Comments for Yolo Akili http://yoloakili.com Wellness Educator, Poet & Activist Sun, 20 May 2012 02:03:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Jason http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3680 Jason Sun, 20 May 2012 02:03:50 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3680 As a fellow black queer feminist cisgender male Libra, thanks for your piece ;-) I also have made recent revelations about my expectations and judgements of other black queer men. Alot of my older black queer male friends and I seem to be growing apart (politically, geopraphically), and few other black queer men that I engage with in activist spaces I only know in passing. Most of the queer folks that I'm on the same page with politically are womyn or transmasculine people of color. And maybe that's ok. Love takes on many forms, and it's important to be able to receive it, even if it doesn't look like what you thought it was going to look like. As a fellow black queer feminist cisgender male Libra, thanks for your piece ;-)

I also have made recent revelations about my expectations and judgements of other black queer men. Alot of my older black queer male friends and I seem to be growing apart (politically, geopraphically), and few other black queer men that I engage with in activist spaces I only know in passing. Most of the queer folks that I’m on the same page with politically are womyn or transmasculine people of color. And maybe that’s ok. Love takes on many forms, and it’s important to be able to receive it, even if it doesn’t look like what you thought it was going to look like.

]]> Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Derek Stewart http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3679 Derek Stewart Thu, 17 May 2012 15:23:27 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3679 Joseph Beam once said that black men loving other black men is a revolutionary act and this was correct then and even more so now. Men in general are hard coded to be barely manageable in relationships and when you put two together then add the additional component of oppressed minority you often end up with a supersized mess. For those of us who are black same gender loving I liken the finding of a mate to finding the tallest trees in a thick forest while looking from the ground. But as you so eloquently noted we have to have hope. I have been blessed with romantic relationships of great depth and beauty and if I with my many flaws and limitations have known such love than such love is available to all. Joseph Beam once said that black men loving other black men is a revolutionary act and this was correct then and even more so now. Men in general are hard coded to be barely manageable in relationships and when you put two together then add the additional component of oppressed minority you often end up with a supersized mess. For those of us who are black same gender loving I liken the finding of a mate to finding the tallest trees in a thick forest while looking from the ground. But as you so eloquently noted we have to have hope. I have been blessed with romantic relationships of great depth and beauty and if I with my many flaws and limitations have known such love than such love is available to all.

]]> Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Brodney http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3678 Brodney Wed, 16 May 2012 21:09:15 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3678 Literature like this is so necessary for our black gay society to advance as a community. Very thought provoking, certain parts felt as if I was holding a mirror and citing things I needed to hear. Thank you for this Literature like this is so necessary for our black gay society to advance as a community. Very thought provoking, certain parts felt as if I was holding a mirror and citing things I needed to hear. Thank you for this

]]> Comment on A Response: Men Sharing Their Feelings is NOT A Feminist ACT! by bq http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/a-response-men-sharing-their-feelings-is-not-a-feminist-act/#comment-3677 bq Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:27 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2425#comment-3677 this and the black mens queer community piece resonated on a bunch of levels. i am a qwoc who became close to a queer guy who turned out to be a profoundly misogynistic serial abuser and sexual predator. initially he seemed kind and "safe" bc he was expressive about his feelings, admitted to crying etc. but it was just entitlement to female caretaking and manipulative. he used to whine about how it wasn't fair he had to deal with "emasculation" and simultaneously be called out for male privilege by women. he was much older than me and it was a predatory "mentorship". he had very much done the intellectual dick-waving thing. he had pretended over time to be deeply supportive, and abruptly evaded accountability for his actions at the end. very jarring and traumatizing experience. this and the black mens queer community piece resonated on a bunch of levels. i am a qwoc who became close to a queer guy who turned out to be a profoundly misogynistic serial abuser and sexual predator. initially he seemed kind and “safe” bc he was expressive about his feelings, admitted to crying etc. but it was just entitlement to female caretaking and manipulative. he used to whine about how it wasn’t fair he had to deal with “emasculation” and simultaneously be called out for male privilege by women. he was much older than me and it was a predatory “mentorship”. he had very much done the intellectual dick-waving thing. he had pretended over time to be deeply supportive, and abruptly evaded accountability for his actions at the end. very jarring and traumatizing experience.

]]> Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Julian http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3676 Julian Wed, 16 May 2012 17:27:55 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3676 Very thought provoking! Thanks for sharing Yolo! Very thought provoking! Thanks for sharing Yolo!

]]> Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Lex http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3675 Lex Wed, 16 May 2012 13:51:27 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3675 This is so beautiful and necessary. And this is exactly what we are talking about in the Eye to Eye Webinar Radical Collaboration for Community Accountable Scholars. Audre Lorde and Joseph Beam wrote so brilliantly and hopefully on what it means to love each other across our own internalized oppression. Your honesty, vision and hope affirms their legacy. So much love to you, so much gratitude for your journey. This is so beautiful and necessary. And this is exactly what we are talking about in the Eye to Eye Webinar Radical Collaboration for Community Accountable Scholars. Audre Lorde and Joseph Beam wrote so brilliantly and hopefully on what it means to love each other across our own internalized oppression. Your honesty, vision and hope affirms their legacy. So much love to you, so much gratitude for your journey.

]]> Comment on “Finding Love In A Hopeless Place: On Loving Black Queer Men” by Vidyaratha http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/finding-love-in-a-hopeless-place-on-loving-black-queer-men/#comment-3674 Vidyaratha Wed, 16 May 2012 13:47:07 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2452#comment-3674 Powerful writing.. I wonder if for how many men "our programming will always undermine our potential." Powerful writing.. I wonder if for how many men “our programming will always undermine our potential.”

]]> Comment on A Response: Men Sharing Their Feelings is NOT A Feminist ACT! by Moses Okoth http://yoloakili.com/2012/05/a-response-men-sharing-their-feelings-is-not-a-feminist-act/#comment-3670 Moses Okoth Wed, 09 May 2012 13:23:53 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2425#comment-3670 Liz and Yolo...thanks i would love to share this with a lot of other MEN and WOMEN....Its quite thought provoking..i loved it!Very educative! Liz and Yolo…thanks i would love to share this with a lot of other MEN and WOMEN….Its quite thought provoking..i loved it!Very educative!

]]> Comment on “Am I The Kind of Man That I Want?” Reflections One Year Later by mark j. tuggle http://yoloakili.com/2012/03/am-i-the-kind-of-man-that-i-want-reflections-one-year-later/#comment-3669 mark j. tuggle Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:40:07 +0000 http://yoloakili.com/?p=2275#comment-3669 i enjoyed your powerful documentary! thx 4 engaging african-descended men in an unconventional way. r u aware james baldwin did not self-identify as gay? in the spirit of self-determnation, baldwin refused to be used as the token negro 4 the gay rights movement - a movement which began in the early 50's by & 4 a few white, male, homosexuals; regardless of what pbs tells u - which never intended 2 benefit same-gender-loving people of african descent...or women. i enjoyed your powerful documentary! thx 4 engaging african-descended men in an unconventional way. r u aware james baldwin did not self-identify as gay? in the spirit of self-determnation, baldwin refused to be used as the token negro 4 the gay rights movement – a movement which began in the early 50′s by & 4 a few white, male, homosexuals; regardless of what pbs tells u – which never intended 2 benefit same-gender-loving people of african descent…or women.

]]> Comment on Collide: Will It Work? Aquaruis & Scorpio by Spydr http://yoloakili.com/2011/05/will-it-work-aquaruis-scorpio/#comment-3661 Spydr Wed, 18 Apr 2012 06:05:08 +0000 http://temp.modwest.com/yoloakili.com/?p=452#comment-3661 I have seen relationships where couples who have Moon in Scorpio and Moon in Aquarius last only through extreme compromise and open communication. I have seen relationships where couples who have Moon in Scorpio and Moon in Aquarius last only through extreme compromise and open communication.

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