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Quote of the Week:
"The reason women don't play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public."
Weekly Green Tip:
Why not choose to invest with socially responsible institutions? Whether you live paycheck to paycheck or are wealthy, your money is being used in some fashion to support businesses that are either aware of the social good, or oblivious to it. The simplest way to make a difference is to do business with a bank or credit union that does good things. ATMs and direct deposit have made it easier now to have a choice. You can research eco-friendly banks on sites such as coopamerica.org.
SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Fresno City College today demanding that the school ensure that all its health science classes teach unbiased and medically accurate information. According to students at the college, lectures by Professor Dr. Bradley Lopez, who teaches an introductory health class, often present religiously-based and anti-gay views as “science” or “fact.”
“I feel very let down by my school,” said Jacqui Mahaffey, a 24-year-old student who took Professor Lopez’s class. “I signed up for health science because I was interested in the subject, but what I got was hateful lecturing based on Professor Lopez’s personal beliefs. I am in school to learn, not to be indoctrinated with one professor’s religious views and anti-gay beliefs.”
The ACLU letter includes several examples of Professor Lopez teaching sectarian views and personal bias as “fact.” In recent lectures, Professor Lopez:
• Presented a slide listing “homosexual facts,” including that homosexuality is a “biological misapplication of human sexuality” and said that the “recommended treatment” is “psychological counseling” or “hormone supplements.”
• Presented LGBT people as a burden on and/or threat to society, claiming, for example, that anything but a heterosexual union provides a “one-sided foundation for raising children.”
• Presented bible passages as “empirical” evidence that life begins at conception in support of his assertion that abortion is murder and “the leading cause of death in this country” (because there are over a million abortions a year).
• Followed a slide on climate change in a presentation on “environmental health” with a slide containing a Biblical quote about the world ending in fire, and said “that is the real global warming we should be worried about.”
• Repeatedly referenced the Bible and used it as a teaching tool, for example assigning as homework a question as to Jesus’ genetic makeup.
“The college class room of a state school should be a welcoming environment for all students, and courses, especially health courses, should be based on objective and medically accurate information, not religiously-based bias,” said Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “While Professor Lopez is free to talk about his religious beliefs outside of the classroom, Fresno City College has an obligation to protect its students from religious indoctrination and anti-gay bias presented as ‘science’ or ‘fact.’ Professor Lopez’s health class fails students in both regards.”
The letter sent by the ACLU charges that because the classes are being taught at a publicly funded college, Professor Lopez’s lectures violate federal and state constitutional protections guaranteeing the separation of church and state. To satisfy its legal obligation to combat anti-gay bias, the letter also urges the school to mandate accurate and unbiased health instruction.
Please see the Special Event Notice below - from the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force (SPTF)
What: 210 Connect forum - Suicide, a panel and community forum to discuss suicide in Tulare County
When: Monday, February 8th, at 7:00 PM
Where: 210 West Center Street, Visalia, CA 93291
Who: You, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Please encourage others.
Why: The 210 Connect forums are held 1x monthly on a variety of topics inclusive of health, homelessness, and now suicide. I was told that only 35 audience member are anticipated, and that maximum capacity is approx. 250 people. If we can encourage people to attend, and attend ourselves, it will help to send a strong message that suicide prevention is important in our community. 210 Connect is sponsored by the Visalia Times Delta, and a strong presence can help punctuate the importance of our cause. If there is a good showing at this forum we should be able to arrange a follow-up forum in September after National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.
**The follow-up forum in September is foreseen to be specifically reserved for a panel discussion on faith-based suicide prevention efforts. If you have interest in participating in the September forum, please contact me.**
Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you at the forum.
P.S.: Please forward this to anyone you can encourage to attend.
PFLAG's Dining Out for Equality will be held on Sunday, February 28 at 12:30pm in Lindsay at China's Alley Restaurant located at 170 N. Sweetbriar Ave.
Starring: Bill Sage – Terry Serpico – Nicole Bilderback – Colin Fickles
Andrew Weilin – Ryan Locke – Thomas Sadoski
Rating: Two Thumbs Down
I felt that this movie was taking too long to finish. There are no real dramatic turn of events, no action (or sex), and there was no real thrill. It was just a lot of talk. If you are like me and need a little bit of noise, just to have noise while you’re taking a nap; this is the movie to have on. If you just need to have something on the television and don’t mind wasting money on a rental fee, this is that movie.
Writer-Director Chris Mason Johnson’s award-winning first feature charts the lives of five New Yorkers, a mix of gay and straight best friends about to turn thirty, whose tight relationship is threatened when an older, charismatic man joins their ranks. With emotionally vivid performances and nuanced characters, THE NEW TWENTY paints the portrait of a generation living the highs and lows of a Wall Street world destined to disappear overnight.
“Sharp, intelligent writing, erotic tension and intriguing ambiguity. A stylish production.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A vivid portrayal of real life. A breath of fresh air.” – NY Examiner
I actually had to hunt this sequel of Rainbow Boys; ISO had sold out of it and so it was hard to locate a copy. But it is totally worth it. I love the dramatic storylines the author gives each character. I personally got so engrossed in the book that I finished it in one week. The guys’ on the dust cover jackets are so cute that each one actually does appear to be like the personality in the book. What I wouldn’t give to be a twink again.
Nelson Glassman – may have been exposed to the HIV virus and is terrified of testing positive… but what if being positive is the only way to keep the guy of his dreams?
Kyle Meeks - finally has the guy of his dreams and is ready to do anything to stay by his side… but will “anything” include sabotaging his own future?
Jason Carrillo – knows he has to face his future and is prepared to face it out and gay… but is he prepared to let go of the dream that has sustained him all his life?
As their high school days draw to a close and these three friends move toward one of life’s most defining crossroads, each will be compelled to choose his own direction-and to prepare for the consequences.
“Groundbreaking.” – Time Out New York
“A forthright portrayal of growing up gay.” – USA Today
“Sanchez writes with passion and understanding as well as some welcome humor.”
Senator John McCain changes his stance on "don't ask don't tell"...
Written by Joe Kersten
Wednesday, 03 February 2010
If you were to ask me to sum up Senator John McCain’s political career, the words “flip-flop” come to mind. Throughout his Senate career McCain has had more than his fair share of embarrassing moments, especially when it comes to civil rights issues. Whether it was voting against the creation of the Martin Luther King Holiday in 1983, endorsing George Wallace Jr. despite Wallace’s speeches to hate groups, or hiring strategist Harold Ford of Willie Horton infamy during his 2008 Presidential Campaign, McCain has sent more than a few mixed singles. So I wasn’t surprised in the least when McCain once again appeared to change his stance on the policy of “don’t ask don’t tell”.
As reported by Michael D. Shear of The Washington Post, McCain had previously been quoted as being open to changing the policy currently in place…
“The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it," McCain said in October 2006 to an audience of Iowa State University students.
That time came this last Tuesday when Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, both fellow Republicans, spoke with Senators over the matter of seeking a congressional appeal of the current “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. Instead of standing by his words McCain described expressed outrage over the timing and ethics of this proposition.
Something that we must keep in mind is that McCain is running for reelection in the Senate this year, and his current stances on the issues appear to be stances that pander to the conservative voters he hopes to keep in his bid for reelection. He’s opposed President Obama’s economic stimulus package, Obama’s health care plan, and even voted against Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as if to prove his commitment to the Republican Party line. A look at his past voting record is even more disconcerting as he’s voted in favor of bills that have allowed water boarding to be used in interrogation and to designate English as the only language officially recognized by the U.S Government.
When you take everything into consideration it would have been more of a shock had McCain not been outraged over the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell”, this is after all an election year.
It's time to form our team for the Co-ed softball spring season in Visalia. If you are interested in playing please get in touch with me. The deadline to sign up is at the end of the month so there is not much time. All ages and abilities are encouraged to participate. We need guys and gals who want to come out, play and have some fun. Players do not need to be LGBTQI, just accepting and supportive. Times and days will be given at a later time. There will also be a per person fee to cover the costs of sign up. I promise, it won't break the bank.
Contact me through email, Brooke@GayVisalia.com or via the Gay Visalia hotline, 559-697-5GAY to get more info!
Gay Central Valley is now setup to accept donations of your Automobiles, Boats, Motorcycles, etc. Please keep us in mind if you ever find yourself in the situation to make a donation. You can learn more at the Cars4Causes website below. Thank you!
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The first federal case to decide if
the U.S. Constitution prevents states from stopping same-sex weddings came to
an anti-climatic break Wednesday after a judge heard nearly 12 days of
wide-ranging testimony on the meaning of marriage, the nature of sexual
orientation, and the role of religion in shaping attitudes about both.
Attorneys for sponsors of California's Proposition 8
tentatively rested their case after introducing materials from the 2008
election campaign.
They called just two expert witnesses, including David
Blankenhorn, president of the New York-based Institute for American Values, who
capped the historic proceedings by saying the rights of same-sex couples should
come second to preserving the cherished social institution of marriage.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker heard the case
without a jury and said he will take time to review the evidence before
allowing closing arguments, probably in March or April. He has no deadline for
reaching a decision.
On Monday, January 25th, the 10th
day of the Prop 8 case being heard in San Francisco, Ted Olson and David Boies,
attorneys for the plaintiffs, rested their case. Now, the defense team makes
their case...
The Washington
Post reports...
Kenneth Miller, a professor at
Claremont McKenna College who teaches California politics and researches ballot
initiatives, was the first defense witness in the trial over the
constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban.
Miller said one indication of the
gay rights movement's clout in California was that neither Republican Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger nor any other statewide office holders endorsed Proposition
8. But perhaps the best measure of the movement's strength was the $43 million
amassed to defeat the gay marriage ban in 2008, he said. That was $3.4 million
more than initiative backers raised.
Boies pushed back at Miller, asking if he
thought Prop 8 was inherently discriminatory...
"It's differential
treatment. Whether it's legally discriminatory, I don't know," Miller
said.
The New York
Times reports on the cross examination of Kenneth Miller, at
the hand of Attorney David Boies. Boies tried to illuminate Miller's lack of
knowledge when it comes to LGBT discrimination, both currently and
historically...
Mr. Boies pointed out that during
his deposition, Dr. Miller did not know how many states had laws regarding
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Mr. Boies continued to ask
Dr. Miller to answer a range of difficult questions, ranging from political
history to gay and lesbian politics and scholarship.
“What academic books and articles
are you familiar with regarding the discrimination against minority groups?”
Dr. Miller demurred.
“You mean you can’t think of any
titles?” Mr. Boies asked.
“No, I can’t,” Dr. Miller
responded.
Mr. Boies, minutes later, asked,
“Nationally, do you believe the African-American minority or the gay and
lesbian minority has the greater political power?”
Dr. Miller responded, “I’d have
to say I don’t know.”
Shannon Minter, who was a lead attorney in
the California Supreme Court case concerning legal same sex marriage, open up
and provides his take on the current Prop 8 case, as reported by the Advocate...
Aside from the judge and
litigants of the case, perhaps no one has been more present during Perry v.
Schwarzenegger over the past several weeks than Shannon Minter, legal director
for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (if you’re following the case but
haven’t seen his commentary via Twitter, take note: He’s at @nclrights).
As lead attorney in the California state
supreme court case that opened the door for gay couples to marry before
Proposition 8 slammed it shut, Minter is no stranger to the arguments that the
ballot measure’s defenders are using — ones that have ranged in this trial from
dubious to utterly baffling. Minter recently put his tweeting aside for a few
minutes to speak with Advocate.com about the landmark case as it heads into its
third week.
The Advocate
Interview touches on the matter of Paul Nathanson and Katherine
Young, handpicked and paid for by the defense, who then withdrew from the case.
Video depositions later revealed they made statements indicating the plaintiffs
were correct in this matter. Minter comments....
"I have never seen a
situation like that before in any case. Keep in mind that these were experts
handpicked and paid for by the defense. To have a party’s own experts make
admissions in depositions that the other side is completely correct about
issues that are central to their case is almost unheard of."
Minter has also been posting his updates of
the trial on Twitter. You can follow those postings here: http://twitter.com/nclrights
Mercury News provides a time breakdown of the 10th day of
the trial, including this entry...
4:52 p.m.: Plaintiffs' lawyer and
prof spar over whether Prop 8 is discriminatory
Another day is done in the
Proposition 8 trial. Kenneth Miller, a Claremont McKenna professor and the
Proposition 8 team's first witness, remains on the stand, under
cross-examination by plaintiffs attorney David Boies. As the afternoon
progressed, Boies moved on to sparring with Miller about the professor's view
of whether Proposition 8 and other same-sex marriage bans amount to
discrimination. The lawyer and witness went around and around on the topic,
with Miller only conceding that it just defines marriage as between a man and a
woman and "excludes other forms of marriage." He also at one point
said "it creates a distinction between the two groups."
We will be at Mandarin House at 163 East Pine Street in Exeter on Sunday, January 24 at 12:30. Wear your PFLAG or Marriage Equality T-shirt and bring a friend.
Graduating high school students in Northern and Central CA who are members of the LGBTQ community can apply for $5000 scholarships to any accredited post-secondary school. Applications are available at www.equalityscholarship.org and are due by February 16th.
Based on the volunteer-driven Neighborhood Team model that proved successful during the Obama campaign, our Neighborhood Equality Teams provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the movement for equality. The most valuable work we can do right now is talk with Californians neighbor-to- neighbor and build power for progressive change within our local communities.
The Courage Campaign Equality Program was born in the wake of Proposition 8. The program was launched with understanding - backed by extensive research - that long-term, deep organizing work done on a local level is the single best way to open the hearts and minds of Californians on same-sex marriage.
And now, after a year of wins and losses and much learned about the movement for LGBT Equality, we know more. We know that we have to fundamentally change how California operates. We know that winning on equality will require building an unprecedented coalition of progressive- minded organizers. And we know that we have to organize ourselves. That's where you come in.
To register (FREE) for Courage Acdemy- Fresno, February 27th please visit:
We are looking for people to step up as Neighborhood Equality Team Organizers and form Neighborhood Equality Teams to build a coalition of volunteers who take the initiative and work together, both locally and in coordinated state-wide actions, to create a more progressive, more governable and more equitable California.
The program kicks off with Courage Academy, our one day leadership and organizing trainings, which will be held across the state on February 27th and 28th, 2010. The goal of the training is to empower Neighborhood Equality Team Organizers to use their personal stories to create shared values, shared commitment, shared structure, and a shared strategy to achieve measurable action for change in their community.
Some potential Neighborhood Equality Teams can include (but not limited to):
Courage Academy- Fresno will take place on February 27th. This event is FREE, for more information and to register for Courage Academy- Fresno please visit:
It's frustrating for those
following the current Prop 8 trial in San Francisco to have to wade through the
blogs and tweets in order to piece the case together. The Supreme Court has
barred the use of live or delayed video of the trial, and understandably, much
of the information coming out via bloggers is incomplete, given the difficulty
of transferring an ongoing trial immediately into words. But an answer seems to
have arrived. It appears we'll now be able to watch daily re-enactments of the
trial, starting on Tuesday, January 19th, thanks to John Ireland.
John Ireland, (pictured above) is afreelance
journalist and filmmaker, based in Los Angeles, who has "focused on the gay rights movement, the
electoral process and the effects of linguistics and semantics on everyday
exchanges that connect us to one another." You can check out Ireland's
previous works by clicking here.
Ireland made this statement over the
weekend... “People want to see this drama
unfold and there is a tremendous narrative that was propelled by that first day
of testimony…. I don’t think you need to be gay or lesbian to see there is a
tremendous human story being told but so few people are actually hearing it.”
Read the full interview here... On
Top Magazine Interview with John Ireland
The project's mission, according to their
website...In its January 13, 2010 ruling, the U.S.
Supreme Court blocked the public broadcasting of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a
U.S. District Court case challenging the constitutional validity of California
Proposition 8. Working from partial transcripts and first-hand accounts from
bloggers who are present at the trial, we will re-create the trial proceedings
and post them here, for public viewing.
Ireland posted this Craigslist
Adto get the people he needed for the project. All work on the project
is volunteer only.
Apparently Day One of the trial
has been filmed over the weekend and is in the bag, to be released Tuesday,
January 19th. We'll post the ongoing video series here for you to see. For
updates on the project follow this link... Prop 8 Trial
Re-enactment
Pictured, left to right...VAUGHN WALKER (JUDGE)
- DAVID BOIES (PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY) - TED OLSON (PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY) - DAVID
KATAMI (PLAINTIFF) - JEFFREY ZARILLO (PLAINTIFF) - KRISTEN PERRY (PLAINTIFF) -
SANDY STIER (PLAINTIFF)
