 R&B star Frank Ocean's coming out might have shaken up the hip-hop world, but now, Los Angeles-based rapper Murs is hoping to take the conversation one step further with a poignant new music video in full support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. In "Animal Style," Murs plays Roderick, the closeted 17-year-old boyfriend of Jonathan, who is an openly gay high school student. Though Murs notes that Jonathan's "boyfriend didn't want to go to prom with him," the couple are shown cuddling and even sharing a brief kiss before a grisly twist ending. The dramatic sequences are intercut with performance shots of Murs, who is shown wearing a "Legalize Gay" T-shirt calling for the repeal of Prop 8, California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. "Boyfriend Roderick kept his secret closeted/Scared to come out into this world of zero tolerance," Murs rhymes in the clip. "Away from school, though, he was so affectionate/Jon had a good thing, no use in upsetting it." On his YouTube page, the rapper describes his motivation for producing "Animal Style," which he ultimately deems a "love song." "'Animal Style' is a song I did for many reasons," Murs explains. "The first was to be an advocate for people close to me who are out, and those who have yet to come out...I wanted to challenge the listener to ask themselves: Is the love shared by two people of the same gender, really that different than the love I have for my partner of the opposite sex?" He then goes on to note, "And finally, I just felt it was crucial for some of us in the hip hop community to speak up on the issues of teen suicide, bullying, and the overall anti-homosexual sentiment that exist within hip hop culture. I felt so strongly about these issues and this song that I had to do a video that would command some attention, even if it makes some viewers uncomfortable." Copywright: Huffington Post. View original article.
 Check out scenes from The L.A. Complex, a new show on the CW that follows a rapper named Kal and his new music producer, Tariq. Over the first season they start to develop a romantic relationship and try and keep it on the down low. The show brings up topics like homosexuality, STDs and many other issues. Check out the scenes from the 6th episode below! Later tonight, watch the new episode on the CW at 9 pm EST. It's the first episode of the 2nd season!
 Check out scenes from The L.A. Complex, a new show on the CW that follows a rapper named Kal and his new music producer, Tariq. Over the first season they start to develop a romantic relationship and try and keep it on the down low. The show brings up topics like homosexuality, STDs and many other issues. Check out the scenes from the 5th episode below!
 Ex NFL player, Wade Davis comes out as gay! Watch the interview below! A cornerback who spent four preseasons with three NFL teams and also played in NFL Europe has come out as gay, joining a small but growing number of former athletes who are publicly acknowledging they are gays or lesbians. Wade Davis, who played in college at Weber State and spent the 2000 and 2002 preseasons with the Tennessee Titans, said he didn't tell his teammates he was gay because he feared the impact it would have in the locker room. Jevon Kearse and Samari Rolle were among his closest friends on the Titans, and he would later be invited to Rolle's wedding. "You just want to be one of the guys, and you don't want to lose that sense of family," Davis said in an interview with Outsports.com. "Your biggest fear is that you'll lose that camaraderie and family." But Kearse said he doesn't think Davis being openly gay would have changed anything. "I know there have been a lot more than just Wade," Kearse told Outsports. "It's just becoming more acceptable, which is a good thing so they can come out and not feel secluded." While there has yet to be an openly gay player in any of the four major American professional leagues, several players have come out after retiring, including former NBA forward John Amaechi, NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo and major leaguer Billy Bean. Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, is openly gay. Davis' football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp. He is now a staff member at the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York, which serves, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
Black History Month Photos of Gay Men Hidden in the Open
 In honor of Black History Month, NoMoreDownLow.TV has an exclusive interview with curator Trent Kelly who gives us a glimpse into rarely before seen photos of black gay men since the mid-19th Century -- including a photo of black gay men during Civil War times.
View this amazing collection of photos of black men called "Hidden in the Open." Collector & curator Trent Kelly invites you in and takes you on a black history tour, like no other, with images of black gay men from far back as the Civil War.
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed Testing Makes Us Stronger for black gay and bisexual men with input from black gay and bisexual men across the country. The goal of this national campaign is to promote HIV testing among black gay and bisexual men. Testing Makes Us Stronger aims to demonstrate that knowing one's HIV status is important and empowering information. The campaign’s bold images and messages are featured in ads in national publications and websites, as well as local outdoor, transit and print media in select cities experiencing high levels of HIV infection in African American gay and bisexual men. A 19-member panel of expert consultants consisting of black gay and bisexual community leaders worked with CDC to develop the campaign. More than 400 black men in five U.S. cities helped refine the messages that you see. Testing Makes Us Stronger is a part of Act Against AIDS, CDC’s 5-year, multi-faceted national communication campaign to fight the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States. Act Against AIDS focuses on raising HIV awareness among all persons living in the United States and reducing the risk of infection among the hardest-hit populations. The multiple campaign phases use mass media (TV, radio, newspapers, billboard advertisements, magazines, the Internet and other communication channels) to deliver important HIV prevention messages. To learn more about Act Against AIDS, visit www.actagainstaids.org. Remember, Testing Makes Us Stronger is just one part of the solution to the cycle of HIV among black gay and bisexual men. We need a nationwide movement to stop HIV in this community. Everyone has a role to play:
- As individuals – Get tested, know your status and talk about HIV with friends and family.
- As a community – Tackle the discrimination, stigma and homophobia that fuel the HIV epidemic among black gay men.
- As a nation – Work to advance the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy by increasing HIV prevention efforts and reducing disparities in the U.S. HIV epidemic.
You may already know that gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV in the U.S. Black gay and bisexual men are getting hit particularly hard by the epidemic. Studies in major cities have found that, in those cities, nearly one in three black gay and bisexual men is infected with HIV, and the majority (59%) don’t even know it because they’ve never been tested or aren’t testing enough. [1]
From 2006 to 2009, new infections in young black gay and bisexual men (ages 13-29) increased by 48 percent.[2]But, there is reason to be hopeful, since we have the power to stop HIV. Knowing your HIV status is a powerful tool – whether you test positive or negative, you can use that knowledge to take better care of yourself and your loved ones. We encourage you to get involved and to change the course of this epidemic for yourself and for your community.
 How can public health officials fight the spread of H.I.V. among young gay black men? H.I.V. infection rates have stabilized in much of the American population -- an achievement that public health officials say points to the effectiveness of various long efforts, including H.I.V. education in schools, which began in New York in 1987. But data released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that rates are increasing sharply in one subgroup: young gay black men. "Black teenage boys who realize they are attracted to men are often too poor to move to gay-friendly cities like San Francisco or New York," wrote Times reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. This could lead many to hide their sexuality and engage in furtive, perhaps riskier sex. "They often lack health insurance, meaning they do not get checkups where a doctor might suggest testing," the article adds. "And while new surveys find that they use condoms at about the same rates as young gay white and Hispanic men, sex tends to stay within racial groups and more older black gay and bisexual men are infected." How could public health officials close the race gap in H.I.V. infection rates? Read the discussion here!
Marsha Ambrosius' music video "Far Away"
Marsha Ambrosius devotes the music video for her new single "Far Away" to raise awareness against bullying. Inspired by her real-life experience, the clip revolves around a gay black man who is bullied and treated as an outsider by people in his neighborhood due to his sexual orientation. At the end of her video, Marsha sends out the message below to others, along with a number you can call if you need to talk with someone. 1-800-273-TALK (8255) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Dear Friends,
Every year over 1 million people commit SUICIDE. Some were BULLIED because of their SEXUALITY. I lost a friend to SUICIDE, and I’m asking all of you to support alternative lifestyles. Don’t put up with or join in with BULLYING. It’s time we become more aware in this WORLD. Take responsibility to make a difference. So if my music can save one life, I’ve done my job.
I love you all so much!
Marsha
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