From the mailbag:
Let me start off by telling you, I'm glad you're a young positive brother doing your thing. Congrats and I wish you much success. My only concern is you using the image and the colors of Alpha Phi Alpha to market yourself. How are the two interconnected? There is already a stereotype of Alphas being gay, and obviously your work is perpetuating it. You didn't start it, I'm not postulating that you did, I just don't get why you don't use your talent and not have to "lean on the letters" to sell books. Is it marketing, do you think it brings you more fans, more controversy? I'm an Alpha, a raving, raging heterosexual and I'm sickened when people equate Alpha with gays. Our legacy is one of strong powerful black men, exceptional men, and we are being defamed. To each his own, I don't necessarily agree with homosexuality but, I don't think anybody can tell another person who they can or should love, but, this is ridiculous. Using the fraternity colors, using the colors in your pen name? Old gold and your novels are about homosexuals? This is out of pocket brother and I wonder if Tandy, Kelly, or any of the founders would approve of your violation of the crest. You can chuck this in your hate mail box, but, hate it is not. Be blessed brother and I hope you realize what you're doing.
Your email is full of contradictions. You say that I am a positive brother, yet I'm not. You wish me much success, but have you purchased the book?
How am I using the image of Alpha Phi Alpha to market myself? I AM AN ALPHA. I cannot and will not turn off my Alphaness for those of you (if you are indeed my Brother) who are not "comfortable" with those of us who are comfortable with ourselves.
What makes YOU the voice of Alpha? Why target me for my gayness? Have you sent similar emails to those members who might be abusing drugs, abusing women, failing out of school, not taking care of their kids, or hazing? PLEASE....you want to talk about defamation? Let's start talking about dead and maimed Sphinxmen -- THEN we can talk about who is really defaming my fraternity.
My work doesn't perpetuate a stereotype...if you READ my work, you will see that it doesn't. It actually attempts to destroy quite a few stereotypes -- one being that all heterosexual men are homophobes. That should be the one you're working on, but so far, you're failing.
And you know what.....NIGGA PLEASE! If you only knew how much I do NOT lean on my letters when it comes to my work! "Old Gold" is a color..... do you know how many fraternities and sororities use old gold as a color? Hmm, I can think of one...Alpha Phi Omega. I'm a member of that too, genius, and I probably mention it a lot more than I do Alpha. One reason is because the raging homophobes in APO generally keep to themselves. (Take a lesson from them.)
It's presumptuous of you to think that I am using Alpha to promote my book. If I was, don't you think I would have been at all types of regional conferences and the general convention to promote this mug? I WASN'T. People expected me to, but I didn't.
You being sick of people equating Alpha with homosexuality is really and truly your personal problem. I was gay before I was an Alpha. Alpha doesn't stop my gayness and being gay doesn't stop my Alphaness.
Not to mention....gay men can't be strong? Gay men can't be powerful? Get a fucking grip -- a gay man organized the 1963 March on Washington!
And for the record, I don't have a pen name -- my real name is Rashid Darden. That's the name I write my books with, and it's real.
And why do mofos ALWAYS fall back on the Jewels when it comes to this issue? Why fall back on seven dead men who never made any public statements for or against homosexuality? That's...that's....what's the word... a cop out? Obviously we can't just ring them up and ask their opinion. So you don't know and neither do I.
In short...don't email me with this bullshit anymore. When you enter MY space by emailing me your ill-conceived opinions on how YOU feel I am representing the fraternity, prepare to be ripped a new one. You don't know me and you don't have to support me -- but IF you are indeed my brother, do the brotherly thing and keep your opinions to yourself.
I mean seriously -- did you REALLY think I'd change the name of my entire domain AND my business because YOU think I am "representing" Alpha? PLEASE believe that what an "Old Gold Soul" really is will be lost on you.
Now...if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!
(That one's for you, FratMan1906 *wink*)