ASK MARSHAY

Malik: I do believe that it can be very difficult in our lives if we don’t have that faith that things are going to be alright. Everyone needs that peace that passes all understanding in their lives which includes a spiritual connection with their higher power so that they can have strength and courage to live another day.

Javannah: Do you feel the church could be a guiding force in the LGBTQ+ community if they were more inclusive of these individuals?

Malik: Yes, absolutely. The church could be a powerful guiding force in the LGBTQ+ community if they were to learn to be more inclusive and affirming in their ministries than they are now. Many great things can happen from that.

Javannah: Has the recent pandemic affected the way you attend church?

Malik: At the moment during COVID-19 I mostly worship at home during this time. Before I fellowshipped with more affirming and inclusive churches throughout my city on a frequent basis.

Javannah: Are there many local places of worship that are LGBTQ+ friendly?

Malik: There are many inclusive and affirming churches throughout the US in different cities and towns that are accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and who embrace their sexuality and/or gender.

Remember lovies, you don't have to make a choice between your religion and your sexuality or gender identity. It's always

possible to find affirming and accepting spiritual communities that can provide validation, support, and a basis for good mental, emotional, and spiritual health. I have provided a few in this article that may help those looking for expression of their spirituality.

https://rochesterunitarian.org/lgbtq/ https://www.spirituschristi.org/

https://www.newwaysministry.org/resources/parishes/#toggle-id-28. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/lgbtq/Â

With love, this is your girl Javannah saying, be good to you!

AllBLACK LIVESMatter

The GLAM down

With Nyk Tyrell

Its Fall! What’s your go-to make up trend for the season? Fall brings out the earth tones and rustic colors, Bold and subtle. What are some of your favorite fall trends? 2020 has brought some bold flavor to the fall season with make up trends from the new eyeliner trends to the bold lip color choice.This months issue we will cover one of Rochester and Buffalo’s own Make-Up Artist! Former Ms. Kurvie Kulture winner, Jamequa Abernathy Owner of Enhanced Beauty Make Up Artistry! She is a self taught MUA and traveling beauty influencer. Enhanced Beauty is more than a Brand it is a movement to help make women feel better by enhancing their beauty!

This month while scrolling through social media I noticed this bold welcome to fall look that she created using some high pigmented colors. This look gave me fall realness! The rustic oranges and browns put me right into the fall season mood.To create this look Jamequa used some popular brands of make up such as Juvias Place, Morphe and Shutup N Slay Cosmetics. This bold look is full of color! For other looks and also her cosmetic line you can go to www.enhancedbeauty.com

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Ask

Life Lessons From This Year’s Election

We’ve all been watching this hot mess of an American Government for 4 years now. I hope you felt the epic face smack I just gave myself...but be rest assured, the end is near and we all have something to learn from our traumatic experience (haha)! Trust that you can use all the negative AND positive energy around you right now for your benefit. Let’s explore exactly how:

#1 Grace To Know Your Place

Humility will literally take us all so far if we let it. Be humble when facing opposition and don’t be afraid to step into restful power while doing so. We won’t be mentioning any political figures in this article because this is about YOU! Humility produces strong focus on the individual and that is why I believe we all have to learn when to bow at some point.

#2 Karma Comes Back Around...and Around Again

It should go without saying that we are called to treat everyone equally with the common respect and courtesy that we each deserve. Unfortunately, not everyone out of the billion some-odd people on this planet feel the same way so protect your heart, mind & body against unwarranted attacks by first, setting the example. A time for retribution WILL come, especially for those who have been particularly cruel and unmoving-but remember, you & your peace are the main focus.

#3 One Being’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure

Don’t stand in the way of someone else’s good fortune! If its expired, throw it out! These are all fancy put ways of saying try following your purpose without selfish intention. If you don’t, you’ll just continue to sew chaos and confusion in a country that could do without it at such a vulnerable time.

(*Ahem*) I’m not saying any names because this is about US...we, the people! Let’s face it, if 2020 were a movie, it would indeed be an Oscar award-winning horror film. With all the residual traumatic energy surrounding us, how can we possibly rebuild? I have some subtle solutions that I think will definitely help:

Unplug

Turn everything off. I mean any and everything that requires energy from you from electronics, to people traffic and even your own individual noise. Meditate, shop...whatever it takes to reconnect you with your peace of mind. Don’t entertain conversations that drain you be it political or otherwise.

Marshay

Replenish I’m sorry to say that we can’t stay unplugged for too long so prepare your energy to be out and around others & their chaos. Don’t confuse that with being unprotected or exposed. Always remember that you control your space and how you utilize your inner power.

Conserve Don’t you just feel lighter already?! Deep breathing is a great way to reconnect mind with body so inhale and exhale like you mean it, with intention. Make deliberate decisions about your next moves but don’t obsess or put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Reduce the output of energy and increase the conservation of it instead....your future self will thank you!

Sleep! You’d be surprised what a good night’s sleep can add to your hustling psyche. Drink plenty of water of course and monitor all of your basic needs. Times are definitely tough right now and we should all be working together to make sure no one is going without. Please reach out to your local offices if you find that you are...even a friend or family member. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Lastly, take selfish & tender care of yourselves and please, please, please, please...GET OUT AND VOTE!!! Always & Eternally Yours, Marshay Dominique

Need Advice?

Email your questions about love, life & entanglements to: AskMarshay.BlaqueOut@gmail.com & you might see it answered in an upcoming issue of Blaque/Out Mag!!

Colorism in the music industry: how dark-skinned women can be pushed out

Zahyia Rolle didn’t feel beautiful until she was almost 20 years old. In fact, when she was 13 years old, she said she felt like the ugliest person on Earth. Born in Liberty, NY she says she was treated differently because of her darker skin and coily hair. She’s not alone. Millions of dark-skinned Black women say from family to friends to complete strangers, colorism can often negatively color their interactions.

As a woman, it messes with your selfesteem in ways you can’t anticipate, Rolle said. My parents did everything in their power to undo what the public would say, so to speak. I thought I was the ugliest person all the way until I was 18. I didn’t feel pretty until I was 19, almost 20. Rolle practiced daily afMirmations, telling herself she was beautiful every single day until she woke up and actually felt pretty.

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Having that conMidence was and sometimes is still a struggle, she said. You basically have a deep wound that you’re constantly working to heal. Self-love is a muscle you have to constantly exercise and make sure you practice daily afMirmations, as corny as they seem, even when you don’t feel it. Working in the music industry only exaggerated her struggles with self-image. She said to this day, her skin tone and hair change how she is perceived. As a wedding performer, she books more gigs when her hair is straightened and she said even dark-skinned women who do make it into mainstream pop music are often held to higher standards, physically and talent-wise. A report from the University of Iowa conMirms this gap https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1255&context=honors_theses . The report found that the industry is one of many that prizes lighter skin and for both men and women. As a result, colorism not only keeps darker-skinned women out of the industry or on the fringe of it, it also privileges lighter-skinned or brown-skinned women instead:

“I would argue that the normalization of colorism, specifically gendered colorism, both lyrically and visually, has produced overtime a “big three” with singers Beyonce and Rihanna, and rapper, Nicki Minaj being positioned at the forefront. These women, all talented, represent the accepted and ideal physical depiction of the Black woman, a preference that is often restated, and of which they, however unwittingly, oblige in their music videos. It’s not until more Black women are producers, engineers and occupy top roles that this will begin to change, speculate experts.”

“When it comes to actually recording or knowing the technical stuff, we have to rely on men in

She said adding women production studio engineers and producers would help.

“Once we can do it ourselves, I think we’ll see a big difference in the music and visuals that are put out there”, she continued, explaining that many of the stereotypes that guide how dark-skinned women are seen could be challenged and ultimately laid to rest.

“It starts in music, the entertainment industry but I don’t think it’ll end there. We have a lot more work to do.”

Tianna Mañón she/her

My Own Words

Zenith Fulton (HE/HIM) Email: zenithfulton@yahoo.com Facebook: I Am Zenith

It feels so free to be me. ZENITH¦ the point at which something is the most powerful or successful. The essence of my

BEING. IMHERE! I say this to myself every day throughout the day. It feels so good! I truly believe that there are many

people in the world who have had and/or still have it worse than me in life. However, it does not take away the fact that I

am still standing with everything I have been through. Everybody has their strengths. Who is to say that someone who

has it worse than me would have made it in my shoes. I am still moving forward.

Just in the mood to do some things I do not do. I do not give my SELF credit and I do not share my SELF. Not

even with those I am close to. At all. I AM learning. Especially after what happened when I gave up on my SELF after

putting my SELF in a box. I Am open. It has led me on many adventures. I am thankful for them all. They will not be

forgotten and I will not keep them to my SELF. That would be to suppress the voice i was given to spread MY story. To

spread hope. How can I fight for equality while I oppress my SELF from the equality I do not first give my SELF. To

publicly fight for something I do not fight for within my SELF would be to oppress my SELF. There is A LOT of that going

around as it is.

That may be the reason for me recently starting to spread my voice. Whether it be by mouth or read. How can I

stand for others if I do not stand for ME? If I do not learn, how can I teach? Not only did I come OUT about liking women. Identifying as the opposite sex from what was assigned to me at birth and preferring he/him pronouns, that is also

another form of coming out. THAT TOOK STRENGTH. A strength not recognized, and appreciated, and congratulated,

and acknowledged, and respected. Could you imagine coming out at 15, while people in there 40s were still having kids before coming out as liking

the same sex or identifying as the opposite sex. Since then, kids in elementary school have Come Out. It makes me

proud to see. I respect them for their strength. Way more then I had or maybe its because more resources and alliances

have formed in that time of me Coming Out. GROWTH!

Even with the countless resources around, we cannot be reached by a lot of people. Those that do not know how

to wave the flag, those that are scared, those that are in denial, those that went through some type of trauma that keeps

them holed in, and many more.

I started taking Testosterone October of 2019. So by the time you read this I will have had my first

MANiversary! One year down with an unimaginable, yet, beautiful future ahead. I am also very fortunate to say that I

received a successful top surgery over two months ago. Next up is my name change and gender marker! Hey, who is to

say whether i'll go all the way … if you know what I mean. Every step of coming out has filled me with so much

HAPPINESS and it continues to come in. That is why I can not stop. That is why I am open. That is why I am ME! I am In

Love with my SELF! I Will Be That Eternal Orchid Blooming Through The Rubble.

Thank you for bearing witness to my growth….. STAY TUNED!!!

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Mr & Miss Diamond Strength Battle Zone

The first very Mr. & Miss Diamond Strength BattleZone was held on Sunday October 4th, 2020 in lieu of the 2020 Mr. & Miss Diamond Strength pageant in Rochester, NY. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that have been put into effect it was almost impossible to hold a full pageant this year however there needed, in my opinion, to be an

opportunity for local drag queens & kings to engage in friendly competition as well as interact with a community that missed them as much as the entertainers are missed. The 2020

BattleZone had 4 amazing contestants; La Dame Noire, Aziza Bijou, Lil Easy & Vitalia Caliente. By a 3 point difference from the judge’s scores and crowd selection, this year’s winner was Aziza Bijou, however as a giveback each contestant was given complimentary entry into the 2021 Mr. & Miss Diamond Strength pageant.

Cover Artist & Photographic Editorial Spotlight:

Caryn Davis

Ayee what's up I'm Caryn! Born and mostly raised in Rochester, NY. I've been a photographer & digital artist for 10 years now. Proud Libra & member of the LGBTQ+ community. Lover of my city, art, tequila & black joy as resistance. As a local activist I've been proudly yelling "All Black Lives Matter" for quite some time now. Catch me repping the newly formed activism group LABL (Liberating All Black Lives). Feel free to track me down on Facebook or Insta: iAmArt_93 to learn more or to plan a photoshoot.

She/Her They/Them

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