NC GayInc is at it again : 2013 Town Halls Meeting.

I have been in touch with a few folks across this state about the Equality NC Townhall meeting, that were to be set up in January, which never happen, because it was more important for the whole staff of ENC to go to Creating Change in Georgia.. I can only hope they carpooled to save ENC some money..

Anywho, Chris of ENC now is trying to set up three Meeting in Three Cities, base on current issues in those cities.

The meeting in New Bern will cover the recent incident at a local Restaurant, where the owner was exercising his First Amendment rights.. The next is Greenville, to address workplace non-discrimination  and effort to protect them members of the community who works for the  the city. The third and last stop is in Fayetteville, where they want to address the recent discrimination of a Service member and her wife, about joining so member club there.. 

I have been inform that Chris has try to set the New  Bern meeting up via a third person and is having a huge problem with conflicting dates..

So currently no dates are set, but there is still time and I hope that Chris will get on this asap.

Why Not Here???

This Past Valentine Day, GetEqual groups all over the nation planned a Valentine Marriage License rallies, where they ask local LGBT couples in Selected cities to per take.

In San Francisco, A group of LGBT couple ask for marriage licenses once again. Where they once had the right, but thanks to Prop8 they no longer do.

This Group stage a sit for this right to be return to them.

As reported by the AP,

The AP reported: "The brief occupation of the county clerk's office provided a new twist on what has become a Valentine's Day ritual in many cities of gay and lesbian couples trying to obtain marriage licenses and being turned down. When the couples sat on the floor and refused to leave, sheriff's deputies led them away in handcuffs. But the protestors all were released 15 minutes later without being cited."

A Group in Ashville, NC join this Rally call, The group met up at the Buncombe County Courthouse, where local same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses, however under NC law their were deny licenses. The Group however did hand out information on marriage equality, and a small protest over the lack of equal rights for the LGBT community.

A event that was share with many NC bloggers and News source gets almost no attention at all

More than 7,000 hate crimes occur in the United States each year.
The victims of these crimes are targeted because of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or other differences from the “norm”.
Even if we hear about hate crimes, we generally do not see or understand the role hate plays in our everyday lives.
Participants in Erasing Hate will discuss how we all contribute to the problem and what we can do to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

Sunday, November 21, 6:00PM
Monday, November 22, 9:30AM, 11:00AM & 12:30PM

Johnston Community College
Paul A. Johnston Auditorium
Smithfield, NC

Another Local Event that didn't met the standards of many LGBT NC Blogger, or paper... 

I have written that if you live east of 95 you just don't matter, Well Smithfield Sit on both sides...

48days until Festival Day!

Visit the CPPD

I will be there again this year where I will photograph this event, then share my work with them as I have done for the last two year.

Check out their Slide show of photos...

As you know NOM is coming to Raleigh

Once I learn they were coming I set a Face Book Event to hold a counter-protest. A few individuals basically told me that we as a group didn't have what it takes to hold this protest against a national group.

I canceled my event to only learn later that others have created four events all with different names. How nice.

Anyway there was a face book discussion on this matter, basically it got to point that I had to delete, however the person whom I'm really talking about reply to another post on the matter.

It’s seemed to me that our LGBT community here in NC is for the most part are in the dark following blindly those whom appointed themselves as our leaders, who are support by the rich A ‘list Gays and a few Lesbians. The others who do thinks for themselves and goes against them are blackball and harass for their' beliefs.

So in our collective communities it seems that we must now get permission from this A'list of LGBT, before someone can hold and organize a protest against anti-gay, anti-marriage groups that might and will come to town.

Has the North Carolina LGBT Community lost it voice?

Once again an anti-gay, anti gay marriage group will be holding an anti-everything gay event in Raleigh this August. Once again our community leaders don’t want the local LGBT community to hold a counter protest; instead they want us to work with an out of state group. (freedom to marry)

Just when did we lose our voice and our right to hold our own events? Please can someone out there tell me this? What gives this group the right to act and speak on our behalf? Well, the answer to this question is very easy answered. We have allowed them to speak for us, because we no longer act for ourselves.

ENC is organizing a response for NC that works for NC; we are working with FTM to better understand what NOM is doing in the rallies around the country before they get to NC and learn from other organizers.

To better understand NOM, what a bunch of bullshit. Is NOM new to the scene, no? We have been dealing this group from some time now. We know what their tactics are and will be during these rallies.

"The NOM tour is a national event with national implications. It makes sense for Freedom to Marry to counter each NOM event.  I'm not saying let people speak for us but really come on now: isn't it smarter to work with each other instead of against? Why are you always so confrontational to friends and foes alike? "

So local groups and activist can’t handle a national group like NOM now, wow is there anything we can do.

Now I love this one about me,

You want unity? Maybe you can start by trying not to be such a divider.

This from our own statewide LGBT newspaper editor, whom a few months back wrote about the real estate crisis and only focus on Charlotte, Durham, and Raleigh. Like it was too hard from them to call or email real estate agents in the east to see how this was affecting our communities. I can only guess that day the phones were all down and computer were offline.

Theirs recent newspaper doesn’t even any business ads of businesses east of 95.(i don't count Wilmington part of the east)  I know in the east there are gay friendly businesses, from Greenville to the Outer Banks. However there is piece on ECU student union and their LGBT history calendar. I was shock to see that.

And, for the record, no one said you shouldn't plan a protest. It was just suggested you get in touch with a group that is already planning something.

Why should we (local groups) always have to team up with out of state groups whom have their own agenda? The last time I check we have our own equity group. Which didn’t even want the small protest that was held in Raleigh last year during the NC4Marriage rally, which was also completely ignore by every NC blogger and our own LGBT Paper? Our Equity leader basically didn’t do a damn thing but stood there with a blank expression on his face.

So Freedom to marry will most likely hold a rally in Raleigh this August, My question is how many of the 5000+ lgbt community members will be there? 

Equality NC Day of Action

Yes I had planned to attend this event, I still might but for the moment I not going. After reading that the NC4Marriage is plannign to crash this event as well, I have decided not to attend not just because they will be there. It would seem that life is getting in the way once agian. Today mark the fifth day that I have awoke with a major head ache which my rx isn't working like it used to.

Once I get these headaches I tend to speak my mind without thinking at all. So I have decide to play it safe and stay home..

I hope this event is a blast and that success for Equality NC.

So go luck and have fun..

My trip to Myrtle Beach

This past weekend I attended another cheer leading event with my sister and her kids, one of whom was in this event. The event was being held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center right off 21st, st. Very nice place, not as nice as Charlotte Convention Center, but just as big.

This event was a two day event, all teams have to perform once each day. One team only had to perform once, since they were the only team in that group.

While we were there, there was event happening at the center at the same time. Which I had to hold my tongue, you see there was this Christian Thing happening, it was the Shabbach Youth Conference, Yes there were there all these different christian groups under one roof, just enough to make one what to go raging mad, most of these people were very rude to  the cheerleaders that were where for their events.One lady actually told one that cheer leading was the work of the devil. That we would burn in hell for wearing such clothing. Really these bigot just need to stay the fuck home, this lady is lucky she didn't say it my niece, cause if she did, I'm afraid i would have been arrested. I over heard what happen while standing in line to get my two day pass ticket.

One would have thought this group own the place the waay they were acting. See you had to walk their Event Hall to get to the two Events halls for the Cheer Event. The first wasn't too bad it the Sunday Events that was bad. Buses taking up ten to twelve parking spaces, vans and other cars and trucks with u-haul trailers that up two packing space, just because they didn't what park so far away. One Church Van was parked in two spaces at a angle I guess their didn't what to get side swipe, oops to lat for that one, One whole side was torn up from the ground up. I bet anything it was a female driver. I did notice most of these were church who are big time bigots. No matter what Shabbach says on their website, it was mostly baptists and church of god folks.

Shabbach Youth Conference is an interdenominational Pentecostal retreat where young people from all over the East come together for a high impact, spiritual weekend of worship ministry and fun.

We seek to accomplish two goals this weekend:
1. Inspiration

To set an atmosphere and create the environment through praise and worship, drama, and dynamic, anointed preaching of the gospel for a life-changing encounter with God
2. Instruction

To provide workshops and resources for youth pastors and group leaders to gain ideas for furthering their ministry and being able to continue the excitement built in their group while at Shabbach when they return back to the place of their duty

No gimmicks, only pure worship and the manifestation of God's presence and power along with the resources to provide the same atmosphere when you return home.

the only good thing was that they left before our events ended.

After the first day we when out and about the town, returning to the hotel to get ready again to go out.

I love the beach its about the only I miss the most about my hometown, no matter where you were you just minutes away from a beach, not here in Rocky Mount, the nearest beach is about two hours away.

although I went to Myrtle Beach off season, that didn't mean that there was lack of hot guys running around in short shorts mind you. Yes there was not so great weather for the week, but I can only guess they didn't mind the weather at all.

I got some great shots of the waves breaking onto the beach, some of folks having fun on the beach as well.

My niece has an event this summer in Atlanta GA however I won't be going since on this trip she will be going with another team mate, since her mother will be a cruise that week and I will be watching my other niece while my sister is gone.

i also wish my niece team would have won the national level, if they had they would have been able to attend the event that will be held later this year in Miami, Fl I would love to there...

Community Events

Don't you just love local community events, I took this pic during Down East Festival in Rocky Mount. I took over 1000 photographs, mostly of the bmx bike stunts. A few of Kay Hagan son, and many others.

There was two band stands, at this stand these were the only ones dancing. I call them the line dancing Grannies..

Off to the Wiches's Ball in Wilson, NC

Yes I'm attending a Wiches's ball,
if you are in the area stop on in, all are welcome..

I'm off to Pagan Pride with my Lover

 

Join us at the NC State Fairgrounds, Gate 6, on September 20th, 2008 at 11am for our biggest festival, yet! Admission is just one item for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC.  

All are welcome...