The Black Gay Men’s Leadership Council (BGMLC) began its formation in September of 2005, when a group of Black gay men concerned about the lives of Black gay men in Philadelphia began to organize themselves to address what they felt were unmet needs to improve the quality of life for Black gay men in our community. The first official meeting was held at Philadelphia Health Management Corporation on October 6, 2005 by the founding members to discuss what the entity could be and to begin defining a purpose and structure for the organization. The founding members are: Robert K. Burns, Lee Carson, Nayck Feliz, Jacinto J. Grant, Michael Hinson, Kevin Trimell Jones, Ace Robinson, and Tyrone Smith.The membership of the BGMLC acknowledges the rich history of Black gay men organizing for the betterment of men in their communities. Without our predecessor entities such as Mox Nix, Philadelphia Friends, UNITY, Social Solutions, The COLOURS Organization and the many other social institutions, house parties, bars and clubs created by and for Black gay men, we realize that our organization would not exist as is today. Members of the BGMLC honor our ancestors, our young, our elders, our peers, mentors and allies, all who have paved the way for us to exist and be in a position to make positive change for our communities.Since the birth of the BGMLC, we have attempted to focus on community issues facing Black gay men in Philadelphia, build and expand Black gay community in the city of Philadelphia, and establish relationships with stakeholders for our community. The BGMLC is directed by its mission to:
“use advocacy, education and community collaborations to empower Philadelphia’s diverse communities of black gay men by focusing on their social and political advancement and health and wellness needs, while developing local, regional and national leaders.”
Several accomplishments of the BGMLC to date include: establishing a relationship with the Health Commissioner of Philadelphia, who allotted a small monetary award to us to implement projects related to Black gay men’s health; obtaining status as a not for profit organization; electing our first board of directors and officers; conducting a small health information needs assessment related to Black gay men’s health; convening a research summit as part of the National LGBTI Health Summit 2007 that focused on cutting edge research related to Black gay men’s health; partnering with a local research institution to hold a community event at Philadelphia’s City Hall to disseminate the findings of the largest research study ever conducted in Philadelphia on the lives of Black MSM, called the Black Men’s Health Survey. More information on the evolution of the BGMLC and our accomplishments can be found here.