Have you been keeping up with travel-blogger Skye? Recently, she visited the Hong Kong Museum, saw a performance by Drum Cat (an all female percussion group), has explored several cities, and shares her discoveries and adventures with us.
For example, here’s a taste of Korean Hip Hop:
Got your passport ready? Head over to Skyeview for a virtual tour.
Jewel Thais Williams: Owner of the Oldest Black SGL-T Club in America/ Humanitarian – A Life of Service
by Doug Cooper Spencer
In a time when black patrons had to show I.D. to get into white owned gay clubs – sometimes even two pieces of I.D. were required, all while we stood to the side and let the white patrons waltz by with impunity – Jewell Thais Williams, a black lesbian, took it upon herself to open The Catch One in L.A. The year was 1972, making Catch One the oldest black owned gay and lesbian clubs in the country.
Over the years Jewell went on to not only own the club, but to actually purchase the land on which it stands as well. Today, Catch One is the oldest black owned gay club in the country.
If you’ve ever been to L.A., most likely you’ve partied at Catch One. I know I did for many years back in the 1970’s and ‘80’s when I lived on the West Coast. What began as a single bar ensconced in a large building on Pico Boulevard, eventually became an entire playground as Jewel Thais Williams came to own the entire site transforming the single bar into a multi-level club with three dance floors and three bars as well as a restaurant.
But not only is the complex for partying, Jewel, having always been a humanitarian and one dedicated to wellness, has also opened up a holistic health clinic, offering health care to the underserved and the underinsured of the community, in another part of the site.
Even if you’ve never been to Jewel’s Catch One you’ve probably seen it. It’s been the location for many events over the years, from music videos, to films and T.V., shows like the T.V. series, ‘Cold Case’, films like ‘I’m Gonna Get You Sucker’ and BAPS (the Halle Berry film). However, many will recall Catch One as the location for some episodes of ‘Noah’s Arc’ (especially the one in which Noah and friends did the drag number at the end of one of the shows). The Catch One has also served as host of many, many political and humanitarian events over the decades as well.
But there would be no Catch One, no community health center or vegetarian restaurant without the spirit and the energy of Jewel Thais Williams. Not only was it Jewel’s vision to offer a place for black gays and lesbians to socialize during a period when both homophobia as well as racial discrimination worked against the black SGLT community, but she has also been a longtime HIV/AIDS and wellness activist for many years, co-founding the Minority AIDS Project and opening Rue’s House for women and children with HIV/AIDS during the height of the AIDS crisis.
Jewel is also certified in alternative Chinese medicine and opened the non-profit Village Health Foundation to provide holistic healthcare to the underserved and the uninsured in the community.
The clinic, which is situated next door to the club – on property she also purchased – was opened by Jewel to provide quality supplemental and medical care to everyone, regardless of race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or their financial situation.
Jewel and her spouse Rue, also founded Rue’s House, the first residential home in the nation, for homeless women and children with HIV/AIDS.
Rue’s House, no longer needed due to the medical advancements in the AIDS community, closed its doors in 1997 and reopened as The Village Manor currently serving recovering adults with substance abuse issues. In addition to these endeavors, they have recently established the Vegan Village Internet Cafe, again, spreading Jewel’s message of wellness by offering an organic vegetarian menu.
The road hasn’t been easy for Jewel, though. I can recall sitting and talking with her so many years ago, hearing her tell of the death threats against her and threats of arson against her property – some, it appeared, even from within the gay community, white gay club owners who felt she was ‘siphoning’ offer their black gay clientele – I would hear of Feds threatening to shut her business down. We would talk and she would tell me how exhausting it could become, and with that smile and that warm demeanor, she would tell us how she would persist because she knew what she was doing was right.
That was many years ago when we would sit at the bar and talk, and today at age, 71, looking as spry as ever, Jewel keeps going.
In an era that seems to focus so much on self-indulgence and escapism in the black LGBT community, Jewel Thai Williams’s life offers a treatise on the real value of life, wellness and service to others. Thank you so much, Jewel.
(announcement originally found at Racialicious)
The voices of US racial minorities in alternative sexual communities are important but often unheard. The Perverts of Color anthology is a collection of voices from people of color (POCs) who participate in alternative sexual and relationship practices which include but are not limited to: S&M, D/s, leather, kink, fetishism, polyamory, and swinging. If you are a person of color who has been or is involved in the kink and/or poly community, the Perverts of Color anthology needs to hear your story.
Our Intent
a) celebrate the experiences of US racial/ethnic minorities navigating alternative sexualities;
b) recover hidden histories and recognize the contributions of POCs to alternative sexuality rights and culture;
c) share stories about ways POCs have resisted dominant narratives about their sexuality; and
d) create possibilities for coalition and resistance for kinky POCs.
We are accepting non-fiction essays (1,500-5,000 words) related to the theme of the intersection of race and alternative sexual practices. New authors are welcome. Fiction, erotica, and poetry are not accepted. The Perverts of Color anthology is intended as a multi-ethnic, multi-racial collection, so we encourage all POCs to submit their stories. We invite POCs of all genders, ages, religions/spiritualities, sexual orientations and socio-economic backgrounds. All authors will keep the copyright to their submission, have a printed biography, and receive one copy of the completed book.
Contact Us
If you are interested, email us at pervertsofcolor@gmail.com with a one-paragraph summary of your essay (250 words maximum) and a short bio (250 words maximum). All submission summaries are due by December 15th at 12 midnight (Eastern Standard Time). We will contact authors individually to express interest in a complete submission.
BLACK QUEER POETS EMBARK ON REGIONAL ‘SALON-INSPIRED TOUR’
LOVE the poet, Venus Thrash and J. Pope hit the road
to commune with artists in DC, Baltimore, Philly & Brooklyn
LOVE the poet, Venus Thrash, and J. Pope take four cities by storm in November with a set of poetry, music, and more. Known as “THE REVIVAL”, the tour begins in Washington, DC, then heads out to Baltimore, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The spoken word concerts will be hosted in four private residences, resurrecting the salon concept and breaking the envelope of safe space for today’s queer artists and allies.
The Revival offers a unique experience with featured poets and musicians. Catered by local chefs in each city, the atmosphere is filled with good words and good music. Guests will walk into a home, be welcomed by ‘ushers’ and enjoy a service hosted by Jade Foster, whose “Black Church Maraca” open mic series served as a launch pad for this effort. “With Black Church, poets all over DC opened their homes up to complete strangers so we could all have that opportunity to share,” says Foster. “The Revival plays on that idea, offering a chance for people to sit down and listen, get up and move.”
Offering food, drinks, as well a vending opportunities for local artists, each city’s event will feature a local poet, including New York’s Yvonne Fly, Baltimore’s Queen Earth and Philly’s Ms. Wise.
The Revival Tour Schedule:
November 11, Washington, DC.
November 12, Philadelphia.
November 13, Brooklyn.
November 14, Baltimore.
Each show starts at 7pm.
Complete information is available at cereusrevival.tumblr.com; tickets are on sale at cereusrevival.eventbrite.com.
MARKET: When Women Gather
Editor: Claudia Moss
Deadline: January 11, 2011
Payment: $50/story and 1 copy of the book upon publication
At some point in life, women have stood in the presence of other women and known authentic power and healing energy and the beauty of the erotic, and as a result of this experience, have been transformed, in some way, into a greater vision of self. The forthcoming anthology, When Women Gather, will depict what this phenomenon feels like, tastes like and looks like, through a range of unique short stories, essays, personal accounts and narrative poetry.
I am seeking well-written, literary submissions from women young and old, from every corner of the globe, from the published and unpublished. Submissions can be erotic, sensual, romantic, political, spiritual or humorous and fictional or nonfiction. Embrace your imagination.
Ponder writing about refugee women and girls banning together in a strange land, a street of women who come together to rid the neighborhood of a crack house, women who pray together in drumming or humming circles to excise the world of negative energy, women who embrace the erotic in the taboo of loving one another, women who must survive in a country where they do not speak the language, refuge women who watch family members extradited back to poverty-stricken or war-torn countries, women who camp under the stars in North Georgia mountains at women’s festivals or women who meet in a nursing home to honor a matriarch. I’m flexible but not taboo friendly, so please no incest, underage characters, or bestiality.
Stories should be unpublished, between 1,500 and 4,000 words, and submitted as a Word attachment. Two (2) submissions are allowed per writer. Please include a cover letter with a paragraph bio and full contact info (mailing address, phone number, and real name/pseudonym) when you send your submissions. All submissions that fail to adhere to these directives will be deleted unread.
Payment will be $50/story and 1 copy of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. The editor has the final approval over the manuscript.
Send your submissions as a Word document to whenwomengatherbook@gmail.com.
If you have any questions about When Women Gather, please query whenwomengatherbook@gmail.com.
Manuscripts will be accepted on a rolling basis, so writers are encouraged to submit early.
Current events may have you thinking about the black lgbt experience in church or black lgbt spirituality in general.
The good folks over at Fire & Ink have “compiled a list of literature by GLBTQ people of African descent that explores the complex issues being talked about in recent days.” Check it out.
You can also visit our SpiritSpace to see what other Kuma2.net readers have shared with us through the years.
Zuna Institute announces the release of the Black Lesbian needs assessment report, “Black Lesbians Matter.” Authored by Francine Ramsey, Zuna Institute’s Executive Director; Dr. Marjorie J. Hill, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Chief Executive Officer; and Cassondra Kellam, PhD Student, Graduate Center, CUNY, this report examines the unique experiences, perspectives, and priorities of the Black Lesbian community.
The “Black Lesbians Matter” report, the result of a quantitative study, is akin to a Black Lesbian “census.” Regional, statewide, and local organizations that support Black LGBTQ asked Black lesbians to speak up and be heard, to stand up and be counted; 1,596 Black lesbians answered that call by participating in focus groups and through an on-line survey.
Cherrybomb is an online talk show for women who love women…
The most recent episode discussed domestic violence with Roberta Munroe director of the short film Dani and Alice.
To learn more about the ladies of Cherry Bomb TV – visit their site: cherrybombtv.com
To see the current season of Cherry Bomb – visit shewired.com
To learn more about Roberta Munroe – visit her site: robertamunroe.com
Dani and Alice trailer (warning–this trailer contains a depiction of domestic violence).
Julia Wallace of Queer Renaissance and Alexis Pauline Gumbs of BrokenBeautiful Press have joined forces to create A Queer Black Mobile HomeComing, a project to collect and amplify the social organizing herstories of black women who have been refusing the limits of heteronormativity and opening the world up by being themselves. Traveling the US in a mobilehome, the duo “will also be documenting this shared journey using video technology, new media, blogs, and scholarly articles and collecting artifacts to supplement existing archives that honor the sacred herstories of our elders.”
You can: