AFC Voice - The Creative Voice of the LGBT Homeless

My Birth Parents

2007-10-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

This is a poem I wrote about not knowing my birth
parents...

Why?

I lye in my bed at night
Thinking about you
But I don't know you
I wish I did, but this is what you wanted
I was so young
Don't remember you at all
Still your decision causes me pain
Do you even care about me
If you did you would have made a better decision
Things in my life could have been so different
If only you were there as parents
Like you should have
There must be a reason why
That I do not know
I wish I did
But I don't
Why oh why would you do this to your son
I hope that you can't sleep at night
And feel sorry for the decision you made
It affected me in such a big way
My life changed in an instant
But I forgive you
You were young and dumb
And made some mistakes
I forgive you though
Because you knew you couldn't do for me
I can't hate you anymore
Because I know you did what you thought was
best
I love you even though I don't know you

Nyck Schweigert

Poem by Kadidia Adula Pemba

2007-09-22T17:27:00.000-04:00

Tangles

I tried to forgive your wrongs

Like you untangled hair

With a comb

But somehow there is this big knot

That’s like gum stuck in strands

Now I need a hair cut

Now it’s a brand new hair do

It’s nothing I had envisioned

But it’s how it is between

Me and you

You’ve hurt me more

Than I could try to forget.

a song about hollywood

2007-09-12T23:40:00.001-04:00

it's all about the hollywood life/isn't that right got a lot of people that love to steal/love to fight let off things that sound like fire crackers in the middle of the night/it's not even the 4th of july yet/but if i can bring you back to hollywood/where they catch dwi's and it makes the front headlines the daily news even got the scoop/and i get on the phone and be like let me call snoop/and he picks up the phone says what's goin'on.

Word Expressions and Cotton Blends

2007-08-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

Think of a word, any word. Then find a font that best represents that word. Denardo, Nick, Robin and Alejandro were all challenged to do just that. Their volunteer group leader, Chris, then took those words and placed them on T's.

Here were their words:
Denardo chose "Fierce"
Nick chose "Depression"
Robin thought of "Royalty"
Alejandro picked "Passion"

Just For Being a Lesbian

2007-08-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

Dylan talks about the day two of her friends were killed for being lesbians.

Ali Forney Center on Myspace

2007-08-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Everybody's on Myspace, even The Ali Forney Center. We think you should add them as a friend.

"It's In Your Eyes" by Jayson

2007-08-02T14:11:00.000-04:00

Stop and think, just what your life is.

Is it what you always wanted it to be?
Or is it somewhat disturbing?

Stop! Think, just think
what is it that you really want in life?
Everyday you walk around with a
dumb look on your face,
thinking ain't nobody seein' what's written all over it.

You try to hide your emotions
with a smile that says
Yes! I'm good,
but really in your heart you're dying
from all that's going on.

Think, why don't you just think
about the emotional pain you feel
and stop trying to hide it?
Your friends see it, even your
neighbors too.
They can see it 'cause it's all
in your eyes.

Just stop trying to fool others
'cause you're only fooling yourself
into believing it's all good.
But guess what? It's not!

So just take a second.
Stop, think and realize just what life is.
Your life, your pain and your sorrows
are all in your eyes.

The Best Day of Marcus' Life

2007-07-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

The statistics on LGBT homeless youth are staggering, especially in New York City. The Ali Forney Center was established in 2002 to give these teens hope for a better life. By offering shelter, outreach services and counseling, the AFC is a positive place for LGBT kids to turn.

Poem 2 by Lamont Joseph

2007-07-24T13:15:00.000-04:00

It's All in a Word

2007-07-12T16:41:00.000-04:00

If you were given a word, how would you illustrate it? Take the word "happy" for a spin:

You're Invited...

2007-07-09T19:31:00.000-04:00

Graduation Time for 'Z'

2007-07-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

We all know her as 'Z,' the end of the alphabet. In a weeks, Z will see another end - the finale of her NEW pre-apprenticeship training program.

NEW (or Nontraditional Employment for Women) is a nonprofit organization that trains women for skilled jobs in construction and other blue-collar industries.

Z is in the carpentry program. Soon she'll enter into a full apprenticeship. Look out for her official graduation in 2008. Meanwhile, she can be found smiling at The Ali Forney Day Center.

Reflections from the Kingdom

2007-06-23T17:02:00.000-04:00

Alejandro, Delbert and Lakeim were asked to create images that reflected themselves or a part of themselves by selecting from a pool of animal images. Here's their work:

You Can't Keep a Good Queen Down

2007-06-22T12:47:00.000-04:00

by Kelley Edwards

It was so uplifting to see Kevin Aviance at Luscious 2007. He ruled the stage! His comeback from last year's vicious attack by gay-bashers is inspirational.

I am a news producer. When the news of his attack crossed the wires we were trying to find some of his music to use. We got a sample of his hit, Din Da Da. Having been on the receiving end of dozens of anti-gay attacks (from death threats to physical violence), I am very sensitive to bias-crime stories.

Kevin was attacked two weeks before he was to perform in Gay Pride. He had to have his jaw wired shut so he couldn't sing. But he WAS in the parade, declaring "you can't keep a good queen down!"

I gushed "I love you!" when I saw him at the Luscious after party. I told him I was so happy that he is okay. He seemed to choke up a little bit—or maybe it was me—when he said "it happened a year ago today."

The four cowardly thugs who attacked him are now in prison. Kevin Aviance is back and better than ever.

Jordyn Cuts Up

2007-06-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

Who knows where Jordyn will end up. At this point it's too early to tell, but she will definitely be in either one of the major newsrooms as a feature reporter or enjoying the benefits of freelance journalism. Jordyn loves music, writing and has a gift for interviewing and sound editing. It's just a matter of time before her name is seen in the bylines of major newspapers and magazines.

Here Jordyn cuts
audio with volunteer
Kelley Edwards, a news
producer at WCBS.

Jordyn walked up
to legend Kevin Aviance
at Luscious 2007 like
she'd been interviewing celebrities
for years. Here she poses
with the same confidence.

Jordyn auditioning
for Dalipstyxx during
her backstage interview
with the trio.

Lakeim and Delbert Become Icons

2007-06-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

Icons rarely do mere legendary things. Here Lakeim and Delbert build icons of themselves in volunteer Chris Parry's Graphic Studio.

Homeless Youth Face Hard Statistics

2007-06-19T16:13:00.001-04:00

Thousands of LGBT youth are forced out to the streets every year and they make up approximately 40% of the total homeless youth population. Homeless LGBT youth face homophobia, violence and brutality on the streets and in the youth shelter system, and are at high risk of HIV infection and drug addiction. The following are some hard statistics related to LGBT youth.

Did you know...

69% of LGBT youth reported experiencing some form of harassment or violence.
83.2% of LGBT students reported verbal harassment, 65.4% reported sexual harassment
41.9% reported physical harassment, 13.7% reported physical assault.
84.3% of LGBT youth students reported hearing homophobic remarks frequently or often.

Poem 1 by Lamont Joseph

2007-06-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to AFC Voice

2007-06-07T00:26:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine thought it would be fun to go around the room and ask all of us a simple question. That inquiry ended up being one of the hardest questions I've answered in my life. He asked, "If you could have theme music or a band follow you around where ever you went, what song would they play? In other words, "what would your theme song be?"

Such a simple question, yet such and eye into my soul. I knew my song would play whenever I entered a room or said hello or eyed a stranger. My Song would represent all of me. In only a few bars (or better yet a short space) I would need to express who I was, where I came from and where I wanted to be.

In this space the young adults of the Ali Forney Center invite you to sample their inner most creative thoughts and expressions through writing, design, sound, film, publishing and other art forms.

This is their theme song- for all to see