CHUMA SPIRIT Magazine

Stewie on Religion & Gays

That is to say, Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane joins the panel with Bill Maher and discussing gay rights & religion. On a weekend where I just watched Religulous on NetFlix, this is the perfect icing on the cake of my Bill Maher worship. [Pun intended]

Christians attack "Life" for pushing gay agenda

Conservative Christians have been up in arms over a certain PC game "pushing the homosexual agenda". The game in question? Classic board game The Game of Life. Hasbro's PC version of the popular Milton Bradley board game - where the objective is to drive your little car around a track that represents your path through life, moving from "leaving school" to "marriage" and "buying a house" until "retirement," collecting pegs to represent your spouse and children, while trying to build up enough money to retire rich - was first brought to the attention of the Conservative Christian site World Net Daily by a concerned mother. After her six year old asked how come she could marry a woman, concerned mom shrieked to WND, "I had no idea how insidious they were being with pushing the homosexual agenda." WND's position is this is "too mature" a theme for kids. But, getting married and having kids the traditional (good ol' hetero way) isn't. Once again, knowledge is being attacked by the narrow-minded cretins on the right who flock to sites like Town Hall, WND etc for their daily dose of intolerant stupidity, and the mantra: Yes, by all means, let your kiddies grow up to be big ol' homophobes like their parents. It's the American way. ~~

Yes, you are ready

There is no limit to the number of ways in which you can create real value. Breathe deeply, smile lovingly, and just do it. The moment you're in is plenty. The place where you are is an ideal place from which to move forward. Instead of punishing yourself with regret, delight yourself with the possibilities. Get busy creating and living a beautiful now. Yes, you are ready to be your best. Let go of the doubts and let it happen.You can create your very own future, and you are doing so even now. Take this opportunity to fill it with what you know to be good and valuable and meaningful. There is immense beauty in you that you have not yet seen. Share it with the world and live the joy of discovery as that beauty continues to unfold. -- Ralph Marston

Mr. Ponytail ...

As I watched him prepare to shoot up on the bathroom floor, I felt a mix of fear, horror, fascination and arousal. He didn’t tie that rubber thingy around his arm like I’d seen Diana Ross do in Lady Sings the Blues. Then again, this was no movie. “You’re beautiful,” I said. “So fuckin’ beautiful. Anyone ever tell you that?” His eyes cut up to me and sparkled; his thuggish craftiness faded. He could have been a wholesome, doe-eyed Norman Rockwell painting. “Yeah," he smiled, displaying teeth surprisingly white. “Sometimes.” He wasn’t a junkie anymore, just a beautiful young man sitting on the floor next to my toilet. Or maybe a handsome leading man, playing the hell out of his junkie role: Wardrobe had done a great job of making him disheveled, and make-up was on point too, giving him that hollow, hungry look. But as our eyes locked, I saw the real José. I wanted to bend down and kiss those lips, stroke that angular cheekbone. I wanted to peel that dirty oversized shirt from his lanky frame, massage him with lavender oil; wanted to loosen that ponytail, so I could brush his black mane until it gleamed like it was meant to. And then his hair could hang wild, savage, and tickle my flesh as I held him close, kissed him, made love to him, again and again. “Why you wanna watch this shit, pa?” “I don’t know,” I responded. He was so young, so classically handsome. I heard myself saying, “With your looks, you could be . . . do anything you want. Why this?” His innocence faded, the cameras stopped and the leading man stormed off the set. He slapped his arm like a baby’s butt and said, “Same reason you wanna watch.” ~~

excerpt from Dancing with the Devil Available 02.26.09 Press Release www.ChumaSpiritEBooks.com

Dancing With The Devil by Taylor Siluwé

By CHRISTOPHER HICKS-MARSHALL a.k.a. CHUMA

I am so excited to share that CHUMA SPIRIT eBooks is about to release Taylor Siluwé's short story collection entitled Dancing With The Devil on February 26th. Taylor is an exceptional writer, who deflty uses erotica to craft a meaningful message around homophobia, religion, loneliness, and love. This is certainly a book to be lauded. Let's all support Taylor . . . especially after he stayed up all night into this morning creating his YouTube promotional video for his book.

Below is the synopsis:

The phrase ‘Dancing with the Devil’ evokes images of fiery rituals where witches and demons cavort under the cold moonlight. But that’s science fiction. That’s the sort of craziness that led to innocent people being burned at the stake. In real life however, the expression does mean cavorting with dark forces -- just ones inside our own heads.

Centered around a single protagonist, from Breeding Season where we spy a high school crush gone wild, through Beneath Paradise where sex and salvation’s all-out war leaves a young friendship on the battlefield, to the cautionary tales Pretty Young Gangsters, Dancing With The Devil and When Romeo Wakes, each of which peep into the darkest part of obsession’s needy heart.

This collection of stories deals with those sometimes sexy, sometimes darkly disturbing moments when our inner Devils come out and dance.

Dancing With The Devil can be purchased at ChumaSpiritEBooks.com on Thursday, February 26, 2009.

As Valentine's Day approaches: Rashawn Brazell ~ We Refuse to Forget!

From the first annual memorial march in '06 We marched. We chanted. We cried. Still, years went by -- four now -- and despite being featured on America's Most Wanted several times, the monster who dismembered 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell on or around Valentine's Day is still free. This man is still celebrating his birthday, Christmas, sitting down to dinner with his family on Thanksgiving, and possibly even bouncing babies on his knee. Desire Brazell used to bounce baby Rashawn too, but now she just needs to know who murdered her son. As Valentine's Day approaches, again, with still no justice, its up to us to light a fire under this case. Lots of things have happened this year we never thought we'd see -- like the election of Obama. Let's focus on re-igniting this cold case now with the knowledge we can accomplish the seemingly impossible -- for Rashawn, to give his mother, Desire Brazell some peace and closure, and for all those who need to know that Black Gay Lives do matter. Let's get Justice for Rashawn, at last. ~~

Love you, Wilson ... but

The Noah's Arc alum is one of my favorite OUT & PROUD actors -- His latest screen turn is in He's Just Not That Into You. Well... Dixon Gaines over at Queerty writes a hilariously scathing review of the flick and its portrayal and perpetuation of gay stereotypes. I haven't seen the flick, and after this review I'll wait to catch in on Netflix, but it seems that the Sex & The City spawned flick isn't showing a true appreciation for our big ol' gay dollars. Love you, Wilson. And all my embattled OUT performers of color more than I can say. Although its not your fault Boo, I'll have to catch this one later. We have to draw the line somewhere. How long can we be snippy sex-crazed caricatures with one hand, while asking for normalcy and respect with the other? ~~

On a Noah's Arc note: Black Gay Movie up for NAACP Image Awards This year could be yet another historic flashpoint for gay, black and black-gay entertainment should Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom manage to grab either Best Independent Motion Picture and Outstanding Writing for a Motion Picture that it is nominated for during the live telecast on the FOX Network Thursday, February 12, 2009. Mark your calendars.

Make yourself heard

Make progress instead of promises. You are not known by the promises you make, but rather by the value you create. Actions do indeed speak louder than words. Every positive, productive action builds your credibility and polishes your reputation. The way to be impressive is to do impressive and valuable things. Instead of wasting your time posing as a successful person, get busy with the real and persistent efforts that will truly make you successful. True accomplishment is infinitely better than the mere appearance of accomplishment. The way to gain the sincere respect and admiration of others is to make positive and valuable things happen. Those who shout loudly and yet do nothing will eventually be ignored or laughed at. Those who work quietly and consistently end up gaining the greatest influence. Instead of just talking about it, step forward and do it. Without saying a word, you can make yourself heard with the quality of your actions. ~~ -- Ralph Marston

Chuma is loving Taylor Siluwé for this post - Live in Truth

Click here if you, too, want to live in truth

Be on the lookout for Taylor's book of erotic tales, Dancing With The Devil,
coming Valentine's Day from CHUMA SPIRIT eBooks.

Congrats to Alicia J. Skillman & The Triangle Foundation!

While Roland Burris slides into Barack's senate seat muttering, "The precious, Me wants it!" with a slimey grin, Al Franken declares victory [Yippee!!] to Norm Coleman's chagrin, openly gay Brad Kiley is named to a senior White House Administrative post (and the same LGBT crowd burning Pastor Warren effigies consider it "crumbs" and none news) ... virtually unreported on major LGBT blogs is the appointment of an African American woman as head of an LGBT organization in Michigan. I find it very curious that this story has gone under the radar since its Dec. 23rd announcement. ~~

Stealing our Love Stories ...

* play video * Sometimes its too much. Convincing people you are worthy of the same rights and respect as they are should be a no-brainer. It's not. Obama's historic inaugural preparations are underway; in less than a month an alleged man of god will give the invocation, despite taking numerous repugnant positions in the past - not the least of which equating gay sex to pedophilia. Some say he didn't really mean it that way. It doesnt' really matter. It was a ham-fisted analogy which exposed his ugly heterosexist heart -- in his eyes, we (gays) will never be as good as them (straights). Watching Taylor Swift sing this song (yes, I love country music) and visually capture the magic that LOVE can be and wrap it in a fairy tale, all I could think was they wanna keep it all to themselves. That bastard Warren, the ex-Hitler-Youth turned Pope, and countless other wannabe men (and women) of God want to keep all this magic and fantasy and fairy dust to themselves. They want to rob us of our fairy tale love stories; force them back into the shadows and alleys and dark corners of our past. I've made my position on Warren very clear. Now is not the time to burn effigies. As a black man I wanna celebrate this event in just 21 days. I wanna cry hot tears because its been a long time coming. Then, President Obama, after all the confetti is swept away we're coming to take our love stories back -- because everyone deserves a fairy tale. And like my grandma used to say (and its oh so fitting here!) - "You can believe that like you read it in the Bible." ~~

Saudi Arabia's 8 year old Bride

And yet, they decapitate homos. This just makes me shake my head. And of course, 'The Kingdom' is our friend. Cuba is still isolated and we can 't legally get a good Cuban cigar because ... what, I can't even remember. Human rights abuses? No, can't be that, there's nothing more abusive than marrying off 8 year old girls like the country America's been pal'in around with. *sigh* So. Crazy. Makes me wanna run away to a deserted island and live out my days sipping rum from a coconut. ~~

Taylor Siluwé reports: Gambling On Our Lives For Love - Another Adam4Adam Murder?

Taylor Siluwé questions the possiblities of why a young man addicted to cyberspace dating may have been killed. Read the article here.

Taylor Siluwé reports: UT's First Black All-American Denied Hall of Fame Honors Because He Was Gay?

In a country where black gay luminaries are often hetero-washed from history, Jackie Walker’s brother is on a mission to see that the linebacking great is remembered....

Taylor Siluwé reports. Read here.

The Great Jackie Walker

Full background about the Jackie Walker controversy can also be read at the Metro Pulse.