Description
This is the 25th issue of BLK Magazine published December 1990. The front cover, printed with a yellow tint, features a black and white image of Ivy Young. Young is pictured from the chest up with her right hand in the frame. At the top and centered off to the left, [BLK] is printed in bold, black, uppercase letters within a yellow rectangular box. The L and K are partially obscured by the image of Young. Above the text box in small, white, uppercase letters it reads [THE NATIONAL BLACK LESBIAN AND GAY NEWS MAGAZINE], fitting across the length of the textbox. The headline, located to the right of Young’s head, is printed in yellow text and reads [Ivy / Young / IN A FAMILY WAY / AT THE NATIONAL / GAY AND LESBIAN / TASK FORCE]. Under the [BLK] text box and to the right, in small, yellow text it reads [Vol. 2, No. 12 / Whole No. 25 / December 1990]. To the right of the text box is yellow text announcing the contents of the issue: [NEWS / CARTOONS / ARTS /WORD UP / READ MY LIPS / CLASSIFIEDS]. There are 40 numbered pages, with articles, advertisements, classifieds, black and white photographs, and cartoon illustrations throughout.
The inside of the cover features an ad for the Minority AIDS project for a free, anonymous, AIDS antibody test [WHAT’S WORSE… / 20 MINUTES OF FEAR AND WORRYING / OR… / A LIFETIME OF FEAR AND WORRYING? / CONSIDER GETTING THE AIDS ANTIBODY TESTED TODAY.]. The content opens with the section titled [Word Up / News of the Outrageous, the Amusing, the Pathetic and the Unexpected] by Leon Miller with five short articles: [An Oreo Reveal] about the inverse Oreo, [The Whitney Houston Watch] about Whitney Huston addressing her sexuality, [Nigger Nation] about Mark Corbin’s opinion on “queer,” [Ice-T Changes Mind, Maybe] regarding Ice-T’s homophobic lyrics, and [Pope Says No to Condoms]. The section ends with [Tell the Tale] which encourages readers to submit a funny, strange, or odd story to the publication.
This is followed the [BLK] mast head on page 4.
The cover story, which begins on page 7 is titled [All in the Family / Ivy Young works to secure recognition / for lesbian and gay partners] with the label headline [COVER STORY]. Written by Mark Haile, the article covers Young, the director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Families Project who works for the recognition of lesbians and gay men as families, challenges the nuclear family, and combines the resources of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Lesbian Rights to redefine “family”. At the Pan-African Congress, she understood the complexities of capitalism and oppression. Young also works closely with other local organizations. One quote from the article is printed in a larger font: [“People look around and say capitalism is not working. But capitalism is working fine. Perfectly. It wasn’t supposed to work for you.”].
A feature story, which begins on page 11, is titled [Black Identity / and White Expectations / or, Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do] with the label headline [COMMENTARY]. Written by M. Corinne Mackey, the article is about the perceptions the white gay and lesbian movement has about the Black community and the oppression faced by the Black gay and lesbian community.
Several shorter articles appear under the section [BLK NEWS]. Beginning on page 14, these articles include: [‘Essence’ Cancels BGLLF Ad; Organization Files Suit / by Mark Haile] about the magazine refusing to run an add for the Black Gay and Lesbian Conference and now facing a discrimination lawsuit, [150 Black Lesbians Trek to Headlands Gathering / by Ayofemi Stowe Folayan] about the third annual Gathering, “Trusting Ourselves and Each Other” held by Nia Collective at the Marin Headlands Institute with Vera Martin as the keynote speaker, [Black Gay Man’s Death Still Debated 5 Years Later] about the death of Timothy Lee and the growing awareness of prejudice in Concord, [GLLU Selects Directors] the Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, the oldest lesbian and gay Latino organization in Los Angeles, selected new officers and board members, [High Court Tells Army to Let Perry Watkins Re-Enlist] about the Supreme Court refusing to disturb the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling the Army has to allow Sgt. Watkins to re-enlist, [BMX Fetes Anniversary with Visit from Mayor] celebrating the first anniversary of the Black Men’s Exchange Oakland chapter with the theme expounding on Afrocentric ideals, a screening of "Paris Is Burning", performance by Blackberri, Pater Barclay, and Kerrigan Black, and with Eric Thomas and Tramaine Hawkins, [6th POC Assembly Held] about the 6th International People of Colour Conference being held in London, [Org Forms in Zimbabwe] inspired by the South African group Gay and Lesbian Organization of Witwatersrand, the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe is created and associated with the International Lesbian and Gay Association, [CDC September Statistics on AIDS Cases in U.S.], and [NGLTF Holds POC Confab] about the third annual Creating Change conference where Barbara Smith connected the emergence of Queer Nation with Black Nationalism.
The section [BLK VEIL] starts on page 21 and lists three obituaries: Reinaldo Arenas, Clarence Edward Rhym, Jr., and Jerome Edward Thornton. This is followed by the section [BLK ARTS] on page 23. The subsection [THEATER] has one article titled [The Other Cinderella]; the subsection [DANCE MUSIC REVIEWS] has one article titled [Hot Debuts Jam the Airways / by D.J. Marius]; and the subsection [MUSIC NEWS] with the article [Blue Eyes Gets Black Man / by Ron Smith]. The gossip column titled [Read My Lips] written by Preston G. Guider is on page 27. The issue concludes with the classifieds section [BLK MARKET] starting on page 28, with personal ads divided by gender, nation, then U.S. regions.
The back cover is a full-page advertisement for [SPECIAL / CHRISTMAS PARTY / NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY / THE NEW CAPER ROOM].
There are advertisements throughout, including: [B.M.X. / A Black on Black / Xchange for a / “Change”]; [Keith Medical Group]; [Living / With HIV] by the American Social Health Association, National Association of People of AIDS, and Burroughs Welcome Co; [Holiday Gift Ideas / THE CENTER / GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER / 2 Smash Broadway Hits !!!]; [Serving the Needs / of the People… / VISITING NURSE HOMES SERVICES]; [Buddies ‘n’ Pals / ‘n’ Partners] dating service for major cities in the U.S. and Canada; [GENE’S / AUDIO VIDEO]; [THINK / ABOUT IT: / Deciding to take the test / GMHC]; [BLACK / HAIR CARE / BY RICKY]; [Research Subjects / Needed / Men’s Sexuality and Coping Study] by Robert Fish, M.S.Ed; [KEY TO / YOURSELF / Venice Bloodworth]; two meeting by hosted by GMHC [MEN / MEETING / MEN // EROTICIZING / SAFER / SEX]; [FOR BLACK GAY & / BISEXUAL MEN ONLY!] from the African American Men’s Health Project; [the / BFP TEE]; [The / Hollywood / Spa / Compound / A Man’s Private Preserve]; [ASTRO / GLIDE]; [DATING & INTIMACY / GMHC]; [ARE YOU SHOOTING HEROIN? / ARE YOU INTERESTED IN FREE / & CONFIDENTIAL METHADONE / TREATMENT?? / THE UCLA PROJECT MAY HAVE / A FREE SLOT FOR YOU!]; [ACT-UP/LA needs / your input • your leadership • your anger!]; [THE CENTER / LEGAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT]; [A DIFFERENT LIGHT / Gay and Lesbian Literature]; [Black and / White Men Together]; [Evangelicals Together / FOR Gay & Lesbian Christians]; [“Come Out! / Come Home!”] sponsored by Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum in Los Angeles, CA; [Unity / Fellowship / Church / A Church for All People]; [HAIR-O-DYNAMICS / by Chazz]; [Happy Holidays / Jewel’s Catch One]; [I’ve always said, / “If I ever got / AIDS, I don’t / know what / I’d do.” / I was right.] ad stating the mission of AIDS Project Los Angeles; [Physician / THE CENTER / Gay and Lesbian Community]; [976-HUNK]; [970-WOLF]; [The Black Line]; [Get It On With Hot Men / 1-900-463-4MEN]; [HOT / TALK / ACTION]; [GET A LITTLE… FUN!]; [THE BODY BLACK CALENDAR 1991]; [The Pleasure Chest Ltd.]; [HOT / TALKING / PERSONALS! / Connections USA]; and [TALK LIVE!].
