FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 17, 2012

 2013 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities is being held in Los Angeles, California

Atlanta, Georgia – NAESM, UCLA Health, Hope & Healing (H3) Conference, the local Host Committee and participating sponsors to date are preparing to present the 10th edition of the 2013 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities slated for January 17 - 20, 2013 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel located at 5711 West Century Blvd, Los Angeles, California.

This year’ conference marks the 10 th year of bringing this most important undertaking to Black gay men and our community as a whole.  This is the only National conference for and by Black gay men.  It is with pleasure and grace that we invite you to the 2013 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities in Los Angeles, CA from January 17– 20, 2013.  We are looking forward to this being another large turn out with the help of the residents, government officials and the host committee of Los Angeles. We are also excited to introduce the fifth Creating Responsible Intelligent Black Brothers (CRIBB) Fellowship participants.  We welcome for the first time a new conference partner this year, UCLA (H3) conference.  The H3 conference will take place the day before the 2013 conference starts.  Its purpose is to: 1) explore the current research, examining the intersection of behavioral, psychological, socio-cultural, and biomedical risk factors contributing to the HIV epidemic, as well as protective and resiliency factors among Black MSM; 2) Develop and sustain local and national relationships between current and aspiring investigators, and community based participatory research collaborative to advance research and training aimed at reducing HIV among Black MSM; and 3)Generate reports, monographs and manuscripts that document key issues and provide recommendations for future research, programs and funding opportunities.  

“10 Years and the Dialogue Continues” - HIV Prevention as Social Justice for Black Gay Men/MSM 2013 and Beyond is our theme/charge!  During the 2013 conference, there will be a renewed sense of unity and commitment to an end of HIV. There is strength in our diversity and we have seen that we, as a community are a powerful force to be reckoned with.  During the 2012 conference we witnessed again how our youth/young Black brothers are maturing and stepping into more prominent leadership roles; as they keep moving forward, we must continue to provide them with encouragement and meaningful opportunities for engagement and leadership. This newest generation of leaders comes with inspiration, innovative ideas and the drive to make lasting change among Black Gay men, as well as the overall Black community.  We must remember our fallen brother Dr. Colomb and encourage, as he did, many young leaders to be the best they can and also keep community in mind and not self.  I ask that we all take a pledge to be our brother’s keeper and each teach one and/or become a mentor to a young Black gay man.  With that said, “10 Years and the Dialogue Continues” HIV Prevention as Social Justice for Black Gay Men/MSM 2013 and Beyond.  Without doubt, we can remove HIV/AIDS and other health disparities from our community.

NAESM mission is to provide national and local leadership to address the myriad of health and wellness issues confronted by Black gay men through advocacy, services, and education.  Conference 2013 will have over 40 abstracts and poster presentations dealing with HIV/AIDS and other health disparities as it relates to African Americans MSM.

Conference 2013 expects to attract researchers and clinicians, doctors, youth and young adult’s organizations, people living HIV/AIDS, health care professionals, health and social advocates, international and regional professionals, pharmaceutical companies and churches with an HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities focus.  Scholarships are also awarded to youth and young adults through the application process by visiting our website.

Registrants have the opportunity to take advantage of the early registration which ends August 31, 2012. Opportunities exist for exhibit booth space and advertising as well as for submission of abstracts, posters and workshops to be presented at the conference and details are available at www.naesm.org or click on the links below.

Conference Registration Form

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=gVquRFQ9NmUUATyvhHtnUg

Please note, there will be no Onsite Registration

Emerging Leaders Award Nomination Form

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=gnZnYo3DjL72aFKG8TcHZA

Scholarship Application Form

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=q7VuycG0bD3vKj8f8Ao1RA

CRIBB Fellowship Application From

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=W-tI3xQoQU5nHjLegMHvoQ

Abstract Submission Application Form

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=UH2gEUjvaOtj7xFE03lUYQ

Sponsor/Exhibitor Application Form

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=Qb28U-z1K5XbgmEbsGpkVA

For more information on the conference please visit www.naesm.org or call headquarters in Atlanta at 404 691 8880.

Please note my {Rudy Carn’s} new email address - rcarn@naesm.org

Thank you for helping remove HIV/AIDS and other health disparities from the African American community.

Rudolph H. Carn
Founder & CEO
NAESM, Inc. - Headquarters
2140 Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30310
Telephone:  [404] 691-8880
Fax:           [404] 691-8811
E-mail:       naesm_ceo@naesm.org
Website: www.naesm.org

According to published reports Donna Summer,  the Queen of Disco, died after a long battle with cancer, she was 63.  This is a developing story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Summer

Check out Clay Cane’s interview of the Disco Diva  from 2008 http://claycane.net/2008/06/19/donna-summer-and-ashanti-in-hx/

ELIXHER.COM was founded a year ago by DC based writer and activist Kimberley McLeod. McLeod has worked as a journalist for several women’s magazines, after recognizing a lack of stories about the  black lesbians, bisexuals and trans women, she started ELIXHER.COM  to fill the void.  The site is, ” a go-to resource for all things empowering, thought-provoking and pertinent to the black female queer community.” The 2012 Esteem Award honoree for Outstanding Magazine Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article - National for her provocative piece, “Taking A Lead on Faith: Four Black Pastors At The Forefront of LGBT Equality” at EBONY.com talked with PrideIndex; McLeod shares what women everywhere, including straight women, can learn from it.

PRIDEINDEX (PI): Why did you start ELIXHER.com?

KIMBERLEY MCLEOD (KM): I created ELIXHER out of a void I witnessed both personally and professionally. As a Black lesbian and journalist, I noticed the lack of images and stories that spoke to my community and my experience. In the media, Black lesbian, bisexual and trans women are generally not depicted in ways that represent our multifactedness. We’re mothers, daughters, wives, doctors, artists and more. It’s important that we feel affirmed and see our authentic selves reflected in the world.

PI: What were the circumstances that led to the founding of the ELIXHER.com?

KM: The idea of ELIXHER had been forming in mind for quite some time. I’ve always been passionate about giving voice to the underrepresented and when I came to embrace my identity as a lesbian, I turned to the media to help me find my voice. I was disappointed with what I found. I didn’t find me. I knew I couldn’t be the only one that felt this way and I became determined to change that. Finally, I mustered up the courage to just start. And that wasn’t easy. Putting yourself and your “baby” out there is a very vulnerable feeling. But I couldn’t be happier that I did it.

PI: Talk about ELIXHER.com’s demographic make-up.

KM: ELIXHER readers are between the age of 18 – 49. We have a strong East Coast following that is rapidly expanding to the South and West Coast. Our readers are smart, web savvy, and cultured. They’re an array of women creatives, activists, thought leaders and trendsetters.

PI: How do you decide which topics to cover?

KM: We cover news, culture, politics, and commentary as it relates to the larger context of the Black LGBT female-identified community. Our content critically and intelligently examines relevant issues. A lot of what we cover has to do with current events and conversations presently happening within our community.

PI: Is there any subject that you would consider to be off limits and thus won’t cover on ELIXHER.com?

KM: No subject is off limits. I only challenge writers (and readers) to not bash anyone in an unproductive or unhealthy way.

PI: What has your family said about the website?

KM: My family is entirely supportive of the website. My mother who has gone through her own journey of acceptance (with me being gay) now proudly shares the website with gay and straight people she meets. It’s been a blessing.

PI: Did you model ELIXHER.com after popular women’s magazines? If so which ones?

KM: I’ve worked at various women’s magazines including Marie Claire, ESSENCE and PEOPLE StyleWatch, so I’ve learned a lot about marketing towards women and what language resonates with female readers. I fuse that knowledge with my personal experience of what resonates with Black LGBT women as well as the media activism work I’ve done at organizations like the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

PI: What do you like most about what you do?

KM: I love being able to impact people with words and images – whether that’s by sparking a debate, challenging the way someone has typically thought of something, teaching someone something new or affirming someone for who they are. I get emails from gay and straight readers thanking me for creating this space. I’m humbled by it all.

PI: Why did you choose to focus solely on African American queer women rather than the African American and or gay community as a whole?

KM: There are incredible websites like Rod 2.0 and GBM News that speak primarily to Black gay men. And there are certainly outlets that speak to the Black community and gay community as a whole.

Black queer women experience an unparalleled level of invisibility. For instance, most people don’t know that 28 percent of children raised by Black female same-sex couples live in poverty. That’s more than double the poverty rates of children raised by Black married heterosexual parents (13 percent) and white married heterosexual parents (7 percent). In comparison to their white counterparts, Black lesbian couples are more likely to be raising children. As a Black queer woman, I wanted to help raise awareness about the challenges we face and also highlight the great work Black LGBT civil rights organizations like the National Black Justice Coalition are doing to help us own our power – to move from victims to victors.

Thankfully, more and more websites and magazines like TransGriot, IKONS, bklyn boihood, Janet Mock’s Fish Food for Thought and others are serving as spaces for Black LGBT women. I’m honored to be a part of that.

PI: What can straight women learn about queer women or about themselves after visiting ELIXHER.com?

LM: Straight women can learn about our shared humanity and experiences. There are straight women that read ELIXHER religiously. They get the same sense of affirmation and inspiration LGBT women get from columns like “InspiHERed By,” which spotlight phenomenal women in the Black queer community.

PI: What does the future hold for ELIXHER.com?

KM: Growth. I’m looking forward to ELIXHER’s continued growth and expanding its presence all over the country. We will be hosting regular events for women to come together and celebrate each other. I love the energy and women ELIXHER brings together. We’ve gotten really great feedback from our events and readers have been demanding that we do more. So we will be hosting get-togethers in various cities very soon.

For more information visit ELIXHER.com

The 2012 Esteem Awards will take place in Chicago on Saturday June 30, 2012 visit TheEsteemAwards.com.

“STILL BLACK: A Portrait of Black Transmen” is an experimental documentary by Kortney Ryan Ziegler; it gives a voice to six diverse men from around the nation whom share their experiences of being black, trans and male in United States.  ”STILL BLACK”  premiered in 2008 at sellout crowds at film festivals in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and abroad.  It won the Issac Julien Experiemental Award at the Queer Black Cinema Film & Music Festival; and the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at the Reelout Queer Film Video Festival in 2009. “STILL BLACK,” has come to represent the trans male of color experience. Zeigler talked to PrideIndex about why he made this film, who he hopes to reach and about the particpants, suprisingly most of them only heard about this project through word of mouth.

PRIDEINDEX (PI): Why did you make “STILL BLACK: A Portrait of Black Transmen?”

KORTNEY RYAN ZIEGLER (KRZ): I made the film because the voices of black transmen were absent from the growing body of trans narratives that were being produced around 2008. When I did see black men in trans documentaries, they were almost always present to speak on the topic of race and racism. Very rarely did they have the room in the piece to go beyond this conversation and present a more wholesome image of black transmaculinity. Essentially, I didn’t want to continue to see men like me marginalized or only seen as the voice of racial oppression.

PI: There are several documentaries made about transgender people but very few explore race, why?

KRZ: The simple answer is that we live in society that privileges the experiences of whiteness. This is, unfortunately, present in the representation of transgender individuals as well. However, there are folks of color doing the work and making the films, they might not be main stream; but they are being seen and heard by members of the queer community. These projects don’t always centralize race but do explore the concept through a number of different intersecting ways.

PI: Who do you hope to reach with this film?

KRZ : I’ve been very blessed to be able to present STILL BLACK to a number of individuals of all backgrounds and have heard from many that the project has inspired them or have helped them to understand a trans person in their lives. I want the film to continue to reach all types of audiences as a vehicle for alternative black male masculinity, mainly because we are so demonized in the majority of media representations.

PI: Talk about the respondents whose stories is the subject of this film. How did you select them?

KRZ: Most of them found out about the project through word of mouth; I planted a seed and it grew. I had people from all over the country and even abroad contact me to participate. I didn’t want to reflect one singular voice or experience, so I selected a diverse range of participants that would be both educational and entertaining.

PI: Describe your filmmaking journey, and the process to bring “STILL BLACK” to the marketplace.

KRZ: It was a completely grassroots-indie form of fundraising that got the project off the ground. I solicited funds online and through the help of my producer, raised enough money to complete the film and travel with it to film festivals. It was incredible the amount of support we received from folks who contributed anything from $1 to $1000.

PI: “STILL BLACK” is described as an experimental documentary, what does that mean?

KRZ: My main goal was to reference the oral tradition of African Americans, so I felt that straight on interviews would be the best method of execution. However, I wanted to play with the idea of the camera as an object of surveillance since we are all performing our gender for others to consume and, in a way, legitimize. I wanted to highlight this idea through multiple camera angles and unconventional framing.

PI: This film has played in festivals around the world including in Switzerland.  What was it like to travel to Europe and were you surprised by the warm reception “STILL BLACK” received there?

KRZ: I loved being able to travel to Europe with the film and Switzerland, in particular, was an incredible experience. I wasn’t surprised by the support it received there because like here, there was a thirst to hear a previously absent voice.

PI: I understand that you grew up in Compton, California.  How has your upbringing affected your artistic style as a filmmaker?

KRZ: I think growing up in Compton has definitely influenced my style as an artist because it is such a unique and beautiful little city. The landscape, with all of its beauty and pain, helped pushed me towards experimental film.  It was also the community of neighbors that created a safe space for me when I was growing up that helped me to be very open and honest in my work where I try not to hold back.

PI: It’s been at least 3 years since you made “STILL BLACK” what other projects have you worked on since then.

KRZ: I’ve worked on a number of experimental short film projects and toured with my photographic work. Right now I’m currently working on a narrative film set in Oakland with a black transman protagonist, which I’m set to start shooting in the fall of this year.

PI: Have you considered making a “where are they now” follow up film?

KRZ: I’ve thought about it. I hope to do that in the future for sure!

PI: Is there anything else you would like to share with us about the film?

KRZ: The film can be bought online at stillblackfilm.org. Support indie filmmaking and self-distribution!

Photo Credit: Reenie Raschke

San Francisco Bay Area writer and speaker Robert C. Quintana Hopkins’ debut collection of poems and essays  “Glass Closet Poems and Essays” is about one man’s  experience and self-discovery of his identity as an Afro-Chicano, being of both African American and Mexican American descent. “Glass Closet”  speaks to anyone interested in race, culture, race and sexuality. The book is being used as a resource tool at many universities.  Prideindex spoke to Hopkins about growing up, coming out and his self-imposed vulnerability.

PRIDEINDEX (PI): What was it like growing up Afro Chicano?

ROBERT QUINTANA HOPKINS (RQH): I grew up in California in the 1970’s with an African American father and a Mexican American mother.  That’s significant because my birth was just two years after the Supreme Court declared that state laws that prohibited interracial marriage were unconstitutional, so racial identity options for me growing up were very different than what multi-racial kids today have. I grew up with a Black and Mexican identity and was primarily socialized to be Black. My parents knew my sister and I would be perceived as and treated as Black so they made sure we had a strong sense of who we were as Black people.  My mom also insisted that we always remember that we were half Mexican. So, I grew up knowing that I was both, Black and Mexican, yet it was within the context of the “one drop rule” and a U.S. society that told me I was only Black.

PI: When did your consciousness about race change?  What provoked that change?

RQH:  In college I was exposed to how within different cultures in the African Diaspora such as Haiti, Cuba and Brazil enslaved Africans integrated their original African cultures with the European cultures of the colonizers and created new, blended cultures.  Their worldview was less polarizing than the worldview here in the U.S.  Here you are black or white, male or female, etc. Other cultures allow for more fluidity and grayness; they recognize that there is black, white and gray.  I started to see myself as the gray.  I also became aware of Black Mexicans, who are called Afromestizos and are descendants of the African slaves in Mexico.  For the first time I saw other Mexicans who looked like me.  I decided that I too could celebrate and embrace both of my cultures and didn’t have to chose one heritage or the other, but instead could “be” both even though there would be people who feel I don’t have the right to claim my Mexican heritage due to phenotype and there will also be people who feel that my claiming both is an attempt to escape blackness.  Being both has been an act of resistance for me in a society that narrowly identifies me racially and still doesn’t have the language to recognize or understand my identity.  For the most part, its an identity I’ve had to create.

PI: Tell us about your earliest memory of writing.

RQH: I wrote for the junior high school newspaper and had a few poems in a book that my junior high school published.  I also wrote for the high school yearbook.   The first time I ever admitted to being Gay was in writing.  I wrote it out on a piece of paper and hid it under the pad and carpet in my bedroom when I was a teenager.  Amazingly, all these years later my work is about using writing as a tool for healing.  I had never connected how I first used writing this way as a teenager until you asked this question.

PI: Who does your book “Glass Closet,” speak to?

RQH: The book potentially speaks to everyone.  I write about my identity as an AfroChicano, so anyone interested in race and culture will find the book valuable.  The book has been used in several university classes related to race, culture and sexuality.  I also write about being Gay and coming out, so the book resonates with the LBGTQ community.  I write about my struggles growing up with poverty and my parent’s substance abuse, so the book has brought many readers to tears as well as filled them with hope because they see the journey I have undertaken: They see the arc from my childhood pains to my current life, which I love. Anyone wanting to read about hope and healing will be inspired by the book.

PI: Why did you choose to write this book as in poems and essays rather than as a story?

RQH: I actually never set out to write a book. I started writing essays when I attended grad school and studied anthropology.  As an anthropologist I’d have to effectively communicate to the reader what I observed and experienced in the field.  So as practice I began writing about the world around me.  Later, I started writing poems and ended up with a substantial body of work.  My master’s thesis was an autobiographical ethnohistory.  I plan to eventually expand it into my PhD dissertation and then publish it after that, so eventually my life will be recounted in a narrative form.

PI: Where did you find the inspiration for this book?

RQH: I attended several retreats for Black gay writers sponsored by an organization called BGLAM (Black Gay Letters and Arts Movement).  The organization was started by Marvin K. White, Cedric Brown and Tim’m T. West, all very talented artists.  I was an essayist prior to attending the retreats and was introduced to poetry at the first retreat and started using it as a method to express myself.  One of the rituals was that on the second night we would each share a piece we wrote.  One of those nights Marvin recommended that I consider putting my work together in a collection.  So I did.  I met Alan Miller at that retreat.  He is a talented poet and wonderful mentor who became my editor; a year and half later I published Glass Closet.  I was also inspired by the fact that we support each other’s healing and growth when we share our stories.  So many people have experienced what I’ve experienced, although the specific details may be different.  I reveal a lot about myself in the book, but every time my honesty about myself helps some else come to terms with or accept their own experience I feel that the vulnerability I self-imposed by writing the book is worth it.

PI: What specific LGBT issues do you talk about?

RQH: I write about coming out, gay marriage, my HIV status, dealing with a parent whose religious beliefs are not very accepting of my lifestyle and the affects of heterosexual socialization on a young gay person.  I write about how I came to accept and love who I am in spite of all of those things.

PI: You’ve said that 2011 was a year of “positive changes” for you. What does that mean?

RQH: First of all, I returned to grad school to earn my PhD, a dream I’ve had for a very long time.  I received a promotion at work.  Now I do work that I really enjoy and love, work that   positively impacts many people’s lives.  I witnessed close friends and family members survive serious health scares and am so grateful to still have all of them with me.  I also found myself in the place where my husband and I chose not to exchange Christmas gifts.  Instead, we celebrated the gratitude we felt knowing that all of the essential things we want and need we already have.  The experience of that contentment, I feel, is greater than any material gift we could ever give or receive.  I had never felt that before.

PI: Talk about the Afro Chicano Press.  Do you plan to publish books by other authors?

RQH: The Black and Brown communities have aIways had their own cultural institutions.  For example, I love Chicano theatre and see Chicano theatre companies as excellent examples of community based arts organizations that created venues for art expressed within its own cultural context, such as how Teatro Campesino performed plays on the back of a truck for migrant farm workers.  Black institutions have served the Black community in similar ways in relation to film, music and dance, etc.  I created AfroChicano Press because I want to build a cultural institution that bridges the Black and Brown communities.  I would definitely consider publishing books by other authors whose work is in alignment with AfroChicano Press’ purpose and goals.

PI: You’ve just appeared at Blatino Oasis in Palm Springs, do you plan on doing more signings any time soon?

RQH: Recently I’ve been facilitating writing workshops with LGBTQ youth and will continue that this month.  I’ll also be facilitating a writing workshop focused on using writing as a tool for healing that will be open to the public.  That will occur during the summer.

PI: Do you plan on coming to the Midwest anytime soon?

RQH: I’d love to come to the Midwest.  All I need is an invitation and I’ll be there.

www.afrochicanopress.com

]]> http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?feed=rss2&p=9137 http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9172 http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9172#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 17:50:08 +0000 esteemfeedback http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9172 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) - May 11, 2012 - British Film Director Keith Holland has selected Hunky Model/Actor Daniel Sobieray as Lead Role of Derrick in Featured Film The Heart Of A Woman based off Memoir I Rise by Toni Newman to be shot in September 2012.   The Heart Of A Woman is Feature Film based off Chapter 7 (The Erotic Professionals) in the book I Rise about 3 very different individuals (Terri, Derrick, and Pamela)  living in Los Angeles, and engaged in one degree or another in the sex industry, come together and struggle for Understanding and Survival in a city that oftentimes takes no prisioners- physically, emotionally and spiritually. The film promotes equal rights and freedoms for Transgenders in the United States. The Role of Terri will be played by African-American Transgender Singer/Songwriter Angelica Ross.  Angelica Ross is represented by Deborah Gray of MoneyBags Records. The Female Lead will be announced shortly.

“Elliot Loves” is a heartwarming story about the adventures of Dominican American Elliot Ayende at two stages of his life: as a child who is the side-kick to his single mother; and as a young gay man looking for love in New York City. Terracino, the film’s director, writer, producer wrote “Elliot” in 2001.  The film’s script earned MTV’s Script Award and the Vito Russo Award from New York Newfest. Unfortunately homophobia, industry racism and an unforeseen event threatened to derail it.  In March 2012 “Elliot” debuted at The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Feature.  Terracino, the hopefully romantic filmmaker talked with PrideIndex about his influences,  journey to bring the film to the marketplace and the future of Papi Chulo Productions.

PRIDEINDEX (PI): When did you first know that you wanted to become a filmmaker?

TERRACINO (TER): I’ve always been a writer, for as long as I can remember. When I was about 10 years old, my mother bought me a typewriter because I had been writing from a very young age. However, I had no interest in film directing until I studied acting at NYU. While at the Strasberg Institute in college, I realized “I don’t want to be an actor. I want to direct!” (LAUGHS)

PI: Where did you study filmmaking?

TER: I took a film course at NYU while in the theatre department; that’s about it.  I loved studying film production at NYU (it is an excellent program). However, on more than one occasion, another film student or even a film instructor would say to me, “You’re so talented. But you know people like you don’t have careers in Hollywood; except for Spike Lee.” This was their way of saying, “There are no Latino filmmakers in the industry. Give up.” It offended me deeply.

PI: Do you have any influences?

TER: When I was at NYU, a girlfriend took me to the Cinema Village revival house on West12th street. They were showing “She’s Gotta Have It.” It was mind-blowing! I’ll never forget it. I had never seen someone like me on screen. Here was a person of color, writing, directing and producing! I knew at that moment I did not want to be an actor-writer, I needed to be a writer-director! And Spike Lee showed me that it was possible.

The next day, I returned to the Cinema Village and they showed the quintessential revival house double bill of “The 400 Blows” and “Jules & Jim.” The day before, Spike Lee showed me that a person of color could be a filmmaker and didn’t need Hollywood validation. Now, the very next day, Francois Truffaut, with “The 400 Blows”, was showing me that my life could be captured on film!  I had never seen a film so personal. “The 400 Blows” and “She’s Gotta Have It” changed my life forever.

The directors who have influenced me the most stylistically are Truffaut and Pedro Almodovar. To me, one is the sun, the other the moon, and they define my filmmaking universe.

PI: Talk about your filmmaking journey. How long did it take to make “Elliot Loves” from conception until the time it took to bring it to the marketplace?

TER: I wrote, produced and directed a short film when I was in my very early twenties: “My Polish Waiter.” It debuted at Sundance, went on to Lincoln Center & MoMA’s New Directors/New Films and was eventually released on home video. I also have been a staff member of the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival since it was founded in 2000.

I wrote “Elliot Loves” in 2001. The script started winning awards immediately (MTV Films Script Award, Vito Russo Award from New York Newfest) and was in the Outfest Development Lab. However, the film industry was really hostile to it. It was gay and Latino-themed and there is an enormous amount of racism and homophobia in the industry, especially then. With animation and visual effects, at that time it was not feasible for me to do “Elliot” on a micro budget. It was a very brutal experience trying to get “Elliot Loves” going.

“Elliot” was eventually optioned by two small production companies in Los Angeles. After optioning my script, they went under. That, too, turned into a long, brutal experience. When I eventually got the rights back (via my amazing attorney Ben Feldman), Juan Caceres, head programmer of the HBO New York Latino Film Festival, said to me, “When are you going to stop looking for industry validation? Technology has caught up with you. We can do this on our own.” Francois Truffaut and Spike Lee changed my life. Juan Caceres saved my life.

Around that time, legendary casting director Kerry Barden read the script (Kerry cast “Boys Don’t Cry” and “The Help” among many, many others) and he and his casting partner Paul Schnee agreed to cast and lend us the heft of their expertise and reputations.

We started shooting “Elliot Loves” incrementally, one weekend a month. We’d spend a month paying off a shot and then shot again. Along the way, Elizabeth Gardner (Executive Director of The HBO New York Latino Film Festival) and Marisa Viola joined us in helping to produce “Elliot Loves.” Liz brought us product placement with Hennessy and Heineken (both companies are incredibly supportive of gay and Latino projects) and individual investors for our LLC. Marisa really helped me to plan better so we could focus on the end game of wrapping production and she was actively involved in the additional casting we had to do over the many months of shooting.

In August 2010, as we were wrapping, we went on Kickstarter and made out like gangbusters! Our goal was $5,000 – we raised $9,000 from 67 people in just 28 days! At the time it was one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever. By the time we wrapped, we had shot 21 days over 12 months. With animation and visual effects and our very limited budget, post production took nearly 18 months. My editor and post supervisor, Lyndon McCray, has the patience of a saint and the wisdom of a sage. He is also brilliant. We picture-locked just a few weeks ago.

“Elliot Loves” ended up costing around $77,000, with a little over half coming from me.

PI: Is  “Elliot” based on events that took place in your own life or is it all fiction?

TER: “Elliot Loves” is very personal and at times intensely autobiographical. But film is an inherently fictional medium; even documentaries are somewhat fictional. I say that “Elliot” is deeply personal and somewhat autobiographical, but, of course, ultimately fiction.

PI: The main character is like his mother, both have a knack for selecting the wrong kind of men.  Was this intentional?

TER: Well, yes. But the film also illustrates some distinct differences: Ma, as a woman and a Latina, is inherently constrained. She is 25 years old with a 9 year old son and the life has been drained out of her already. She’s in over her head and believes the right man will solve everything. With Ma, there is the cultural undercurrent that she is solely defined by having a man and a child, with few other options.

Elliot, on the other hand, is young single and gay, and though his abusive childhood has damaged him, he has options and freedoms that his mother is unaware of.

PI: Can movie goers expect more adventures from Elliot in his quest to find true love?

TER: Yes!

PI: What other projects do you have coming down the pipeline from Papi Chulo Productions?

TER: A project in development called “Faithful,” which I am producing but not directing, and a few other things. (SMILES)

PI: Are you a hopeless romantic?

TER: I was. Now I am a hopeful romantic. (LAUGHS)

PI: When and where will “Elliot Loves“ show next?

TER: We have a dozen film festivals throughout June, July and August, but I can’t announce them yet. Look for dates on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elliot-Loves-a-film-by-Terracino/63986112388

Uriah Bell is an activist, author, and poet originally from Detroit, MI currently residing in Boston. Bell is very active in LGBT causes; he’s the Chairman of the Board of the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC), a 2011 Fellow in the Black AIDS Institute’s AAHU Community Mobilization College, and sits on Shade of Pride /Triangle Black Gay Pride in Raleigh, NC. Bell has participated in many panel discussions on AIDS/HIV and its effects on the Black gay community. Although he started writing at the age of twelve his formal writing career began in 2008 with the release of”MOOD SWINGS,” a collection of very personal intimate thoughts . In 2009 he founded Rising Voices Press, to promote and provide a voice for works written by Black LGBT writers. In 2010 Bell release “EPIPHANY: POEMS IN THE KEY OF LOVE,” and then in 2011 he released, “MOOD SWINGS: POEMS AND OTHER RANTS,” This summer, Rising Voices Press will launch TRUTH Magazine, a bi-monthly publication for LGBT people of color. It will focus on everything from art, activism and fashion to health and wellness, spirituality and politics. PrideIndex talked with Bell about his background and ventures.

PRIDEINDEX (PI): Talk us about your life and background story.

URIAH BELL (UB): I was born and raised in Detroit. My mother chose a life of substance abuse when I was younger, so I was raised by my grandmother, whom I adore. Looking at how my mother was living her life, I knew at an early age that I wanted more from life, so I kept my head in books, focused on my education and carefully chose the people I kept around me. I never made excuses; instead I stayed focused despite adversity. When I was 17 years old, I came out to my mother and the rest of my family and friends. I was fortunate enough to have gay, lesbian and transgender individuals around me that refused to allow me to get caught up in the “life.” And, although I took a few years off from school because I needed to find my independence, I went back to college and earned my degrees in Finance and International Marketing.

PI: How come you choose to go into social services rather than business?

UB: I actually don’t work in social services or non-profit per se. I work in corporate America for a multi-billion dollar organization by day, and although I’m very successful in my day job, my passion has slowly evolved to non-profit work. I do so, because I’m not one to complain about what’s not being done until I’ve gotten my hands dirty doing the work. The Black community and the gay and lesbian community are very important to me, and I feel as if I’m in a position of influence to sit at the tables and work out in the field to create a change.

PI: Why did you become involved with so many LGBT related causes?

UB: Well, identifying as a gay man, I’d be dissing a part of which I am if I weren’t involved. I’m truly introverted by nature until I’m very passionate about something, at which point I become very outspoken. That, coupled with really not liking the direction that some organizations were going has caused the fight to choose me instead of me choosing the fight. Mainstream LGBT organizations are better equipped with individual support, financial backing and federal funding to fight, however, the inclusion of people of color in that fight is usually only sparked by a need for funding around people of color, not because of a genuine concern. I choose to work in and for the community of which I’m a part.

PI: When did you first start writing?

UB: I’ve always written. I was an only child until I was twelve, and feeling like I was in the middle of my mother’s addiction, and my grandmother, who was clearly disappointed in and afraid for her daughter, I wrote my feelings down. Sometimes I shared, most times I didn’t.

PI: Where did you find the inspiration for “Epiphany: Poems in The Key of Love?”

UB: Epiphany was inspired by a series of failed relationships, both sexual and platonic. I found myself in a really bad and unhealthy place around self-esteem and overall behavior. And, being the analyzer that I am, I had to ask myself, what’s wrong with these folks? Then I realized I was the common denominator in each of those relationships. “Epiphany” is broken into 3 keys - intimate love, communal love, and self-love. Each key opens with a journal entry, and the book evolves to show the importance of self-love. Realizing that I was the common denominator, I had to do some soul searching and get my shit together. I wasn’t fully present in myself or the love of myself so I wasn’t fully present in any relationship I was involved in.

PI: Why did you start Rising Voices Press?

UB: I started Rising Voices Press for two reasons: I didn’t want to hear that my writing was too “urban” or too “gay” or too “sexual”, and I also didn’t want to pay a publisher the industry standard of 45-60% of my hard work, and deprive me of input as to what my books would look like in terms of binding, cover options and paper stock. I guess I’m a bit of a control freak, but that’s the Capricorn in me.

PI: Is this a private venture which will publish your own work or do you plan to publish works by other authors?

UB: I fully intend to publish others as long as what they’re writing is in line with Rising Voices Press mission and vision. What I publish needs to to be something I’m interested in reading. However, with the release of TRUTH Magazine, my energies and resources will be placed on the magazine.

PI: Talk a little bit about Truth Magazine. Have you considered making it a print publication?

UB: TRUTH will start in print and incorporate digital media later in 2012 or early 2013. TRUTH is a bi-monthly publication for, by and about LGBTQ people of color, with a specific interest in the Black LGBTQ community. We will focus on positively exposing LGBTQ individuals and not  (s)exploiting them.  Our primary areas of focus will be on arts and entertainment, health and wellness, culture, travel, spirituality, politics and social activism. We’re going to bring a fresh and much needed perspective to our people.

PI: PrideIndex.com 2011 Esteem Award finalist Amir Dixon is also a board member of HBGC. How did you become acquainted with Amir?

UB: I know “Amir” from seeing him in the community, and yes we both serve on the board of directors of HBGC.

PI: Do you plan on coming to the Midwest any time soon?

UB: Absolutely. I’m a mid-western boy and my heart is here; although, I usually don’t get love from the Midwest in terms of what I’m doing with the arts and activism.

PI: What is your ultimate goal?

UB: My goal is to leave a legacy where Black folks and Black LGBTQ folks aren’t marginalized, at least not self-marginalized. I want us to fully know our worth and what we contribute to society at large, and be unapologetic for it.

For more information visit uriahbell.com

]]> http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?feed=rss2&p=9079 http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9105 http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9105#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 19:31:50 +0000 esteemfeedback http://www.prideindex.com/wpcms/?p=9105 By GLAAD.org

Today During an interview with ABC News anchor Robin Roberts, President Obama announced his support for marriage equality. He said, “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

lick Here: Watch “Nhojj - MUSIC and the word” chronicles homosexual indie singer-songwriter Nhojj in preparation for the landmark “Out & Proud” Brooklyn Museum First Saturday concert. Through interviews, rehearsal and performance footage, the 16 minute short elaborates on the power of music, and the positive messages behind the lyrics of his songs.

Nhojj will be performing on Saturday May 19 at the Old Town School of Folk  Music’s ALT Q Fest click here for more information altqfestival.com