CNN's Don Lemon talks about race, homosexuality and abuse in his new book "Transparent"

CNN weekend anchor Don Lemon is gay, the journalist announced in his memoir "Transparent."

"I abhor hypocrisy," Lemon told the New York Times. "I think if you're going to be in the business of news, and telling people the truth, of trying to shed light in dark places, then you've got to be honest. You've got to have the same rules for yourself as you do for everyone else."

The 45-year-old anchor's book chronicles his personal life -- growing up without a father and being molested as a child -- and his career as he worked at local stations in Philadelphia, Chicago and New York before starting at CNN. He was cautious about detailing his personal life in the book, a project that was just supposed to be an inspirational pamphlet.

"I'm talking about something that people might shun me for, ostracize me for," Lemon said about being scared to come out.

Lemon made no secret of his sexual orientation: co-workers and managers knew he was gay and the network had assured him of support, he said. But the book was his first public announcement.

"It's quite different for an African American male. It's about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You're taught you have to be a man; you have to be masculine," he said. "In the black community they think you can pray the gay away. ... You're afraid that black women will say the same things they do about how black men should be dating black women..."

"I guess this makes me a double minority now."

Lemon appeared as a guest Monday on "CNN Newsroom" and will appear on "The Joy Behar Show" on CNN's sister channel HLN.

"Transparent" lands in stores June 16.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW ON CNN: Don Lemon talks personal struggles

Courtesy of CNN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41RciYsbaks

Broadcasters around the world are shifting into their highest gear to cover Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding Friday.

LONDON -- As the big day draws near, it's not just the bride who may be feeling a little anxious.

With predictions are that it will draw the biggest audience in television history, broadcasters around the world are shifting into their highest gear for the royal wedding, and for the next few days London will become the focus of the world.

"Yes, we're moving to London. Where else would you be?" says Chris Hampson, NBC News' director of international news. "Everybody wants to be here. You can't sit in New York and tell this story. You have to be right in the thick of it."

And the thick of it is exactly where the world's biggest media organizations will be. Take a stroll down London's Mall toward Buckingham Palace, and the bland, tree-lined vista used mainly for bypassing the traffic chaos of Piccadilly has been transformed into a hive of pre-ceremony activity.

The traffic has been shut off, and behind the milling tourists and Japanese camera crews, two huge temporary media studios have been erected opposite either flank of the Queen's London residence. This media zone in Canada Gate will host more than 40 stand-alone studios with full play-out facilities for broadcasters including the BBC, ABC, Sky News, NBC, CBS and Al Jazeera English.

It is just part of a network of locations including Westminster Abbey, the Mall and Trafalgar Square that are host to a raft of specially erected broadcast locations.

"It's our biggest international technical build-out ever," said Hampson, who added that NBC and its sister networks including MSNBC and Telemundo, E! and Bravo began planning wedding coverage even before the royal engagement was announced in November. "We began to focus very early and had a team in London scouting locations and planning for months."

The result is a series of prime locations, including a prestige slot beneath Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square from which NBC will broadcast a special edition of Today on Friday kicking off at 4 am EST as well as four studios in the media village at Buckingham Palace.

It is also bringing over a host of anchors including Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales and Al Roker.

NBC is far from alone in pulling out all the stops; ABC will have live coverage of the ceremony from London anchored by Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters, and the network will air a special edition of Good Morning America from London.

CBS is sending Katie Couric on what could be her swan song for the network. Couric will lead the main wedding coverage and anchor an hourlong news special at 8 p.m. Friday.

CNN will use its London squad as well getting as an insider's take from Piers Morgan, while Fox News is sending over around 50 staff including Shepard Smith and Martha Macullum.

Fox will piggyback on the feed from its sister U.K. network Sky News, which, like all the British broadcasters, is planning wall-to-wall coverage of the event.

Click here to read the entire article: The WEDDING

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: Phill Wilson featured on CNN's "Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS"

CNN's

"Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS"

features

Phill Wilson,

President and CEO of The Black AIDS Institute

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness and TheFuture salutes Phill Wilson as he makes his guest appearance on CNN's exclusive segment "Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS."

The show will look at the AIDS epidemic since the first diagnosed AIDS case 30 years ago. Topics discussed will include stigma, criminalization, treatment, vaccines, and more. Phill will share his personal experience living with AIDS and how the disease impacts the black community.

Hosted by Anderson Cooper, the segment also features Elton John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Academy Award-winning actress Mo'Nique, Project Runway's Mondo Guerra

and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases.

The show airs Friday, January 14 at 9pm EST/6pm PST.

SHOW YOUR A.A+Wsome support of Mr. Wilson and guests.

For more information click here:

A.A+W

with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Tune in next Wednesday for more

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Stay connected with me:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

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Twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

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www.theblacktraveler.com

Are You The Next Graphic Novelist?

A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using the comics form. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres. Graphic novels are typically bound in longer and more durable formats than familiar comic magazines, using the same materials and methods as printed books, and are generally sold in bookstores and specialty comic book shops rather than at newsstands.











Cover art for the 1987 U.S. (right) and U.K. (left) collected editions of Watchmen, published by DC Comics and Titan Books

The evolving term graphic novel is not strictly defined, and is sometimes used, controversially, to imply subjective distinctions in artistic quality between graphic novels and other kinds of comics. It suggests a complete story that has a beginning, middle and end, as opposed to an ongoing series. It can also imply a story that is outside the genres commonly associated with comic books, or that deals with more mature themes. It is sometimes applied to works that fit this description even though they are serialized in traditional comic book format. The term is sometimes used to disassociate works from the juvenile or humorous connotations of the terms comics and comic book, implying that the work is more serious, mature, or literary than traditional comics.



A MEGA trend in the entertainment industry, this could be your next career opportunity!!! Read pass article posted on The Future – Disney buys Marvel Comics