BREAKING NEWS: GAVIN NEWSOM DROPS OUT OF GOVERNOR'S RACE
Written by Chris Jarvis
Friday, 30 October 2009
Statement
by Mayor Gavin Newsom
It is with great regret I announce today that
I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California. With a young family
and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the
time required to complete this effort the way it needs to — and should be —
done.
This is not an easy decision. But it is one
made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the
city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats.
When I embarked on this campaign in April, my
goal was to engage thousands and thousands of Californians dedicated to
reforming our broken system and bringing change to Sacramento.
I would like to thank those supporters,
volunteers, and donors who have worked so hard on my behalf. I have been
humbled by their support and am indebted to their efforts. They represent the
spirit of change and determination essential to putting California back on the
right track.
I will continue to fight for change and the
causes and issues for which I care deeply — universal health care, a cleaner
environment, and a green economy for our families, better education for our
children, and, of course, equal rights under the law for all citizens.
Low-income HIV-positive Americans may soon
have the continued promise of better access to health care and federal funding.
The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE)
Treatment Extension Act of 2009, or S.1793, passed the House of Representatives
on Oct. 21 with a vote of 408 to 9, and was approved by the Senate on Oct. 19.
The bill, if signed into law by President Obama, would provide
federal funding to help low-income, uninsured, or under-insured Americans with
AIDS gain access to healthcare.
Senate Passes Hate Crimes Bill - President To Sign
Written by Advocate.com
Thursday, 22 October 2009
The Senate voted 68 to 29 Thursday to pass a Defense
Department funding bill that includes a measure extending hate-crimes
protections to people targeted on the basis of their gender, gender identity,
sexual orientation, or disability.
The National Defense Authorization Act now goes to President Barack Obama’s
desk for his signature.
“As the President said back in April, the hate-crimes bill takes on an
important civil rights issue to protect all of our citizens from violent acts
of intolerance, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association. He
looks forward to signing it into law,” said White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
With just weeks to go before Maine's historic marriage vote the Hanford Equality Team has organized a phone bank. This will be our last chance to help save them from feeling the same devastation that we did one year ago. Please come do what you can to help save marriage in Maine. All you need is your voice, cell phone and the desire to make a difference. They need us now and time is running out. Thank you for your support and thanks to the Hanford Team for stepping up yet again!
The Halloween phone bank will be held on October 31st from 12-3 and yes, wear your costume! There will be a small celebration after the work is done. Email me for the location and/or directions.
About 40 of us headed up to San Francisco on Sunday to march the Golden Gate Bridge for marriage equality. We woke up dark and early to meet the van at 4:15 am. Someone overslept and had to drive like a mad woman to Fresno to catch up with everyone else, but we won't name names (the Visalia organizer and van driver). Maybe they didn't hear the alarm, maybe they accidentally shut it off, maybe it was the dogs fault or maybe there was a power surge at the exact moment my, I mean their, alarm was supposed to go off. YES, it was me darnit! It actually worked out for the better in the end but that didn't stop everyone from giving me a bad time..... ALL DAY LONG!
It was a good day despite the 500 mile and hour winds on the bridge! The event had a pretty good turnout, I'm guessing 250? I'm sure nothing compared to DC. But we did have a call to the New York MEUSA chapter who were in DC, that was great to feel connected to everyone there. And despite the bridge police almost not letting us cross because we had to show proof of the permit, we went, we marched, we froze, we made a statement, we made the news....we made a difference. Thanks to everyone who went and sacrificed their sleep! Much respect to all.
If you watch the clip below from the SF news you will see (some of us very brifely) Myself, Ryan, Jason, Cammy, Melissa, Crystal, Abraham, Steven and Nate gave a quick interview. The Central Valley represented!
I’ve finally gotten the chance to sit down and write about Family Fest. I think it was a great success for the first time holding it. I see areas where I need to improve for next year and promise it will be even better in the years to come. I’m very open to any comments and suggestions you want to make so don’t hesitate to contact me.
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I’m honored to have had such a great turnout! We had people from
Fresno
,
Hanford
,
Porterville
and all areas around and in between. There were singles, couples, families, straight allies and more. It was such a great mix of people our diversity really shown through. I would like to share a comment I received. This made the whole day worth it to me. Every stress to pull it off, every late night, every dollar spent, etc. was whisked away by this single comment:
“Brooke, We as a family, my spouse Peter and my niece Mitzi, had a great time being together at Family Fest and this a comment I made to them and wanted to pass along to you to let you know how great I think the event was for us.
Look around the group here, in the past we have had family events but it was mainly adults without children, now look around us, there are kids with single parents, adopted parents, parents and/or aunts and uncles. How wonderful this is! Thanks for creating an event that give us all the opportunity to bring our family unit no matter, how big or small and just be able to celebrate our families and community.
Next year, more of our family will be with us to celebrate!!!”
I hope everyone who attended can relate to this comment. I hope this comment will encourage others to come out next year. YOU the community are why I am here and do what I do. I want our community to have activities and events where we can all meet and just be ourselves, to feel safe, comfortable and proud. I hope myself and Gay Visalia can continue to provide this for many years to come. Also, if you know of a “friendly” event happening you can always let us know and we will do our best to spread the word. Anyone is welcome to use the site to promote our community or other worth while cause, just get in touch with me.
So, in closing… thanks again to everyone who attended. A special thanks to Jessica for all of her hard work and dedication. To the set up crew, Jessica, Anita, Abraham & Steven, I couldn’t have done it without you! Hugs to the Gay Fresno crew, Jason, RJ & Vickye, your support made this happen. To Misty and Marcy who helped acquire a few donations and tended to my girls when I couldn’t, thank you. To all of the groups who came out and had booths, thank you for supporting our community and the event. I’m sure I’m forgetting people and I apologize. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I will see you all next year for an even bigger and better Family Fest!
I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t end this by saying: Although it is extremely important we gather in celebration of our diversity on a social level, it is equally important that we don’t forget that we are living in this world as separate people. Our rights and our lives do not hold the same value as most others and this is not acceptable on any level. As we head for another battle at the ballots in 2010, I urge all of you to step up with conviction and help us fight for you and for everyone else who is made to feel less worthy than the other humans we live amongst. To help fight for those kids and teenagers who feel hopeless and take their own lives. Those people who lose their lives to violent hatred because they choose to openly live as who they are. I hope I can count on you to get involved. I will be thinking of all of you this Sunday as I head to San Franciscoto march the Golden GateBridgefor your equality and of those people making the long journey to DC to march for the equality of every person living in this country. Together we can make a difference. Together we will make a difference. Together we are the difference.
2010 AIDS LifeCycle09 - Kick-off Meeting
If you are interested in riding or being a roadie, be sure to come to the next upcoming PFLAG meeting. October 18. Immediately following that meeting will be the 1st meeting to register and discuss 2010 AIDS LifeCycle.
We will cover:
1) Team Naming (come with some ideas)
2) Roadie and Rider requirements
3) Fundraising goal and tactics.
4) Complete Information/contact Sheet(s). I hope to have received all registration forms (or instructions for us) by then.
I have read memoirs where there are colorful characters, many funny anecdotes, and much action. This one kind of goes on a train ride and keeps you going in one speed. Being raised back in the 80’s when gay bashing was big, parents blamed each other for their child gone gay, and having to be like Clark Kent and lead a secret double life was the name of the game. Especially if your in a strict religious family; even more so if your dad is the preacher. I’m sure there could have been a little more going on in this author’s life to kind of liven up the book.
By age six, Kevin Jennings knew he was going straight to hell. His father, an evangelist preacher, as much as told him so. During the 1960’s, Kevin’s family moved from one trailer park in the south to another as his dad fought to hold onto a pulpit. Then Kevin’s eighth birthday, Kevin’s father suffered a heart attack as Kevin stood, helpless, at his side. When he cried at the funeral, Kevin’s older brothers admonished him, “Don’t be a faggot.” The warning was a key lesson. In school, “Faggot” became more familiar to Kevin than his own name. Nobody watching the regular torture of Kevin’s school days could have anticipated that he would ever want to return to the classroom.
Kevin’s father may have preached damnation, but his mother showed him the road to salvation. Forced to drop out of school at the age of nine, Alice Verna Johnson Jennings fervently believed in the power education held for her children. While working a series of blue-collar jobs to support her family, she struggled with her conservative Appalachian roots when her oldest son married a black woman and her youngest came out.
Alice
’s story is a powerful account of a woman’s triumph over huge obstacles, including her own prejudices.
“Kevin Jennings’s memoir is a potent story, beautifully told, of the daily struggle as well as the love and courage required to maintain pride and live with integrity in the face of deep-seated prejudice.” – Otis Charles, Episcopal Bishop of Utah, retired
Director: Rob Moretti, Starring: Robert Bray – James Early – Jennifer Katz - Frankie Faison – Eben Gorban
Rating: One Thumb Up/ One Down
I thought I’d do a review to a movie that all the Students and Instructors would relate to when discussing attraction of one to the other. I am guilty of such desires and let me tell you; there aren’t enough restraints in the world that could have held me back, had I the opportunity to fulfill my student and teacher fantasy. Of course the professor I fantasized of is very attractive, (sigh) if only. But that’s never going to happen, that was two semesters ago at city college. Crossing boundaries can be so delicious; with the right person, hot desires… Is it me or is it getting hot? Get ready for some hot scenes in what may have been your fantasy.
Behind a façade of suburban middle class perfection, a compelling tale of love, loss, lies and lust unfolds… Sixteen-year old David’s (Eben Gordon) Home life is falling apart. As he tries to cope with his impossible situation, the troubled, impressionable teenager falls under the spell of Kenny (Rob Moretti), a gorgeous, thirty something, has been an actor turned theater coach. And when Kenny’s “support” escalates into seduction, David slowly descends into an abyss of drinking and drug addiction from which he must escape if he is to survive. Based on a true story, Crutch is a captivating, powerful look at exorcising private demons and exposing dark secrets.
“Like the scribblings in a teenager’s diary, the film vacillates between insight and exaggeration.” – Don Wilmott, Filmcritic.com
October isGLBT HISTORY MONTHhighlighting, annually, the achievements of 31 gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender Icons—one each day—with a free video, bio,
bibliography, downloadable imagesand otherresources.
Visit the GLBT HISTORY MONTH
WEBSITE where, beginning October 1, 2009, "a new GLBT Icon is presented daily. Each day you’ll have access to his
or her video, bio and resources, along with information on all the preceding
Icons. Just click on the Icon's name, corresponding with the day of the month."
This year, those profiled include filmmaker Gus Van Sant, early gay activist Harry
Hay, television anchor Rachel Maddow, financial guru Suze Orman, professional basketball
player John Amaechi, author Paul Monette and singer kd Lang.
The video attached to this article will change each day in October,
highlighting a different person each day. You can also see the daily videos on
the GLBT History Month website by clicking the link above. You can download a
PDF file containing the biographies of all this month's profiles by clicking HERE
The
Advocate
has learned that Democratic representatives Jerrold Nadler of New York, Tammy
Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jared Polis of Colorado will be introducing
legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next Tuesday. A Democratic
aide confirmed that a press conference to announce the bill will be held
September 15 at 11 a.m. at the House Triangle.
The source said the bill currently has just over 50 cosponsors, but Congressman
Nadler’s office has not yet officially circulated a letter to his fellow House
members.
Nadler told the Bay Area Reporter in July that the bill would amount to
a full repeal of DOMA, including Section 2, which advises states to disregard
same-sex marriages that have been legally performed in other states, and
Section 3, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex
marriages.
President Barack Obama supported full repeal of the legislation as a candidate
and has reiterated that support in the White House. “I believe it's
discriminatory, I think it interferes with states' rights, and we will work
with Congress to overturn it,” Obama said of the 1996 law during an Oval Office
signing ceremony in June.
Eleveld
is The Advocate's Washington correspondent.
Gay Visalia is hosting Dinner & Dames, a social gathering. We will meet at Colima restaurant in front of Roller Towne for dinner and then walk across the way and watch the V-Town Derby Dames take on their competition. Derby tickets are $10.00 in advance or $12.00 at the door, kids 10 and under are free! If you can't make it for dinner then at least join us for some roller derby action. See you there!
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A same-sex
marriage lawsuit that created a public rift between President Barack Obama and
his gay supporters was dismissed Monday on a technicality.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled the case - the first of several
pending challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act - must be refiled in
federal court.
Carter said the suit had been improperly filed in state court before it was
transferred to his jurisdiction. As a result, the judge said, he would not
entertain arguments on its merits, at least not yet.
"There is no point for us to go down the line of decision-making and
waste time," he said during the hearing in Santa Ana.
A major slash to the State Budget made today by the Governor
will result in critical changes to health services for the people of
California. HIV/AIDS programs were drastically compromised by the Governor's
actions. Read the story here: Schwarzenegger
Slashes Health Care To Create A Surplus
