Even though this forum has covered many topics and been topical on numerous subjects, It's been a daunting task to get it all in, down, observed or mentioned. However, as I've looked back over the 600 plus postings from the last four years, goodness knows I've certainly gave it the damnest try. Therefore as we wind down to our final days of being Arkansas' only daily LGBTQ outpost for news, commentary, links, video and such and such, here's my latest for the scrapbook.
Holy Convocation!
T
he Many FACES of TONEX
He's been hailed as a gospel sensation, music golden boy, soul stirrer and now an out of the closet profit. The furor over Tonex has found it's way into the Frey of that other ex-gay gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin whom ranted earlier this year at the COGIC convocation in Memphis that “I see feminine men, feminine boys, everywhere I go. These young girls are just as bad as the boys in homosexuality, you don’t see it. They can hide … but there are some evil young hard butch girls.” He also spoke negatively about openly-gay gospel singer Tonex, calling him a “perversion” and referred to gay youth as “vampires.” However, Tonex has taken the high road in dealing with haters and honors as he continues to 
produce for his music ministry. In a interview reprinted on Entertainmentwire/ Black Voices he stated,"you know, it's not easy growing up in a Pentecostal/Evangelical church, where everyone is pretty much anti-gay, although it's common knowledge that some of the most anointed musicians and singer-songwriters have, or have dealt with, same-sex attraction at some point. For me, it was particularly taboo because of my upbringing and the ministerial call on my life. I then had to think about the repercussions of this revelation. But I knew I had to get free. That interview was cathartic for me.It turns out that was the very first time an award-winning mainstream gospel artist openly admitted these things about his or her sexual orientation. I didn't really think about that either until after the fact, when someone mentioned it to me. Believe me, that's nothing that I'm happy about. It actually kind of sucks. I had no blueprint; I was actually making one. I had no clue of what would happen; I would have to wait and see. People make telling the truth sound so easy, but it's not. Not because you don't know whether it's the right thing to do, but because you don't know what people are going to do with it once they hear it. And, more importantly, what part of the truth they really gonna hear." Meanwhile Mclurkin's 
(pictured left) rant went viral on You Tube (view it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcRHrTpYh8&feature=player_embedded) It's an amazing piece of rhetoric and gushing testimony that left me breathless. The issue of gays, god and gospel has been hot topic even before the Tonex confession and I'm positive that the debate will rage on. This forum has presented numerous viewpoints and observations on the matter with the belief that every individual will eventually have to deal with God in their own fashion. This couldn't be more true, in lieu of the increase of bullying incidents, hate crimes and gay youth across the country in crisis. It's imperative that we find solutions and positive outcomes for this fragile faction of our culture beyond the shrill dogma of those whom spew condemnation instead of compassion.
produce for his music ministry. In a interview reprinted on Entertainmentwire/ Black Voices he stated,"you know, it's not easy growing up in a Pentecostal/Evangelical church, where everyone is pretty much anti-gay, although it's common knowledge that some of the most anointed musicians and singer-songwriters have, or have dealt with, same-sex attraction at some point. For me, it was particularly taboo because of my upbringing and the ministerial call on my life. I then had to think about the repercussions of this revelation. But I knew I had to get free. That interview was cathartic for me.It turns out that was the very first time an award-winning mainstream gospel artist openly admitted these things about his or her sexual orientation. I didn't really think about that either until after the fact, when someone mentioned it to me. Believe me, that's nothing that I'm happy about. It actually kind of sucks. I had no blueprint; I was actually making one. I had no clue of what would happen; I would have to wait and see. People make telling the truth sound so easy, but it's not. Not because you don't know whether it's the right thing to do, but because you don't know what people are going to do with it once they hear it. And, more importantly, what part of the truth they really gonna hear." Meanwhile Mclurkin's 
(pictured left) rant went viral on You Tube (view it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcRHrTpYh8&feature=player_embedded) It's an amazing piece of rhetoric and gushing testimony that left me breathless. The issue of gays, god and gospel has been hot topic even before the Tonex confession and I'm positive that the debate will rage on. This forum has presented numerous viewpoints and observations on the matter with the belief that every individual will eventually have to deal with God in their own fashion. This couldn't be more true, in lieu of the increase of bullying incidents, hate crimes and gay youth across the country in crisis. It's imperative that we find solutions and positive outcomes for this fragile faction of our culture beyond the shrill dogma of those whom spew condemnation instead of compassion.
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