Trevor Phillips: Obama Will Prolong America's Racial Divide

The Independent describes him as Britain's most influential black figure, and he is the outspoken chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. No stranger to controversey, Trevor Phillips once suggested that black boys be taught separately to improve school performance, and that policemen are, in general, racist.

In an article published yesterday, Phillips suggested that Barack Obama's election as President would prolong the racial divide in America. "In truth, Obama may be helping to postpone the arrival of a post-racial America and I think he knows it," Phillips says in his article. "If he wins, the cynicism may be worth it to him and his party. In the end he is a politician and a very good one: his job is to win elections." Phillips believes that Obama cannot fulfil the hopes of whites without disappointing blacks - and vice versa. "For the black underclass and beyond, Obama may be the latest messiah, but there is anecdotal evidence that, where blacks have prospered to the extent that they are grimly competing for jobs and property with whites, they don't buy Obamania. I would guess this is because the people who actually experience just how far America remains from post-racial harmony are those blacks who work with whites."

Phillips goes on to say that a white vote for Obama is a "pain-free negation of their own racism. So long as they don't have to live next door to him; Obama has yet to win convincingly in white districts adjacent to black communities."

Even more interesting are Phillips' thoughts on why there's no British equivalent to Obama. Phillips explains that the number of blacks in Britain is proportionately one sixth that of America and thus the same range of talents are not seen - and that the white British population does not bear the strain of slavery in the same way US whites do.

Now, I don't consider myself to be on the same intellectual plane as Mr Phillips, but it seems to me that is argument has one fatal flaw: if a black President meant that only one racial group or another could be pacified, then wouldn't a white President present the same problem? Or is the current white President doing a neat job of keeping everyone happy? No? I didn't think so.

Presumably this means that a female President could only keep either men or women happy and fulfilled (and we all know that Mrs Clinton didn't do a great job of keeping Ole Bill fulfilled, don't we?)

There's also the argument that black, whites and little green men from Mars are never going to get along anyway, that there's too much water under the bridge, and that white Americans have been fulfilled for long enough. Maybe it's someone else's turn...

Goffney Twins Arrested

YOU COULDN'T MAKE it up - sexy gay porn twins with a sideline in modelling lead a double life robbing stores using Mission Impossible-style tactics!

No, it isn't the plot of movie. The Goffney twins - better known as Keyon and Teyon - have been arrested for allegedly robbing dozens of stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Detectives claim (video) 26-year-old Keyontyli and Taleon Goffney "broke into the store by crashing through the roof" and stole some $2,000 from an ATM machine. Keyontyli was arrested at the scene. Taleon escaped, but was picked up later nearby. The dynamic duo are accused of 50 similar burglaries in the tri-state area.

The twins originally garnered attention for their more respectable day jobs as porn stars, and, in Keyontyli's case, some success in mainstream modelling. The twins made a notorious and much-loved appearance with Marc Williams, and have appeared togethered in other videos. Keyontyli made numerous appearance in CocoDorm movies.

Keyontyli's myspace page has extensive photo galleries featuring his professional modelling pictures and snaps with celebrity chums - including the boys from Noah's Arc. Interestingly, his twin brother doesn't feature in any of the pictures, of which there are nearly two hundred. I wonder why?

The Goffney twins are the latest in a string of porn stars in crime-related stories. You can find a gallery of mug shots at GayPornBlog.

22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

The programme for the 22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival has been announced. There's slim pickings, in comparison to last year, but here's what I'll be going to see...

Trans Entities: The Nasty Love of Papi' and Wil

The sizzling sex and deep love of polyamorous partners Papi' and Wil lay at the center of this erotic and thought-provoking docu-porn by Trannyfags director, Morty Diamond. Identifying as 'trans entities', a term they have coined to describe their non-surgical fluid gender identities, Wil and Papi' frankly discuss the centrality of polyamory and role playing to their gender, sexuality, and relationship dynamic. Diamond punctuates brief interviews on various topics such as masculinity, body image, scene negotiation, and their exploration of race play with intense, undirected BDSM sex scenes, including play with a third partner and a hot heart-pounding interrogation scene. Throughout this uninhibited film, it is Wil and Papi's loving bond and commitment to pushing the limits of gender and their relationship that keeps us tuned in and turned on. We should all be as lucky to have a nasty love like this one.

Right By Me


Nat the official school gayboy is in love with his best friend Tat. Tat, a swot, is in love with school basketball hunk Ek, and Ek is supposedly in love with his 'It' girlfriend Da. Unfortunately Nat's love is unconsummated and Da finds herself without Ek as he struggles to come to terms with growing desires for men. Meanwhile, Ek and Tat form a bond that carefully steers towards a relationship despite the complications of homophobic school bullies and disgruntled uncomprehending parents. The stories are influenced by Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys about young gay love in high school. The three guys are caught in a world of first love that feels authentic and doesn't strain to be too heavy handed. The strength of this film also lies in the director's choice not to be too specific about cultural setting, as he takes us on a very enjoyable journey with three cute leads.

Bangkok Love Story

A powerful love story between a young male assassin Mhek (Cloud) and the target he has been contracted to kill, a police informer called It (Stone). The film starts out as a high octane shoot-em-up gangster thriller but becomes a subtler story of obsessive love between its two handsome leading men. For a culture conditioned to see gay life in terms of ladyboys this is a first. The mob bosses who ordered the killing now want both of them killed. It realises he no longer loves his girlfriend and finds himself desperately trying to find Mhek again when they part. A complex tale of revenge, despair and passion, unfolds against a background of their irresistible love. A lesson in the power of enduring love amid the brutality of existence.

Boystown

How could you resist a handsome well-dressed well-built man? Many little old ladies attempt to do just that in this dark comedy about gentrification and Bear man love. The problem is that once Victor has been spurned he returns to the ladies' apartments and murders them. The plot thickens when very lovable couple Rey and Leo unexpectedly inherit an apartment from one of the murdered women, and Leo becomes a prime suspect. There are some great one-liners and, although broad in portrayal, some enjoyable performances by Concha Velasco as Rey's Mother and Rosa Maria Sarda as the veteran detective. Eventually Victor is trapped by his own conceitedness and everybody lives happily ever after. Especially Luis, Rosa's son, who gently and convincingly comes out throughout the film. This is a gem of a movie held together by the pleasurable relationship between chubbies Rey and Leo.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Slept Here

A white FTM poet and a Black gay physicist question the limits of their intimate friendship during a weekend trip.

All My Churen: The World of Kalup Linzy

Raunchy, side-splitting melodramas populated with squabbling Black families, frustrated artists, and naïve damsels in distress seeking love, fame, and understanding.

The DL Chronicles - Episodes Boo and Mark

Sexy homothug fantasy Boo finds out something that really rocks his world, while Mark is forced to play it straight for the benefit of a visiting cousin.

Solos

Censored in its native Singapore for its sexual content, Solos is a dark and erotically tense film about emotional isolation and the often selfish nature of love. A teacher and his precocious male student are involved in an illicit relationship that has gone stagnant. The aging teacher emotionally withdraws from the boy, while the restless boy flaunts his sexual liaisons to injure his lover. Meanwhile, the boy's lonely mother, recovering from an eye surgery, mourns her son's departure and fears he will never return to her. Directors Lume and Zihan bravely defy traditional story structure, replacing dialogue with highly stylized visual imagery, choreography, and sound design to advance the stark yet stirring drama. Minimal and at times utterly absurd, Solos effectively uses an experimental formal language to create a deeper understanding of human emotion.

7 Years
Kenyan law punishes homosexuality with imprisonment, with wide ranging consequences for LGBT communities. Made before recent atrocities this film brings to light gay life in a country seldom represented at our Festival.

(Pictures and synopsis lifted directly from the BFI site.)

Noah's Arc Movie - It's Official

It's been nearly a year since news broke that there wouldn't be a third season of Noah's Arc, but in the wake of that disappointing blow were rumours of a movie. There's finally been an official announcement from Logo, the cable channel behind Noah's Arc, with the film being green lit.

The script is penned by John R. Gordon, who was a co-writer on the television series, as well as author of the novels Black Butterflies, Skin Deep and Warriors & Outlaws. Gordon is also behind the stunning short film Souljah, about a "gay/transsexual African former child soldier refugee", and a soon-to-be-released autobiography of porn star Bobby Blake.

Whilst it's a shame that we won't see a full season of Ricky's high jinks, Noah's agonising, Alex's lunacy and Chance's marital dramas, at least we'll get some resolution to the second season's cliffhanger.

You can watch a special video announcement from delicious Darryl Stephens (Noah) and series creator Patrik-Ian Polk here.

The Worst White People In The World

Australia and South Africa. Oh dear. What a pair they are. Specifically, white Australia and white South Africa. They just make white people look bad. Really.

The Australian government has decided to apologise for the "historic mistreatment" of Aborigines. You know, the people the white invaders/opressors stole the land from, proceeded to subject to genocide, before rubbing the native's noses in it by establishing a counterfeit national identity, soaked in bogus patriotism, and served up with a side of xenophobia. The apology might make some loud, proud Aussies feel better about themselves (even more so than before, if that's possible) but what difference will it make to the Aboriginal people?

Their average lifespan is around twenty years shorter than the average white Australian, illiteracy among Aboriginal children is around 80%, and 1 in 71 is the ratio of Western Australian Aboriginal people held in prison or juvenile detention (vs 1 in 1140 for non-Aboriginal people). Boy Uninterrupted has written a swell article about it all here.

Australians might be an obnoxious bunch, but at least they make some effort to gloss over their ugly "inner-facist" with a lots of smiling and happy chatter (just don't mention the natives). White South Africans, on the other hand, must surely rank as the Worst White People On The Planet. They're like that embarrassing, backward relative; mankind's very own wild boars. White South Africans have made an art form out of brusque self-importance, with a dash of nastiness and a twist of sheer repugnance. And they revel in it.

My loathing of the Boer's - er, I mean, white South Africans - goes back to the Eighties, when my uncle left Northern Ireland to work in the mining industry there. He didn't last long, since he was unceremoniously slung out of South Africa for socialising with his black colleagues. Yes, socialising.

The latest horror story from the Rainbow Nation comes from black Belgian tourist Aridi Amipi, the latest black man to be refused entry to gay bar Bronx. Apparently, only regulars are allowed in, but being a white is a free pass too. Amipi said, "My white friend from England was admitted, but I wasn't. The doorman wouldn't tell me why. I showed my ID, but still I wasn't let in." And his friend Lee had this to say: "When I take my black friends they get told only regulars are allowed. This is nonsense because my white friends who haven't been there before are allowed in."

Nice, innit? Let me know if you have any horror stories from the occupied territories...

Round Is Better

How many of you joyless, digital generation downloaders actually own a CD? Or even an LP? Because let's face it, you probably place more importance in the prestige of your shiny (gremlin-prone) iPod than in the music that's on it, right? Click click click, download a few megabytes of sound and play it back as an inferior MP3. Oh, sure, you can hear a lot more music at once (without having to undertake the crippling, ardous task of actually changing a disc) but what you have, my friend, is quantity over quality. And no one else can see what you're listening to. Those tricks you bring home (or even, miracle of miracles, a date) can't fick through your collection to see what they're getting themselves into. Are you in a Lupe Fiasco, or a 50 Center? A Kylie bitch, or Angie Stoned? Do you grind to Usher, or D'Angelo?

Downloading music might have its advantages, but it's still tedious and unreliable. I hate it. It's the same as chatting to people online when you have no intention of meeting them - it's insincere. There's nothing like having a nice, shiny CD with a real cover and a real booklet, with real design. If I really love an album, I'll even hunt down the vinyl LP. And so, even though I don't own a record player, I have 12" LPs of D'Angelo's Voodoo, Maxwell's Embrya and Real Things by, ahem, 2 Unlimited. They look good - does the Windows icon representing Umbrella do anything for you?

It seems like I'm not the only one who feels this way either. Despite this, sales of CDs plummeted 10% last year (which is quite a lot, you know), and HMV has indicated that it aims to concentrate on the gaming market in the future.

I can actually remember buying my first CD (Annie Lennox's Medusa in 1995 - I was a late bloomer). Will the present generation of square-eyed geeks look back fondly on their first iTune? I don't think so somehow...
 
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