Recent shoot...

Happy New Year!

Me and my closest friends, celebrating New Year's...from the left Sean, Anthony, Spencer

Happy New Year!

My 25th Birthday

                  (my birthday celebration w/ my best friend Anthony)

Turning 25 was intriguing in many ways and also something that I looked forward to. Knowing that in life constant ups and downs are sure and are apart of the overall development process, I embrace getting older, maturing and continuing my learning experience. Though I am still young, before I know it I know I'll be 30...I can't believe I am already 25! After you turn 21, the rest is history...that's what people used to tell me and that is what I catch myself telling people now. Isn't that funny how we start to recite stuff our parents said as we were kids the older we get?? With that being said, I know that time is of the essence and I need to began to work towards the goals I set 5 and 10 years ago. And that includes family...One thing I have learned and come to cherish up until this point is family. Unfortunately in today's world it is much easier not to show love, appreciation or respect; we all see it all around us and on T.V. We only get one family-however that is put together-so you have to give all the love you can while you have the chance. My uncle suffered a massive heart attack last week and Teena Marie died yesterday, on my Birthday. So all this has had me reflecting on my life and my family and friends. As another year unfolds and I continue my journey, I will make the effort to love unconditionally and treat others as I would want to be treated, it's that simple...Happy New Years!

My 25th Birthday

The city of Philadelphia stole my car!

These past few days have been crazy for me. Friday night I walked out of my house with my friends to go out to find that my car was gone. I had no clue what to think, other than it was stolen. From right in front of my house, my car had just vanished. There were no indications that it was stolen because there was no glass and my alarm never sounded.

I called 911 and reported my car stolen. It took an amazing 3 hours for a cop to come out and take my report. After the cop left my home my partner and I went back to bed. After about thirty minutes, my phone rang; it was the police officer who had taken my report. He told me that the city had my car; that my car was reported abadoned and towed by the city. I was shocked and couldn't believe that he was serious. The idea that my car, a nice 2006 Mercury with current insurance, tags and registration, was abadoned  infuriated me.

Now does this look abadoned to you???

Now if you are a cop and you are driving down the street and you look at this car does abandoned run across your mind? To make matters worse, the cop informed me that the car was towed by the city yet no cop authorized the tow. I called my insurance company and reported my car stolen because the city stole my car. And now they are holding it until I give them money, that is illegal and wrong on so many levels. If I did this to someone else I would be sitting in jail.

Where was my notice of abdonment? Where was the police report claiming that my car was abandoned? Where are all the tickets and notices they put on a abonded car before they tow it? Further more, my car was parked on a side street in a residental neighborhood where everyone parks. Now, there is a white vehicle on my block that is abandoned and been there for almost a year. Sounds fishy right?

Well my neighbors directly across the street have been giving me major issues every since I moved in. They called the city on me twice for having my car parked in front of my house on the sidewalk during the major snow storms Philly went through a few months ago. So something tells me they definitely had something to do with it.Espeically after I let the husband know that he needs to mind his business and stay off my property.  After talking with another close neighbor, I find out that they are also linked in with the PA correctional office. I also find out that they have been problems all the years they have lived there. This all gets good for me because it sounds like she used her job to have my car illegaly stolen by the city. Sista, you won't have a job when I'm done! In order for a tow truck to come out and just take my car without a police order, someone had to call and report the car abandoned and know someone on the inside to get it towed and bypass PA Vehicle Code process. All I can say is all the people involved in this have it coming!

The city of Philadelphia stole my car!

Change is...Good.

2010 is a new year. What was cool to do last year has to be refined and reshaped for this year. The way we used to do things more than likely need an update. The world and people are always changing, we have to learn to keep up. Keeping up can be rewarding yet filled with drama and negativity; people tend to hate you more when you are trying to be progressive with your life. 

Saying and doing are two opposites and 2010 has to be all about execution. Many tend to boast about dreams, things that are not yet reality. Or may never be. You can stay in a box while the world passes you by or you can choose to be proactive about the things you want to start happening in your life. Many find it easy and covenant to wait around counting on faith for their 'blessing' and waiting for life's gifts when we have the power within ourselves to make those tiny miracles happen. Don't get me wrong, faith and spirituality are good, I use it. But it has to be used in a way that encourages you to be responsible and intuitive about your life. Also be as educated as you can on whichever spiritual path you choose to take. History shows blood lines leading to dictators, countless wars, and foreign countries where religion was misused for evil. The result was horrific and disastrous.

The world is full of so much noise and so many distractions that we can easily get off track, but once you realize it you have to snap back into focus mode. Slips happen; Rome was not built in a day. Don't be to hard on yourself during transitions and reward yourself for even the smallest accomplishments. One helpful way to stay motivated and progressing forward is to spend the majority of your social time around those with like minds. That not only creates a support system but also encourages you to stay strong and keep going even when things get rough.

Many say you don't need a new year to make changes and I say sometimes you do. Look at 2009, I don't know that many who didn't suffer all the way through. Sometimes a new slate is a better start off then one filled with a lot of baggage and confusion. Take full responsibility for your own happiness. Don't look to friends, co workers, or community leaders for all answers and peace and happiness within. You have to know how to control your life, your choices, and your happiness.

Change is...Good.

My life...on the gaylist

Jus trynna keep my cool...after a long hard day of work I check my phone and I have this email from my uncle/church pastor Boe Mason. These past few weeks have been really crazy dealing with this man. Having not seen him in almost ten years, I was shocked and amazed at how this holy man of God came off to be so vicious and nasty toward me.

I saw uncle Boe over thanksgiving at a family gathering and dinner. There were other family members there too, mostly from my mothers side of the family. Since I could remember this family was heavily rooted in church and very extreme in their religious tradition and beliefs. I grew up Christian, obviously, not like I could have branched off as a Muslim or anything. Like Christian beliefs, family values are also passed down through generations. As children you can never question anything, all the answers are in the book. I believed that for a long time, even when I knew I was gay. That is why it is hard for me to believe men when they say they were once gay but are now delivered. I feel they are being torn away from their true selves to be a representation of someone or something else.This was not something I snapped into one day at the age of 16, that crazy but the belief of the majority.  DL is proof that people are not gay by choice. Sadly, I starting breaking down and hating myself. The total opposite of what I was being taught to believe in. This is where the confusion came in and I started questioning. I was being brainwashed into believing that who I was was a choice, a disgrace and an abomination. For a while I did what most gay men do, I faked it. Lived A fake life of lies and deception to make people believe I was worthy enough for their love and approval? I was apart of something that hated me and who I was, so why stay? So I left.

Some didn't like that, but I didn't care. I was no longer a puppet for lies, hate and deception.

I starting doing religious history and astrology research in my quest for wisdom and understanding, the Bible says we must have that.It concluded that all religions come together and go back to ancient Egypt sun worship and astrology. The bible is full of Pagan laws (613) or commandments that nooooone follows according to how it should be in the Bible. Laws that encourage and instruct on slavery, rape, and murder. It would be a different world, time and place if the Government and Church actually held us to the Biblical standards 100%. yes I absolutely believe in God. There is so much that cannot be explained in this universe, that there has to be. Creation serves to explain everything while evolution/science seeks to prove it but that also is not perfect or has all the answers. Many say it claims to but it doesn't. It's more about actuality and rationality. It is possible that the human mind may not even be able to fully understand what and who God is, we only use 10% of our brain mass. Finite minds cannot conceive the infinite...all religion serves a purpose to inspire and give people life purpose and meaning bc they were unable to find that on their own.

I have been getting voice mails, phone calls and text messages, yes text messages, from my uncle saying things like this like this :

Believe me when I say son, you're headed to Hell in a hand basket trying to play these games with GOD!! Because you're not playing any games with me. When you start to put a deaf ear to the truth you have to suffer the consequences

Hell in a hand basket, that's cutier than going to hell with gasoline draws on :-)

Interesting though because sadly this is all I can remember about Church growing up; fear-hell-fear-die-fear-burn-fear-suffer

I told him str8 out after 4 previous times to just leave me alone and that his remarks were getting quite offensive and disrespectful. Because, family member or not, YOU CAN GET THE BUSINESS! and he has not had the cleanest past himself, or even now from what I hear, so he, or anyone else, has a lot of nerve to look down at someone and be so judgmental. No one on this planet is the right hand of God, supposedly the only person that comes close is the Pope. Not once, after not seeing him or speaking to him for years, did he ask about current or past situations or how I was doing. He was acting just like Hitler. I advised him to join an extremist Christian group and I would believe him. Everyone reading this believed that the religious extremist who planned 9/11 really hated America and wanted to die for their beliefs. If I ever really did have a serious life crisis, I know who not to ever call him for help or support. Why does Christianity have to be used in such a nasty vicious way and pull families apart? Our Black families have enough 'reasons' to be separated, why must we constantly be searching for more? I guess the reason why I stopped believing in all this is because I never saw it doing what it claimed it was going to do. Reminds me of politicians. Am I so wrong for wanting to just live my life for me and be happy and true to myself? Can I live?

My life...on the gaylist

Dante's New Year Resolutions List

• Fall in love; don't be afraid to be vulnerable. The people who are in love and relationships today had to do the same at some point. Don't let your past control your future. Remember that while you are bitterly rejecting every guy/girl, your ex's that did you wrong are living their lives and not thinking about you.
  

• Get your own 'signature' style. Being a 'label' (meaning everything you wear is a label or your entire outfit is one label) does not bring out individuality. Show that you can dress yourself and you do not need a designer. When shopping, buy pieces that you can use with other labels or items you already own. Every outfit should include something 'signature' from you.

• Take a dance class! I am currently looking into African and Hip-hop dance classes. It is a great way to network with other talented artist and keep in shape.

• Remember your thoughts create your reality. You can do anything you put your mind to. Work on perfecting your skills and talents.

• Pick up the phone and communicate like we used to. Technology has done great things however, has created many barriers for personal communication. It is especially important to reach out to loved ones and friends, even if it's just to remind them that you love them.

• Taking risks allows the unexpected to happen and this will open doors and experiences you would not had went through otherwise. Every experience will not be positive, don't be afraid of it, learn from it and use that to your advantage. 

• Dress up more often and go out to more social events and fundraisers to expand your business network. Great for singles, take the dating scene out of the club for once.

• Think for yourself, question what people call a fact and do not be afraid to be opinionated. What people fear the most is simply being themselves. Conquer that fear.

• Stop eating McDonald's and fast food on the regular. Start cooking easy simple meals at home. This also saves a lot of money!
  

Dante's New Year Resolutions List

My life...on the Gay list

The hardest person to talk to about your sexuality is your family, especially when it is so taboo. It is ten times harder when your Mother is a devout Christian. I came out to my Mother 5 years ago, and the arguments we have make it seem like it was only yesterday. 

My life...on the Gay list