I know I am not alone when I say I was born and raised in
Hanford. I know I am also not the only
one who has said, “I can’t wait to get out of here”. Ever wonder if people actually leave? I often
do, because I have yet to leave, it’s in my future plans but the success of the
plan is very low I fear. Have you
noticed that the people who have left…come back? Oh they do….I swear there is
something in our water. But if you are a
person who was not born and raised here, I’m sure the only thing you notice about
the water is it’s smell or color or you
are so scared of the water you own stock in bottled water companies.
The history of Hanford err Kings County is interesting. For
instance, Kings County used to be Tulare County and it wasn’t until 1893 that
Kings County was able to break away.
Lemoore was founded in 1872 and was incorporated in 1900. Hanford got on the map when the Southern
Pacific Railroad came in and the paymaster James Madison Hanford picked Hanford
to have the railroad lines in 1877 and became incorporated in 1891. Ever wonder why Hanford and Lemoore have a
rivalry? Lemoore was established first
so the County seat should have been in their city, but Hanford got the county
seat because it had the railroad line.
Corcoran became incorporated in 1914 and Avenel in 1928. I wish I knew more about their histories, but
I don’t…I do know that Corcoran is located near the Tule Lake basin so their
land is great for agriculture and Avenel was built around oil fields and when
the oil dried up so did the town.
Kings County has a diverse population. According to the 2000
census there are Caucasians, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian,
Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, Portuguese, German, Irish, and American.
We have more males than females, but that could be because of the three prisons
in our county. In 2000, we had a county
population of 129,461 and in 2008 only 45,444 registered voters. Kings County hasn’t voted for a democratic
president since 1968 and about ¾ of the county voted in favor of Prop. 8 in
2008.
So what’s the point of this? I don’t know…I
started out writing about what a community is…and I found myself wanting to
write about our history. Gay Hanford
will find a place in the history of Kings County, with the help and support of
the LGBTQ and friendly supporters, Gay Hanford will succeed.
VIDEO: Christopher Hitchens Re-Writes the 10 Commandments
Written by Chris Jarvis
Friday, 05 March 2010
Think you know the 10 Commandments? You don't. Hitchens gives you some background on what they actually are, and just how edited and revised they were. Then he gives you his own set of NEW 10 Commandments...
Joe and I have
decided to write a series of things that deal with community. Gay Hanford has
become active after a period of time of silence. Our plans for Gay Hanford are to show the
cities that we live in that were are not a separate community, but that we are
hanfordites, lemoorens, Corcoranites, Avenalies, Armonians, did I miss a city
or township? Oh yes the original Kings County folk…Grangvillites just as much
as anyone else!!
So Joe and I are ecstatic to announce Gay Hanford’s first
HUGE event! I know it won’t be until May, but Joe and I are working the back
scenes and then you have to take into account the planning time. Ready? Gay Hanford will be participating in
the Kings County Homecoming Parade! This is our opportunity to show Kings
County, that we, the Kings County LGBTQ people, are in fact a part of the
community.
However, we do not know the theme of the parade this year,
we know that we do not want the Gay Hanford float to be political but something
fun…so we will reaching out to our fellow LGBTQ’s to help in this project, once
we know the theme we will be asking for float ideas, resources and volunteer’s
to man the float!
A few years ago the San Francisco Gay pride event theme was
“Come Out, Come Out, wherever you are” Our fellow Kings County residents, don’t
be shy…commune together, there are strengths in numbers.
Sources: Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest
More Local News
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
Sources
tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly
driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early
Wednesday morning.
The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m.
Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L
Streets.
When the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified
himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with
two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol
level higher than .08% or higher.
A male passenger, who was not identified as a lawmaker, was also in the car but
was not detained.
Ashburn was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on $1,400 bond.
Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern,
Tulare and San Bernardino Counties with a history of opposing gay rights.
Ashburn issued a statement on the arrest Wednesday afternoon:
"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor
judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to
accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact
this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my
constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."
Ashburn served six years as a state Assemblyman before being elected to the
State Senate.
G.S.A. in Dinuba is having a Fashion Show on May 7th at the Dinuba High School Auditorium, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be bands playing also. We decided that 25% of the proceeds should go to charity. The addmission is only $5, $8 for front row seats. We're trying to sell the place out so help us spread the word and spread the love! We're having model auditions this Friday from 3-4p.m. if you know of anyone who wants to try out have them come by we're having the auditions at the auditorium as well. For more information you can contact Jessie right HERE.
Spring is around the corner and the smell of leather is in the air. No, I don’t mean from chaps or whips…. but softball gloves. (sorry to disappoint) You can also hear the pounding of cleats in the dirt. Ahhh, spring time! As many of you know there is a local LGBT-Straight Ally softball team, the Fresno Skittles. They play on Wednesday nights at the sports complex located at Jensen & West. Their first game is March 3rd at 7:00 pm, please go out and cheer them on!
I am now proud to announce the creation of their sister team, the Visalia Skittles. We are set to begin our first season in a few weeks. We will play on Friday nights at Plaza Park. Our first game will be March 19th, we hope to see and hear you out there cheering us on as well!
Both teams serve two purposes within our community. They provide a safe outlet and recreation source for sports minded enthusiasts. Plus, they get out there and mingle with mainstream society for some great exposure and interaction. It’s also a good opportunity and perfectly legal, to kick a little heterosexual ass! (in a nice way, of course)
We hope to have a fundraiser exhibition game soon to benefit Gay Fresno & Gay Visalia, divisions of Gay Central Valley, who sponsor both teams. Stay tuned for more details in the near future.
There will be a Support Rally for Education on March 4th at . We will be marching from Hanford West on Lacey to Civic. This event is being hosted by the PTA. Please come out and join us!
The Episcopal Church of the Saviour, one of the few open and affirming churches in Kings County, invites you to An Afternoon of Voice and Cello.
Welcome to a stage set with variety to please a range of tastes. This group, composed of young, local musicians, presents a repertoire from the early Baroque to the 21st century.
No Tickets or reservations necessesary, admission is free. Donations welcome to benefit the Church Preservation Fund for the maintenance of our historic buildings.
I have baked for many years, I love to bake...I bake for all holidays, birthdays, any day. I bake cookies, cupcakes, cakes really anything, So I thought I would share my passion with my LGBTQ community in hopes that in some small way it may bring us closer together in here in Hanford and Kings County.
So with St. Patrick's Day coming up here is a recipe for Creamy Lime Coolers!
** Blend pineapple juice, lime juice, confectioners sugar, and lime peel in a blender until completely blended. Add vanilla ice cream and blend until smooth.** Yields 2 servings
DAVIS — The chancellor of the University of California, Davis has called for a community
meeting tonight in response to recent campus hate crimes.
Chancellor Linda Katehi scheduled a
meeting tonight to address attacks at the gay and lesbian student center and
against a Jewish student.
The latest episode occurred over the weekend, when vandals targeted the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center. Anti-gay slogans were
sprayed on the door and sidewalk leading to the entrance of the center.
The attack comes a week after a
Jewish student found a swastika carved into the door of her campus dorm room.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has condemned recent hate crimes and episodes of
intolerance at Davis and UC campuses in San Diego and Irvine
GAY CENTRAL VALLEY Fundraiser @The Express in Fresno
Written by Chris Jarvis
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Join Gay Central Valley @The Fresno Express on Wednesday,
March 17th for our St Patrick's Day Fundraiser. $3 Cover benefits Gay Central
Valley and it's website divisions...Beer Pong Competition...Leprechaun
Bartender...$4 Tokyo Tea...Doors Open @9pm...Come join the fun...
Party with a purpose. If you plan to attend the upcoming Dinah Shore or White Party weekend in Palm Springs, you can make a difference helping the fight to achieve equality for LGBT Californians.
Join NCLR and EQCA for our annual champagne brunch during the Dinah Shore Weekend, or kick off the White Party Weekend at a cocktail party at the mountainside villa of Manhunt chairman Jonathan Crutchley.
Attend the first Major on the LPGA tour, and 100% of your ticket price will benefit the work of Equality California to achieve equality for LGBT Californians. Just fill out EQCA’s ticket formand mail or fax it in.
Thanks to the Integrated Wealth Management TICKETS Fore CHARITY program, EQCA will also be eligible for a $25,000 bonus pool.
I do not watch the Olympic Games that much;
the games I like to watch are the political ones. Politics are not so interesting; it is the
politicians that catch my attention. Most
of the time, I hear politician doing dumb things, saying stupid things, and
wonder if they should work like a model where it used to be better if a modal
didn’t say a word at all. However, on occasion, a politician says something
that actually makes sense.
Harold Ford, is that politician. Ford,
is/was a Congressman from Tennessee who is New York Senate hopeful. Does that ring any bells? Let’s try this one;
Ford is one of very Democrats who voted for a federal marriage ban. On February
24, 2010, Mr. Ford decided to campaign to Stonewall Democrats in the West
Village. Little to my surprise he was
met with chants of “no more lies” and “oil slick Harry-go away”. These are the moments that spark my love for “politics”,
I was excited to hear that people are still fighting back and just as quick as
I got excited, I was brought back to reality. Mr. Ford responded to the chants
with just one comment…
"I don't
know what more I can say, other than that I realize I was wrong," he said.
"You may not embrace me, you may not vote for me, but I would only hope
that you would at least accept the fact that the reason the numbers and support
for marriage equality goes up is because people like me change their
minds." Ford
Darn him, he is
right! Politicians can’t be right, something is wrong with this whole story. Or
is there? Could the rise in support be because of changing minds? If you look
at voter turnout, you know that voter turnout is really low and if you look
around you still see churches operating.
So the changing mind idea is right! Now, I know my numbers are a bit
outdated, but if every 1 out of 10 people were homosexual, and each homosexual
changed at least one mind, it wouldn’t take long before we would have the
support of our country. Yes, I know it
sounds a little Utopian, but if a politician can change…anything can happen!
Well this is my first post to Gay Hanford, so this calls for a self-introduction.
My name is Joe Sosa and I just recently moved back from Los Angeles, CA but I grew up in Hanford and attended Hanford High and served on the Student Government as Commisioner of Elections for both Hanford High East and West. My career is in pharmacy specializing in HIV with over 10 years experience and quickly advancing to supervisor and corporate for major companies.
What else can I say about my self? I'm very fond with music vocal and piano. Growing up did many competitions and received scholarships for CSU Fresno and Fresno Pacific University. I just love being able to sing or play piano when I feel down or just want to sing.
As for more personal traits I consider my self to be a creative, organized, determined, and a fun person and would classify me as the over-achiever if I had to. One very important aspect of my personality is that i can't stop thinking. Every day, all day, all I just keep thinking for various things. It can be anything, from projects I am currently working on, to questions about life, or what ever comes up in my head of mine. So, it really costs me a lot as far as my sleeping hours are concerned.
But lets get to the point. For some time now I have been active with various organizations in Los Angeles, ranging from: Mental, HIV/AIDS, Equality, and Gay Marriage. I moved to Los Angeles in 2000 til now and have gained experience from various events and now want to bring the leadership skills I learned to Hanford (Kings County).
As far as the real intelligible project goes I am currently working on Fresno Twestival as the Lead Coordinator for Fresno, CA with the goal in producing an event to raise money for Concern Worldwide. The purpose of the event is to bring the community together and volunteer for a great cause. With the skills I am using and still learning I plan to bring to Hanford to unite the community so the LGBT is respected. Moreover you can expect me to write about other ideas, crazy or note to help bring equality to Hanford.
I encourage all of you to comment. Since reader participation is a major fact in the growth and popularity of blogging. So I encourage comments, disagreements, and criticisms from visitors. Just know I'm here and accessible to you. You can even email me click here
Well in closing, This concludes my first entry to Gay Hanford, just a self-introduction a taste of things to come. Until next time I wish you all well and love.
Gay Hanford is not responsible for any comments made by contributors in the Comments pages. However Gay Hanford, will exercise its right to moderate and edit comments which are deemed to be offensive or unsuited to the subject matter of this site.
I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Melissa and I will be posting on Gay Hanford in the very near future!
I have a wonderful partner, Summer and a wonderful kid, 4 dogs and 3 cats. Yes a full house! I hold a Master's degree in Organizational Behavior and have two years of graduate studies in Forensic Psychology completed. My interests are a collection of things, to say the least. I have completed two research projects, one on voting patterns of college students and the other on workplace discrimination among LGBTQ persons. I am knowledgeable in homophobic/heterosexist attitudes towards homosexuals and bisexuals, in the United States as well. I have been involved in politics for about 16 years and do enjoy the political world.
I would like to start identifying LGBTQ owned and/or friendly businesses in Kings County. So if anyone knows of any, I would appreciate the company information. The sooner we can identify these businesses the sooner we can support our community.
Also, if there are any events that are happening in the area, I would like to know so that we can share the information!
And, lastly, if anyone has suggestions on stories, news, or site ideas, just let me know!
I look forward to reviving this site and hope you each find some joy in having a local site for our community.
Oh, the things I can say about Michael Steele...but the bottom line is, he's crazy...and that's for the dozens of insane statements he's made in the past, but now, he's comparing the right to health care with the right to own a driver's license. And make no mistake about it, the only people who ever claim that health care does not need to made accessible to ALL Americans, are those who have it and for whom it's no problem...
My name is Joe Sosa and I just recently moved back from Los Angeles, CA but I grew up in Hanford and attended Hanford High and served on the Student Government as Commisioner of Elections for both Hanford High East and West. My career is in pharmacy specializing in HIV with over 10 years experience and quickly advancing to supervisor and corporate for major companies.