Rod 2.0:Beta #gay #news #lgbt #gaynews

"Noah's Arc" Cast Urges "No" on Proposition 8

Sorry for being a few days late on this one. The principal cast of Noah's Arc headlined a fundraiser for No on Prop 8 in Oakland. These are images are from Flickr user Jay Brahms' photostream and video of the event.

Doug Spearman, Darryl Stephens, Rodney Chester and Jensen Atwood also sat for a video interview with Clubrimshot's Joe Hawkins to discuss the importance of voter turnout to defeat the amendment that would overturn the right of same sex couples to marry in California. (Note: There are some problems viewing the video interview in Firefox and Safari.) Darryl Stephens, in particular, says he would like to use his official coming out as a platform to discuss important issues facing our community. Bravo.

Oh and a cookie for Rodney Chester who continues to encourage black gay men to become involved in issues affecting "our" community. Rodney probably meant to say "your" community, 'cuz, you know, he is still not gay.

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom will be available in limited release on October 24. The proximity to the November election., plus the wedding-themed plot, makes this an excellent vehicle to combine promotion and activism on the marriage issue. Darryl Stephens graces the cover of the latest issue of Instinct and talks more about the movie and his decision to officially come out. Best of luck on the movie and thanks to the cast for bringing awareness to an important issue.

You May Have Missed ...
Darryl Stephens Talks Coming Out to "Instinct" [R20]
Rodney Chester of "Noah's Arc": I'm Still Not Gay! [R20]
Behind the Scenes Video from Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom [R20]
Noah's Arc Has Sailed [R20]
Deal or No Deal? [R20]
Darryl Stephens on the "Out 100" [R20]
Jensen Atwood: The CLIK Interview [R20]
A Very Beautiful Darryl Stephens [R20]
Darryl Stephens in "Boy Culture" [R20]
Darryl's "Boy Culture" [R20]
A Conversation with Darryl Stephens [R20]
Rodney Chester: I'm STILL NOT Gay!" [R20]
Beyond the Sassy Sidekicks? [After Elton]
What Does the Future Hold for Noah's Arc? [After Elton]
TV's Most Influential Gay Sex Scenes [After Elton]
The Many Faces of Rodney Chester [Keith Boykin]
A Conversation with Keith Boykin [R20]
Patrik-Ian Polk in "Genre" [R20]
Hamilton Cobb: Big Deal Playing Gay [R20]
Uno Dos TREY [R20]
"Honey, I'm Home!" [R20]
DVD Review: "Noah's Arc" [R20]
Patrik-Ian Polk in "Genre" [R20]

Report: Incompetence, Not "Race" or "Harassment", Behind LA At the Beach Cancellation

A quick follow-up to the news that At the Beach, today's highlight of Los Angeles Black Pride, was unceremoniously canceled. Crowds are returning to Point Dune Beach in Malibu today, although there will be no centralized functions, space or official events. Authorities say ATB promoters, not law enforcement, canceled the function and deny "harassment and racism". It seems incompetence and mismanagement are the reasons behind the cancellation.

"The organizer missed a meeting with the involved government agencies in May and did not take advantage of an offered make-up meeting with Beaches and Harbors," Carl Deely, commander with the Los Angeles Sherriff's Department, tells Club Rimshot's Joe Hawkins. Deely maintains his department requested modest security improvements, such as shuttle buses and "reserve deputies, at a reduced cost", because last year's celebration was marred by fights and a handgun incident. Deely adds ATB organizers owe money to the county. None of these data points were mentioned by promoters in their announcement of the cancellation—and some black gay Angelenos resent the spin.

In the three days since ATB announced the cancellation, a number of readers have emailed Hawkins and Rod 2.0 with a laundry list of criticisms against Los Angeles Black Pride. Milton Smith, a black gay Los Angeles HIV educator, faults organizers for mismanagement and lacking a strategy to increase attendance and participation. ATB has "become a yearly on again off again, meager celebration which hasn’t made any inroads towards becoming a permanent fixture in our community, let alone nationally," he says, adding, "This shouldn’t just be a day “At The Beach” it should be a day to honor the past, celebrate the present, and ignite enthusiasm for the future."

L.A. Sherriff Sends Letter About ATB Cancellation [CJ]
An Open Letter [Jasmyne Cannick]

Some Background ...
ATB Canceled, Organizers Cite "Harassment" [R20]

NOTE: Comments moved from previous thread.

Basketball Player DeMarco Majors Named to the "Out 100"

In addition to Darryl Stephens on this year's Out 100, there is another Rod 2.0 making the now-iconic list: Basketball player DeMarco Majors.

DeMarco was introduced on these pages in May 2006 when he was featured in Clik. (We wrote the Wilson Cruz profile in the same issue.) You'll recall the Bay Area hottie played professional basketball in Australia and stateside with the ABA. DeMarco is named to "The Winning Team", four men who "may be better known now that they're off the field—and out—but they're definitely all still in the game." The list also includes former NBA player John Amaechi, Outsports editor Cyd Ziegler and Rutgers University swim phenom Sean Smith.

It's also quite obvious that DeMarco has been eating his spinach and offers quite the sung fit on those boxer briefs in the photo by famed beefcake photographer Francois Rousseau.  Oakland-based club promoter and Joe Hawkins first interviewed the athlete slash model for Keeping it Real, his internet television show in 2006, and, says DeMarco is growing in all the right places. "Since then, Demarco and I have become close friends and confidants," Joe Hawkins writes at his cleverly-named new blog, Cuppa Joe. "Go into most Wal-Mart stores across America today and you will see his posters in the fitness section. He's been a NY Fashion Week runway darling over the past two years, has worked with Jill Scott and was in Beyoncé's music video 'Freakum Dress' playing one of the straight boys checking Beyonce out."

How much do you want to betBeyoncé and the straight boys were checking out DeMarco, too?

You May Have Missed ...
Clik Preview [R20]
Darryl Stephens on the "Out 100" [R20]

Apology After Police in the Bahamas Raid Black Gay Cruise Party

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism apologizes after police raided a cruise party owned by an American, black gay-owned event firm.

The October 6 incident at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nassau was first reported by Joe Hawkins, the Oakland-based event promoter with Club Rimshot, and, was "attended by approximately 250" American citizens "and nearly 200 local Bahamian guests", says DaJuan Xavier, the executive director of Ebony Pyramid Entertainment, the popular Washington DC-based promotions form. "The dozen or so police were well armed in full riot-style gear. In addition to their gear, they entered the facility with one of the policeman videotaping the crowd." Xavier says members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force briefly interrogated him and "ordered the bartenders to 'Shut it down!'"

The island's leading newspaper, The Nassau Guardian, published the written apology from Tourism Director General Vernice Walkine who explained the officers were investigating a complaint and "are awaiting the police force's official statement on the matter, but do however, wish to assure you that the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation does not condone discrimination in any form."

It's a significant development that the Bahamian government is mindful of tourist dollars and doing the right thing by apologizing to gay tourists. Unfortunately, the government is not as respectful of their own LGBT population.

Tourism Ministry Apologizes to Gay Tourists [Guardian]
LGBT Caribbean Cruise Raided by Police [Cuppa Joe]
Bahamas Police Harass Gay Tourists [Tribune]

Some Background ...
Christian Activists in the Bahamas Oppose LOGO [R20]
Teen Beauty Queen Comes Out Under Fire [R20]
When Worlds Collide [R20]