Kuma2.net Blog

No More Shame! – Jan. 31st 2:30pm $10 @ Audre Lorde Project

Love Alive Inc. and Breath of Life Ministries inc. Present

No More Shame!

Shame is a spirit. It is a spirit that has held mankind hostage for centuries and continues to do so. Broken down acronymically, shame is “Still Hurting And Marginally Existing.” Shame is toxic and detrimental to both the spiritual and natural well-being of those who surrender to its oppressive stronghold.

No Mo Shame will facilitate innovative sessions that speak to current issues at the core of living with Shame; make use of culturally appropriate tools for spiritual enrichment; provide an interactive skill-building workshop to increase self-efficacy, and increase participant’s capacity to overcome barriers – in most cases, caused by stigma, racism, fear, classism, homophobia, and/or a poor self-image.

No Mo Shame’s vision is to aid the process of ridding individuals of shame through motivational and enlightenment sessions that seek to heighten participants’ self-image, self-respect, healing, and affirm living a future free of shame.

Also appearing at No Mo Shame will be Philadelphia, PA native Renair Amin, who is no stranger to the arts. As an author, she has written various print and on-line publications including SABLE Magazine and DEEP HUES e-zine, and Gay Black Female Magazine. She has been featured on the Nghosi Books, Femme Noir, Sistahs for Sistahs, Soulful Pen Xpressions and Kuma.com websites. Her work also appears in the Nghosi Books anthology, Longing, Lust & Loving.

As a spoken word artist, Renair has performed extensively, gracing stages in Atlanta, Rochester, Philadelphia and in New York City, where she hosts Speak Your Myne, a monthly open mic showcase of her creation.

Also performing will be Peter Caines from the band corporate band, Eturnity. Check him out at MySpace.com/PeterCainesProject.

THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT a Center for Community Organizing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Communities
85 S. Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Tel: 718-596-0342 * Fax: 718-596-1328

Deadline: March 15, 2008

Tell us your coming out story. Not when you decided to tell someone else–but when you first came out to yourself.

Things to Consider
How did it happen? Was your sexuality a question you were wrestling with for a while? What it “aha!” moment? Maybe it wasn’t something you had to struggle with at all–just something new you discovered about yourself when puberty hit? What was going on in your life at the time? How did you come to the realization that you weren’t the straight?

After you came out to yourself . . .
How did the realization change your view of yourself? What happened to your self image? How did you reconcile this new information with the old assumptions you had of yourself? Were you immediately able to embrace your whole self or did it take some work? Are you still working on self acceptance?

Other things to pounder . . .
Did you have to come out to yourself more than once? Maybe you thought you were a lesbian, but discovered down the line that you were actually bisexual–or transgendered?

Email your story to kumaxtasy2@kuma2.net and put “Coming Out Story” as the subject.

THE EVOLUTION PROJECT

presents:

Poetry, Singing, Dancing, and a Community Forum (In Celebration of Black History)

Community forum topic:
Black Gay Consciousness in Atlanta
Featuring:
Tracee McDaniel, Duncan Teague, Ebonee Bradford, Darian Aaron, Andre Mizrahi, and Anye Elite
Moderated By: Stephaun Clipper-Wallace

WHEN: Saturday Feb. 23rd, 2008 @ 7:00pm
WHERE: PURPLE DOOR SALON
321 Edgewood Avenue. NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Cost: $5 Donation at Door!

For more info. Contact:
EvolutionProjectInfo@gmail.com
404.524.5441

Does anyone else remember this song / video?

Pam’s House Blend has some interesting posts about the King Holiday:
I cannot stand that “I Have A Dream” speech
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – those other speeches

**The openly gay man mentioned in the first post is none other than Bayard Rustin.

For Immediate Release
Contact World Pride & Power Headquarters-720-810-0270
Pridepower2@aol.com
Register On-line Today at www.officialworldprideandpower.com

Full Conference Schedule Now Available at www.officialworldprideandpower.com under Conference Schedule

WORLD PRIDE AND POWER CONFERENCE HOSTS MASS HEALING CEREMONY FOR SAME GENDER LOVING BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THEIR ALLIES

The inaugural World Pride & Power Conference hosted by the World Pride & Power Organization held in the theme of “Unity, Empowerment & Inclusivity,” convening Thursday, February 21-February 24, 2008 in Los Angeles, California at the Olympic Collection Conference Center (http://www.ocbanquet.com/) is honored to announce this, “call for global healing, restoration and reconciliation,” of SGLBT people across the world during the Authentic Interfaith Service & Gatekeeper Healing Ceremony, Sunday, February 24th, 10am-12Noon.

This service is free to the community with a requested $10.00 love offering for non-registrants of the conference.

Led by Dr. Malidoma Some’, founder of the Harlem Village, the Ancestralization Healing Series and author of the New York Times, best-selling, “Of Water & Spirit,” and the forthcoming, “Gift of the Gatekeeper,” participants will partake in a healing ceremony unlike no other. Focus of the ceremony will be on healing, restoration and reconciliation between gatekeepers and their respective families and communities around the world. Join us as we set our intentions to manifest cultural bridges across the globe.

Dr. Some’ will also provide the keynote address on Saturday, February 23rd at 7pm on the topic of, “the gift of the gatekeeper” to a standing room only audience. Tickets for the keynote only can be purchased for $40.00 until Friday, February 22nd @ 5pm at the conference venue.

Highlights of the World Pride & Power Conference include:

• Historic World Pride & Power SGLBT Pan African Forum with activists, journalists and anti-racism workers dialoguing about the primary issues impacting African-Americans and effective strategies to cultivating productive responses to oppression and discrimination.
• Conversations in Tongue & Spirit: The Ultimate Spoken Word Concert with feature performances by celebrated poets.
• An Authentic Interfaith Service & Gatekeeper Healing Ceremony celebrating Dagara, Agape, Buddhist, Native Indigenous, Yoruba & Liberation Theology hosted by the one and only Dr. Malidoma Some’
• Groundbreaking workshops on racism, media, anti-violence, holistic health, publishing, film & TV, spirituality, relationships, sexuality and more!

This unique effort is among the very first of its kind. It will be imitated for years to come. Please join us as we make history in uniting the one of the largest contingents of SGLBT people of African descent and color from around the globe in African history!

Who should come to World Pride & Power?

SGLBT people of African descent and other communities of color and their allies who have a history of work in grassroots movements in the following areas: media relations, social justice, ending racism, health disparities in communities of color, anti-violence work, police brutality, race-related hate crimes, as well work that affirms African consciousness, African history pre-slavery and traditional ways of living.

For Registration and detailed Conference Information visit the OFFICIAL WORLD PRIDE AND POWER WEB SITE AT http://www.officialworldprideandpower.com/

Kuma has been updated for January 2008. This month we have:

• Cherry’s Grove has been revamped — and a new audio has been added. literature section
• 28 New Poems and 7 New Stories in the literature section
• 3 New Poems and 1 New Story/Prose Piece In OtherWords
• A New Poll with comments open – we want to hear from you!
• More (and upcoming) News and Views from SkyeView

Of course, Kuma is always looking for new submissions.

Enjoy!

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Feel Free to add a comment. What does taking it slow mean to you?

* Thinking of joining a nunnery?
* Feeling asexual and just want to cuddle?
* Swinging and loving it?

We want to see/hear/read your stories! Audio stories are great, too. CDs may accompany the anthology.

Send your creations to the forthcoming anthology:

Desire: A Girl’s Guide to Dreaming – Queer Women of Color Writing Critically on the Erotic (working title)

///Introduction

‘Imagine weaving a lamentation into something whole, bigger than itself, more healed than the song.’

We invite people to share their experiences and thoughts on sex, lust, love, relationship, desire, the erotic, being stone, being
poly. How do you envision, enact, do sex? And not. This anthology is about opening up language, story, healing.

Is it okay to ask your queer of color fam to cuddle, without it being sexual? What does it mean to touch and connect with
people without wanting sex, without it being sexual? What is erotic? How is it lived by queer women of color?

If people are looking for liberation in their bodies, in their shared connection with people, what does that look like? What does queer sex feel like, taste like, dream like? What if you could dream your way out of survivor, into thriving, into living and creating intentional relationships that heal, rather than sting, love and push through all the bifurcations of our lived lives.

How do you touch your way out of colonization, how do touching and connection become a way of resisting colonization and objectification, and healing from rape, assault, sexual abuse, physical abuse? What language is used? What words are created?

When we are in desire, the articulation of the possible, how do we free ourselves, how are we already free where we see
traps? Where are you, finally, free? In desire, are you free?

A sense of humor is a must in all relationships; we seek levity and gravity, fun, light energy that is also deep, connected, and
profound. Funny stories, essays, and work with a twist all welcome.

This anthology is born in the spirit of Audre Lorde’s definition of the erotic:

‘The erotic functions for me in several ways, and the first is in providing the power which comes from sharing deeply any pursuit with another person. The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them, and lessens the threat of their difference.’

///Where to send the beautiful words, art, funny anecdotes, poetry, images, stills of performances?

Please e-mail desireanthology@yahoo.com with your brilliance. The deadline for sending work is 1 March 2008. If you desire a land address for mailing work, contact us at the above e-mail address.

We look forward to hearing from you, Pak Soo Na and Sherisse Alvarez

SCREW VALENTINE’S DAY!

Still ain’t found that love of your life?
Or maybe they turned out to be a big fat loser, who liquidated the contents of your bank account, stole your dog,
and wrecked your car!

Come tell us all about it.

And for all those still in love.
Found someone to drink your bath water.
Reading this email from Paris
where your honey took you for the THIRD time
– no expense spared!

Come on out and have a giggle
or a play by play
of what it looks like when it goes terribly wrong
and that credit card that paid for Paris
is actually in your name!

12 Poets
2 Rounds
$150.00 Grand Prize!
$50.00 Runner-up

Hosted by:
Michelle Sewell
JScales

Contact Michelle if you are interested in slamming
michelleinbold@aol.com
no love poems!

Mothertongue Annual Anti-Valentine’s Day Slam
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Black Cat
1811 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
Doors open at 8:30pm

Watch This

black./womyn.:conversations… is a feature-length documentary focusing on the lives and views of lesbians of African descent living in the United States. It features candid interviews with black lesbian women discussing coming out, sexuality and religion, love and relationships, marriage, patriarchy, visibility in media, discrimination and homophobia, activism, gender identity, Black lesbian youth and elders, balancing gender/race/sexuality, and, finally, what it means to call oneself a Black lesbian today.

Watch More Clips at the director’s YouTube Page or her blog. It’s even on MySpace.

Oh yeah, spread the word. 🙂