Venus Magazine publisher no longer identifies as lesbian

The Windy City Times has this story about the religious conversion of publisher Charlene Cothran and her intent to make Venus Magazine take an ex-gay focus.

Venus Magazine, a publication that for 13 years targeted the Black gay and lesbian community, is now a voice for the ex-gay movement.

Its publisher, Charlene Cothran, recently announced that she has been “redeemed”; is no longer a lesbian; and is changing the mission and direction of the magazine. On the Web site she writes, “As the publisher of a 13-year-old periodical [ that ] targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.

“But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believe of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.”

This story reminded me of David Benkof’s story (then David Bianco). His return to Orthodox Judiasm led to the sale of the “Q Syndicate” and a significant life change. The last time I talked to David, he continued in his religious studies and pursuit of heterosexuality.

PS – I did not realize when I posted this that this story is old news, first reported in 10/06.

UPDATE: 2/9/07 – Ms. Cothran’s magazine has a blog with some current commentary about her changes.

Sexual identity model discussion: Values vs. change

There is an interesting discussion going on at ExGayWatch about an op-ed (A Valued Life) I posted elsewhere. Another article posted on my website is called Why Do I Have These Feelings? This piece is similar to a previous blog post but takes a different approach to the question. These two articles attempt to flesh out in a column format some of my thinking regarding ways to think about and respond to sexual identity conflict.

Donnie Davies and Joey Oglesby: Long lost twins?

A Weirder than Fiction Exclusive…

Dallas, Tx (WTF) – A touching and bittersweet reunion was held here today in Dallas between local actor, Joey Oglesby, and recently famous Internet musician and youth pastor, Donnie Davies. Mr. Davies and Mr. Oglesby believe they are identical twins separated at birth and have lived in the same state off and on for most of their lives.

Mr. Davies has recently become a Internet sensation with his music video, The Bible Says, which uses epithets offensive to gays throughout the song. The video and song created a firestorm in blogosphere and set off a hunt for the elusive Mr. Davies. The search for Mr. Davies led to Dallas actor, Joey Oglesby due to their uncanny resemblance. Mr. Oglesby insists he is not the enigmatic Mr. Davies.

Instead, the men think they are twins.

“I always thought I had a twin,” said Mr. Oglesby. “You know it’s just a feeling you have, then out of nowhere, Donnie ends up in my own back yard.”

Mr. Davies said, “Texas is a big ol’ state, much bigger than the state of New Orleans, where I lived for awhile. I’m excited and elated to meet my brother Joey. I hope this answers all my critics out there and will stop the heinous censorship of my videos.”

Twin expert, Dr. Joakim Bottoms, is intrigued. “We are awaiting DNA testing, but they sure look alike. And there are other similarities too. They both have a preoccupation with homosexuality, they are about the same build, are musical, like Cyndi Lauper and they both can dunk a basketball. That’s a combination of abilities you don’t see everyday.”

Mr. Oglesby is half of the famous Chicken and Pickle Guys comedy duet which has been described as “a comedy stew of dance, homophobic/gay experimentation, male chauvinism, obscure racism, and spiritual revelation.”

Mr. Davies similar controversial work can be seen at Donniedavies.com.

Joey Oglesby

Joey Oglesby

donnie davies

Donnie Davies

UPDATE: 1/31/07 – Donnie speaks about his recent trials. Strangely, he fails to mention Joey.

Read all posts about Donnie Davies

Donnie Davies: Archie Bunker reincarnated?

While Donnie mania may be giving way to some Donnie fatigue, I continue to be interested in it for several reasons. One is the I teach social psychology and I am fascinated by the types of events and messages that persuade and capture the attention of groups of people. I showed The Bible Says video to my social psychology class and the reaction, as I expected, was quite negative. The discussion that ensued was subdued (I think my students were in shock) but focused on the persuasive potential of the video. As a caricature, the whole Donnie Davies episode could be quite persuasive. The analogy is to Archie Bunker and All in the Family. Take for instance, this episode where Archie reacts to the purchase of a doll for his grandson.

Donnie Davies may or may not literally mean what he sings (latest word from him is that he does), but whether he means it or not, the current Love God’s Way episode may function in the present day in a very similar manner to the way All in the Family did in its day. Those around then may recall the controversy over language and epithets used by Bunker on the show. Even though you knew it was spoof, it was still startlingly persuasive to see it acted out.

UPDATE: 1/28/07 – And the winner is…Looks like it is an actor named Joey Oglesby… And he’s a Baylor grad who once played a role in something called Jesus Hates Me.