CRITICAL THINKING. 
CULTURAL AFFIRMATION.  SELF-DETERMINATION.



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The Black Men's Xchange-New York
Gatekeepers e-Newsletter Archive Homepage
Greetings and welcome!

The purpose of this archive webpage is so that you can
Bawabisi SGL Symbol be more familiar  with Black Men's Xchange National and it's respective local chapters. As this archive continues to build over time,  you can glance and read about the topics we've covered and touched on presently and previously as it relates to same gender loving (SGL) men of African descent.

Below, the archive is categorized by the most current e-newsletter's topic title by date and followed by the previous issues in reverse sequential order by week.

We hope you find this archive of value and that the topics are able to guide you in a CRITICAL THINKING process to nurture CULTURAL AFFIRMATION &SELF-DETERMINATION for the African Diaspora.

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BMX Mission Statement

BMX Logo (Black)THE BLACK MEN'S XCHANGE (BMX) was founded in 1989 by activist, writer and behavioral health expert Cleo Manago, as an instrument of healing and empowerment for same gender loving (SGL) and bisexual African descended men. The mission of the Black Men's Xchange (BMX) is to affirm, heal, educate, unify and promote well-being and critical thinking among Black people - 18 and up - diverse in sexuality, class, culture and philosophy.  Black Men's Xchange (BMX) conducts activities that promote healthy self-concept, sexual health, constructive decision making, and cultural affirmation among same-gender-loving (SGL), bisexual and heterosexual Black populations. BMX affirms and educates Black men (and the community at-large) while providing tools for self-determination, community responsibility, self-actualization and the prevention of health threats (e.g. HIV, isolation, substance and other addictions, and mental instability). BMX creates an environment that advances Black culture and involves identifying and unlearning ingrained anti-homosexual and anti-black male and female conditioning.


BMX is built on a philosophy that embraces same gender loving experience as intrinsic to everyday Black life.  Integral to BMX's approach is the understanding that, in order to decrease internal and external anti-homosexual thinking, and demystify differences around diverse ways of living and loving Black people must engage in supportive dialogue with each other and the community.

At BMX we believe that self-determination is crucial in achieving success toward healing and empowerment.  We understand that our cultural and experiential uniqueness requires a uniquely focused and precise approach.  Affirming strategies born out of our own experience is powerful; hence, the adoption of the terms, Black, African American and Same Gender Loving (SGL).

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Topics:  BMX- NY 2012 Spring Calendar

(PLEASE NOTE THAT TOPICS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE;
WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTERS WILL REFLECT ANY NEW CHANGES)
 

TO BE ANNOUNCED







*Public Display of Affection-0219
 BMX-New York Gatekeepers  e-Newsletter Archive
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  • Taking Care of Yourself (April 13th, 2012)
  • How do you take care of yourself? What does health self-care look like? What do you do that feels good but isn't good for you? What do you need to start doing? What illnesses run in your family/are you susceptible to? When you think of your health through your sexuality/SGLness, what concerns you the most? What would you look and feel like at your healthiest? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-04-13-BMX-NY April 2012-1  (4/10/2012)
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  • BUILDING A SAME GENDER LOVING LIBERATION MOVEMENT: A Dialogue with Same Gender Loving Sisters (March 30th, 2012)
  • Are there fundamental human rights of which we are still deprived in our community? If so, what are they? How active are we in our communities (e.g. local communities, Black communities, Civil Rights or Gay Liberation initiatives?) Is it possible that our political inactivity/invisibility might be related to conflict around self-worth? What, if any, value might there be in honoring one's cultural uniqueness in the struggle for human rights? Is the LGBT Movement enough? If not, do we need a movement to address our issues? If so, are we capable of building and sustaining such a movement? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-04-06-BMX-NY April 2012-1  (4/4/2012)
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  • Where The Rubber Meets The Road: PTSS and "Homophobia" (March 23rd, 2011)
  • What is Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS)? How, if at all, might PTSS influence Black people's outlook about SGL people? What's patriarchy got to do with it? Is homophobia experienced by gays the same as anti-homosexual attitudes among Black people? If not, How do they differ? What, if any role have we in changing the Black community's attitude about same gender lovingness? If we have a role in changing attitudes, how do we overcome our own PTSS on the way to taking up that charge? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-03-23-BMX-NY March 2012-1  (3/20/2012)
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  • WHO I AM: Keeping The Love You Find [Part 2] (March 16th, 2012)
  • What are the benefits of doing a self-inventory* as an SGL man? As a Black man? Having done an honest self-inventory, what surprised me about myself? What didn't surprise me about myself? What in self-inventories from others did I hear that was useful? What have I learned about my SGL-ness from the inventory? How might this transform the SGL community positively if we were to all have the opportunity to do this before/during dating and courtship? *NOTE: We will be sharing a "Self Inventory" handout (whatever one is comfortable sharing) this Friday in small workshop triads. | READ MORE...
  • 2012-03-16-BMX-NY March 2012-1  (3/13/2012)
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  • KEEPING The LOVE YOU FIND: SGL Men & The Dating Game (March 9th, 2012)
  • What kind of same gender loving man/lover am I? When a man makes love, he should...? When I am my worst self, I...? When I am my best self, I...? What do you like about men, non-sexually speaking? What do you think of men? How do SGL men treat you - Positively and Negatively? Where, if at all, is age a factor when it comes to same gender loving? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-03-09-BMX-NY March 2012-1  (3/6/2012)
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  • Outing ---> Tyler Perry - GOOD DEEDS @ The Regal Cinemas E-Walk Stadium (March 2nd, 2012)
  • This Friday, BMX-NY Will NOT Meet At Our Regular Gathering Space. We Will Go On An Outing To See Tyler Perry - GOOD DEEDS | READ MORE...
  • 2012-03-02-BMX-NY March 2012-1  (2/28/2012)
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  • And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going: SGL Folk & the Black Church (February 24th, 2012)
  • Is your God a Black God? How does religious thought influence SGL thinking and behavior? Does your religion celebrate your sexuality? If your religion condemns you, is it really your religion? What, if any, role have we in changing the perspective of the Black church? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-02-24-BMX-NY February 2012-1  (2/21/2012)
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  • URGENT!!! - BMX Needs Your Help Today! (February 21st, 2012)
  • Have you seen this Huffington Post article yet? There's been a lot of press lately and internet activity resulting from Cleo Manago's comments about the GLAAD/Roland Martin debacle. The article below, written by renown African American lesbian activist, scholar and public theologian Irene Monroe is in the Huffington Post, one of the most popular news sites on the internet. Huffington is strongly considering doing a full article on the work of the Black Men's Xchange. This would be major exposure for the organization, which politically would be very helpful to our sustainability. We need your help. Our request is that you read the article, then leave a commentary on how you feel about the article, and tell 10 friend to do the same thing. This part is essentail. The more comments, the more apt Huffington Post. is to do a BMX full article. Your comments are needed ASAP! | READ MORE...
  • 2012-02-BMX-NY Special Edition e-Newsletter February 2012-1  (2/21/2012)
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  • Film Screening ---> Black In Latin America - The D.R. & Haiti (February 17th, 2012)
  • Black in Latin America, a new four-part series about the African influence on Latin America, is the latest production from renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The series examines how Africa and Europe came together to create the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean. On his journey, Professor Gates discovers, behind a shared legacy of colonialism and slavery, vivid stories and people marked by African roots. Latin America and the Caribbean have the largest concentration of people with African ancestry outside Africa - up to 70 percent of the population in some countries. The region imported more than ten times as many slaves as the United States, and kept them in bondage far longer. As Professor Gates travels to these varied countries, he celebrates the massive influence millions of people of African descent had on the history and culture of Latin America and the Caribbean, and considers why and how their contribution is often forgotten or ignored. Running Time: 60 minutes | READ MORE...
  • 2012-02-17-BMX-NY February 2012-1  (2/14/2012)
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  • THE GAY MAFFIA's Hi-Tech BLACK MALE LYNCHING PARTY (February 10th, 2012)
  • What do Isaiah Washington, Kobe Bryant, Tracey Morgan, and Roland Martin have in common? What is GLAAD's relationship to the Black community? What is GLAAD's relationship to the SGL community? What is our relationship to Roland Martin? What is our relationship to what GLAAD is doing? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-02-10-BMX-NY February 2012-2  (2/10/2012)
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  • FREAKY-DIKY - Decriminalizing Homo-sex: Dialogue with Formerly Incarcerated Brothers (February 3rd, 2012)
  • What happens when we accept that men in prisons have sex - with each other? Are 'Vegas rules' about sex in the lock-up a good thing? Does love live among Brothers in prison? If not, what's there instead? If so, what happens to that love when they leave and come back to "the real world?" Does desiring another Brother automatically make one a non-man? Which is the truer mark of manhood, how a man loves, or how a man has the courage to honor how he loves? Do we have the power to redefine manhood? Should we? How can we make it safe to be sexually fully present and accounted for in the Black community? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-02-03-BMX-NY Febraury 2012-1  (1/31/2012)
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  • "Staying Fit For The Game" Pathways to Healing & Health (January 27th, 2012)
  • Massage therapist and holistic health enthusiast, Tommie Thompson will lead an Interactive Workshop in which participants will be invited to share things that enhance our well-being, including: Diet, Exercise, and Spiritual practices. Exercises will include: Physical exercise, Meditation, Massage, Rituals, and 'Language as Nutrition.' | Brothers, please be sure to wear comfortable clothes. | READ MORE...
  • 2012-01-27-BMX-NY January 2012-1  (1/24/2012)
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  • PERCEPTIONS OF MY BROTHER: A Conversation Among African-Americans, Africans and Afro-Caribbean Men (January 20th, 2012)
  • What role do geography, national origin and shared historical events play in how we identify? Is it important to know African American History as a Diasporan countryman? To what extent might our perceptions about differences between us from one part of the Diaspora to the next be shaped by mass media? What happens when we attach SGL to African or Afro-Caribbean? Does white supremacy differentiate between our different identities? How can we build solidarity across our differences? Should we? Why? | READ MORE...
  • 2012-01-20-BMX-NY January 2012-1  (1/17/2012)
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  • Education and Black Men: Moving Forward (January 13th, 2012)
  • While it's true that 'college isn't for everyone,' what is education for? How would you characterize your educational experience, historically? What, if anything, should SGL youth be taught to prepare them for success? Have you ever thought about going back to school? If so, what, if anything, has stood in the way? How is sexual diversity currently navigated in schools? Mis-Education of the Negro If you believe "Mis-education of the Negro" is real, why would you ever go back? | READ MORE...
  • 2011-01-13-BMX-NY January 2012-2  (1/10/2012)
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  • Speaking the Unspeakable: Having Voice in the Black Community and Beyond (January 6th, 2012)
  • What have you said or done recently that you might not have a year ago? What does it mean to have a voice? What happens when you show up as you? What's the connection between having voice and fulfillment? Are you able to stand up for your rights as an SGL man? How important is your voice to the community? | READ MORE...
  • 2011-01-06-BMX National January 2012-1  (1/3/2012)
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  • AmASSI-NY & BMX-NY Presents A KUUMBA Pot-luck KWANZAA GATHERING (December 30th, 2011)
  • JOIN AmASSI-NY & BMX-NY For A KUUMBA Pot-luck KWANZAA GATHERING KWANZAA - Friday, December 30th, 2011 @ 6PM - The 5th Day of KWANZAA, Nia (nee-AH): Purpose | Please come prepared to share a creative offering: A song, dance, poem, words of encouragement, etc. Also, a dish or beverage will be duly and well appreciated. PEACE | READ MORE...
  • 2011-12-30-BMX-NY (KWANZAA) December 2011-1  (12/21/2011)





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2011 BMX-NY Topics


"AM I ALL THAT I OUGHT TO BE?" - A Kawaida Kwanzaa Primer (December 23rd, 2011)
READ MORE...


IN the SPIRIT - Embodying the 'L' in SGL (December 16th, 2011)
READ MORE...



VALUING OUR LIVES AS BLACK MEN: Exploring Our Relationship to Our Hetero Brothers (December 9th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Film Screening: MISS HIV (December 2nd, 2011)
READ MORE...


Friday Forum Recap: (BMX- NY Topic Hi- lites From Friday, November 18th, 2011): SEEKING APPROVAL or SELF-ACCEPTANCE
READ MORE...


SEEKING APPROVAL or SELF-ACCEPTANCE (November 18th, 2011)
READ MORE...


STRIPPERS, ESCORTS & PORN STARS: SGL Brothers In The Adult Entertainment Industry (November 11th, 2011)
READ MORE...


BABY BOY: Navigating The Matrix As Young Men Who Love Men (November 4th, 2011)

ROCK The VOTE For WHAT? Is There An SGL Political Agenda? (October 28th, 2011)
READ MORE...


CELEBRITY DL: Calling All SGLs (October 21st, 2011)
READ MORE...


What's Occupying Wall Street Got to Do with Us? (October 14th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Growing Older and Thriving in the SGL Community (October 7th, 2011)
READ MORE...


No Room at the Inn: The Marginalization of Same Gender Loving Youth (September 30th, 2011)
READ MORE...


BMX-NY Outing (Theater): "SEED" by Radha Blank (Friday, September 23rd, 2011 @ 8:00PM)
READ MORE...


Internet HOOKUPS & Booty Calls: Is It Just Sex, or A Setup For Failure In Intimacy? (September 16th, 2011)
READ MORE...


African-Centered Rites of Passage for Same Gender Loving Men [Part II] (September 9th, 2011)
READ MORE...


"MOGUL" Reading and Book Signing with Author, Terrance Dean (July 22nd, 2011)
READ MORE...


ARE YOU MARRIAGE MATERIAL? - Now That We Can, So What? (July 15th, 2011)
READ MORE...


BUILDING A SAME GENDER LOVING LIBERATION MOVEMENT: A Dialogue with Same Gender Loving Sisters (July 8th, 2011)
READ MORE...


BMX-NY Topic: THRIVING OR SURVIVING, WHICH ARE YOU?: A Resource Quotient Assessment (July 1st, 2011) | BMX-Baltimore Topic: Racial or Rational (July 3rd, 2011)
READ MORE...


BMX-NY Topic: How Do We Flex Our Political Muscle? (June 24th, 2011) | BMX-Baltimore Topic: THE MEDIA AND BLACK MEN: Entertainment or Brainwash (June 26th, 2011)
READ MORE...


DADDY's LOVE: How Have Our Relationships with Our Fathers Shaped Us As SGL Men? (June 17th, 2011)
READ MORE...


TAKING RESPONSIBILITY For The 'L' in SGL: The Politics of Love (June 3rd, 2011)
READ MORE...


Now That You Know How To Do It Better, Find Intimacy with Someone To Do It Better With (May 27th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Is There Division Between Black and Latino SGL Men? (May 20th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Does Your God Mind How You Love? (May 13th, 2011)
READ MORE...


BMX Annual National Leadership Summit & Retreat: "Healing, Strategic Intelligence, Self-Love & Discovery" (Friday, May 6th - Monday, May 9th, 2011 @ West Sonoma Inn & Spa Center in Guerneville, California)
READ MORE...


BMX Outing: Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family (May 6th, 2011)
READ MORE...


The New Sharecropping System: DEBT (April 29th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Film Screening ---> "Zeitgeist" (April 22nd, 2011)
READ MORE...


BE THE CHANGE: Same Gender Loving Men As Change Agents (April 15th, 2011)
READ MORE...


SEX: How to Do What You Like to Do Better (April 8th, 2011)
READ MORE...


It Helped In The Past, But Now It Hurts: Are Some "Cultural Traditions" Examples of Normalized Oppression? (April 1st, 2011)
READ MORE...


On-Line Dating, or Sex Connects? (March 25th, 2011)
READ MORE...


You Don't Like Me Because I'm Smart (March 18th, 2011)
READ MORE...


DIVA WORSHIP: How Might Idolatry of Beyonce, Rihanna, Janet, (et al.) Impact Our Manhood As SGL Men? (March 11th, 2011)
READ MORE...


RESURRECTING BLACK MANHOOD & the Fear of a Same Gender Loving Planet: A Dialogue w/Hetero Brothers (March 4th, 2011)
READ MORE...


SGL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: If I Were to Start A Business, What Would it Be? (February 25th, 2011)
READ MORE...


MYTHS & FAIRYTALES: How Might Childhood Stories & Legends Have Influenced Our Adult Belief Systems? (February 18th, 2011)
READ MORE...


FINDING YOUR PERFECT MATE: The Alpha-Beta Mating Test (February 11th, 2011)
READ MORE...


What Blacks Owe SGL Folk, What SGL Folk Owe Each Other (February 4th, 2011)
READ MORE...


The Gift of Same Gender Lovingness (January 28th, 2011)
READ MORE...


SHAME OFF YOU (January 21st, 2011)
READ MORE...


DRUM DISCONNECTION: Embracing The Ancestors - Reconnecting With Our Identity [Part II] (January 14th, 2011)
READ MORE...


Responding To The Drum: Embracing the Ancestors - Reconnecting with Our Identity (January 7th, 2011)
READ MORE...


AmASSI & BMX-NY Presents The 8th Annual KWANZAA Potluck Celebration (December 31st, 2010)
READ MORE...




2010 BMX-NY Topics


AmASSI & BMX-NY Presents The 8th Annual KWANZAA Potluck Celebration (December 31st, 2010)
READ MORE...


On Being Same Gender Loving: To Pass, or Not to Pass? (December 17th, 2010)
READ MORE...


JUDGEMENT CALL: Are We Overly Critical of Ourselves & Each Other? (December 10th, 2010)
READ MORE...


RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGE As An Extension of White Privilege (December 3rd, 2010)
READ MORE...


CONJURING AN SGL LEXICON: How Will We Define Ourselves? (November 19th, 2010)
READ MORE...


BMX-NY Outing: "Through The Night" Theater Play [@ The Union Square Theatre - NYC] (November 12th, 2010)
READ MORE...


FEARS: Facing Them, Conquering Them (November 5th, 2010)
READ MORE...


Film Screening > Crips And Bloods: Made In America (October 29th, 2010)
READ MORE...


Love's Contradictions (October 22nd, 2010)
READ MORE...


GENDER ROLE CONFUSION: The Adoption of Hetero-normative Gender Roles in SGL Relationships (October 15th, 2010)
READ MORE...


BMX-NY Outting > The SHANEEQUA CHRONICLES: The Making of a Black Woman (October 8th, 2010)
READ MORE...


How Wrong Is Long? Why We Can't Wait (October 1st, 2010)
READ MORE...


The 'N' Word Redux (September 24th, 2010)
READ MORE...


The OTHER MAN: How Does Dating or Sexing Married Men Affect the Community? (September 17th, 2010)
READ MORE...




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