I LOVE the summertime, besides the fact that I am a July Leo baby (July 28th MARK YOUR CALENDARS), the summer, especially in New York, a city known for its hot, humid, muggy-ass, tourist drenched, wonderful summers is the time where everyone, myself included, beaten down from the cold, dreary winter longs to show a little skin. Walking down the streets of Harlem everyday there are all these sexy chocolate, mocha, and caramel men as far as the eyes can see, shirtless or in wife beaters, shooting dice, playing basketball, wallking, talking on their cell phones, doing pull ups on the traffic pole on the corner, abs, biceps, and triceps flexed. Some straight, some gay (a lot more than you think), some bi, whatever, but all sexy. Sometimes you even exchange lustful and/or curious glances with them as you walk by, other times you don't. Either way the essence of sex is so thick in the air you can cut it with a knife.
On our trip to Los Angeles a few months back with my boyfriend I remember asking him "Where are all the gay people in this town?" I wasn't picking up a vibe anywhere, and then I asked "Where the hell are all the good looking straight men?" Of course I have my baby but I ain't dead, right? I'm just kinda used to seeing good looking men around. It's very rare that I leave the house and don't find someone to catch my eye.
It's weird but it wasn't until I left New York I realized how gay it was, especialy Harlem. Growing up in East New York, Brooklyn I was never really exposed to such open gayness before. While of course we live in a straight man's world and everybody isn't open and out about theirs, Harlem was the first place a dude ever tried to come and try to talk to me on the regular public street (125th Street to be exact) no where close to Greenwich Village or any gay establishment. I remember it scaring the hell outta me, I remember thinking "Is this nigga crazy? Don't he know we on the street?" I remember the first transexuals and ultra-feminine boys I saw walking down the streets of Harlem, in the daytime, paying it like it was no big deal, and then there was that time this dude tried to bag me, asked me for my number, at in the gym, right here in Harlem, it was definitely culture shock but it quickly wore off.
Harlem is the black gay mecca, I recommend that every black gay person visits Harlem before they die, or at least before they gentrify it beyond recognition. Besides all the sexy men, Harlem is home to many openly gay professionals and business owners. I can only imagine how refreshing it would be for a black gay young person from a small repressed town to come to Harlem and see black gay folks like him or herself thriving in their business and personal lives and being pillars of the community while not having to compromise who they are. I have to admit that it even opened my eyes and I'm from Brooklyn, right across the river. Shortly after moving to Harlem from Brooklyn I last year I realized, "I'm finally home," well, at least for right now. Who knows where life may take me?
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Song Of The Day:
"Disrespectful"
by Chaka Khan feat. Mary J. Blige
from the album "Funk This"
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I've been to NYC a couple of times but never really got to experience the city in daylight. Thinking about it even more I never really experience much of the city in general...I lodged in Brooklyn and partied in Manhattan but never really got into the rhythm of the city itself. I think it's time for a trip back...
I'm in Brooklyn and shit like that has never happened to me (dude walking up and asking for my number, wish it would though), but if it did I'd be all freaked out and topsy-turvy in the head. I walk right off on dude and ac' like he was crazy.
That happened to me one night though when I came off my two train at Sterling walking the blocks to my home. Dude was walking beside me and basically tried to talk to me. It was freakin' Nostrand and I was listening to my music in my head phones. I wasn't hearin' dude and I wasn't tryin' to. It was late (I'm a brave bird; walking that late at night with music in my ears) so I was suspect about his motives, but dude looked like he was try'na get at me. I wasn't sure I was attracted to him, but I acted like I ain't hear him and kept it movin'. Dude walked ahead a little wounded and disappeared from my life forever. (stopping to think for a minute)
I should have not been so defensive about it. That was a once in a lifetime. But who knows, he might have been crazy or nasty or bad tempered or manipulative. Hope it happens again sometime and it turns out well.
I was thinking to try that kinda thing in Harlem with some friends, but I don't know Harlem like that, so I ain't playin' that kinda party. The shopping is decent over there though.