Frank Ocean is Bisexual/Gay

So people are just coming out in droves. I mean I love it...times are changing. It reminds me of all the other world issues.

These are the times that I would want my nieces, nephew, and cousins to grow up in...and soon ultimately my own children.

I am seeing all these people come out and claim themselves, and I know there are so many others that are in the same boat in all different walks of life. Some are out and proud like Aaron and Dishone, and others are out, but keeping it a secret from family like Van and Dishone.

No one is wrong you have to be smart nowadays. I just want to thank God for this new enlightenment, and the amount of solidarity it is bringing to the world. I mean there will still be haters...I mean there are people still for women being beneath men and not working, people still for slavery, apartheid, and more.

But we have to make a stand.

So here is the Frank Ocean story...Before I begin I want to thank everyone for reading, and also Happy 4th of July.

I have nothing really planned for today, and I would love to spend it with...oh well. No reason to mention who...not important. :-)

I love you guys and thanks for allowing me to share and unload the contents on my heart and mind.

BTW Frank Ocean has been getting support all over the industry and world. I admire him because it takes someone strong in character, heart, and spirit to come out, but it is essential. You cannot live fully if you are always afraid.

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Anderson Cooper: "The Fact Is, I'm Gay."

This man is all over the place...here it is again. Another one:

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[Re-posted from earlier today.]
Last week, Entertainment Weekly ran a story on an emerging trend: gay people in public life who come out in a much more restrained and matter-of-fact way than in the past. In many ways, it's a great development: we're evolved enough not to be gob-smacked when we find out someone's gay. But it does matter nonetheless, it seems to me, that this is on the record. We still have pastors calling for the death of gay people, bullying incidents and suicides among gay kids, and one major political party dedicated to ending the basic civil right to marry the person you love. So these "non-events" are still also events of a kind; and they matter. The visibility of gay people is one of the core means for our equality.
All of which is a prelude to my saying that I've known Anderson Cooper as a friend for more than two decades. I asked him for his feedback on this subject, for reasons that are probably obvious to most. Here's his email in response which he has given me permission to post here:

Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.
But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.
I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life.
Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.
I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.
The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.
I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.
Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.
Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.
I love, and I am loved.
In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

Me too.
Update: The Beast created a video tribute to Anderson's work - watch it here.
(Photos courtesy of Anderson Cooper and CNN)

Fact Is.. Anderson Cooper Thanks God He's Gay

Just got this from facebook, and wanted to share it with the rest of you. The next post is going to be something very personal about who I am. About my purpose and my destiny. Until then here are the articles.

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Anderson Cooper is gay. The news has been met with knowing eye-rolls, giddy high-fives, and a general consensus in the Twittersphere that it doesn't matter: Cooper is a good journalist, a good guy, let's move on.

But let's not move on too fast. It was brave what Anderson Cooper did. Like it or not, he will now be somehow re-branded in America's mind as 'Gay Anderson Cooper.' As Jennifer Vanasco wrote: "He may lose viewers whose prejudice will not allow them to see Anderson Cooper, reporter, only Anderson Cooper, gay."

It seems pretty likely that Cooper will be able to transcend the bias and prejudice. His waiting this long to come out probably will help him. He has built up enough cred as Anderson Cooper, that he will probably do just fine as Gay Anderson Cooper. But let's not pretend like what he did wasn't hard, or that it wasn't brave, because coming out is always hard and brave.

But there is something else that is worth considering before we move on.

Mr. Cooper did something really important in his coming out email to Andrew Sullivan. After eloquently explaining his decision not to come out before now (wanting a private life) and what prompted him to come out now (not wanting his desire for a private life to seem like it was something he was ashamed of), Anderson Cooper used some very strong language towards the end of his email about his sexuality -- he used God talk.

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God's greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life.
Cooper's email was sent to Andrew Sullivan, who is known to be a practicing Christian and a passionate and articulate writer about the intersection of religion and LGBT issues. Cooper specifically used religious language with Mr. Sullivan, knowing that Sullivan would not have merely bleeped over, or considered pro-forma, the talk of God and thanksgiving, he would have taken it to mean something -- which it did.

Anderson Cooper thanked God for his ability to love another person of the same gender, and thanks God every day for the love he has in his life. In his easy manner, Mr. Cooper is saying his sexuality is a divine gift, and that he is thankful to God that he was so wonderfully made.

That is some beautiful and powerful stuff.

And it also goes to the heart of the fight for full rights for the LGBT community.

Religion remains the central battleground for gay rights and most of the anti-gay rhetoric relies on the argument that being gay is 'un-natural' and goes against God's design. It is an insidious line of attack that makes people, especially young people, to distrust and despise their own experience of desire and love.

Anderson rejects that idea with his two easy sentences -- his ability to love the way he loves was given to him by God and he thanks God every day for it.

Take that.

Those of us who are within religious communities fighting for the full dignity and rights of LGBT people within our traditions should be celebrating this day. Not because Anderson Cooper has come out as gay, but because he has testified to all of us that our ability to love is an expression of the Divine that lives within all of us no matter who we are.

Thank God.

DAMN COUPLES!!!!!! :-)

I just came from hanging with 5 couples...why???? Because they offered to pay for dinner and said they missed me, so I said why not.

I went out and it was like Van and I being in the village. There was an interracial couple, a gay couple, 2 straight couples, and 1 lesbian couple.

We had a good time, and of course it made me miss Van so much.

I hope you guys don't mind me unloading but I really miss him. His laugh, his complaining, the good, bad, and the ugly.

I mean he is becoming such an awesome man, and we were doing so well. God why is he so in me?!?!?!?!?!?!

I really want to see him and spend time with him...like maybe going to the village at night on July 4th.

OMG!!! I wanna fight with him, make up with him, and more. I really do love him so much, and I really know he loves me too. I just wish he could get past this whole part in his life. I am so jealous of Aaron and Dishone...and all the couples today.

I am going to be venting to you guys on the regular. I know that Van holds a really big and special place in my heart, and I believe God ordained it so. But nothing I can do about that, because Van is responding from fear, rather than gratitude and hope.

I just have to get it all out.

Sucks to think that the next person will be special, but Van will forever be that threat. God why match me with someone that runs so much and is so full of fear. I mean talk about an interesting Christian...I will never forget him telling me that he doesn't have great examples of a great Christian character...why not just change and take charge of your life!!!!!

I want to wish him well on his MCATs, but not sure how. Going to have to get the kids to do it for me, so he doesn't know it is me.

It really sucks...I will be coming into so much money soon, and all I want to do is spend it on us. I want to spend money traveling, and being a partner.

It is nice...being here with them. I mean some of them got together threw some serious odds. God is good, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done. :-)

Everything is coming together. Maybe I need him to tell me he hates me and never wants to see me again. Maybe I need him to tell me that he would rather see me dead then see me ever again. That he wishes I was never born...that would make it easier to not be with him.

J-Bo

P.S. Van is working hard on the MCATs so please everyone pray for him. Grace and Mercy people!!!! He needs to study, even though he is claiming he needs to study around the clock...hopefully it works. Don't want him to burn himself out.

No, no, no, no, maybe

So I have been getting a few responses to the proposals. A few have said no, but I got two to say maybe.

They want to work out the details, and get everything really really good.

So things are going well. I still have far to go, but I now think that it is all relative. I mean things can turn around so fast that I won't know what is going on. No time to waste...back to work.

Before I forget I was in school today in the practice rooms going over some music. There was a guy I never seen before and we started talking about music, life, and God.

Really nice conversation, and he looked like Bobby Blake.

The conversation went sexual really fast, and before I knew it we were face to face with each other. I was so ready or at least I thought I was.

Again he tried to kiss me and all I could think about is oral herpes. So I let him suck my neck. It felt good, but of course it felt wrong too. WTF is going on?!?!?!!

Then he pulled out my dick and started to jerk on it...I felt ok with that...kinda.

Then he pulled out his, and I swear I was so confused. I mean he had a beautiful dick, but I really felt scared and sick with the thought of putting it in my mouth.

Then he said he wanted to fuck me, and I got really sick and had to get out of there. Before I left he stopped me and asked me what was wrong. I could tell he is not used to getting rejected...I mean the man is gorgeous and would be a nice distraction from Van.

But I couldn't do it. I talked to him, and he is in a similar boat like me. So we talked and laughed and sang and I played. He is a really cool guy. He did say that he didn't want to do anything either, but felt he had to fuck his ex out of his system.

I agree...

I mean I can look and fantasize about other men. I mean Race Cooper is at the top of my list, but I am so confused as to why God is doing this to me. I mean DAMN!!!!!

He was so pretty, but I swear everyone is walking around with every disease in the book. Van was a rare find...crazy and slow, but a rare find.

The kids and pastor, and tony found out what happened through reading my blog. They are not happy about it. But I told them to say nothing about it. Even Van knows he was wrong to even suggest to tell me who I can and cannot hang out with.

In any case vacation time is looking like it is going to happen. I cannot wait. ISLANDS HERE I COME!!!!

J-Bo

WHITNEY HOUSTON TRIBUTE!!!!!

I don't know if you guys watch the BET Awards or not, but the awards show was good...highlight was


WHITNEY HOUSTON TRIBUTE!!!

Monica sang I Love The Lord

Brandy sang I'm Your Baby Tonight and I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Cissy Houston sang Bridge Over Troubled Water...AND KILLED HAD ME AND MY FRIENDS IN WORSHIP AND CRYING!!!!!!

Chaka Khan sang I'm Every Woman

All in all it was an awesome night. I wanted to share it with you guys.

The next thing to watch now is Sunday Best sneak peak. I got some work done today, and I want to reward myself. Tomorrow is a busy day, but God is still good.

I love how he shows up and shows out. I really do love my God. I am not going to lie and say that I am worried that I am working so hard on being the best in all these areas, but I have to make sure relationship wise I am top-notch.

In any case, please enjoy these videos until the BET ones come up.

J-Bo

All smiles

Went to my friend's church today and was asked to sing something gospel and then classical. I did and I think I did a very good job.

They may want to hire me for some work, and I maybe getting the chance to travel and make some serious money. God is so good.

I still have to work on some skills that I need and want to be stronger, but that is true of everything in life.

So now I think I am going to spend the rest of the day just doing some work, and getting my stuff ready for tomorrow.

Now this heat is kicking me in the ass, and I feel the need to get some rest.

Also I want you guys to pray for these kids. Can't go into details now, because I have stuff to do, but just know that things are going ok, but they are rushing some things.

Unless some things are taken care of I see hurt on the horizon...but I am going to stay optimistic and hope for the best. Nothing else I can do.

So everyone stay hydrated and please have fun today. My day is going to be pretty simple and relaxed and that is cool with me.

J-Bo