Lesbian and gay Sonoma Valley seniors connect through new group
Gary Carnivele | Special to the Sun
Mainstream media typically offers a limited number of images of the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. News footage of Pride parades feature the obligatory clips of twenty-something hunks wearing skimpy swimwear gyrating on floats and thirty-something women dressed in studded leather revving their hogs. A small number of forty-something activists of both genders occasionally appear on cable news channels. Unfortunately, few gays are seen who are older. It is as if there is an age limit.
Some local LGBT seniors are making themselves more visible by attending a meeting designed just for them. On the third Friday of every month, a number of them gather at the Sonoma Community Center for “LGBT Seniors: Getting Together in Sonoma.” The group is a project of Spectrum LGBT Center, which provides services to Marin County gay seniors and youth. The non-profit saw a need to likewise serve seniors living in Sonoma County. A sister group meets in Santa Rosa.
“Spectrum approached me about doing outreach in Sonoma County to create some sense of community for LGBT seniors and these monthly meetings gives them an opportunity to talk about their issues, which they may not feel free do in a mostly heterosexual setting,” said the group’s facilitator Gary Shepard, who lives in Sonoma with his domestic partner, Paul Besco. “I consider it a discussion group, but try to keep the group from becoming too cerebral. It’s not a support group or even a social group.”
The free meetings offer lively discussions, mutual support, the sharing of pertinent information, and an opportunity for the older segment of the LGBT population to tell their stories. Everyone is welcome to join the group. The group’s organizers promise the meetings are discreet and what is said by all participants is strictly confidential. Of the approximately 60 seniors who have responded to flyers advertising the group, a core of a dozen or so have become regular attendees.
“I was there for the first meeting, because I was missing the gay community that I enjoyed through Spectrum when I lived in Marin,” said Gary “Buz” Hermes, who was born in Napa in 1939 and moved to Sonoma five years ago when he was able to semi-retire. “We each have unique experiences, values, and perspectives to share, but there still seems to be an underlying LGBT connection that overrides our differences and creates a sense of community.”
Joan Brozovich and Sally Smith were thrilled to see the announcement in a local newspaper and jumped at the chance to make contact with other local LGBT seniors. They moved to their colorful home in Glen Ellen in 1998, but missed living near their lesbian friends who have been moving away from one another to the far reaches of the Bay Area. The couple has been together 27 years. They were married in Canada three years ago, at a ceremony attended by friends and family, including Smith’s grown son whom she raised with her husband before the two divorced.
Brozovich, who is a psychologist in private practice in San Francisco, said, “Even though Sally and I made a life-long commitment to each other shortly after we became a couple, there was nothing that could compare to the joy experienced in having the wedding ceremony and turning around and seeing the tears of joy on our guests’ faces. All couples should be allowed to experience that joy.” Marriage equality for same-sex couples was discussed at one of the group’s meetings. Same-sex couples can now legally marry in six states, but not in California.
The group’s other topics, which are selected each month by Shepard, have run the gamut. Participants have discussed: the challenges of coming out; the role of spirituality in their lives; the meaning of friendships; and the relationship between older gays and the younger members of the LGBT community. Shepard strives to encourage a free exchange of ideas. He has invited the leader of a Santa Rosa-based transgender group to come to speak to the group and answer their questions about the “T” in LGBT.
“I moved here four years ago from Santa Cruz and I was shocked to find there were no LGBT groups or gathering places,” said Will Penna, who was a founding member of Triangle Speakers, who made presentations to schools and organizations is an effort to eliminate homophobia. “I was told by a few other gay men who lived here that they didn’t see any need for such. When I learned of this group last fall, I was delighted.”
The members of this group, as well as LGBT seniors all over the world, are redefining what it means to be a senior citizen and how they fit in the larger community. There are some serious hurdles. For the most part, gerontologists haven’t viewed sexual orientation as relevant to their work. According to a recent by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, most national health studies of older citizens fail to access sexual orientation. The tide is changing as of late and seminars about aging are tackling LGBT issues.
“Some people in assisted living facilities feel isolated and don’t feel safe talking to others in fear that they will be outed,” said Shepard, who left his work in broadcasting to work for non-profits like San Francisco’s Shanti Project. “I’ve contacted several local facilities and even though they say they are happy to accept LGBT seniors as residents their intake forms fail to identify them. LGBT seniors don’t have different aging issues, just different cultural issues.”
Shepard also serves on the Advisory Council of the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging, which is responsible for planning and developing policy and advocating for the needs of seniors. The council advises Sonoma County Supervisors, allocates funds for programs as they become available, and makes certain public transportation is accessible. The agency will soon schedule training seminars to educate service providers about LGBT seniors and their specific needs.
Brozovich is excited about the prospect of joining a local LGBT group that is planning to march in Sonoma’s Fourth of July Parade, but Smith’s reaction is a knitted brow and pensive stare. Smith, who teaches French to seniors at Vintage House in Sonoma, seems a bit more reluctant about expressing her sexual preference in a public setting. Smith seems to soften to the idea when she talks about bringing her partner to a party at Vintage House and introducing Brozovich as her partner. And her students were fully accepting.
Shepard makes certain that all LGBT seniors feel welcome, regardless of how open they are about their homosexuality. Some seniors have been forced back into the closet because of where they live or where they work or which senior center they frequent. This generation remembers pre-gay liberation times, during which members of their community were forced into reparative therapy, kicked out of schools, fired from jobs, or otherwise disgraced when their homosexuality was revealed.
“I’m thinking of moving the meeting to the Sonoma Senior Center, if the group approves, so that we have a stronger presence in the senior community,” said Shepard. “The ultimate outcome of the group is when members make contact with each other outside of the group by sharing rides and helping one another out. There is a real need for such support groups.”
The Sonoma Valley Senior LGBT Group meets at 10:30 a.m. every third Friday of the month at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma in Room 210. Contact Gary Shepard, Spectrum Program Coordinator at 707.583.2330 or e-mail him at gary@spectrumlgbtcenter.org
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
LGBT Sonoma Valley seniors connect through new group
Spectrum's "LGBT Seniors: Getting Together in Sonoma" group was mentioned in the Sonoma Valley Sun newspaper this week.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Please Take Action and Demand KRXQ Radio Hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States Apologize for Encouraging Violence Against Transgender Children
Please Take Action and Demand KRXQ Radio Hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States Apologize for Encouraging Violence Against Transgender Children
June 2, 2009— In a lengthy May 28 tirade on the Rob, Arnie & Dawn in the Morning radio show heard in Sacramento, California on KRXQ 98.5 FM and Reno, Nevada on KDOT 104.5 FM, hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States verbally attacked transgender children. While discussing a recent story about a transgender child in Omaha, Nebraska and her parents’ decision to support her transition, the two hosts spent more than 30 minutes explicitly promoting child abuse of and making cruel, dehumanizing and defamatory comments toward transgender children.
You can listen to the entire segment beginning at 4:48 by clicking this link:
http://robarnieanddawn.com/
Among the comments made by the hosts:
ROB WILLIAMS [11:12]: This is a weird person who is demanding attention. And when it’s a child, all it takes is a hug, maybe some tough love or anything in between. When your little boy said, ‘Mommy, I want to walk around in a dress.’ You tell them no cause that’s not what boys do. But that’s not what we’re doing in this culture.
ARNIE STATES [13:27]: If my son, God forbid, if my son put on a pair of high heels, I would probably hit him with one of my shoes. I would throw a shoe at him. Because you know what? Boys don’t wear high heels. And in my house, they definitely don’t wear high heels.
ROB WILLIAMS [17:45]: Dawn, they are freaks. They are abnormal. Not because they’re girls trapped in boys bodies but because they have a mental disorder that needs to be somehow gotten out of them. That’s where therapy could help them.
ROB WILLIAMS [18:15]: Or because they were molested. You know a lot of times these transgenders were molested. And you need to work with them on that. The point is you don’t allow the behavior. You cure the cause!
ARNIE STATES [21:30]: You got a boy saying, ‘I wanna wear dresses.’ I’m going to look at him and go, ‘You know what? You’re a little idiot! You little dumbass! Look, you are a boy! Boys don’t wear dresses.’
ARNIE STATES [29:22]: You know, my favorite part about hearing these stories about the kids in high school, who the entire high school caters around, lets the boy wear the dress. I look forward to when they go out into society and society beats them down. And they end up in therapy.
To her credit, co-host Dawn Rossi stood up to Williams and States during the segment.
Despite her apparent lack of familiarity with transgender issues, Rossi repeatedly defended transgender people and made an on-air apology for her colleagues’ defamatory remarks.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Please contact KRXQ management in Sacramento, California, where the show is produced and demand that radio show hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States publicly apologize. Call on KRXQ to hold Williams and States accountable for their remarks and establish clear standards to ensure their media platform will not be used to condone or promote violence against any parts of the communities they serve.
Contact:
John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com
Arnie States
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robarnieanddawn.com
Rob Williams
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com
Please forward this info to any of your friends and others who may also wish to take action. When contacting KRXQ, please ensure that your emails and phone calls are civil and respectful and do not engage in the kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.
Read the latest updates on this Call to Action at GLAAD.
June 2, 2009— In a lengthy May 28 tirade on the Rob, Arnie & Dawn in the Morning radio show heard in Sacramento, California on KRXQ 98.5 FM and Reno, Nevada on KDOT 104.5 FM, hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States verbally attacked transgender children. While discussing a recent story about a transgender child in Omaha, Nebraska and her parents’ decision to support her transition, the two hosts spent more than 30 minutes explicitly promoting child abuse of and making cruel, dehumanizing and defamatory comments toward transgender children.
You can listen to the entire segment beginning at 4:48 by clicking this link:
http://robarnieanddawn.com/
Among the comments made by the hosts:
ROB WILLIAMS [11:12]: This is a weird person who is demanding attention. And when it’s a child, all it takes is a hug, maybe some tough love or anything in between. When your little boy said, ‘Mommy, I want to walk around in a dress.’ You tell them no cause that’s not what boys do. But that’s not what we’re doing in this culture.
ARNIE STATES [13:27]: If my son, God forbid, if my son put on a pair of high heels, I would probably hit him with one of my shoes. I would throw a shoe at him. Because you know what? Boys don’t wear high heels. And in my house, they definitely don’t wear high heels.
ROB WILLIAMS [17:45]: Dawn, they are freaks. They are abnormal. Not because they’re girls trapped in boys bodies but because they have a mental disorder that needs to be somehow gotten out of them. That’s where therapy could help them.
ROB WILLIAMS [18:15]: Or because they were molested. You know a lot of times these transgenders were molested. And you need to work with them on that. The point is you don’t allow the behavior. You cure the cause!
ARNIE STATES [21:30]: You got a boy saying, ‘I wanna wear dresses.’ I’m going to look at him and go, ‘You know what? You’re a little idiot! You little dumbass! Look, you are a boy! Boys don’t wear dresses.’
ARNIE STATES [29:22]: You know, my favorite part about hearing these stories about the kids in high school, who the entire high school caters around, lets the boy wear the dress. I look forward to when they go out into society and society beats them down. And they end up in therapy.
To her credit, co-host Dawn Rossi stood up to Williams and States during the segment.
Despite her apparent lack of familiarity with transgender issues, Rossi repeatedly defended transgender people and made an on-air apology for her colleagues’ defamatory remarks.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Please contact KRXQ management in Sacramento, California, where the show is produced and demand that radio show hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States publicly apologize. Call on KRXQ to hold Williams and States accountable for their remarks and establish clear standards to ensure their media platform will not be used to condone or promote violence against any parts of the communities they serve.
Contact:
John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com
Arnie States
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robarnieanddawn.com
Rob Williams
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com
Please forward this info to any of your friends and others who may also wish to take action. When contacting KRXQ, please ensure that your emails and phone calls are civil and respectful and do not engage in the kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.
Read the latest updates on this Call to Action at GLAAD.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month 2009 by the President of the United States of America
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2009
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/
A PROCLAMATION
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2009
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/
A PROCLAMATION
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
Monday, June 1, 2009
ONCE AND FOR ALL: What’s next for marriage equality in California?
A Community and Strategy ForumWednesday, June 10, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Acqua Hotel
555 Redwood Highway
Mill Valley
In the wake of the California State Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8 while letting 18,000 same-sex marriages remain valid, the marriage equality movement is at a crossroads in California.
This forum will provide information about new statewide organizing efforts to win marriage equality back; how the initiative process works for and against that effort; and next steps everyone can take to secure marriage equality in California - once and FOR ALL.
Guest speakers (partial list)
Bob Harmon
ACLU of Northern California, Marin Chapter
Terry Stewart
Attorney who argued before the
California State Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8
Andrea Shorter
Coalitions Coordinator, Equality California
Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis
Plaintiffs in the original Marriage case
Marriage Equality USA & Asian Pacific Islander Equality
This is a free event; donations always welcome to assist with event costs.
Hosted by Spectrum LGBT Center
Co-sponsored by Equality California, Marriage Equality USA (partial list)
To RSVP and for more info call (415) 457-1115 ext. 209
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Turning Point for Marriage Equality
This morning, the California Supreme Court, by a 6-1 vote, upheld Proposition 8, which added a section to the California Constitution providing "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
The court also unanimously held that the new constitutional provision applies only prospectively, and does not affect the continued validity of the estimated 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples that occurred prior to November 5, 2008, when the new constitutional provision took effect.
This decision highlights the very serious flaw in our initiative process that allows us to eliminate rights for classes of people so easily. We may be sad, angry, and even incredulous over this decision. But one thing is certain: marriage equality will come to California, as well as the entire nation. And we now have 18,000 legally married same-sex couples to stand with us in this quest.
A number of local, state, and national actions are planned in the wake of the decision. Find out more about these actions here.
If you are in, or close to, Marin County and cannot make it to San Francisco for any of the large rallies, Spectrum and Dan Miller invite you to gather on the garden patio at the Panama Hotel, 4 Bayview Street, San Rafael on Tuesday evening, May 26, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM (no-host bar, light appetizers). Location of Panama Hotel (map)
RALLY THIS SATURDAY IN FRESNO! MEET IN THE MIDDLE FOR EQUALITY to galvanize our forces with a day of unity of all peoples - gay and straight alike. Our peaceful events, including our Equality March and our Equality Rally, share the theme of "United for Equailty". Join with us and then take our vision back to your own communities where we can work together to change our world to include federal level equality, access & justice for all.
MARIN COMMUNITY FORUM, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 7-9 PM, ACQUA HOTEL, MILL VALLEY: Join Spectrum at this community forum featuring a panel of speakers, including Terry Stewart, an attorney who was on the legal team that argued to overturn Proposition 8 before the California Supreme Court. More info coming -- stay up to date by visiting Spectrum's website.
We must continue to believe that justice will prevail.
We must continue to have conversations about marriage equality, and how important they are to us all -- gay and straight alike. Because we know that the conversations are what change the hearts and minds of our friends, families, and neighbors.
We must channel our angry energy toward achieving our goal of equality for all.
I am thinking about a couple of lines from the poem "What I Have Learned So Far" by Mary Oliver:
Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don't think so.
All summations have a beginning, all effect has a
story, all kindness begins with the sown seed.
Thought buds toward radiance. The gospel of
light is the crossroads of -- indolence, or action.
Be ignited, or be gone.
Be ignited. Join the cause. Don't give up.
Paula Pilecki
Executive Director
Spectrum LGBT Center
www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org
The court also unanimously held that the new constitutional provision applies only prospectively, and does not affect the continued validity of the estimated 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples that occurred prior to November 5, 2008, when the new constitutional provision took effect.
This decision highlights the very serious flaw in our initiative process that allows us to eliminate rights for classes of people so easily. We may be sad, angry, and even incredulous over this decision. But one thing is certain: marriage equality will come to California, as well as the entire nation. And we now have 18,000 legally married same-sex couples to stand with us in this quest.
A number of local, state, and national actions are planned in the wake of the decision. Find out more about these actions here.
If you are in, or close to, Marin County and cannot make it to San Francisco for any of the large rallies, Spectrum and Dan Miller invite you to gather on the garden patio at the Panama Hotel, 4 Bayview Street, San Rafael on Tuesday evening, May 26, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM (no-host bar, light appetizers). Location of Panama Hotel (map)
RALLY THIS SATURDAY IN FRESNO! MEET IN THE MIDDLE FOR EQUALITY to galvanize our forces with a day of unity of all peoples - gay and straight alike. Our peaceful events, including our Equality March and our Equality Rally, share the theme of "United for Equailty". Join with us and then take our vision back to your own communities where we can work together to change our world to include federal level equality, access & justice for all.
MARIN COMMUNITY FORUM, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 7-9 PM, ACQUA HOTEL, MILL VALLEY: Join Spectrum at this community forum featuring a panel of speakers, including Terry Stewart, an attorney who was on the legal team that argued to overturn Proposition 8 before the California Supreme Court. More info coming -- stay up to date by visiting Spectrum's website.
We must continue to believe that justice will prevail.
We must continue to have conversations about marriage equality, and how important they are to us all -- gay and straight alike. Because we know that the conversations are what change the hearts and minds of our friends, families, and neighbors.
We must channel our angry energy toward achieving our goal of equality for all.
I am thinking about a couple of lines from the poem "What I Have Learned So Far" by Mary Oliver:
Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don't think so.
All summations have a beginning, all effect has a
story, all kindness begins with the sown seed.
Thought buds toward radiance. The gospel of
light is the crossroads of -- indolence, or action.
Be ignited, or be gone.
Be ignited. Join the cause. Don't give up.
Paula Pilecki
Executive Director
Spectrum LGBT Center
www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org
Friday, May 22, 2009
California State Supreme Court will file its decision regarding Proposition 8 on May 26
ATTENTION MARIN COUNTY: Regardless of which way the decision goes, there will be a gathering in the outdoor patio at Panama Hotel, 4 Bayview Street, San Rafael on Tuesday night, 5:30 - 7:00 PM. If you're not heading in to the City, stop on by and join us. No-host bar and food.
Regardless of the decision, a series of actions will be occurring throughout the state (as well as the country) on Monday night and all day Tuesday. The following information was taken from the San Francisco Community Center's action email. For details on other actions throughout the state and country, visit www.dayofdecision.com.
Events and Actions
EVE of Decision Day
Prayer Service: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Grace Cathedral
100 California Street San Francisco
The night before the announcement of the California Supreme Court’s decision, the Bay Area community is invited to attend an evening of songs and meditation that will center our hearts on peace, healing and understanding. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*.
Day of Decision
Service/Blessing on Decision Day: 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
St. Francis Lutheran Church
152 Church St. San Francisco, across from Castro Safeway
The morning of the decision, Bay Area community members are invited to hear encouraging music and words from community leaders, testimonies from married couples and blessings for those who will be participating in protests or rallies. There will be a march from the church, stopping at the Center and continuing onto Civic Center Plaza. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*.
March to Civic Center Plaza: 9:15 a.m.
Meet at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street @ Octavia
www.sfcenter.org
415.865.5649
On the day of the decision, join fellow Bay Area community members at the Center to march to Civic Center Plaza in unity and preparation for the verdict.
Alternatively, prior to 10:00 a.m., on the Court’s steps (350 McAllister St) you are invited to stand in unity to receive the ruling.
Press Conference covering the California Supreme Court’s Decision
10:30 a.m.
South Light Court, San Francisco City Hall
http://www.nclrights.org/ and http://www.sfgov.org/
Attorneys, joined by religious and civil rights leaders, will discuss the impact of the court’s decision and the next steps moving forward.
Representatives Include:
Evening Rally, March and Gathering
Across the nation several communities will hold gatherings on the day of the decision for us to peacefully share our emotions with one another, show our continuing support for marriage equality and prepare to take the necessary steps to move forward. Emceed by Stuart Gaffney, John Lewis, Lawrence Ellis, Molly McKay and Davina Kotulski.
Rally:
Time: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: San Francisco City Hall
March:
Time: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
Location: City Hall to End at MLK memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens
Community Gathering:
6:45 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: MLK memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens
Saturday May 30th
Meet in the Middle 4 Equality: 1:00 p.m., Fresno
Meet in the Middle 4 Equality calls for an effort to knit a community that cries for FULL Access, Equality & Justice 4 ALL. Regardless of the decision meet on the steps of City Hall in downtown Fresno at 1pm. Busses leave from the San Francisco LGBT Community Center to Fresno at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. To RSVP for a seat on the bus, and for more information, visit http://www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com/.
Sunday May 31st
The weekend following the court decision, clergy and worship leaders are encouraged to address the theological, social and emotional effects of the court decision during their worship service. A liturgy will be provided for congregations to use during their worship time. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*
*The coalition of co-sponsors also includes Jewish Mosaic, California Council of Churches, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Freedom in Christ Church of San Francisco, Metropolitan Community Church, The Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California, Glide Memorial Church, Marriage Equality USA, and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the Pacific School of Religion.
Regardless of the decision, a series of actions will be occurring throughout the state (as well as the country) on Monday night and all day Tuesday. The following information was taken from the San Francisco Community Center's action email. For details on other actions throughout the state and country, visit www.dayofdecision.com.
Events and Actions
EVE of Decision Day
Prayer Service: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Grace Cathedral
100 California Street San Francisco
The night before the announcement of the California Supreme Court’s decision, the Bay Area community is invited to attend an evening of songs and meditation that will center our hearts on peace, healing and understanding. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*.
Day of Decision
Service/Blessing on Decision Day: 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
St. Francis Lutheran Church
152 Church St. San Francisco, across from Castro Safeway
The morning of the decision, Bay Area community members are invited to hear encouraging music and words from community leaders, testimonies from married couples and blessings for those who will be participating in protests or rallies. There will be a march from the church, stopping at the Center and continuing onto Civic Center Plaza. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*.
March to Civic Center Plaza: 9:15 a.m.
Meet at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street @ Octavia
www.sfcenter.org
415.865.5649
On the day of the decision, join fellow Bay Area community members at the Center to march to Civic Center Plaza in unity and preparation for the verdict.
Alternatively, prior to 10:00 a.m., on the Court’s steps (350 McAllister St) you are invited to stand in unity to receive the ruling.
Press Conference covering the California Supreme Court’s Decision
10:30 a.m.
South Light Court, San Francisco City Hall
http://www.nclrights.org/ and http://www.sfgov.org/
Attorneys, joined by religious and civil rights leaders, will discuss the impact of the court’s decision and the next steps moving forward.
Representatives Include:
- S.F. City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Therese Stewart, San Francisco Chief Deputy City Attorney
- Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights and Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Elizabeth Gill, Staff Attorney, ACLU LGBT & AIDS Project
- Eva Paterson, President, Equal Justice Society, AMICI
- Raymond C. Marshall of Bingham McCutchen on behalf of civil rights groups the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the California State Conference of the NAACP, Equal Justice Society, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., amici
- Geoff Kors, Executive Director and Andrea Shorter, Coalition Coordinator, Equality California
- Tawal Panyacosit, Director, API Equality
- Rev. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director, California Council of Churches, amici
- Same-sex couples
Evening Rally, March and Gathering
Across the nation several communities will hold gatherings on the day of the decision for us to peacefully share our emotions with one another, show our continuing support for marriage equality and prepare to take the necessary steps to move forward. Emceed by Stuart Gaffney, John Lewis, Lawrence Ellis, Molly McKay and Davina Kotulski.
Rally:
Time: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: San Francisco City Hall
March:
Time: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
Location: City Hall to End at MLK memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens
Community Gathering:
6:45 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: MLK memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens
Saturday May 30th
Meet in the Middle 4 Equality: 1:00 p.m., Fresno
Meet in the Middle 4 Equality calls for an effort to knit a community that cries for FULL Access, Equality & Justice 4 ALL. Regardless of the decision meet on the steps of City Hall in downtown Fresno at 1pm. Busses leave from the San Francisco LGBT Community Center to Fresno at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. To RSVP for a seat on the bus, and for more information, visit http://www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com/.
Sunday May 31st
The weekend following the court decision, clergy and worship leaders are encouraged to address the theological, social and emotional effects of the court decision during their worship service. A liturgy will be provided for congregations to use during their worship time. Sponsored by The Bay Area Coalition for Welcoming Congregations, California Faith for Equality, and Equality California*
*The coalition of co-sponsors also includes Jewish Mosaic, California Council of Churches, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Freedom in Christ Church of San Francisco, Metropolitan Community Church, The Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California, Glide Memorial Church, Marriage Equality USA, and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the Pacific School of Religion.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Color of Funny Comedy
Special 1/2 price ticket sale on The Color of Funny Comedy show tickets for SPECTRUM friends!
Discount code word: Spectrum
San Francisco - Wed May 27 @ Victoria Theatre:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66684
Santa Cruz - Fri May 29 @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66688
Berkeley - Sat May 30 @ Julia Morgan Center:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66695
Performers:
Diane Amos, Ali Mafi, Mimi Gonzalez, Joe Nguyen, Dhaya Lakshminarayan,
Nathan Habib, Lisa Geduldig
Show info: http://www.koshercomedy.com
Discount code word: Spectrum
San Francisco - Wed May 27 @ Victoria Theatre:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66684
Santa Cruz - Fri May 29 @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66688
Berkeley - Sat May 30 @ Julia Morgan Center:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66695
Performers:
Diane Amos, Ali Mafi, Mimi Gonzalez, Joe Nguyen, Dhaya Lakshminarayan,
Nathan Habib, Lisa Geduldig
Show info: http://www.koshercomedy.com
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