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Clik Awards - Part II

I left y'all hanging for a while....

So I got interviewed on the red carpet, and that was cute. Went up these huge marble stairs (they seemed marble, maybe they weren't) to the salon where the awards would be held. There were appetizers and whatnot. I didn't have any though because I was so nervous.

My "date" was just my frat brother -- nothing special, you nosy rosies. And truth be told, he was about to get his head bit off because I was already on edge and he was finding new and inventive ways to piss me off, LOL.

I saw a lot of people I had seen around before, like Dwayne from Brothers United. Familiar faces are such a good thing in places like that. Of course, Dwight Powell was there --

*da-dun-da-da-dun......da da daaaaaah da daaaa*

As was Keith and Nathan and Jasmyne and a bunch of other people who were nominees but whose faces I didn't know yet.

Billy Porter sang...I had actually received a complimentary copy of his CD from SMYAL a few months ago. He can sing pretty good, too.

The ceremony itself was not without it's bumps -- it was a little disappointing that some presenters weren't briefed on the winners, so certain awardees didn't get what I felt was an appropriate intro.

But, the hosts, Rodney Chester from Noah's Arc and Harmonica Sunbeam were awesome. Rodney seems like somebody I'd have fun hanging out with.

The complete list of winners is as follows:

BUSINESS
John Campbell (New Jersey)

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Jasmyne CannicK (Los Angeles)
Rudolph Carns (Atlanta)
Joe Hawkins (Oakland)
Phill Wilson (Los Angeles)
Rev. Antonio Jones (Atlanta)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Patrik-Ian Polk (Los Angeles)
Wilson Cruz (Los Angeles)
Rodney Chester (Los Angeles)
Maurice Jamal (New York)
Quincy LeNear & Deondray Gossett (Los Angeles)
Rashid Darden (Washington D.C.)
E. Lynn Harris (Little Rock)
Kevin Aviance (New York)
Billy Porter (New York)
Raquel Lord (Atlanta)
Sophia McIntosh (Atlanta)

MEDIA
Ramon Johnson (New York)
Lisa C. Moore (Washington D.C.)
Dwight Powell (Atlanta)
Duane Cramer (San Francisco)
Ric Rollins (Tampa)

POLITICS
Keith Boykin (New York)
Hon. Ken Reeves (Cambridge)
Alexander Robinson (Washington D.C.)
Dr. David Malebranche (Atlanta)

ICON HONOREES
Archbishop Carl Bean - Founder of Unity Fellowship Church Movement (Los Angeles)
Alan Bell - Publishing Pioneer (Los Angeles)
Traxx Atlanta - Nightclub Promoter (Atlanta)

So I was winner #24..... I was exhausted by the time they got to the category, and honestly it was so late in the evening and we had passed all the other artsy categories, I was like wow, maybe I didn't win shit! But then Wilson Cruz announced my name (Rashad?) and I went to the stage.

Those lights were halla bright, yo.

So I said thanks to God (had anybody else thanked God that evening?), my mother, and Clik Magazine. Honestly, I kinda blacked out and I can't remember exactly what I said, but judging by the pictures, it looked like I was feeling it, LOL.

I did take the opportunity to tell everyone in the audience that E. Lynn Harris paved the way for someone like me to be unafraid to wear a pride necklace to a fraternity event, and have no shame in wearing my fraternity pin to a gay pride event.

Then I left the stage and got interviewed by Maurice Jamal again. I think he asked what's next....maybe I said world domination? If the awards get broadcast, maybe my memory will be jogged, lol.

After the awards, I got to grip E. Lynn (woo hoo!) and chatted up some other Brothers who were in the audience, as well as some friends, blog readers, and even some Sigmas! Let me tell you, these two guys were the cutest couple EVER. Both happened to be Sigmas, one was wearing his pin, and they were just as cordial as they wanted to be. I got to email them.

Oh, and I met Darion Tariq! I was so...I dunno, kinda shocked to finally meet him. I hope I didn't seem like aloof or anything.... I guess I was like wow, it's him, lol.

Here are some links to pictures of the event:

Official Clik Honors Site
Dwight's Pics
Jasmyne's Pics and Personal Account
LT's Pics and Personal Account
Keith's Personal Account

AND NOW....for my personal thank yous.....

Guys, seriously, this was one of the greatest moments of my career so far. When I posted on my blog that I was interested in being nominated, you all really came through for me. None of us knew that this event would be as big as what it was.... but thanks to all of you who nominated me, I got to meet so many visionary leaders in the black LGBT/SGL communities. I mean, come on....freakin' E. Lynn Harris!

You all recognized my talents and shared that with Clik Magazine -- THANK YOU! Because of you, big things have happened and doors are being opened to even bigger things. I can't say enough how much I thank you and how much this honor means to me.

I especially thank everyone on facebook who took time out to send in a nomination. Look what we can do when we work together?

I am looking forward to next year's Clik Awards so we can expand this phenomenal feeling to even more talented people in our community.

SEE YA NEXT YEAR!!!!

Posted by Rashid on December 3, 2006 1:23 PM

Comments

Commented by Diddy on December 5, 2006 12:11 PM

Commented by milt on December 8, 2006 3:15 PM

Commented by Edwina on December 12, 2006 10:29 PM

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