MESSAGE Spring 2019 - In The Meantime Men
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MESSAGE
Spring 2019
What’s Up @ In The Meantime
• MyLife MyStyle Health Education (Three Empowerment Sessions)
• Brothers Reaching Brothers Weekly Social Discussion Group
• MENtorship: Mentorship Initiative • BoiRevolution Youth Initiative
Spring 2019
MESSAGE
• HIV Testing/STD Screening Linkage • Yoga and Meditation editor and publisher
• Umoja Three-Day Empowerment Retreat • Case Management Jeffrey C. King
• Project Elevate (Social Justice Advocacy) • 12 Step Recovery Meeting art director
Alan Bell
• Community Outreach/Condom Distribution • Game Night/Social Hour
photography
• Black Gay Men’s Wellness Month • King-Bremond Scholarship Fund Jeffrey C. King
• Message Magazine • One-on-One Peer Counseling Nina LáVoy Photography
• Housing Assistance Initiative • Social Justice/Billboard Campaign
Jerry Morris
national advertising
Rivendell Media
7 8
1248 Route 22 West
In The Meantime Men’s Group Mountainside, NJ 07092
board of directors
The Premier Organization for Black Gay Men in Los Angeles Joel Byrd, M.D.
Garry Gregory
2146 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 Jeffrey C. King
323-733-4868, 818-441-1216 Testing Hotline Roger Quinney, Ph.D.
Earl Wooten
inthemeantimemen.org • inthemeantimemen@aol.com
on the cover
f @inthemeantimemen • I @inthemeantimemen Quincy LeNear
10 14
Message is published quarterly
by In The Meantime Men’s
Group, Inc., 2146 W. Adams
Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Spring: A Time of Renewal�������� 5
90018-2039. Mailing address:
Box 29861, Los Angeles, CA
90029-0861, 323-733-4868,
inthemeantimemen@aol.com,
King-Bremond Awards������������� 6
www.inthemeantimemen.org,
Facebook @ inthemeantimemen
My Best and Most Authentic Self�� 7
© 2019 In The Meantime Men’s
To Keep Pushing Toward Success� 8
Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The slogan “Creating Unity and
Affirming Our Common Bond” is
a trademark of In The Meantime
Men’s Group, Inc. Views and
opinions expressed in this
Shrouded in Doubt����������������� 10
publication are not necessarily
those of ITMT. Publication of the
name or photograph of a person
does not indicate the sexual
This is About Me������������������� 14
Karamo Brown��������������������� 19
orientation or HIV status of the
person or necessarily constitute
an endorsement of ITMT or its
policies. Message is designed
for educational purposes only
and is not engaged in rendering
medical advice or professional
Dwayne Vernon�������������������� 20
services. Some photographs in
this publication use professional
models. ITMT Receives Advocacy Award�� 22
Spring 19 MESSAGE 3
I n T he M eantime
Wants to B e Your Spring: A Time
Personal Tester of Renewal
By Jeffrey C. King
I
must admit that I am still struggling service to our community in 2019.
with the current state of world af- Spring is a time of renewal,
fairs, as well as the affairs of those revival, and resurrection. This current
I hold dear and close. Many are facing energy shift could very well be a part
health and financial issues, and other of the transformation process that we
matters of the heart. are all going through to get us to a
As we enter the spring of the year, new and better place of greater love
In The Meantime, I am asking for all and light!
of the conscious ones to stand in the We hope that you will join us on
gaps and be supportive whenever you this amazing journey of 2019. Check
can. We need each other today more out our newly redesigned website and
than ever before. There is no force visit www.inthemeantimemen.org.
nor power greater than love. Love is
the foundation of In The Meantime, Jeffrey C. King is Founder and Executive
and we will continue to be of greater Director of In The Meantime Men’s Group.
IN THE MEANTIME
Get Tested
Insti HIV Test Results Available in 1 Minute
CALL FOR SPECIFIC TIMES AND LOCATIONS
818-441-1216 or 323-733-4868
In The Meantime Wellness
2146 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018
InTheMeantimeMen.org
Spring 19 MESSAGE 5
King-Bremond My Best and Most
Awards Authentic Self
B. Yohaun Walker and Joshua Green By B. Yohaun Walker
Receive First Quarter Scholarships
I
n preparation for this essay, I
thought about the many identities
By Jeffrey C. King that I occupy (Black, male, creative,
spiritual, scholar, queer) and what
success means for each of them. In
doing so, I discovered that my gay
B. Yohaun Walker and Joshua Green were presented with identity, the same identity that has
King-Bremond Scholarships at In The Meantime’s “The State of been the most complicated, had
Black Gay Men in LA” presentation held February 19, 2019. Each the simplest meaning of success:
acceptance.
quarter, ITMT supports two deserving young people as they pur- By no means do I view myself
sue higher education, whether academic or trade focused. as a victim; however, growing up, I
B. Yohaun Walker is studying fashion design with a focus in was taught that being my genuine
self was an abomination. As a
technical design at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Joshua result, I grew up teaching myself to
Green is pursuing engineering at El Camino College. suppress my authenticity because
Named after Jeffrey King, Founder of In The Meantime Men’s of the fear of making those around
me uncomfortable or disappointed.
Group, Inc., and Duane Bremond, the founder of Los Angeles
But in reality, ultimately, I was only
Black Pride, the King-Bremond Scholarship Program was estab- disappointing myself.
lished to assist deserving Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans- In 2016, something transformative
gender youth in Los Angeles County by offering financial assis- happened. I experienced a shift, a
grace and confidence that I had never
tance to help meet educational expenses. felt so vibrantly before. I had accepted My biggest fear was disappointing my
Scholarship candidates must be part-time or full-time stu- what others had conditioned me to family, because to them, me choosing
dents in good academic standing at an accredited college or reject, and that I was a gay Black to pursue a career in fashion meant
man in America. Self-acceptance embracing my gay identity. After
university. Graduating high school seniors with written proof of has granted me the freedom to take finding the confidence within myself,
acceptance to an accredited institution of higher learning are also control of my life and act on choices I quit my job and enrolled at Santa
eligible. The amount of each award ranges from $500 to $1,000. that I had once felt undeserving of. Monica College as a fashion design
One of those choices is my education student.
Once selected, awardees are asked to write a short essay on and career aspirations. Finding the courage to accept
what it means to be Black LGBTQ and successful in America. The After graduating from UC myself has had a profound impact on
two essays that follow were written by scholarship receipients Riverside in 2015 with a B.A. in not only my personal development,
Public Policy, I found work at a tech but my professional and academic
Walker and Green. startup in Santa Monica. Unhappy development as well. When I started
Students who would like to be considered for future scholar- and unfulfilled, I stayed in my role accepting myself, simultaneously I
ships should visit www.inthemeantimemen.org, download the much longer than I would have liked, started accepting all of the aspirations
because of the fear of rejection. The I had for myself. My plan is to fin-
application, and contact In The Meantime at 323-733-4868 for reality was, I was a gay man that had ish my A.A. program at Los Angeles
further instructions. aspirations of being a designer/artist. Trade Tech and apply for an MPP
Spring 19 MESSAGE 7
(Master of Public Policy) program at ourselves. Being a successful Black equity. They recognized that students has been shown to have a negative
UCLA or UCR. I would like to develop LGBT/same-gender loving youth were facing barriers that were tough impact on health and student
more comprehensive legislation that in America means acknowledging to overcome because they did not academic outcomes. However, with
both directly and/or indirectly impacts my trauma(s) and addressing them have the right tools or vocabulary to scholarships like these, Black study
the apparel industry. in order to heal. It is only then explain their experiences. This was spaces, a willingness to be there for
While I can’t speak for the entire that I can be my best and most the case for me. one another, and a couple of tutors,
LGBTQ community, I firmly believe authentic self and better serve I had been dealing with issues— we can reach the finish line.
that most, if not all of us, just want to the communities that I wish to see some racial—that I had trouble This is why I’m thankful for the
be accepted and treated as equals. thrive. defending myself from. Santa Monica King-Bremond Scholarship, because
While we continue to fight and do College decided to present research it’s what we need to help motivate us
the work for that to be our collective B. Yohaun Walker is studying fashion de- that included concepts that would to keep pushing toward success. I’ll
reality, it is equally important that we sign with a focus in technical design at Los help the students describe their leave you with a quote by Stokely:
do the individual work and accept Angeles Trade Technical College. experiences effectively. For example, “Our grandfathers had to run, run,
microaggressions are subtle prejudice run. My generation’s out of breath. We
actions that are racist, sexist, or ain’t running no more.”
ableist.
In general, people who educate Joshua Green is pursuing a degree in
To Keep Pushing
hold ideas from the media while engineering at El Camino College in
interacting with the student. This Torrance, California.
Toward Success
By Joshua Green
M
y journey has been
tumultuous, because to be
a successful Black LGBT
same-gender loving youth in America
means to have two crosshairs on your
back: One because I am Black, two
because I identify as same-gender
loving. It’s not enough that I have
to work four times as hard as my
counterparts just to get half back.
But even after we put the work
in, we have to advocate for ourselves
and stand up for our own intelligence;
even if you’ve done all you’re
supposed to do, people will still try to
silence you in one way or another.
I was inspired to go to school by
men like Stokely Carmichael, Huey
Newton, and Malcom X. I loved the
things they said, the concepts they
put together, and the conclusions
they made. And, most importantly,
how unconventional and limitless they
were with knowledge. There’s a quote have.”
to the effect of, “The more knowledge At Santa Monica College, they Presentation of King-Bremond Scholarship checks at In The Meantime’s “The
you gain, the more responsibility you created a lecture series to increase State of Black Gay Men in LA” presentation held February 19, 2019.
8 MESSAGE Spring 19 Spring 19 MESSAGE 9
Shrouded in
Doubt
Jussie Smollett vs. The People’s Court
By Victor Yates
O
n December 25, 2018, Jussie 2:00 a.m. after he left a 24-hour Sub-
Smollett rented out the Pacific way sandwich shop at the 300 block
Theatre in Los Angeles, of East North Water Street. According
ShowPlace ICON in Chicago, and the to a statement by the police depart-
AMC Magic Johnson in Harlem for ment, the assailants hurled racial and
cinephiles to watch If Beale Street homophobic slurs at him, struck him
Could Talk on a first-come, first- in the face, poured an unknown liquid
served basis for free. He believed substance on him, and then wrapped
in the project directed by Barry a hangman’s noose around his neck.
Jenkins (of Moonlight) and hoped to They yelled, “This is MAGA country”
generate greater buzz behind it. The at him before running off and jumping
film opened the week of December into a taxicab.
14 in only four theaters. It grossed The police officers assigned to
$219,000 with the help of Smollett. the case reached out to local business
On January 12, 2019, the actor owners with surveillance cameras to
hosted a private screening for the cast share video footage from the night of
and crew of Empire at ShowPlace the attack to determine the identities
ICON. In the movie, Tish Rivers seeks of the assailants and find out the
to clear the name of her partner, direction in which they traveled.
Fonny Hunt, who is wrongly accused On February 13, two suspects
of a crime that he did not commit. No Olabinjo (“Ola”) [below, right] and
one in the audience could imagine Abimbola (“Abel”) Osundairo were
that sixteen days later Smollett would detained at Chicago O’Hare Airport
find himself embroiled in a similar and brought into the police station for
storyline, pleading in the court of questioning. Two days later, the sus-
public opinion to clear his name of a pects were released without charges.
crime he did not commit. At the end
of the movie, Fonny Hunt is forced to
accept a plea deal, faces an uncertain
future, and shares a meal with
Rivers and their child from a vending
machine. Smollett faces a similarly
uncertain future.
On January 29, Smollett re-
ported to the Chicago Police that two
masked men attacked him around
Spring 19 MESSAGE 11
On February 25, Eddie Johnson, the Cook County in Chicago reported 16 unprecedented case. Typically, when At 3:34 a.m. on March 26,
Chicago Police Superintendent, spoke anti-Black, 16 anti-Jewish, eight anti- charges are dropped, the defendant President Trump tweeted, “FBI and
to Robin Roberts of Good Morning Islamic, and seven anti-gay crimes, receives the bond. And, because the DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie
America and answered questions sur- while Los Angeles County reported 64 court record is sealed, the public may Smollett case in Chicago.”
rounding the 48-hour hold. anti-gay, 23 anti-transgender, 55 anti- never learn what additional evidence Unnamed federal law
Johnson stated, “In the 47th hour Black, and 37 anti-Jewish crimes. helped the prosecutors to make their enforcement officials confirmed
[the suspects] became corroborating Even though Smollett was decision. to ABC Chicago and NBC that the
witnesses. We worked closely with indicted on 16 felony counts from The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Department of Justice and FBI are
their lawyer and their lawyer went a grand jury for allegedly falsely Association issued a statement investigating the dropped charges.
and talked to them. What she said reporting a hate crime (Class 4 saying, “The sealing of a court case
got through to them, to tell the truth.” Felony), he should still be presumed immediately following a hearing where Victor Yates is a writer, editor, and writing
Their testimony supported holes innocent until found guilty. there was no reasonable notice … is workshop instructor whose debut novel, A
Love Like Blood, was recently released by
in Smollett’s story according to a matter of grave public concern and
B
Hillmont Press. His website is victoryates.
Johnson. In a small period of time, eale Street, set in New York undermines the very foundation of our wordpress.com. You can follow him @
the brothers went from suspects to City, is layered, rich, devastat- public court system.” writervicyates.
persons of interest to witnesses. ing, and provides commentary
Roberts commented that on the failure of the justice system
Johnson delivered an impassioned
speech during his first press
for Black families. And, if East North
Water Street in Chicago could talk, it Takeaways
unprecedented case. Typically,
when charges are dropped, the
At 3:34 am on March 26,
President Trump tweeted, “FBI and
conference discussing the case
and it was the noose that made him
would reveal much the same.
for groups
defendant receives the bond. And,
because the court record is sealed,
DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie
Smollett case in Chicago.”
O impacted by
emotional. Johnson stated that he n March 26, the Cook County the public may never learn what Unnamed federal law
grew up in the Cabrini-Green housing State Attorney’s Office additional evidence helped the enforcement officials confirmed
this story.
projects in Chicago at the tail end of dropped the criminal charges prosecutor’s to make their decision. If
to you
ABCare part ofand
Chicago theNBC
LGBTQ that the
the Civil Rights Movement, and the against Smollett. The lead prosecutor The Illinois Prosecutors Bar community:
Department of Justice and FBI are
image of a noose is a painful symbol said they reviewed the evidence Association issued a statement ■■ Whenthe
investigating youdropped
read about a
charges.
of racial violence, oppression, and as well as Smollett’s lengthy past saying, “the sealing of a court case story on social media, before typing
white supremacy to him as well as to community service, his willingness to immediately following a hearing where your thoughts
Victor Yates is ainstantly, research
writer, editor, the
and writing
many African Americans. forfeit his $10,000 bond to the city of there was no reasonable notice … is workshop
story first.instructor whose
Then, if you aredebut novel, A
still af-
The case resonated with African Chicago, his non-violent background, a matter of grave public concern and
Love Like
fected it, typewas
byBlood, outrecently released by
your thoughts.
Hillmont Press. His website is victoryates.
Americans, people within the LGBTQ and that he was not a danger to undermines the very foundation of our Sometimes stories can be
wordpress.com. You can follow him @slanted.
community, and Chicagoans and society. public court system.” writervicyates.
captivated people across the world Immediately after the decision,
because of the nature of the hate Smollett told reporters, “I’ve been
crime that was reported. truthful and consistent on every single
level since day one.”
T
he Center for Study of Hate and Joseph Magats, from the State’s
Extremism at California State Attorney office, issued a statement
University at San Bernardino saying that their decision to drop the If you will or have experienced a If you are in the entertainment
released a report last year on hate charges does not exonerate the actor hate crime: industry:
crimes across the country. In the nor correct a wrong from the handling ■■ A hate crime does not ■■ This is a cautionary tale. If
report, the center highlighted that hate of the case. define you. It is something that entertainers are looking to receive
crimes increased by 12 percent in the Later in the day, Mayor of happened to you. publicity, they should have good
10 largest cities (Chicago, Los Ange- Chicago Rahm Emanuel spoke at ■■ You are not a victim, you intentions and not concoct a dia-
les, San Jose, San Diego, Phoenix, news conference and said, “There are a survivor. bolical plan. There’s a saying that
San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, New needs to be a level of accountability ■■ Report the hate crime all press is good press, but lies can
York City, and Philadelphia). The cen- throughout the system, and this immediately without fear of what ruin a career.
ter reviewed hate crime data by law sends an unambiguous message that your family, the police, or the public ■■ Know that when you give
enforcement agencies in 38 cities and there is no accountability. And that will think. an interview your words might be
counties. The report cited that African is wrong.” The police department ■■ You do not have to suffer twisted to create a narrative that
Americans, Jews, and people within echoed the same message. alone. You can reach out to a may fit someone else’s agenda.
the LGBTQ community were the The decision from the State mental health professional for help. Control your image and narrative.
most targeted groups in hate crimes. Attorney’s Office complicated the
12 MESSAGE Spring 19 Spring 19 MESSAGE 13
This
Is About Me
Your Belief or Disbelief
Doesn’t Change My Truth
By Quincy LeNear
T
he Leaving Neverland Michael
Jackson documentary is stir- Age 5
ring up a lot in me; more so are
the ridiculous arguments people are
having about his innocence or the
victims’ lack of innocence. I haven’t
really been vocal about my survival
in years. I was tired of leading my life
with that story. I wanted to tell a differ-
ent story. I had really moved on, but
clearly my story still needs to serve
as a reminder and a testimony for
those who are voiceless and for those
whose truths are being silenced.
If this can give anyone a small
moment of pause before they rush to
judgment on the validity of a victim’s were close extended family members.
testimony, I really hope it does. I hope No, I did not tell. I repeat. I did
I can also provide a window into the not tell.
mind of a child victim. Why? I was 3. I was 4. I was 5. I
I was sexually assaulted as a was 6. I was 7. Then I was 11. That’s
child for years by a male Monday- like asking a child why they jumped
Friday and a female Saturday-Sunday. off of a roof with an umbrella. Left
So, being sexually abused was my cookies for Santa. Stuck their hand
full-time job. Talk about child labor... in a fire. Stuck a Lego up their nose.
My clearest memory is as early Threw wet tissue wads on the ceiling.
as 5 years old, but time and location Licked a frozen pole.
mapping actually point to the abuse Children don’t make adult
starting as early as 3 years old until decisions. Children don’t reason
about 11 years old. My abusers were like adults. Stop placing your adult
not of any blood kin to me, but they reasoning on children.
Spring 19 MESSAGE 15
The reasons why I never spoke my life and took over my childhood, an amazing new and happy life for
were many: a tangled mass of my adolescence, and shaped my Age 8 myself; but I had never really cut out
confusion, conflict, concerns, and young adult life. all of the tumors, and there was still
mistaken assumptions. I somehow managed to function. cancer present in my soul.
I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want I managed to be as normal as normal
I
to seem weak. I didn’t want to break could be. I smiled sometimes. t wasn’t until a few years ago that
down. I didn’t want to implode in front I laughed sometimes. I had fun I shared with my family that I had
of the world. sometimes. Then other times I was been sexually abused by a second
When I was older I thought I painfully shy, quiet, withdrawn, person. They couldn’t understand
could handle what had happened. distrustful, melancholy, self-loathing, why I had never spoken of it before.
I thought I could defend or protect and sad. They couldn’t understand why I chose
myself from my abuser(s) if they ever The first half of my abuse was to omit it the first time around. The
came back. not exposed until I was almost worst feeling in that moment is being
My abusers were no longer 18—with an accompanying nervous asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
around. They were out of sight, out breakdown. If it had not been for If I only had an acceptable
of mind. I thought I was content with my stepmother reading my journal answer for that million-dollar
that. of poetry (while I was sleeping) and Jeopardy question. Can I make a
I carried a deep love, respect, having the intelligence to decipher my come easily. It feels like slowly cutting phone call, Alex?
and affection for the families, and I cryptic writing and carefully, lovingly yourself open with a butter knife. I So here I am at 18 and again
didn’t want to hurt anyone with the approaching me about it, I would felt I and my family had done enough at 30-something, pulling a 10-inch
revelation. Yes, I put their feelings have probably taken it to my grave. cutting and bleeding. fisherman’s hook from the bottom
before mine. That was the first time I ever spoke Why? Because I still held of my heart, and both my abusers
As a child I feared that if anyone those words from my own mouth. onto this loyalty to familial ties and are either dead or who knows where
knew, I would be the one blamed. The cramp in my throat felt like an friendships. I thought we could move in the world, and my admission is
That I would be punished. Why? expanding mass that was going to kill on and forget the past. I didn’t want simply to free myself. There will be
Probably because it felt pleasurable me. to disappoint anyone I loved. I didn’t no evidence. No DNA. No photos or
when it was for a while—until it That day was the first time I felt want to be held responsible for videos. No eyewitnesses. No proof to
wasn’t. what freedom was like. destroying their sense of normalcy, satisfy those who refuse to accept my
I also knew what was happening not understanding that we were truth or those who choose to deny it
M
to me with my male abuser was y second abuser was not living in denial and accepting being because it conflicts with the narratives
considered homosexual in nature, and exposed until I was well into functionally dysfunctional. they have of the people they love.
I didn’t want to be accused, teased, my 30s. Although my main I told myself that because my None.
or found out. abuse had come to light at 18, my first weekend abuser was a woman, no And there doesn’t have to be. I
Religious beliefs. If anyone knew, revelation was so difficult to speak one would have likely viewed it as know. This is finally about me.
would this mean that God knew as truth to that I kept the rest to myself. sexual abuse, simply a boy being P.S. Neither of my abusers faced
well and would I go to hell for it? It felt like I would only be adding insult exposed to what “was supposed charges. One died in prison after later
My main abuser was about 10 to injury. To speak those words didn’t to happen.” I was a child. She was being convicted of another sexual
years my senior with a history of a teen. I rationalized it as being assault of a minor, and the other is
violence, and I feared that he would “normal” to be forced to perform oral unaware I ever told and is likely a
hurt me if I ever told. sex on a young woman—even at 7. mother and grandmother somewhere.
I felt complicit. I felt like I was a Most boys and men would brag about I forgave them both. I continue to
participant in my own abuse. that, right? grow. I am better. I am healthier. I am
A code of silence. There were Just be quiet and take it like a happier than ever. I help others heal. I
multiple eye-witnesses; of at least man. am not a victim but a survivor.
two, one was silenced and the other Once again, I put other people
never spoke up. There were a few before my own well-being, and so I Qunicy LeNear, now an award-winning
others who were aware and were learned to function with it. I enjoyed filmmaker and TV producer, describes
complicit through silence. I have no love. I enjoyed success. I embraced himself as an “artist, interrupter, advocate,
answers for why they never spoke, so myself and my sexuality. I smiled social satirist, filmmaker, personality,
writer, and genealogy hobbyist.” He and
I followed suit. for the camera. I grew. I changed. I his husband, Deondray, made history after
I simply held it in. I kept it all to made it onto TV and film. I walked red being married on the 56th Annual Grammy
myself. I remained untreated for a Age 18 carpets. I traveled the world. I fulfilled Awards and were chosen by BET as one of
cancer that literally spread throughout some of my wildest dreams. I made 2015’s Black Hollywood Power Couples.
16 MESSAGE Spring 19 Spring 19 MESSAGE 17
In The Meantime Men’s Group Book Shelf
IT’S BLACK LGBTQ PRIDE IN LA
In theMeantimeMen's Group
presents
The
Ultimate
WhiteParty K
aramo Brown
believes that
culture is so
much more than
art museums and
the ballet—it’s how
people feel about themselves and
in 20 years so you
can truly change
your life.
In this eye-
opening and
moving memoir,
Karamo reflects on his lifelong educa-
others, how they relate to the world tion. It comprises every adversity he
The Official Black LGBTQ Opening Celebration around them, and how their shared has overcome, as well as the lessons
labels, burdens, and experiences he has learned along the way. It is
affect their daily lives in ways both only by exploring our difficulties and
subtle and profound. having the hard conversations—with
Redline DTLA Seen through this lens, Karamo ourselves and one another—that we
131 East 6th Street is culture: his family is Jamaican and are able to adjust our mindsets, heal
Cuban; he was raised in the South in emotionally, and move forward to live
Los Angeles, California 90014 predominantly white neighborhoods our best lives.
and attended an HBCU (Histori- Karamo shows us the way.
cally Black College/University); he
B
Saturday, June 29, 2019 was trained as a social worker and rown is candid and warm in all
psychotherapist; he overcame per- the ways his fans will expect.
6-10 p.m. sonal issues of colorism, physical and He relates a childhood filled
Food and Complimentary Beverages emotional abuse, alcohol and drug
addiction, and public infamy; he is a
with both love and trauma, his journey
through anger problems and addiction,
Entertainment proud and dedicated gay single father the stops and starts in creating a
of two boys, one biological and one career that fit, and his unexpected
Special Guest Appearances adopted. path to fatherhood. Even his story’s
It is by discussing deep subjects happy ending—a hit show and an
like these, he feels, that the make- upcoming wedding—is addressed
FREE COMMUNITY EVENT overs on the show can attain their full, with introspection. Brown states
lasting meaning. Styling your hair and his passion for helping others find
getting new clothes and furniture are the language to communicate their
important, but it’s imperative that you emotions; readers will appreciate his
figure out why you haven’t done so openheartedness in sharing his own.
Spring 19 MESSAGE 19❖ ❖
In The Meantime Men’s Group Book Shelf
Black Gay Men’s
Wellness Month
August 1-31, 2019
HE’S MY BROTHER
HE AIN’T HEAVY
F
ighting for your six years of active
life is normally duty service.
a figurative Dwayne’s
expression used writing started in
to depict hardship 1992 with poetry.
or rough times. In In 2007, his first
this new novel, Counter Punched, novel, My Man, My Boyz, was re-
by Dwayne Vernon, it is truly a literal leased with great reviews and became
reality for the unknowing participants. a bestseller on several review boards
We teach our young boys to across. In 2009, Dwayne’s sequel to
always keep their head’s on a swivel My Man, My Boyz, Deception, Lies
while playing sports. Another way of and Truth, hit the shelves. Dwayne’s
saying, “have eyes in the back of your third novel was entitled, Roman.
head to watch your surroundings and
own back!”
What happens when you are
undefeated in the ring and crowned
Heavy Weight Champion of the world,
but yet your toughness fight is outside
of the ring and your opponents aren’t
using gloves?
Below the belt punches, back
Opening Gala Reception
stabbing, and getting the kitchen sink
thrown at you are all fair game. Sit
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
back and relax as this editorial marvel 7-9 pm
takes you on a journey that will have
you guessing, begging, and rooting LA84 Olympic Foundation
for vengeance! 2141 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90018
D
wayne Vernon grew up in
Portsmouth, Virginia. After
graduating from high school, F R E E T O T H E G E N E R A L P U B L I C
he joined the Navy and completed
20 MESSAGE Spring 19 ❖ ❖ITMT Receives
Advocacy Award
By Jeffrey C. King among the list of honorees included
Karamo Brown, Tajamika Paxton, Phill
I
t was a clear summer-like Los An- Wilson, Eric Jones, Kalen Allen, and
geles evening when Better Brothers Anthony Hemingway.
Los Angeles hosted its 5th annual During the weeks leading up to
Truth Awards. It was a magical mo- the event, I reflected back to the day,
ment in the 21-year history of In The 21 years ago, when I sat down at my
Meantime Men’s Group, Inc., as we kitchen table and wrote the following:
received this year’s Advocacy Award. “We challenge ourselves to
LA’s finest packed the opulent achieve a greater sense of respon-
banquet hall of the Tagylan Cultural sibility to our ancestry, ourselves,
Complex to enjoy an amazing night of and to those who will follow. In The
community at its best. We accepted Meantime we strive to become better
the award as a team. Joining me on brothers, better sons, better fathers,
stage were Ronald Jackson, Gregory better lovers, better friends, better
Wilson, JaVonTae Wilson, Louis Smith role models, and better people, In The
III, Stevie Cole, Carl Highshaw, Earl Meantime and until the end of time.”
Wooten, Garry Gregory, Joshua
Green, and Xavier Craddock. Jeffrey C. King is Founder and Executive
Other deserving individuals Director of In The Meantime Men’s Group.
22 MESSAGE Spring 19Y O U C A N H A V E I T A L L
BoiRevolution
LA’S HOTTEST URBAN SOCIAL CLUB
Young Black Gay Men 18-29 Years of age
f @BoiRevolution2017
I @inthemeantimemen
Quarterly Social Events
Community Outreach/Condom Distribution
MyLife MyStyle
Health Education Empowerment Series
Throw It In The Bag
Drop-In Social Discussion Groups
LIFE
Personal and Professional Development Trainings
The Bridge
Resource Linkage and Referral Service
In The Meantime Get Tested
HIV Testing and STI Screenings/Peer Navigation
This project is supported by funds received from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the County of Los Angeles Department
of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD ProgramsYou can also read
