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VIDEO: "Melissa Harris-Perry Show" on Black Gays and NC Amendment 1

The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on Sunday was required viewing. One segment discussed Black voters and gay rights in the context of the hateful Amendment One, which would define marriage as "between one man and one woman" and ban recognition of same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. The panel segued into a much-needed discussion on economic and social justice for Black LGBTs.

The panel included Colorlines.com Editorial Director Kai Wright, Center for American Progress' Aisha Moodie-Mills, North Carolina NAACP President Rev. William Barber and Family Equality Council's Jennifer Chrisler. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

VIDEO: Kai Wright Discusses Trayvon Marton on MSNBC

Writer, columnist and Colorlines.com Editorial Director Kai Wright appeared on MSNBC's Up with Chris Hayes in a fascinating segment on the demonization and character assassination of Trayvon Martin.

"A large piece of it is that it's [somehow] the victim's responsibility .... to make sure that people don't respond to you in a fearful manner," noted Wright.

Watch the segment AFTER THE JUMP ...

Eddie Long and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the Black Church

Our analysis on the Eddie Long case for Colorlines:

Long settled the [four sexual corecion lawsuits] with a payout that’s been reported as anywhere from $15 million to $25 million—and, importantly, with a gag order. To many people—especially in the black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community—the settlement and non-disclosure clause mean the much-needed “real” conversation around sexuality in the black church may never happen.

Read the full report HERE.

VIRTUAL PANEL: LGBT Bloggers on Race, Sexuality and Pop Culture

Kai Wright, the editor of ColorLines, invited Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, Miriam Zoila Pérez of Feministing and myself to participate in "Queer Blogger Roundtable: What's the Future?", a virtual discussion on LGBT online media, race, sexuality, pop culture and the Obama Administration. The discussion is getting lots of feedback on Twitter, Facebook and at ColorLines.

Here is one exchange:

It's still conventional wisdom both inside and out of LGBT circles that Black and Latino neighborhoods and families are exceptionally homophobic. How do you answer that when you hear it?

PAM: I give an honest answer: yes and no. In black and Latino communities, the matter is not completely about race, per se, it's about whether you're talking churched or unchurched. Religion is by far more important than race when it comes to fomenting homophobia, however, the black and Latino communities at large have not held publicly accountable the pastors stoking anti-gay sentiment. That's going to take time to change. 

MIRIAM: What gets me most about this blame game around homophobia is the role that white communities--primarily through the history of colonization--have had in the homophobia that exists in the communities of color. You can see this even more clearly internationally, but in immigrant communities here as well. In many (if not most) communities of color, there is a vibrant history of sexual and gender diversity. Think of two spirit folks in Native American communities, hijras in India, etc. It was often the colonial powers that came in (with strong religious agendas) and stamped out much of that culture of diversity and acceptance. Now white folks are coming back around to sexual diversity and they're finger pointing at communities of color? Oh hell no.

ROD: The largely white evangelicals and Mormons have surely taken homophobia to new levels. And black folks ain't voting Republican, you know? They might not call you a "fag" in the suburbs, but your neighbors will often vote against your rights in a heartbeat.

Read the full discussion at ColorLines ...

There's also a good conversation at Pam's House Blend ...

Oh and ignore the over-exposed passport photo ...