Straightlaced - How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up is an uplifting and entertaining film, featuring high school youth speaking candidly about harmful pressures of rigid gender roles and homophobia. From girls who “dumb down” so they don’t intimidate boys, to boys who are sexually active to prove they aren’t gay, to non‐conforming teens who face relentless bullying, the students in Straightlaced show how gender expectations are having an unhealthy and often dangerous impact on today’s youth.
Who: YOU! Every adult who works with children of any age, or who touches the life of even one youth. Every parent, mentor and teen can learn more about the vital issue of gender identity and its impact on mental health.
What: A North Coast premier offering cutting‐edge youth insight about the stress of peer pressure and conformity.
Why: A fundraiser to support GROUNDSPARK FILMS, the lending library of the Sonoma County Office of Education & Positive Images.
When: Thursday Evening, September 24, 2009
7:15 PM Film Showing; 6:00 PM Reception with Academy Award Winning Director, Debra Chasnoff
Where: Rialto Cinemas Lakeside, Santa Rosa
Advance tickets available at Rialto Cinemas and http://groundspark.org/upcoming-screenings
Reception & Film: Donation $5 - $25 Age 18 and under: $5‐$10 sliding scale
Download the Straightlaced Event flyer for more information.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tel Aviv: Not so far away, after all
By Casey Halcro, Youth Programs Coordinator Spectrum LGBT Center
August 4, 2009
Tucked away in my quiet little suburban Marin County cocoon, not but a stone’s throw away from San Francisco (known for being the Gay Mecca of the U.S.), the Sunday morning news hit me hard. Glancing over the headlines, I noticed that something had happened in Tel Aviv. That’s at least three universes away, right? It didn’t take long for my sleepy Sunday morning brain to string it all together: “Two killed as gunman mows down youths in Tel Aviv gay center.”
Three universes away my people were killed! This was a jolting reminder that I do what I do at Spectrum because there is always more work to be done. Tel Aviv may feel like three universes away, but on Sunday it may as well have been in my back yard.
I remember, just before Valentine’s Day in 2008, reading that a 15-year-old gay boy named Lawrence King was shot in the head while sitting in his school’s computer lab in Oxnard, California. Oxnard, California is just a short 6.5 hours away from me – not three universes.
In October 2002, 17-year-old Gwen Araujo was killed by four men after they discovered her transgender identity. This happened in Newark, California – about an hour away from where I live now.
In October 1998, just one year before my high school graduation, I read about Matthew Shepard, who was beaten and left for dead because he was gay. At the time, I was living in Montana. The horrific crime against Matthew Shepard happened in Wyoming, a state bordering mine…not three universes away.
On New Year’s Eve of 1993, 21-year-old Brandon Teena was raped and murdered in Lincoln, Nebraska. His killers, enraged when they discovered Brandon’s transgender identity, also shot and killed two other people who were trying to protect him.
And now, we mourn the deaths of two more young people, ages 24 and 17; and hope the best for eleven others who were wounded in the most brutal attack on LGBT people in Israel’s history.
Three universes away may as well be our own back yard.
From here in California, Spectrum wants our brothers and sisters in Tel Aviv to know that we stand with them in solidarity. We will NOT stop fighting for equal rights, social justice, and inclusive acceptance of LGBT people; the ones here in our own backyard, the ones three universes away, and all of the ones in between. We continue to work hard on a daily basis to educate, dispel myths, empower acceptance, and promote understanding for all LGBT people. Our own LGBT youth groups will continue to meet, create safe space for ourselves and others, and educate the community surrounding us.
We extend our condolences to the staff and participants of The Aguda (Hebrew for ‘gathering’) Community Center in Tel Aviv, and to the families of those who were killed and wounded.
Contact Casey Halcro at casey@spectrumlgbtcenter.org, or (415) 457-1115 x 213.
The Aguda is an LGBT community center like many in places all over the United States and the world. Nearly 30 years old, The Aguda is housed in the basement of an apartment complex. More information about The Aguda can be found at http://glbt.org.il/ (website is in Hebrew), and the English translation of their website can be viewed using this link.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Candlelight Vigil/Memorial for LGBT Youth Murdered in Tel Aviv
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, August 3, 2009
MEDIA ALERT
WHAT: A Candlelight Vigil/Memorial for the LGBT youth murdered and wounded at a LGBT teen center support group meeting on Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
WHERE: FROM: Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St), SF
TO: San Francisco LGBT Center (1800 Market St @ Octavia St), SF
WHEN: TONIGHT, Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:30pm
San Francisco, CA… On Saturday, a masked assailant dressed in black from head to toe opened fire on an LGBT teen center’s support group meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 2 members of the group: 16 year old, Liz Trubeshi, and 26 year old, Nir Katz, the support group counselor, and wounding 10 others. The gunman managed to find the secret location of the support group’s meetings; many of the kids were not yet out to their parents before the shooting. On Sunday, thousands in Tel Aviv protested the senseless murders, and crowds gathered in other Israeli cities as well.
An ad hoc group of San Francisco-based Jewish and gay organizations and individuals is organizing a candlelight vigil/memorial for tonight, Monday night, to memorialize the young Israeli victims. The safety of LGBT youth is of utmost concern; this could happen at any center anywhere in the world. Organizers are calling for LGBT Centers around the country/world to also hold vigils on Monday.
People will gather at the LGBT synagogue, Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St) at 6:00pm and march down Dolores Street and then down Market Street to the San Francisco LGBT Center at 1800 Market Street @ Octavia St.
Schedule & Speakers
5:30pm Gather at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St, San Francisco)
6:00pm March from Sha’ar Zahav to SF LGBT Center (1800 Market Street @ Octavia St)
6:30-7:00pm Speakers & Candlelight Vigil
SPEAKERS (subject to change):
1. Rabbi Camille Angel (Congregation Sha’ar Zahav)
2. Sup. Bevan Dufty (Member of SF Board of Supervisors)
3. Ruby Cymrot-Wu (Bay Area Outreach Coordinator, Jewish Mosaic)
4. Jessica Trubowitch (Dir of Intergroup Relations, Jewish Community Relations Council)
5. SF LGBT Center speaker
6. LYRIC speaker (Lavender Youth Recreation & Info Center; queer youth resource center)
The vigil was organized by Rabbi Camille Angel (Congregation Sha’ar Zahav); Supervisor Bevan Dufty; Martin Tannenbaum (LGBT Alliance); organizer Lisa Geduldig; The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco; SF LGBT Center; Congregation Sha'ar Zahav; and Kol Tzedek: A Bay Area Coalition of Jewish Organizations for Justice and LGBT Rights.
MEDIA ALERT
WHAT: A Candlelight Vigil/Memorial for the LGBT youth murdered and wounded at a LGBT teen center support group meeting on Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
WHERE: FROM: Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St), SF
TO: San Francisco LGBT Center (1800 Market St @ Octavia St), SF
WHEN: TONIGHT, Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:30pm
San Francisco, CA… On Saturday, a masked assailant dressed in black from head to toe opened fire on an LGBT teen center’s support group meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 2 members of the group: 16 year old, Liz Trubeshi, and 26 year old, Nir Katz, the support group counselor, and wounding 10 others. The gunman managed to find the secret location of the support group’s meetings; many of the kids were not yet out to their parents before the shooting. On Sunday, thousands in Tel Aviv protested the senseless murders, and crowds gathered in other Israeli cities as well.
An ad hoc group of San Francisco-based Jewish and gay organizations and individuals is organizing a candlelight vigil/memorial for tonight, Monday night, to memorialize the young Israeli victims. The safety of LGBT youth is of utmost concern; this could happen at any center anywhere in the world. Organizers are calling for LGBT Centers around the country/world to also hold vigils on Monday.
People will gather at the LGBT synagogue, Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St) at 6:00pm and march down Dolores Street and then down Market Street to the San Francisco LGBT Center at 1800 Market Street @ Octavia St.
Schedule & Speakers
5:30pm Gather at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St @ 16th St, San Francisco)
6:00pm March from Sha’ar Zahav to SF LGBT Center (1800 Market Street @ Octavia St)
6:30-7:00pm Speakers & Candlelight Vigil
SPEAKERS (subject to change):
1. Rabbi Camille Angel (Congregation Sha’ar Zahav)
2. Sup. Bevan Dufty (Member of SF Board of Supervisors)
3. Ruby Cymrot-Wu (Bay Area Outreach Coordinator, Jewish Mosaic)
4. Jessica Trubowitch (Dir of Intergroup Relations, Jewish Community Relations Council)
5. SF LGBT Center speaker
6. LYRIC speaker (Lavender Youth Recreation & Info Center; queer youth resource center)
The vigil was organized by Rabbi Camille Angel (Congregation Sha’ar Zahav); Supervisor Bevan Dufty; Martin Tannenbaum (LGBT Alliance); organizer Lisa Geduldig; The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco; SF LGBT Center; Congregation Sha'ar Zahav; and Kol Tzedek: A Bay Area Coalition of Jewish Organizations for Justice and LGBT Rights.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Hate Crimes Update: Thank Your Senators and Representatives
HATE CRIMES UPDATE: THANK YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES BUT CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THEM
As you know, last week the Senate debated the Matthew Shepard Act, a bill that will expand hate crimes legislation to include violent crimes inspired by the victim’s (perceived) sexual orientation and gender identity. On Thursday, July 16, the Senate voted 63-28 in favor to include the Matthew Shepard Act as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act (DoD), with all Democrats (excluding Senators Byrd and Kennedy who are absent) and five Republicans voting in favor.
This is a major development in the fight for LGBT rights and protections and if your senators voted in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act please take a moment to call them at the Senate switchboard at 202 224 3121 and thank them for their support. These calls are as important as the calls we asked you to make earlier, because it shows that you are paying attention to what is going on in Washington concerning LGBT issues. Please make these calls today.
But despite this success, we are not there yet!
Yesterday, the Senate voted in favor of including additional amendments introduced by Senator Sessions (R - Alabama). These amendments, one requiring the Attorney General to establish criteria for determining whether a crime was motivated by the status of the victim and one making the death penalty a requirement for certain hate crimes, are unnecessary, weaken the effectiveness of the hate crimes bill, and potentially could make the bill such a hot topic issue that it runs the risk of being dropped during the upcoming session of the House-Senate conference committee that will combine the House and Senate bills into one bill.
The Matthew Shepard Act will not be law until the DoD bill has been approved by the Senate, the House-Senate conference committee does not alter the bill, the updated version of the DoD is passed by both the House and the Senate, and, finally, President Obama signs it into law. This means that we will have to continue pressuring Congress on this issue until all stages are successfully completed. If at any point in time the Matthew Shepard Act is challenged it is unlikely there will be a hate crimes expansion this year.
Do not allow anyone to derail this vital hate crimes legislation, and do not allow those who support the Matthew Shepard Act in the House and Senate to weaken their resolve on this issue.
We need to act! Therefore, in the coming weeks call, write or e-mail your members of Congress (Click here for a list of contact information for senators and here for representatives). If they supported the Matthew Shepard Act, thank them for doing so. But also urge them to make sure the bill will make it to President Obama’s desk in its original form. Please ask your constituents to do the same. None of this takes more than a few minutes, but it can be exceptionally important in making sure that Congress does the right thing, and passes the Matthew Shepard Act.
More information about the Matthew Shepard Act
Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.
What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act or LLEHCPA) is a bill that, if passed, would expand the 1969 and 1994 federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim’s perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The act is named for Matthew Shepard, the 21 year old college student who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 because of his homosexuality, one of the many victims of crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States each year.
If passed, what would the Matthew Shepard Act actually do?
On the most basic level, it would allow the federal government to prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and would increase the penalties received by the culprits. It will also lift the prerequisite that the federal government cannot intervene unless the victim had been involved in a federally protected activity (such as voting) when the crime occurred. If passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will also allocate more funds to investigate hate crimes, and require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes committed against transgender people (hate crimes based on sexual orientation are already being tracked).
Is the Matthew Shepard Act really necessary?
Yes. Hate crimes differ from ‘normal’ crimes in that they do not just cause harm to an individual and his or her circle of family and friends, but also to an entire community. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will lead to harsher punishment to those who commit hate crimes against members (or perceived members) of the LGBT community and in doing so will send the message that any form of violence committed against an individual because of that person’s (perceived) sexual orientation or gender identity is an attack on the LGBT community as a whole, and unacceptable to society. This is major progress in the fight against gay bashing, as well as the fight for gay rights in general: the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a clear message that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, do not hate to live in fear.
Will the Matthew Shepard Act restrict freedom of speech?
This argument is widely made against the act by Republicans in Congress. While violence in any shape or form, physical or emotional, is despicable and unacceptable, the Matthew Shepard Act is only concerned with physical violence. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will not lead to the prosecution of those who make violent statements (outrageous and wrong as they may be) against the LGBT community. Any statements being made that suggest that the Matthew Shepard Act would create a thought police, or would limit the freedom of speech or religion, are either misguided or intentionally false.
What can you do to help pass the Matthew Shepard Act?
Call, write, or e-mail your senators and representatives. If they supported the Matthew Shepard Act, thank them for doing so. But also urge them to make sure the bill will make it to President Obama’s desk in its original form. Please ask your constituents to do the same.
Visit CenterLink for more information.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Come enjoy another evening of Comedy!!
Comedy Night at Mary's Futons
4100 Redwood Hwy 101 at the Terra Linda exit in San Rafael
Sunday, Aug. 9 at 7:00 pm
Door open at 6 for complimentary appetizers
See the Line up! click here: Futon Comedy 94903
Partial proceeds benefit the Mayflower Community Chorus
4100 Redwood Hwy 101 at the Terra Linda exit in San Rafael
Sunday, Aug. 9 at 7:00 pm
Door open at 6 for complimentary appetizers
See the Line up! click here: Futon Comedy 94903
Partial proceeds benefit the Mayflower Community Chorus
Action Alert: Keep Calling Your Senators
Since yesterday morning's action alert on the Matt Shepard Hate Crimes Act, the wheels have been turning in the Senate. The bill has now been added by Senator Patrick Leahy (D Vermont) as the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe amendment to the FY 2010 Department of Defense Authorization bill. It is important to note that the wording of this amendment is exactly the same as the original bill. It now looks as though a vote will be taken either tomorrow, Thursday July 16, or on Monday, July 20.
Because of that, it is important that we keep the pressure up. Please call your senators and urge them to support the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe hate crimes amendment, and ask your constituents, friends, family and colleagues to do the same. The toll free number you can use to call your senators (866-659-9641) will remain open tomorrow.
Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.
What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act or LLEHCPA) is a bill that, if passed, would expand the 1969 and 1994 federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The act is named for Matthew Shepard, the 21 year old college student who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 because of his homosexuality, one of the many victims of crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States each year.
If passed, what would the Matthew Shepard Act actually do?
On the most basic level, it would allow the federal government to prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and would increase the penalties received by the culprits. It will also lift the prerequisite that the federal government cannot intervene unless the victim had been involved in a federally protected activity (such as voting) when the crime occurred. If passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will also allocate more funds to investigate hate crimes, and require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes committed against transgender people (hate crimes based on sexual orientation are already being tracked).
Is the Matthew Shepard Act really necessary?
Yes. Hate crimes differ from "normal" crimes in that they do not just cause harm to an individual and his or her circle of family and friends, but also to an entire community. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will lead to harsher punishment to those who commit hate crimes against members (or perceived members) of the LGBT community and in doing so will send the message that any form of violence committed against an individual because of that person's (perceived) sexual orientation or gender identity is an attack on the LGBT community as a whole, and unacceptable to society. This is major progress in the fight against gay bashing, as well as the fight for gay rights in general: the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a clear message that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, do not hate to live in fear.
Will the Matthew Shepard Act restrict freedom of speech?
This argument is widely made against the act by Republicans in Congress. While violence in any shape or form, physical or emotional, is despicable and unacceptable, the Matthew Shepard Act is only concerned with physical violence. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will not lead to the prosecution of those who make violent statements (outrageous and wrong as they may be) against the LGBT community. Any statements being made that suggest that the Matthew Shepard Act would create a thought police, or would limit the freedom of speech or religion, are either misguided or intentionally false.
What can you do to help pass the Matthew Shepard Act?
On Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, call your senators between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, through the toll free number 866-659-9641 and strongly urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Act. Please also forward this message to your constituents, friends, and family, and ask them to do the same.
http://center.convio.net
Because of that, it is important that we keep the pressure up. Please call your senators and urge them to support the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe hate crimes amendment, and ask your constituents, friends, family and colleagues to do the same. The toll free number you can use to call your senators (866-659-9641) will remain open tomorrow.
Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.
What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act or LLEHCPA) is a bill that, if passed, would expand the 1969 and 1994 federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The act is named for Matthew Shepard, the 21 year old college student who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 because of his homosexuality, one of the many victims of crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States each year.
If passed, what would the Matthew Shepard Act actually do?
On the most basic level, it would allow the federal government to prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and would increase the penalties received by the culprits. It will also lift the prerequisite that the federal government cannot intervene unless the victim had been involved in a federally protected activity (such as voting) when the crime occurred. If passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will also allocate more funds to investigate hate crimes, and require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes committed against transgender people (hate crimes based on sexual orientation are already being tracked).
Is the Matthew Shepard Act really necessary?
Yes. Hate crimes differ from "normal" crimes in that they do not just cause harm to an individual and his or her circle of family and friends, but also to an entire community. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will lead to harsher punishment to those who commit hate crimes against members (or perceived members) of the LGBT community and in doing so will send the message that any form of violence committed against an individual because of that person's (perceived) sexual orientation or gender identity is an attack on the LGBT community as a whole, and unacceptable to society. This is major progress in the fight against gay bashing, as well as the fight for gay rights in general: the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a clear message that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, do not hate to live in fear.
Will the Matthew Shepard Act restrict freedom of speech?
This argument is widely made against the act by Republicans in Congress. While violence in any shape or form, physical or emotional, is despicable and unacceptable, the Matthew Shepard Act is only concerned with physical violence. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will not lead to the prosecution of those who make violent statements (outrageous and wrong as they may be) against the LGBT community. Any statements being made that suggest that the Matthew Shepard Act would create a thought police, or would limit the freedom of speech or religion, are either misguided or intentionally false.
What can you do to help pass the Matthew Shepard Act?
On Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, call your senators between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, through the toll free number 866-659-9641 and strongly urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Act. Please also forward this message to your constituents, friends, and family, and ask them to do the same.
http://center.convio.net
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Action Alert: Call Your Senators Today and Help Push The Hate Crimes Bill into Becoming Law
As early as today, Wednesday July 15, the Senate will vote on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. With the House having already passed the bill in April, the Senate is the last major hurdle before the bill will become law. You can help make sure that we are able to take this last hurdle successfully. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, a toll free number (866-659-9641) will be open for you and your constituents, friends, family members and collegues to call your senators and urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.
What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act or LLEHCPA) is a bill that, if passed, would expand the 1969 and 1994 federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim’s perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The act is named for Matthew Shepard, the 21 year old college student who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 because of his homosexuality, one of the many victims of crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States each year.
If passed, what would the Matthew Shepard Act actually do?
On the most basic level, it would allow the federal government to prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and would increase the penalties received by the culprits. It will also lift the prerequisite that the federal government cannot intervene unless the victim had been involved in a federally protected activity (such as voting) when the crime occurred. If passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will also allocate more funds to investigate hate crimes, and require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes committed against transgender people (hate crimes based on sexual orientation are already being tracked).
Is the Matthew Shepard Act really necessary?
Yes. Hate crimes differ from ‘normal’ crimes in that they do not just cause harm to an individual and his or her circle of family and friends, but also to an entire community. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will lead to harsher punishment to those who commit hate crimes against members (or perceived members) of the LGBT community and in doing so will send the message that any form of violence committed against an individual because of that person’s (perceived) sexual orientation or gender identity is an attack on the LGBT community as a whole, and unacceptable to society. This is major progress in the fight against gay bashing, as well as the fight for gay rights in general: the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a clear message that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, do not hate to live in fear.
Will the Matthew Shepard Act restrict freedom of speech?
This argument is widely made against the act by Republicans in Congress. While violence in any shape or form, physical or emotional, is despicable and unacceptable, the Matthew Shepard Act is only concerned with physical violence. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will not lead to the prosecution of those who make violent statements (outrageous and wrong as they may be) against the LGBT community. Any statements being made that suggest that the Matthew Shepard Act would create a thought police, or would limit the freedom of speech or religion, are either misguided or intentionally false.
What can you do to help pass the Matthew Shepard Act?
On Wednesday, July 15, call your senators between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, through the toll free number 866-659-9641 and strongly urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Act. Please also forward this message to your constituents, friends, and family, and ask them to do the same.
For more information visit CenterLink.
Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.
What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act or LLEHCPA) is a bill that, if passed, would expand the 1969 and 1994 federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim’s perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The act is named for Matthew Shepard, the 21 year old college student who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 because of his homosexuality, one of the many victims of crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States each year.
If passed, what would the Matthew Shepard Act actually do?
On the most basic level, it would allow the federal government to prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and would increase the penalties received by the culprits. It will also lift the prerequisite that the federal government cannot intervene unless the victim had been involved in a federally protected activity (such as voting) when the crime occurred. If passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will also allocate more funds to investigate hate crimes, and require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes committed against transgender people (hate crimes based on sexual orientation are already being tracked).
Is the Matthew Shepard Act really necessary?
Yes. Hate crimes differ from ‘normal’ crimes in that they do not just cause harm to an individual and his or her circle of family and friends, but also to an entire community. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will lead to harsher punishment to those who commit hate crimes against members (or perceived members) of the LGBT community and in doing so will send the message that any form of violence committed against an individual because of that person’s (perceived) sexual orientation or gender identity is an attack on the LGBT community as a whole, and unacceptable to society. This is major progress in the fight against gay bashing, as well as the fight for gay rights in general: the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a clear message that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, do not hate to live in fear.
Will the Matthew Shepard Act restrict freedom of speech?
This argument is widely made against the act by Republicans in Congress. While violence in any shape or form, physical or emotional, is despicable and unacceptable, the Matthew Shepard Act is only concerned with physical violence. When passed, the Matthew Shepard Act will not lead to the prosecution of those who make violent statements (outrageous and wrong as they may be) against the LGBT community. Any statements being made that suggest that the Matthew Shepard Act would create a thought police, or would limit the freedom of speech or religion, are either misguided or intentionally false.
What can you do to help pass the Matthew Shepard Act?
On Wednesday, July 15, call your senators between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, through the toll free number 866-659-9641 and strongly urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Act. Please also forward this message to your constituents, friends, and family, and ask them to do the same.
For more information visit CenterLink.
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.
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
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
Bay Area Get Together for Gender Variant Kids & Families
What: Picnic in the Park
Where: Corte Madera Town Park, Corte Madera, CA
When: 11-ish to 2-3-ish, Saturday June 20th
Who: Families with children anywhere on the gender variance spectrum. If you live near the Bay Area or plan to be in town that weekend, we'd love to have you join us.
More What: This will be a great chance to gather, enjoy a nice lunch in a beautiful park that has play structures for both younger and older kids as well as playing fields for any other types of activities. We're hoping that this Southern Marin County location will be central-ish for the families living in the Bay Area or who live a bit further and would like to join us that day.
What to Bring: A picnic lunch for your family and snacks to share, if you like. Any kind of park like playing things. Should we organize some games?
What to do Next: Please let us know if you think you'll be able to make it and how many of you there will be. We want to be sure to secure a spot in the park big enough to accommodate all of us. We'll send reminders and any additional details closer to the date.
Contact Lisa with questions or to RSVP: lisant@mindspring.com
Where: Corte Madera Town Park, Corte Madera, CA
When: 11-ish to 2-3-ish, Saturday June 20th
Who: Families with children anywhere on the gender variance spectrum. If you live near the Bay Area or plan to be in town that weekend, we'd love to have you join us.
More What: This will be a great chance to gather, enjoy a nice lunch in a beautiful park that has play structures for both younger and older kids as well as playing fields for any other types of activities. We're hoping that this Southern Marin County location will be central-ish for the families living in the Bay Area or who live a bit further and would like to join us that day.
What to Bring: A picnic lunch for your family and snacks to share, if you like. Any kind of park like playing things. Should we organize some games?
What to do Next: Please let us know if you think you'll be able to make it and how many of you there will be. We want to be sure to secure a spot in the park big enough to accommodate all of us. We'll send reminders and any additional details closer to the date.
Contact Lisa with questions or to RSVP: lisant@mindspring.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
SPECTRUM LGBT CENTER HOSTS FREE NETWORKING EVENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Paula Pilecki, Executive Director, Spectrum LGBT Center
(415) 457-1115 ext. 209
SPECTRUM LGBT CENTER HOSTS FREE NETWORKING EVENT
Mixer at Integrated Design Studio in Mill Valley offers a unique meet-up opportunity for business and community members.
Spectrum Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Center invites you to an evening of networking for businesses and community members at Integrated Design Studio (IDS), 219 Shoreline Drive, Mill Valley on Thursday, May 21, 6-8 PM.
Everyone is invited; there is no charge to participate. Food, wine, and a raffle will round out the festivities at IDS, which boasts a lovely outdoor garden patio perfectly suited for social events and special occasions.
“During these uncertain economic times, networking is important not just for businesses, but for the entire community,” says Paula Pilecki, Executive Director of Spectrum, the North Bay’s nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equality and justice for LGBT people. “Spectrum has contact with a particular market niche – LGBT people and the supportive community surrounding them – that makes this kind of networking event attractive to local business.”
Marketing surveys conducted over the past few years indicate that LGBT people prefer to do business with companies and brands that demonstrate support for the gay community. A 2007 survey conducted by market research firms Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications revealed that two-thirds of LGBT adults would be very or somewhat likely to remain loyal to a brand they believed to be very friendly and supportive to the gay community - even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient.
The 2007 survey concludes that LGBT people “remain loyal to companies that support causes that are important to them, and are highly motivated to learn about corporate social responsibility in all its forms. They are among consumers most motivated to vote with their dollars." (HarrisInteractive.com)
Sponsored by Bank of Marin and Integrated Design Studio, the networking mixer will showcase at least two dozen businesses representing a diverse offering of services, from insurance to real estate to landscape design and improvement.
Confirmed businesses to date include: AAA – Larkspur; Anspach Financial Group; B2B Incentivz/ Ohmy Advisors; Balance & Zumba Marin; Bank of Marin; Bay Area Community Resources, The Business Writing Company; Don Kline Financial & Insurance Services; Finch's Flowers; The Girls in the Vineyard; IHOP - San Rafael; Indulge Caterers; Integrated Design Studio; Irwin-Wells Associates; Jen Pennington, Pacific Union; Katharine Holland, Coldwell Banker; London Productions; Marin Country Day School; Marti Guerra, Alain Pinel Realtors; Marin Local Music; Mountain Biking Marin; Mountain Play Association; PG&E PrideNetwork; Paula Helene Beard Tax Practice; Robert Wintrode, Northwestern Mutual; Shepard Design Associates; Toyota Marin/Scion Marin; Virtual Simplicity; and The Yardsquad.
To participate in Spectrum’s networking event, contact Andre Morand at (415) 381-9500 or by email: andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
CONTACT: Paula Pilecki, Executive Director, Spectrum LGBT Center
(415) 457-1115 ext. 209
SPECTRUM LGBT CENTER HOSTS FREE NETWORKING EVENT
Mixer at Integrated Design Studio in Mill Valley offers a unique meet-up opportunity for business and community members.
Spectrum Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Center invites you to an evening of networking for businesses and community members at Integrated Design Studio (IDS), 219 Shoreline Drive, Mill Valley on Thursday, May 21, 6-8 PM.
Everyone is invited; there is no charge to participate. Food, wine, and a raffle will round out the festivities at IDS, which boasts a lovely outdoor garden patio perfectly suited for social events and special occasions.
“During these uncertain economic times, networking is important not just for businesses, but for the entire community,” says Paula Pilecki, Executive Director of Spectrum, the North Bay’s nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equality and justice for LGBT people. “Spectrum has contact with a particular market niche – LGBT people and the supportive community surrounding them – that makes this kind of networking event attractive to local business.”
Marketing surveys conducted over the past few years indicate that LGBT people prefer to do business with companies and brands that demonstrate support for the gay community. A 2007 survey conducted by market research firms Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications revealed that two-thirds of LGBT adults would be very or somewhat likely to remain loyal to a brand they believed to be very friendly and supportive to the gay community - even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient.
The 2007 survey concludes that LGBT people “remain loyal to companies that support causes that are important to them, and are highly motivated to learn about corporate social responsibility in all its forms. They are among consumers most motivated to vote with their dollars." (HarrisInteractive.com)
Sponsored by Bank of Marin and Integrated Design Studio, the networking mixer will showcase at least two dozen businesses representing a diverse offering of services, from insurance to real estate to landscape design and improvement.
Confirmed businesses to date include: AAA – Larkspur; Anspach Financial Group; B2B Incentivz/ Ohmy Advisors; Balance & Zumba Marin; Bank of Marin; Bay Area Community Resources, The Business Writing Company; Don Kline Financial & Insurance Services; Finch's Flowers; The Girls in the Vineyard; IHOP - San Rafael; Indulge Caterers; Integrated Design Studio; Irwin-Wells Associates; Jen Pennington, Pacific Union; Katharine Holland, Coldwell Banker; London Productions; Marin Country Day School; Marti Guerra, Alain Pinel Realtors; Marin Local Music; Mountain Biking Marin; Mountain Play Association; PG&E PrideNetwork; Paula Helene Beard Tax Practice; Robert Wintrode, Northwestern Mutual; Shepard Design Associates; Toyota Marin/Scion Marin; Virtual Simplicity; and The Yardsquad.
To participate in Spectrum’s networking event, contact Andre Morand at (415) 381-9500 or by email: andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
####
ABOUT SPECTRUM: Founded in 1982, Spectrum LGBT Center promotes acceptance, understanding, safety, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. For more information, visit www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:
WHAT: Spectrum’s Business and Community Networking Night
WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
WHERE: Integrated Design Studio, 219 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley
COST: Free
RSVP to Andre Morand, andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.org or (415) 381-9500.
MORE INFO: www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org
Spectrum Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Center invites you to an evening of business and community networking at Integrated Design Studio (IDS), 219 Shoreline Drive, Mill Valley on Thursday, May 21, 6-8 PM. This is a free event open to the entire community. Food, wine, and a raffle will round out the festivities at IDS, which boasts a lovely outdoor garden patio perfectly suited for social events and special occasions. The networking event is sponsored by Bank of Marin and Integrated Design Studio. RSVP and more info: Andre Morand, (415) 381-9500; andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
Please re-post.
ABOUT SPECTRUM: Founded in 1982, Spectrum LGBT Center promotes acceptance, understanding, safety, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. For more information, visit www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:
WHAT: Spectrum’s Business and Community Networking Night
WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
WHERE: Integrated Design Studio, 219 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley
COST: Free
RSVP to Andre Morand, andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.o
MORE INFO: www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org
Spectrum Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Center invites you to an evening of business and community networking at Integrated Design Studio (IDS), 219 Shoreline Drive, Mill Valley on Thursday, May 21, 6-8 PM. This is a free event open to the entire community. Food, wine, and a raffle will round out the festivities at IDS, which boasts a lovely outdoor garden patio perfectly suited for social events and special occasions. The networking event is sponsored by Bank of Marin and Integrated Design Studio. RSVP and more info: Andre Morand, (415) 381-9500; andre@spectrumLGBTcenter.o
Please re-post.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
San Francisco Event: Town Hall meeting on Monday, April 13
Join Equality California and San Francisco LGBT Center this coming Monday, April 13, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a town hall meeting.
Location:
San Francisco LGBT Center
1800 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
This is your opportunity to hear about how local and statewide organizations are working for LGBT equality and to secure the freedom to marry.
Kate Kendell and Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights will discuss the legal challenges to Prop 8, Geoff Kors of Equality California will give an update on pending legislation to advance LGBT rights, and representatives of a number of groups will discuss the important work they are doing here and across the state, including: API Equality, Our Family Coalition, Marriage Equality USA, the ACLU of Northern California, and Equality California.
The last half of the town hall will be an open-forum discussion about next steps, both on the day of the Supreme Court decision and in the overall quest to secure our full equality.
Join us and let your voice be heard!
Location:
San Francisco LGBT Center
1800 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
This is your opportunity to hear about how local and statewide organizations are working for LGBT equality and to secure the freedom to marry.
Kate Kendell and Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights will discuss the legal challenges to Prop 8, Geoff Kors of Equality California will give an update on pending legislation to advance LGBT rights, and representatives of a number of groups will discuss the important work they are doing here and across the state, including: API Equality, Our Family Coalition, Marriage Equality USA, the ACLU of Northern California, and Equality California.
The last half of the town hall will be an open-forum discussion about next steps, both on the day of the Supreme Court decision and in the overall quest to secure our full equality.
Join us and let your voice be heard!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A message from Marriage Equality USA
Fellow Marriage Equality Supporters:While we wait anxiously here in California for the Supreme Court to issue their decision, we celebrate the unanimous decision in Iowa, the override of the Governor’s Veto in Vermont and the unanimous vote to recognize marriage equality in D.C. which gives us hope that California will restore marriage equality soon too! No matter what the decision from the court, momentum is on our side, and we must be prepared.
TAKE ACTION ON DAY OF DECISION
Win or lose, we want to provide our community with an outlet to express their emotions, show support for marriage equality, and contextualize this moment within the larger civil rights movement.
The Evening that the Court rules on Prop 8
5-6pm Pre-March Rally @ San Francisco City Hall
6-7pm March to MLK Memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens
7-8:30 Pre-March Rally @ Yerba Buena Gardens (4th@Mission)
The Court provides 24 hours notice of when it will issue its decision. Typically the Court has issued its decisions on Thursday and Mondays. The court will rule anytime in the next 60 days. The last possible date is June 3rd , but the rumor is that the Court will rule earlier on this decision - no one knows for sure.
We are looking for couples, families, advocates, single folks, youth, and others to speak out on Decision Day and share their story. In particular we are looking for couples able to be at the California Supreme Court steps at 10:30am as the decision is handed out. If interested, please contact media at marriageequality.org with your name(s), phone number, who you are (i.e. couple, student, advocate, etc…), ethnicity, and languages spoken.)
Finally, as we move forward in the fight, regardless of the decision, we will need to be proactive and share our stories and let people into our lives wherever we can. Therefore, Marriage Equality USA is continuing to compile a list of any and all upcoming events (meetings, festivals, fairs, conferences, etc…).
If you know of any events, small or large, that we should target to get the word out and continue to build support, please contact your local chapter leaders. Visit www.marriageequality.org for more information.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Vermont Rules for Marriage!
Vermont Rules!
"But today, Vermont proved, once again, what we all know--that marriage equality makes a tremendous difference for gay and lesbian couples and families, and those who love and care about them. And for the rest of society, it's not a big deal. In fact, I am positive if you were to poll Vermonters today, a strong majority would say they are proud to be the first state to have passed marriage through their legislature and enacted into law.For us in California, this shows that anything short of marriage—whether it is called civil unions, domestic partnerships or anything else —doesn't suffice. Full equality is marriage, plain and simple."- Marc Solomon,
Marriage Director, Equality California
Read more here: http://ca-ripple-effect.blogspot.com/2009/04/vermont-rules.html
Monday, March 23, 2009
Rainbow's End Novato
Don’t be a fool, join us on April 1st!
Rainbow’s End Novato is a weekly drop-in facilitated social support group for 14-19 year olds. This group is a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth to gather each week for friendship, support and discussion.
Join us on Wednesday nights starting on April 1st.
Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 at the
Novato Wellness Center
1767 Grant Ave
Novato, CA 94945
Contact Casey for more information:
casey@spectrumlgbtcenter.org
415-457-1115 x 213
Rainbow’s End Novato is a weekly drop-in facilitated social support group for 14-19 year olds. This group is a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth to gather each week for friendship, support and discussion.
Join us on Wednesday nights starting on April 1st.
Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 at the
Novato Wellness Center
1767 Grant Ave
Novato, CA 94945
Contact Casey for more information:
casey@spectrumlgbtcenter.org
415-457-1115 x 213
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