Dia Hannington

Harlem's Atlah Worldwide Church, which is known for being extremely unfriendly to the LBGTQ community, is up for public action due to unpaid tax debts exceeding $1.02 million, according to DNAinfo. Speaking with the publication, the church's Rev. James Manning claimed that the move was a "land grab," but allow me to explain why he doesn't deserve your sympathy.  A lot of houses of worship aren't welcoming of the LGBT community, but Atlah has taken it much further. In 2014, the church displayed oh-so-lovely signs that said things like, "Harlem is a sodomite-free zone" and "Jesus would stone homos." The church even targeted President Obama, posting a sign saying that "Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out, black woman. A white homo may take your man." And the intolerance doesn't stop at homophobia. Shortly after Obama's first election, Atlah posted, "The blood of Jesus against Obama. History made 4 Nov 2008 a Taliban Muslim Illegally Elected President USA: Hussein." Last week, Rivers Of Living Water, a Harlem church catering to the LBGTQ community, launched a GoFundMe campaign to purchase the church, saying, "It would be divine justice to replace that church with our 'radically inclusive and open and affirming' ministry." So if you're a religious person who supports LBGTQ fairness, consider donating a couple of bucks to the cause.

Winter Storm Jonas has come and gone, leaving behind a record 26.8 inches of snow. While most of you stayed in watching Netflix, some of us were working outside during the storm. As a bike messenger for Uber RUSH (the ride sharing company's same day delivery service), I'm one of them. The company was offering some extra cash for those who braved the storm, and since I'm always unsure where my next check is coming from, I took the bait and ventured out into the arctic landscape. Here's what I learned from the experience. Cobblestone streets are the devil Mercer Street's cobblestone section (right below Houston) is adorable and harkens back to Ye Olde New York. But when you're transporting a cake over said cobblestones while snow pours onto the street and you're inches from falling off your bike, you begin cursing those damn early settlers. Abandoned NYC Is super epicDuring the storm, the city that never sleeps looked pretty sleepy. Broadway was barren. The same went for Grand Street and all of Lower Manhattan. Seeing a suddenly tranquil NYC made me realize something: Sometimes it's not a bad thing when a 24/7 haven becomes dead. There are fewer cars to deal with, less noise and less tourists from Minnesota who ask if we're on 5th Avenue while standing under a street sign that reads "5th Ave."  7-Eleven never, ever closesJonas forced the Port Authority to cancel PATH train service in Jersey City. Because I live in JC's Heights neighborhood, I temporarily locked up my bike and w