ABOUT MoE

Launched on the 19th day of September in the year 2005, Men of Essence (MOE) is a professional networking organization focusing on empowering men of color within the same-gender-loving (SGL) community. Situated within, but not limited to the Dallas-Fort Metropolitan area, MOE exists to meet the needs of a sector of society that is under-targeted when it comes to promoting positive media imagery, advocating safe sex practices and sexually transmitted disease (STD) awareness, providing channels of social empowerment, cultural awareness and education, and encouraging collaboration in order to benefit the greater good of the entire GLBT community.

Not only is the national social climate as a whole riddled with turmoil, so is the social climate internal to the GLBT community of color, especially professional black males. So disjointed are we internally that we are not effectively meeting our potential. We are not applying ourselves to best of our abilities when it comes to aiding the overall social movement toward diversity awareness and positive social change for the entire GLBT community. And if we're going to reach out to others, we need to start with ourselves first.

MOE seeks to break the mold and squander stereotypes that threaten to hold us back and influence dysfuncion within our sub-culture. We seek to aid a cause that benefits us all. We want to deviate from from adversities such as the term “down low”—a label that encourages unhealthy relationships and unsafe practices among black gay and bisexual males—or coercion from our unique familial and social constructs which teach us from most of our youthful lives that we are lesser men simply because of our sexual orientation. We want to utilize adversities such as these to fuel a fire that radiates positive images of men of color within the GLBT community who network, provide community services, and sponsor benefits that aid in uplifting the GLBT community.

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President
Daymond E. Lavine

Vice-President
Stanley Coleman

Director of Membership & Volunteer Services
Melvin Smith

Media/Marketing Director
Daymond E. Lavine

MEMBERSHIP

Daymond E. Lavine
Stanley Coleman
Melvin Smith
Jeron Dotson
Roy Youngblood
Kenneth Shepherd
Jeff Bandy

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

Gary "with the T" Hayes