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Baltimore Teacher Speaks Out on Black Gay Youth & Jason Mattison

A straight black Baltimore public school teacher writes a poignant letter to the editor of the Baltimore Sun, speaking out against the horrific murder of 15-year-old Jason Mattison and the systemic homophobia that targeted Mattison and other black gay youth. Why does the black community teach homophobia to their young? asks J.B. Salganik.

As a Baltimore City public school teacher, I hear about one homophobic slur an hour. Usually, this homophobia is reserved for gay men rather than lesbians, who are somewhat more accepted. Even intelligent, educated adults I meet will often surprise me with such prejudice, and this is especially true in the black community. Usually this prejudice is justified by religious convictions, but slave owners used to go to church on Sundays and quote the Bible too. Gay people have always existed, in every culture and country in history, yet we are told their sexual orientation is unnatural and perverted. What is the threat that these people pose to the rest of us that they must be denied their full rights of citizenship?

You would think that the leaders of the black community, a group that has experienced so much discrimination and prejudice over the course of American history, would be the last to turn around and stigmatize other people, but the opposite is true. ...People need to realize that, historically, the same organizations that have sought to deny rights to gays have also discriminated against blacks. As such, my heart goes out to the gay African-American men and boys of Baltimore and the nation. I sincerely hope to see the day when they can feel safe in their own communities and enjoy the full benefits of American life, including the chance to serve in the military and to marry. Or simply feel safe in high school.

Jason Mattison's English teacher also writes to the Sun, which should be applauded for its sensitive reporting.

There's been a rash of violence against gay youth especially those who are black or Latino. Mattison's murder happened the same week a gay high school student was attacked by metal pipe-wielding classmates in Houston. Also last week: A substitute teacher in suburban Atlanta was arrested for allegedly soliciting another student to kill a 16-year-old student who was gay. Both students are black gay teens. And of course the Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado tragedy happened the weekend before last in Puerto Rico.

In related news: The $1 million bond for Dante Parrish has been revoked. The 35-year-old ex-con who apparently forced Jason Mattison into a sexual relationship and confessed to killing him is now being held without bail.

Background:
Many Questions After Brutal Slaying

Many Questions After Brutal Slaying of Baltimore Black Gay Teen

A popular black gay Baltimore teen was laid to rest Wednesday but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Fifteen-year-old Jason Mattison Jr. was known for his skin-tight jeans and funky sweaters. The flamboyant, openly gay teen was a star student at the Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and hoped to become a pediatrician. Little was known about his family life until his body was found, viciously stabbed and stuffed into a closet. A 35-year-old ex-convict who previously served time for murder has confessed to killing Jason—a man who apparently lived at Dante's home and forced the boy into a sexual relationship, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Last week, at his aunt's house, one of the few occupied homes on a block boarded and sagging, he was found dead - raped, gagged with a pillowcase, stabbed repeatedly in the head and throat, and shoved into an upstairs closet. Jason's killing left his teachers, classmates and relatives in tears and family members asking questions of one another even in the days leading up to today's funeral. Did Jason leave his mother's house and move in with his aunt, as his grandmother suggested? Or was he just visiting on that fateful day, as a cousin said?

[Jason's grandmother] said Jason left his mother recently and moved into the house on Llewellyn Avenue, though family members there said he only visited. A Baltimore police spokesman would say only that Jason "was staying at his aunt's house." It was there that Jason met Dante Parrish, with whom the spokesman said the teen had a "forced sexual relationship." Whether Parrish went from prison to live at the rowhouse on Llewellyn Avenue or frequented it could not be determined. [Jayson's cousin Laquanna Couplin] would not elaborate beyond confirming that the man was a longtime family friend.

The day Jason's body was found, it was Couplin who called police, at 3 a.m. Nov. 10. She reported that someone had broken into the house and stolen a television from the living room. A police officer came and wrote a larceny report. Couplin called police again at 5:09 a.m., saying that she saw blood on a banister leading to the second floor. She also reported Jason missing.Police found his body in the back of a second-floor closet. Charging documents say that "several witnesses were identified and positively identified defendant Dante Parrish as the person responsible for this act." Couplin said she now believes the missing television was a diversion to make it look like a break-in.

Police arrested Parrish two days later at a convenience store. Parrish confessed and is being held without bail. In the meantime, many questions remain about Parrish's relationship with the family. How many people at the boarding house knew Parrish forced Jayson into a sexual relationship but looked the other way? And why did the family allow Parrish into the home? Jason's grandmother, Wanda Williams, questioned how other relatives could have allowed the boy to be in the same house with Parrish. "I haven't cried so much this entire life," Williams said. "My grandson hollering for help and there is nobody there to help him.

Thanks BALTIMORE FEMME and RJ!

Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo: "Being Gay is No Big Deal"

More on Baltimore Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo who is emerging as one of the most articulate supporters of gay rights in pro sports. BA tells the Washington Blade that growing up in progressive Santa Cruz, Calif., made it easy for him to become an ally and write the Huffington Post pro-marriage equality op-ed that declared "we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as everyone else."

"It’s a liberal town, and when you grow up there you might have a gay or lesbian teacher or a classmate who is openly gay," he said. "It’s not a big deal there, and I grew up with it around me all the time, so I never thought it was a big deal."

Ayanbadejo told the Blade that when the piece was published, he forwarded it to several friends and associates, but didn’t get much reaction. Ayanbadejo said that it wasn’t until months after he wrote the April opinion piece that people began to take notice. "Equality Maryland sent a letter to the Ravens media department, and they passed the letter on to me and asked if I wanted to attend their [open house] event," Ayanbadejo said regarding his appearance at last month’s reception. "It was in inner-city Baltimore, so I said, ‘For sure. I’m interested in making a difference.' "

Ayanbadejo says fellow athletes are becoming more tolerant: "There are a lot of words thrown around out there that aren’t politically correct. But it’s a lot less than when I first started playing and everything is changing for the better."

One example: New Orleans Saints LB Scott Fujita supports Ayanbadejo in an interview at The Nation. "I hope he's right in his prediction, and I hope it doesn't take that long. People could look at this issue without blinders... I wish they would realize that it's not a religion issue. It's not a government issue. It's not even a gay/straight issue or a question of your manhood. It's a human issue."

Footballer Will Demps has also come out strongly for gay marriage, as has basketball greats Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. Wish there were more guys like this on our team.

Ravens Player Interested in Making a Difference [Wash Blade]
Can the NFL Tackle Homophobia [Nation]

Brendon Ayanbadejo Coverage on R20:
Brendon Ayanbadejo Models Nipple Rings on the Field
Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo Supports Marriage Equality
WaPo on Brendon Ayanbadejo's Support for Gay Marriage

WaPo on Brendon Ayanbadejo's Support for Gay Marriage

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo's public support for marriage equality is good for sports and is winning him many gay fans, says Outsports editor Jim Buzinski at the Washington Post. Buzinski is editing a pro-con conversation around Ayanabadejo at WaPo's NFL blog and linked to Rod 2.0's coverage several times.

"It calls a lie to the "dumb jock" stereotype and shows they are engaged in the world beyond the locker room. But there is a downside for politically active jocks, especially on controversial social issues like gay marriage. Tony Dungy became Public Enemy No. 1 among the gay readers on Outsports when he headlined a 2007 fund-raiser for the Indiana Family Institute, a political lobby that is against gay marriage. The Prop 8 anti-gay marriage amendment in California in 2008 brought forward the same feelings. Jeff Kent, then with the Los Angeles Dodgers, gave $15,000 to defeat gay marriage, while Jacques Cesaire of the San Diego Chargers was featured an anti-gay marriage rally in San Diego. Gay fans I know instantly wished serious injury on both. On the other hand, Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Ravens is a new gay fan favorite for his pro-gay marriage stance...his nipple ring doesn't hurt."

The opposite POV: Author and sports lawyer Nahan Whitaker says players should "watch what they say" and should "give some thought to what their employer's position might be."

Whitaker never suggested Brady Quinn or Jeff Kent should have asked permission to express their conservative views. Whitaker might just have a problem with gay rights: He is the co-writer of Uncommon, the memoir written by Coach Tony Dungy, well known for his social conservative views against gays.

Neo Nazi and 2 Teens Charged with Beating 76 Year Old Black Man

Authorities charge two teenagers and a 28-year-old white supremacist and convicted sex offender with the vicious beating of a 76-year-old black man in Baltimore, Maryland. The elderly man was "loading his truck after fishing when [the] white males approached him then began kicking and punching him while uttering racial epithets" and leaving him critical condition, reports UPI.

"Charged as adults were Emmanuel Miller, 16, and Zachary Watson, 17, who, along with Calvin Lockner, 28, face charges of attempted murder, assault and harassing a person because of race or religion, CNN reported Friday. The victim, James Privott, was in critical condition Thursday, but making progress, a Baltimore police spokeswoman said. Doctors told police he sustained a possible fractured eye orbital bone and had serious head trauma, court documents said."

The Baltimore Sun adds Lockner "told officers that he was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Nordic Brotherhood and 'did not like people who were different from him.'  Officers wrote in charging documents that he has a tattoo on his stomach of Hitler, and written underneath it are the words 'He Lives.'  Lockner [said] the beating 'wouldn't have happened if [the victim] was a white man,' documents show. He is also quoted as apologizing for the incident, saying, "I'm sorry I did it.""

Lockner, whose nickname is "Hitler", has an extensive rap sheet and was indicted in March 2000 on charges of first-degree murder, rape, kidnapping and sex offenses. The Sun adds: "The more serious charges were dropped and he pleaded guilty to a second-degree sex offense, receiving 20 years in prison with all but eight years suspended. In March 2007, he was sentenced to two years in prison for violating his probation."

The FBI and Dept. of Homeland Security have reported a rash of race-related hate crimes and surge in white supremacist activity following the November 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

Remember Edward Norton's character in American History X? Something tells me that Calvin Lockner and his teen white supremacist proteges will become quite popular with the many inmates who are "different than them" at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Baltimore Police Arrest Man in Murder of Lesbian Couple

An update on the brutal slaying of a recently married black Baltimore lesbian couple, found stabbed to death in their home last week. Detectives have collared a suspect who is now being held without bail, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Police say 21-year-old Mark K. Floyd stabbed to death 31-year-old Lydia Steed and 23-year-old Allisha Royster. The victims died of multiple stab wounds to the back of their heads June 6 or June 7. Floyd ransacked their home and pawned a laptop stolen from the home, linking him to the crime, according to detectives. Floyd has a lengthy criminal record involving burglary and assault.

Royster and Steed were apparently very afraid of Floyd and planned to move. They had recently taken in Floyd's girlfriend—who worked as a stripper—"but they evicted her a few weeks ago after a loud fight." According to charging documents, days after the couple was murdered and before their bodies were found, Floyd visited several strip clubs and boasted: "They're gone."

Steed and Royster were recently married in Boston, reports The Advocate. The couple was in the process of relocating to that area.

Thanks LISA MOORE!

City Police Arrest Man in Killings of Two Women [Sun]
Lesbian Couple Found Dead [Advocate]

Report: HIV Increasing in Maryland, "Unsafe" Heterosexual Sex Blamed

One week after an alarming report noted Washington D.C. has an HIV infection rate higher than many parts of Africa, new statistics show the epidemic is spreading to suburban Maryland.

Prince George's County in Maryland—the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority—now has the second-highest rate of reported HIV/AIDS cases statewide. The county also has the second-highest rate of sexually transmitted infections and is experiencing a "resurgence" in syphilis, reports the Washington Post. Only Baltimore is higher in both categories.

Health officials says PGC's proximity to Washington, D.C.—which recently reported an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 3%—"puts us at greater risk." In addition, many county residents do not have access to health care.

Unlike the recent data in Washington D.C., the HIV/AIDS and STD increases in Prince George's is mainly fueled by unsafe heterosexual sex. County Health Officer Donald Shell Shell says he has gone to local college campuses to speak and was "surprised" by the response. "They don't care about condom usage or about their partners," he tells WaPo. "There is a blatant disregard that anything is going to happen to them."

Prince George's Has Second Highest STD Rate [WaPo]

Some Background...
Three Percent of Washington DC is HIV Positive [R20]

More Stereotypical Gay Sidekicks in "He's Just Not That Into You"

By now you've probably been assaulted by the commercials for He's Just Not That Into You that feature the campy gay characters surrounding Drew Barrymore, with one gushing "MySpace is the new booty call!" Offensive much? Dixon T. Gaines at Queerty reviews the film and slams the tiresome characterization of gays as little more than sassy, asexual sidekicks.

In a movie all about love and dating, with a full nine leads trying to navigate the rocky shoals of relationships, there’s not a hint of a gay relationship anywhere on the screen. Though discouraging, that isn’t necessarily a mortal sin. What is a problem, however, is how the few gay characters that are on screen are forced to behave: in the flameyest, lispingest, “fiercest” stereotypes imaginable. If black actors were forced to endure Stepin Fetchit, then this minstrel show of homosexuality can only be construed as Mincin' Jazz Hands.

The main offenders are Drew Barrymore’s trio of co-workers at the Baltimore Blade– a made-up gay newspaper that Barrymore's character works at for– oh, just go with it. Like any economically-minded movie, these secondary characters double as twofers, with a Latino Gay (Wilson Cruz) , an Asian Gay (Leonardo Nam) and a Pasty White Gay (Rod Keller).

These sibilant-free sissies all curl around Drew to hear her latest dating woes, greeting each sad revelation with a different gay cliché rejoinder: “Oh, girl!” “Heyyyy!” and “Oooohhhh!”– all while they suck their teeth, too. And that’s it for these three. They don’t even talk about their own relationships, even as they might relate to dear ‘ol Drew. Nope, they just sit shiva around the sad sack, serving as a sassy sounding board.

Wilson Cruz takes issue with the criticism: "I don't think it's really fair to say that every gay character in every film or movie is supposed to be the defining depiction of who we are as a community. No character can do that. I think that I played him [Nathan] as honestly as I could. I reacted in the film as I would in life, and I don't think I'm a stereotype. We aren't all Tom of Finland. And if we are honest with ourselves, none of us are. Sometimes people look at a character these days and say, 'Well he was effeminate. And that's stereotypical.' Well, guess what, some people in our community are effeminate. And I don't necessarily think that's the end of the world."

Wilson Cruz is absolutely right and this is the exact argument made about gay characters in other movies and television series—Noah's Arc immediately comes to mind. Except none of the gay characters in He's Just Not That Into You exist beyond their scenes with Drew Barrymore. They're merely accessories. "When the three gay characters in a movie are asexual, and exist as the sage bitties for Drew Barrymore, it isn't an accident," Queerty reader Tyler says in the comments. "It isn't a fair representation of our community. It's a calculated script re-write to make the gay's less offensive.

It could be worse. For a movie allegedly set in Baltimore, which is majority black, there is only one black character with any lines. "A waiter with two speaking lines." Sounds charming.

Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo Models Nipple Rings on the Field

Sorry for missing this earlier this week but it's not often we see professional football players wearing nipple rings. On the field.

This is Baltimore Ravens player Brendon Ayanbadejo with his daughter after the Ravens defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-9. Daddy is definitely thick and juicy in all the right places, and, how sexy is it to learn he is sporting a nipple ring under his cleats. But doesn't it get in the way while playing?

Police Say Two Teens Killed Fellow Gang Member Because He Was Gay

An interesting twist to what authorities in suburban Maryland initially believed was a typical gang murder. Two members the Bloods street gang are charged with first-degree murder in the death of a fellow gang member ... whom they believed was gay.

Eighteen-year-old Steven Hollis of Randallstown and 17-year-old Juan Flythe of West Baltimore were arrested Thursday. They are charged with fatally stabbing and stomping 18-year-old Steven Parrish—seen above in a MySpace tribute—of Woodlawn on May 29. That was only one day before his graduation from Randallstown High School. Apparently, text messages and cell phone photos lead the fellow gang members to discover Parrish's secret. Parrish's slaying was quite grisly to send a message their gang was not "weak." Excellent reporting at the Baltimore Sun:

On the day before Parrish's death, several members of the gang met at his home, according to charging documents. There, Hollis and Flythe discussed finding what they believed to be "gay" text messages on Parrish's cell phone.

Angered by the messages and a photograph they found, they worried that their Bloods group would appear weak to others if word got out that they had a gay member, according to court records.

"As a result, they decided that Steven Parrish 'had to go,'" police wrote in charging documents. "There was no date or time discussed for the killing, but it was made very clear to all those present that Parrish was going to be killed."

Flythe later told his fellow gang members that he and Hollis confronted Parrish, who did not deny that the messages were "gay" in nature, according to court records. Flythe also told his associates that they stabbed and hit the victim before stomping on his neck, according to charging documents. A red bandanna was placed over Parrish's face and he was left in the woods.

WBAL-TV reports Hollis and Flythe are being held without bail. And if stabbing the body up to 50 times wasn't horrific enough, another gruesome detail: The body was dumped in a wooded location behind the family home. "It’s rough," Parrish’s father, also named Steven, told reporters. "Especially when it happens right by your house like this." A reporter at The Sun tells Rod 2.0 the Parrishes have moved from the area.

Steven Parrish's MySpace page has been disabled but one schoolmate at Randallstown High School has posted an online tribute. The pictures show a lean, handsome and stylish young man, but, with a hard look in his eyes. The visitors lament Steven's death and street gang culture. "It's ashamed that he won't be able to graduate," Steven's friend writes. "Go off to college, or do whatever he planned on doing after high school because of involvement in a gang."

It's difficult to process the correct emotions to mourn the death of a gang member, who ostensibly was himself involved in violence. But it is sad, tragic and devastating that Steven Parish's sexuality was the reason fellow gang members turned on him. However, it is also worth noting that the predominant message from black popular culture and the black church is that being gay, as the gang members said, is not to be tolerated. Possibly this is the reason why Steven Parrish thought he needed the gang's street cred, to reinforce his masculinity. Tragic on all levels.

2 Teenagers Held in Killing [Sun]
Pair Of Suspects Charged In May Slaying [WBAL]
Teen Found Dead in Woodlawn [Examiner]