef6d6
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t e o P d n or o W s n r e e ok d p S an fl
, a m p a m l s ta
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
n o g l n i a c S mbra , nc
h e g i l e l a ral
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t s i t r A p o p H e de va Hip
n d, v se on m h ric
of 2023
NORTH CAROLINA
THE OLD MAN'S CORNER E.L. WINSTON
I’ve bought a new journal and I am making a commitment to myself to actually use it to write down my thoughts every day. Journaling may actually be the hardest change in the new year because it requires that I stop long enough in a day to put my thoughts down on paper, to stop and sit with my feelings and emotions long enough to express them, but hey, that’s what I’m signing up for. So here we go!
Rochelle J Photography
It is the time again when everyone is making resolutions and reflecting on last year. This year I'm doing things a little differently. I'm looking forward to putting in place my foundation for the coming year and what I need to keep the ball rolling on my progress. So continuing on the healthy lifestyle, my goal is to get down to 250 pounds. I’m only 54 more pounds from that goal. Unfortunately, I’ve got some injuries to my shoulders that have hindered my workout progress, but we are pushing on in to the new year. Going to keep working on healing those injuries and showing up as my best self in 2024. The latter part of 2023, I've started to read more, so I’m getting my TBR (to be read) list together. My goal is 50 books in a year. As I've started getting my physical together, I’ve realized that my full body workouts are so I’m taking care of the whole package. The same is to be said about my mental and spiritual health so I've composed a reading list of all those things as well.
I recently changed jobs and with my new job I’m allowed to take three college courses a year for free. I’ll definitely be taking advantage of that blessing and I’m thinking of taking political science classes as well as some public speaking and a creative writing course. Time to add some much needed tools to the toolbox as I work towards my personal goals. I’m very aware that I need all the tools I can use to achieve those goals. I’m also working on some things this year for the community and really excited to see how it all shapes up. What is your plan for the new year? Not the things you plan to give up but the things you plan to gain. Do an old man a favor and start the year out with a foundation that will set you up for an amazing year!!!!
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t s i v i n t o c A wils
y . n m h, i k i k bat
For bookings: KikiMariaWilson13 @gmail.com (or) Kiki.Wilson@Fortis College.edu
“I just want to encourage our youth on how important it is to find what you are good at and passionate about. Always follow your dreams no matter how hard it gets or how many people tell you no. You will hear a hundred no’s before you hear that one life changing yes. When you put in the hard work and have the right team of people in your life, you will always find joy in what you do, who you are doing it for and who you are doing it with. You matter, your experiences matter, and most importantly your voice matters.” -Professor Kiki M. Wilson
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
n a i c n i t g c i Lo mpa c
a e, n h c tt o o c i l n ar ch
of 2023
VIRGINIA
What does death look like? Does death appear when life no longer exists? Does it just appear when a Trans person shows up in the headlines under the caption “lover kills Trans lover in rage”? Does death hide in the shadows and only “come out” when life gets too hard? Is death just something to deal with? Should it be associated with “easier than shut downing”? Is death connected to giving up? Is it something that only happens when Trans people stop taking the scraps or stop being comfortable with keeping the peace with our oppressors? Does it form when no one is watching or is it safe to say death is always watching, waiting for some to take their last breath and their final moments? As a Black Trans person should we start writing a will before or after we petition the courts for a name change or should we just do it at the same time because I’m sure that is when the target appears. Would it simply just be easier to call loved ones and say this may be the end of my life or the beginning of my happiness? Fear of death is valid. An emotion often seen by siblings so we live without regret because we know tomorrow isn't promised and right now is borrowed time. Somewhere on the journey of us finding us, we heard someone may brutally murder us because we watch our sibling's faces every TDOR and we become numb to the concept of death. So much trauma plaguing us that sometimes we toil with the idea of ejecting out from this world our norm. The moments of rippling pain of what is happening vs what we hope never happens. Here we are so close to the grasp of death yet so suppressed by the cisgender hierarchy versus “The Black Trans Agenda” that was not given to us by us but based on how invaluable they see us.
Death
MEL HOWARD
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND SHOWTIME® ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT THE FOURTH YEAR OF "QUEER TO STAY: AN LGBTQ+ BUSINESS PRESERVATION INITIATIVE", AN EFFORT THAT SUPPORTS, UPLIFTS AND PRESERVES SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SERVE THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY MULTIPLY-MARGINALIZED QUEER PEOPLE.
MAGAZINE
B E S T
n . o c r I j r s ee lke ack u Q ow bl
f for l r ter uity a e Cen eq
"I am deeply honored to be the Blague/OUT Magazine Queer Icon of 2023! I do community work because I love my Black LGBTQ+ people. I am so grateful for the support I have received from my community from around the world over the years. This support has made me a better person and I thank my higher power for the opportunity to be of service. Thank you very much for acknowledging my work. in the Queer community" - Earl Fowlkes Jr.
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t n a r u a t n s e o R s / k f e c h a C j m , fl
a a rg u h ro sbu s r e jo t e p . t s
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
e d i r P l a e n o d i i t a r rn p e t In k ck
u a , l on b uk ond l
ukblackpride.org.uk/
of 2023
NORTH CAROLINA
BOOK BANGERz B O O K
R E V I E W S
B Y
E L
W I N S T O N
Perfect Peace by Daniel Black is a 10 out of 10, taking the reader through issues of gender, family, forgiveness, religion and what we believe determines strength and weakness. You will definitely experience an abundance of emotions. Perfect Peace grows out of Emma Jean Peace’s decision to raise her newborn son as a girl unbeknownst to her husband, Gus, and her six sons setting off a long road of pain and struggle that shifts when she confesses her deceit. Eventually though we find a way to forgiveness and selfdiscovery. Emma Jean’s son, Perfect, is raised as a daughter until the child’s 8th birthday. It begs the question of whether I could just hate Emma Jean for her mistakes or feel sorry for her and her own trauma. The novel speaks to toxic masculinity with Gus as a child experiencing bullying for crying, but also the journey to finding places for our pain. Gus takes those tears and ritualizes crying in the rain, but struggles with allowing tears from his own sons. Gus and Emma Jean represent unhealed childhood trauma and its after effects into adulthood. My own story is very different from Perfect’s, but there are a number of ways that these characters were able to resonate with me and I think they will do the same for other readers. There is the struggle of fitting in; the struggle of figuring out who you feel you are versus who others say you are; and the struggles of your strength showing up alongside your weakness. There are even the complexities of Mister and Perfect Peace maneuvering through the question of God’s love. There is so much pain explored in this novel, but there are times of brightness. For instance, there is Eva Mae. Eva Mae is the kind of friend that reminds us of what ten toes down looks like in a person. Every character in this novel has the multitude of layers needed to bring the fiction to life. This novel was a page turner from the start. You will be invested in finding out how the Peace family handles the fallout from Emma Jean’s reckless and selfish decision as well as discovering how your own family shapes part of your story. I definitely recommend Daniel Black’s Perfect Peace for your TBR list. Be sure to drop us a line on our Blaque/Out Facebook or Instagram and let me know your thoughts on the book. Join me next month as I dive into another book on my TBR list. Until then, do an old man a favor and keep reading!!!
book therapy
W I T H W I N S T O N & T H E B O O K B A N G E R Z B O O K C L U B
JOIN US FOR CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR BOOK OF THE MONTH ON THE 15TH OF EVERY MONTH ON FB LIVE @BLAQUEOUTMAG
january 15th 7pm
MAGAZINE
B E S T
y , t n i C ingto
h c s wa d
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
y e k oc n J c s o i j i D y d va , e d n n o h mo h c ri https://ra.co/dj/misshoneydijon
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
T U O / w e e i u v q & r a e l B Int ison avis d hD a a M n TS an v a J
of 2023
NORTH CAROLINA
Whosoever Renews...
make olutions are so cliché, but we still res r’s Yea w Ne 4! 202 to me lco We year with a few words will help new the g min lco we t tha nk thi l them. We stil gives nge. The reality though is that God cha to nt me mit com the d fin to us od r renews themself in the healing blo us the recipe for change. Whosoeve any change. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “...if to ess acc us ws allo rist Ch by d she things are passed away; behold, old re: atu cre new a is he , rist Ch man be in h w Year’s resolutions often come wit Ne Our ”. new e om bec are ngs thi all s year, we should allow the blood Thi ful. ess ucc uns are we if lt gui regret and ce. of Christ to give us freedom and pea
- Pastor Roni
PRESTIGE BY: PHOTO
are the things that we will often t pas our of ns isio dec bad and s Bad choice p us selves. They are the things that kee play over and over again against our ng that we can experience change. ievi bel n eve of ble apa inc and n bogged dow r life trusting God’s Word to be true. You Disentangle yourself from that by s not define you. God allows you to is open for change and the past doe g into your ‘new’. So instead of walkin relinquish that heaviness and walk olutions, let’s enter 2024 with a res new of ch bun a h wit r yea new into this the happen, the trust in God grow, and newness in God. Let the cleansing a fire in you for your greater thing pain be healed. Trust God to renew d, body, and spirit in the because whosoever renews their min the world’s pain and blood that Christ shed goes beyond you that comes with a degradation. 2024 is the year for big dose of God’s love.
PORTRAITS
but ks to toss us about and break us, This world is a rough place that see os and broken pieces can be shed. cha the of All d. nee you at wh that is not grace powered and emboldened by God’s Now is the time for you to feel em feel abandoned by those you who you en wh nts me mo the In e. anc and accept you w the Holy Spirit to embrace. When should love you and protect you, allo is the time to accept that now , ngs thi d goo rth wo not are you think that release fruit of good things. God wants to your faith is meant to produce the you from bondage.
MAGAZINE
B E S T
e d ity i r c P k
r o y w ne
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T N O C I y e s l n i a a b Tr n a v . r d
Dr. Van Bailey is an award-winning higher education trailblazer and fashion curator. His speeches, talks, content and workshops relate to LGBTQ+ visibility, mental health, fashion as resistance, and intersectionality. They have experience overseeing offices that address implicit bias, LGBTQ+ equity, and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Bailey was listed in the Out 100 and Business Equality Magazine's 40 under 40.
https://www. drvanbailey. com/
dr_handsome
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
y t i r l b e e a l h e C micth
n mi a i Br s
of 2023
A QUICK READ FOR THE GWORLS Tarot done specifically for you if you were born in :
JANUARY
Looking for a little more guidance on what life might bring you this month? Tarot cards, read by an intuitive reader, can provide us that guidance. While your personal reading may vary slightly, the readings here are directed for all of those born in the same month for the current month.
Brace yourself for a separation from people you love. It looks like you either bury yourself in work or so much work interferes with your ability to have time for friends and family. This is happening to give you new inspiration as to areas of your life that might need to be changed. In the meantime don’t squander away time that could be shared. The people who really love you will understand.
FEBRUARY Pay attention to your feelings this month. They are trying to show you where things are falling short for you. It may be time for you to seek advice from someone who has the power to help you bring about some positive changes. There is a possibility of a new source of income or a new living situation coming available to you . Things like this will start happening because you have set intentions for positive change. Make sure you keep your mind open and sharpen up your skills.
MARCH
Time to rethink your finances. Compare your income vs expenses and grade yourself. If you fall short of your goals, now is the time to adjust things. Start by thinking of something you want to achieve this year. Whether that is a vacation or something to buy or something you would like to pay off. Give yourself a reasonable target date to achieve it. Then come up with a plan. This has the potential for your financial goals to be attained .
APRIL
There are plenty of things to get excited about this month. You get to do some very interesting things with some really interesting people. You may have an opportunity to pursue a business idea with someone that is in the financial position to make it happen. This is a month of great partnerships that have lasting value. Don’t be afraid to share some of your ideas because if they fall on the right ears good things could happen.
MAY Find ways to express your creativity this month. If you feel that you can utilize your talents and turn them into something special, now is the time to follow your intuition. Try not to overthink your ideas because you might talk yourself out of it. Look for opportunities to present your work to someone who might be able to help. If you work together you could produce something great.
JUNE It is time to come out from under anything that is holding you down. There are opportunities coming your way if you are willing to stretch yourself a little. There is someone you will meet this month that will share your dreams and encourage you to strive for them. You will be surprised how much you will grow in just one month.
JULY Work diligently to finish up anything left over from last year. You will need all your energy for what you are going to be learning this month. Educate yourself in a way that will make you more marketable. Your earning potential will increase amazingly if you do.
AUGUST Your friend group may change a great deal this month. Some of them may fall by the wayside. You may find that because of that , you prefer to spend more time with yourself. This could help you to not be in the position to choose sides. This will also give you time to figure out how you want to interact with any of them moving forward. Remember, you get to decide who you keep close.
SEPTEMBER This is a month of service for you. It feels like you have decided to do something that would help people that grew up in a way that you can relate to. . Whatever challenges you had, you work to lift that kind of burden from others. This is not only helpful to them but very cathartic for you as well.
OCTOBER
There are people or situations that may challenge you this month. Try not to overthink either the situation or how you are going to react to it. Stay true to yourself and ride the wave of change. There are some things that you will have no control over . You just need to trust that you will be okay when everything calms down. There are some things that you just have to trust that they are for the greater good. When you get the chance to go for what you want, go for it.
NOVEMBER Balance is your keyword for this month and probably the year. Things that have been out of balance now gets restore. As things get tough , you need to stand your ground . You may be drawn into someone else’s relationship drama . It is best not to take sides but help them both to realize they need to do what is best for themselves.
DECEMBER Your job skills are not going to be as important this month as your sense of compassion. There are either people that you work with or that you serve that are really going to appreciate your kindness. I think this doesn’t go unnoticed by higher ups. You may be moved into a role that works better with your personality.
For a more specific reading to your specific circumstance Doreen Scanlan, Intuitive Text 585-615-8494 for a personalized reading to set an appointment.
MAGAZINE
B E S T
t s i t r g A n g u a o r y fl D e u ,
q ola i l e ac g An ens p
BLACK ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY
dncndiva
of 2023
MAGAZINE
B E S T
e c i t s u nt n J l eme o a i c o S Mov rchsee a s m a g h a la r D tal
of 2023
@2023 BLAQUEOUT MAGAZINE
