Building El Dorado: A Decade of Love Fuels My Drive to Achieve Marriage Equality
Published: June 13, 2013
By Thom Watson, Marriage Equality USA
Next week is our anniversary. That is, one of our anniversaries.
I’ve joked that one of the rare upsides to the lack of marriage equality is that, unlike our opposite-sex counterparts for whom the wedding anniversary is the focus for commemorating the relationship, same-sex couples can celebrate a number of mini anniversaries. For example, Jeff and I mark, to varying degrees, the dates of registering our domestic partnership, of becoming engaged, and of our commitment ceremony, among other milestones.
But next week’s anniversary is particularly special. Ten years ago, we met in person for the very first time.
Our story is the modern trope of meeting online, but with a traditional, almost Victorian, twist: Our mutual discovery and earliest exchanges took place, not in a chat room, on a dating site, or via Grindr or...
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Now Is the Time to Pass All-Inclusive Legislation Protecting LGBT Workers in America
Published: June 13, 2013
By Selisse BerryIn 29 states, anyone can be fired simply for being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. In 34 states, it is legal to fire someone for being transgender. These statistics and more are presented in The Broken Bargain, a groundbreaking new report by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), Human Rights...
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The Importance of the Supreme Court Cases in Unexpected Places
Published: May 30, 2013
By John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA
It was perhaps one of the last things we thought we’d hear in a gay bar in the heart of the Castro. But at a recent Friday evening happy hour at Hi Tops, we saw two attractive young men...
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Looking Back, Moving Forward
Published: May 30, 2013
By Kate Kendell, Esq. It’s only been a few days since NCLR’s 36th Anniversary Celebration. And I assume even the hardest partier has fully recovered. It was a great night. That made it great had little to do with me. What made it great had everything to do with our...
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Celebrating Straight Allies: PFLAG’s Julia Thoron
Published: May 16, 2013
By Julia Thoron I didn’t know what a straight ally was until several years into activism with PFLAG. I just thought of myself as the mother of a wonderful daughter who had shared with us that she was lesbian. It seemed logical that I get involved with an organization that...
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What a Difference a Year — and a President Make
Published: May 16, 2013
By Thom Watson, Marriage Equality USA Last Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of a marriage equality milestone. On May 9, 2012, President Obama told the nation, “When I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed … same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I...
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The Inside Will Help You Breathe Easier; The Outside Will Take Your Breath Away
Published: May 16, 2013
By Duane Wells
How much do you really know about germs and bacteria beyond the fact that they exist and can cause very bad things? Think about it.
Watch the news, read a newspaper or turn on any number of health advice shows these days and you’ll get...
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Proud To Be a Straight Ally
Published: May 16, 2013
By Patt CroninI am a first generation American and a proud native San Franciscan. My parents were both born in Central America and came to the United States as adults. Through hard work and determination, they have been very successful. They have shown me how to appreciate the importance of...
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Straight Spouses Aren’t Allies, We’re Family!
Published: May 16, 2013
By Amity BuxtonYes, straight spouses of LGBT persons, current or former, are allies in the fight against homophobia and transphobia and for LGBT equality. But we’re more than that. We’re family! We were or still are married to LGBT partners, our children’s other parent is LGB or T, and the...
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Winning Rhode Island and Beyond
Published: May 2, 2013
By Thom Watson, Marriage Equality USA
I was poised to write this column as a speculation about which state would be the tenth to recognize civil marriage equality for same-sex couples, joining nine other states and the District of Columbia where the freedom to marry is already guaranteed.
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A Thank You to First Responders
Published: May 2, 2013
By Mariko Pitts On April 15, 2013, two explosions shattered spirits in Boston. Like others, I perused the TV networks looking for action shots and updates on the whereabouts of the person responsible for this hellish deed. Saddened and hurt, I empathized with thousands of people feeling the blow to...
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Training First Responders
Published: May 2, 2013
By Alexandra S. Williams I am a first responder who is a supervisor on an ambulance. I also happen to be a person of color who is gay- subjects that have not been addressed much in my field, which tends to be very conservative.
As someone who helps...
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When is a victory a Victory?
By Zoe Dunning Published: April 18, 2013
I am not a lawyer. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have been surrounded by lawyers for much of my adult life. My sister is a retired Marine Corps JAG Colonel and an employment attorney for the federal government. I spent much of the past 20 years volunteering for, and serving on...
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Socially Responsible Investing
Published: April 18, 2013
By Brandon Miller, CFP & Joanne Jordan, CFPAs the global climate change discussions heat up in Washington, many investors are paying attention to the impact of their investments on the environment and the well being of people around the world. As this trend has increased, so has the demand...
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Lesbian Poetry Reminds Us of Our Song and Revolution
Published: April 4, 2013
By Jewelle GomezI just received a copy of a collection of poetry by Minnie Bruce Pratt reissued by Sinister Wisdom, our local lesbian journal, produced in collaboration with a publisher. The volume, “Crimes Against Nature,” appeared originally in 1989 and chronicles Pratt’s fight to stay connected with her sons when...
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Pope Francis and the LGBTQ Community
Published: March 21, 2013
By Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J.For this particular Jesuit, the election of the first ever Jesuit Pope was both exciting and surprising. It also came as a surprise that the first ever Jesuit Pope chose the name Francis, the patron of our very own San Francisco. In Spanish he is Pope Francisco....
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‘Non-Traditional’ Family Estate Planning Checklist
Published: March 7, 2013
By Marcum LLP 1. Prepare your last will & testament.A will or trust is the best vehicle to ensure that your assets pass as you intend. In the absence of a will, the intestacy laws of your state will govern distribution, and assets will not pass to an unrelated (unmarried)...
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Milk-SFO: Is the time right?
By Zoe Dunning Published: February 21, 2013
I love Harvey Milk. I love his courage, his leadership, his irreverence. I want his name and his legacy to live on in San Francisco, in the U.S. and all over the world. When the Board of Supervisors last May considered a resolution urging the Secretary of the Navy to...
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Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Future
Published: January 10, 2013
When the Bay Times “came out” 35 years ago, the production team made clear its mission, purpose and reason for being. From the beginning, the paper has strived to “jointly and equally” represent lesbians and gay men, as well as other groups within our community. It did not wish to...
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The Truth about “Binders Full of Women”
Published: November 1, 2012
During the presidential debates, Mitt Romney sparked a social media frenzy with his “binders full of women” remark. According to the former Massachusetts governor, he looked at such binders during his search for senior-level staff. The Bay Times did some fact checking on this point, and here’s what we have...
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Combating the Gender Bias in California Politics
Published: November 1, 2012
By Kimberly EllisThey’re not in a binder – they’re on the ballot. This fall, 28 graduates of Emerge California, the premier campaign training program for Democratic women, are running for office to change the balance of power in government. From the San Joaquin Valley to Menlo Park to San Francisco...
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In San Francisco, Every Month Is LGBT History Month
Published: October 18, 2012
By Gerard KoskovichSince 1994, October has been observed as LGBT History Month in the United States. Launched by Rodney Wilson, a high school teacher in Missouri, the celebration promotes understanding of the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have made to our society. As gay historian George Chauncey...
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Prop B Ensures Clean, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Playgrounds
Published: October 4, 2012
By Leslie KatzIn a dense urban city, our parks and playgrounds are incredibly important to the health and welfare of all our residents. Our parks and playgrounds are literally our backyards where we take our families to play, sit and read a book, take swim lessons, exercise our dogs or...
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A Year of Military Firsts
Published: September 20, 2012
By Zoe Dunning
Thursday, September 20, marks the one-year anniversary of the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving in uniform. For me and for our community, it was a historic day. After literally centuries of military gay bans in one form...
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Meeting Our Community’s Housing Needs: Prop C
Published: September 20, 2012
By Supervisor Scott WienerWe have a housing affordability crisis in San Francisco, and the LGBT community has been hit hard. Rents are through the roof, and we all know people who are hanging on by their fingernails, knowing that if they lose their apartment they may not be able to...
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Breaking into the Lab through Diversity
Published: September 20, 2012
By Dr. Sue RosserAs President Obama has emphasized, the U.S. needs to increase the percentages of Americans graduating from college overall and the numbers of scientists and engineers it graduates to compete economically in the global market. To achieve this, the U.S. scientific workforce will change from being predominately white...
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If Only the World Had Known Sally Ride Was Gay
Published: August 23, 2012
By Barbara BelmontWhen Sally Ride became the first US woman astronaut, I was thrilled for so many reasons. Finally, our country was sending a woman into space! And this woman in particular was a physicist, which meant she was, well, probably, a nerd, just like me. She had that certain...
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LGBTQ Scientists of Historical Note
Published: August 23, 2012
Scientists strive to conduct their inquiries in a dispassionate, objective way. Yet, as with any human being, the scientist’s personality and social circumstances influence the framework of working life. The questions a scientist finds of interest and import, the people he or she associates with, even the places visited are...
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LGBT Travel and San Francisco
Published: August 9, 2012
By Joe D'Alessandro, President & CEO, San Francisco Travel Association
It is said that the first gay visitors to San Francisco came with the Gold Rush of 1849. That makes sense. These people had been persecuted and ostracized.With no home to call their own and nothing to lose,...
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True Victory
Published: July 26, 2012
By Jamie Leno Zimron
In London, the 2012 Olympic Games are about to begin! After 4 years of worldwide waiting, for 2 weeks people everywhere will be treated to non-stop displays of mind-boggling talent and dedication, soul-stirring sacrifices, and awe-inspiring agonies and ecstasies set to unfold during the upcoming...
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Timeless Pride
Published: July 12, 2012
By Gary Virginia Editor’s Note: Many of us at the Bay Times were moved by SF Pride Community Grand Marshal Gary Virginia’s memorable, inspirational remarks at the Pride Brunch for Positive Resource Center, June 23, 2012. Below is an excerpt.
At age 52, I’m soon approaching the...
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AIDS Walk Steps Still Lead the Way
Published: July 12, 2012
By Craig MillerNo place has influenced me more than the City of San Francisco. It was here, at age 16, that I began my life as an out gay person and learned first-hand the formidable power of bringing activism to the streets to create change. It was here that I,...
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Global Equality Is More Than a Theme
Published: June 21, 2012
By Brendan Behan, Executive DirectorPride’s theme this year, “Global Equality,” carries a timely and important message about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and our basic human rights. This year’s theme is a reminder that equality is a basic human right that every human being should enjoy. The reality, however,...
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Come Celebrate with Us
Published: June 14, 2012
By the SF Pride Board of Directors:On behalf of the Board Directors of SF Pride, we are excited to welcome you to participate in this year’s San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration and festivities throughout the month of June. We want to thank so many of you...
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Official Harvey Milk Day Statement by Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk, Co-Founder and President of the Harvey B. Milk Foundation
Published: May 17, 2012
On May 22, my uncle would have been 82 years old, however, he gave us his life 32 years ago knowing that the first of any civil rights movement, who so clearly and loudly proclaim their right to equality, most often meets a violent and sudden end. I am frequently...
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Harvey Milk Day, 2012
Published: May 17, 2012
By Anne Kronenberg, Co-Founder, Harvey Milk FoundationHappy Harvey Milk Day 2012! Harvey Milk hired me in 1977 to run his campaign for Supervisor in District 5. It was the first time supervisors were elected by district, rather than citywide, and Harvey felt his time had finally come. I was young...
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Cinco de Mayo: An Opportunity to Consider LGBTQ Rights Without Borders
Published: May 3, 2012
By Arcelia Hurtado, NCLRCinco de Mayo, commonly mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, is, in fact, celebrated primarily in the United States. It commemorates the May 5, 1862 Battle of Puebla where the vastly outnumbered and less well equipped Mexican Army defeated the French army, which at that point had not...
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A Greener Rainbow
Published: April 19, 2012
By Dana Rudolph Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.
It’s hard to think of LGBT-specific ways to be green. One could make sure the rainbow flag hanging in one’s yard is made from Earth-friendly fibers.
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Now is the Time to Blow the Whistle
Published: April 19, 2012
By Andrea ShorterMany of us know the meaning of being battered and bullied. We need a new Sheriff to continue our long struggle against violence at home and in the community. Remember the whistles you’d see people wearing around the Castro? Fifteen years ago, San Francisco’s Communities United Against Violence...
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Point/Counterpoint: About the Sheriff
By Terry Baum Published: April 18, 2012
The “Point” of the Point/Counterpoint I believe that the process the city government is engaged in now, in considering the firing of Ross Mirkarimi from his elected position of Sheriff, to be hugely inappropriate and politically motivated.
Justice has two components: One is adherence to the law and the...
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LGBTQ Spirituality
Published: April 5, 2012
Guest Editorial Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon Senior Minister Congregational Church of San MateoAn issue of the Bay Times devoted to LGBT spirituality? How timely. With everything going on in the world, it sure couldn’t hurt to be reminded of the power of intention, the power of principles, and the power...
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A Whitney Memory
Published: February 23, 2012
Dr. Betty SullivanJust two weeks ago in the Bay Times, I said something in the Valentines Gift Guide about finding at Amoeba Records my favorite love song, written by Dolly Parton and covered by Whitney Houston – “I Will Always Love You.” There was no way of knowing then...
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In Service We Trust
Published: January 12, 2012
By Karen WilliamsHappy New Year! I am excited and honored to share my thoughts about the coming year. In addition to my resolutions to exercise more, eat less, and practice more loving kindness, I plan to seek more opportunities to serve, to be of service, in ways that resonate with...
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Olde Year Out, Adieu! Adieu! Welcome Now The New! The New!
Published: December 29, 2011
Dr. Betty L. Sullivan PublisherWith a tip of the hat to a remarkable year, we at the Bay Times are truly grateful to all who read our pages in every format that they now appear. We are also truly grateful for our transition to this moment in time. Just how,...
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Guest Editorial - Our LGBTQ Seniors by Gilbert Carrasco
Published: December 15, 2011
By Gilbert CarrascoOur LGBTQ civil rights movement has barely begun to grapple with the care of its elders.
Many would agree that the San Francisco Bay Area is at the forefront of the movement for inclusiveness and acceptance of all peoples, but what happens if one of us...
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From the Editor — CityVille Lessons for Mayor Quan
By Dayna Verstegen Published: November 17, 2011
I am a casual gamer. For those of you not familiar with that industry, that means that I play a variety of short card and simulation games when I have a few minutes for a break. One of my current addictions, is a Zynga game called CityVille: Hometown. The object...
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Coming Out in the Midwest
Published: November 17, 2011
Growing Up Gay By Elizabeth Henk“I’m a lesbian.”
For some reason, those three structurally simple words were impossibly difficult for me to say out loud. I tried, but I just couldn’t manage it. I probably posted somewhere in the vicinity of twenty to thirty advice threads on several different...
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Guest Editorial — Bevan Dufty, candidate for Mayor
Published: November 3, 2011
On the campaign trail, I’ve told San Franciscans that running for Mayor is an amazing experience.
Since September of 2009 I have been in every corner of this City, meeting voters and experiencing our incredible diversity and understanding the challenges -- whether it’s lack of a job, difficulty keeping...
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Niggerhead
By Dayna Verstegen Published: October 20, 2011
Yes. I said it and I made that awful name a headline. And I am white. I don’t think Whoopi Goldberg would like it.
Any of you paying attention to the news during the last few weeks could not have missed the story about Republican candidate Rick Perry’s family...
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The Death Penalty is No Friend to LGBT People
Published: October 6, 2011
By Kate KendellI grew up in Utah with a Dad who in 1968 voted for virulently racist Alabama Governor George Wallace for President. My dad owned guns, supported the death penalty, embraced white supremacy, and told racist jokes for fun. When I came to political consciousness in my early teens,...
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The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week - Michael Moore
Published: October 6, 2011
During a lecture at Georgetown this week, while promoting his new book Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life, Michael Moore joked that Jesus was gay. Specifically, he said “You know those twelve men Jesus was always hanging out with? Hmmmm.” The comment drew big laughs in the room. Well,...
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After We Save Our Youth, They Will Save Us Right Back
By Dayna Verstegen Published: September 22, 2011
Writing about Dan Savage (our Person of the Week) and his “It Gets Better” campaign today, I took occasion again to reflect on the sad losses that our country has suffered during the last few years when LGB (or perceived LGBTQ) teens took their lives after intense bullying at school.
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The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week - Dan Savage
By Dayna Verstegen Published: September 22, 2011
I first met Dan Savage in Madison, Wisconsin in 1991. He was a political activist and as I recall, brought Act-Up to the city. He organized AIDS protests when people would lie down dead in the streets. It was clear that he was a brilliant and instinctual organizer. He knew...
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Sister Dana Prescribes the “Don’t Miss” Events in the Bay Area
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Published: September 22, 2011
Thanks for all the lovely comments about this new column, dear readers. Here are some news views you can use.
ALL THE RAGE - STORIES FROM THE AB101 VETO RIOT: Thursday, Sept. 29, 7-9 pm at the GLBT Historical Museum, 4127 18th St. near Castro Street, glbthistory.org, $5...
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Is San Francisco Ready for a Humble Mayor?
By Dayna Verstegen Published: September 8, 2011
I arrived at Dufty headquarters on Market Street mid-afternoon last Friday. The spare office space (the former Tower Record store) was populated with about 20 staffers, heads bent over computers. It felt like the kind of temporary office typical of campaigns: disorganized and uncomfortable. It was quieter than I might...
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20 dreams in 60 days: I Couldn’t Have Done it Without You San Francisco
Published: September 8, 2011
By Iris MansourHow would you respond if a stranger with an English accent interrupted your dinner to enquire how to become prom queen?
I was in San Francisco in search of my American dreams - 20 of them. I had 60 days to make a million, to star...
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From the Editor
By Dayna Verstegen Published: September 8, 2011
What a week! Tammy Baldwin announced her historic run for Senate. Prop 8 is in court AGAIN. Homophobes are lurking in every dirty corner.
Despite the ups and downs of our political world, I am aglow. I spent a great day on Sunday in Oakland at the Oakland...
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The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week - Mark Bingham
By Rink Published: September 8, 2011
September 11, 2011 will mark ten years since the attack on the United States by Al Qaeda terrorists. On this date, we remember once again a remarkable gay hero and local friend, Mark Bingham. Bingham was a passionate San Francisco rugby player and a charming public relations executive who found...
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Practically Speaking
Published: September 8, 2011
By Linda Kay SilvaSo, practically speaking, how does the law of attraction work? While the examples below are instances that have occurred in and around my life, this does not mean that this is how you must apply it in your life in order for it to work. So, let...
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The Blue People Win! - Guest Editorial by Jewelle Gomez
Published: August 25, 2011
For most of the audience cheering on the heroic exploits of the characters in James Cameron’s amazing film, “Avatar,” the traditional mythology of the white male ‘savior’ among people of color is probably nowhere in their consciousness. And those who mention the discomfort we feel at having a white hero...
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The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week - Sensei Keiko Fukuda
Published: August 25, 2011
Keiko Fukuda is the highest-ranked female judo practitioner in history. Based in San Francisco, she recently earned the rank of tenth dan. She is the first woman to ever hold this title and the only woman. The only three other living tenth dans are men that reside in Japan. In...
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Taking the Reins, Celebrating the Legacy, Creating Anew
Published: August 11, 2011
By Dr. Betty L. Sullivan, PublisherThree cheers, I say. There’s one for each decade. Cheers and more go to our founding publisher and editor, Kim Corsaro, who is stepping down after 30 solid years of service to the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community. For three decades, Kim stood tall as the driving...
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Passing the Bay Times Mantle
Published: August 11, 2011
Editorial by Publisher Emeritus, Kim CorsaroIt’s official. For only the second time in its 32-year history, and for the first time in 30 years, the Bay Times has a new publisher. At the end of July, Betty Sullivan and I finalized the deal that would turn over the reins...
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The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week
Published: August 11, 2011
Andrew Cuomo was born into the New York political elite, but he has never acted the privileged prince. Instead he has used his power and access to fix what is wrong.The son of another former NY governor, Mario Cuomo, he worked on his father’s various campaigns and then served on...
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From the Editor: Obama Needs Us
Published: July 28, 2011
What a crazy and wonderful news week it has been. DADT repealed, gay marriage begins in New York, DOMA hearings. Our community has taken giant steps forward in the last few days. Battles that we have fought for years are finally coming to fruition. We are ridding ourselves of the...
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From the Editor
Published: June 30, 2011
I am a huge sports fan. If you ask the dame she will tell you that when the TV is on, it is usually on a game: football in the fall, basketball all winter and spring, baseball in spring and summer. I fill in spaces with golf. I draw the...
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The GLBT News Quiz of 2010
By Ann Rostow Published: January 6, 2011
It’s that time of year again dear readers, and perhaps you have noticed that every weekly columnist manages to blow a deadline on a “Best of” feature or, in my case and others, a “quiz” that looks back on the past year.So I have had the opportunity to review my...
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Another Beauty Queen Goes Awry
By Kim Corsaro Published: April 23, 2009
If you haven’t seen the YouTube moment from the Miss U.S.A. Beauty Pageant, when gossip maven Perez Hilton turned all serious journalist for a couple of minutes and asked Miss California Carrie Prejean what she believed about same-sex marriage, it’s time to turn in your gay card. The now-famous answer...
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Resolution Solution
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Published: December 31, 2008
Every New Year it’s the same old story - we write out those resolutions with total determination to keep them, but then within a week or so they have become mere memories of our best intentions utterly gone to pot (and we ain’t talkin’ cannabis here). It’s not that we...
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Take Away The Warren Invitation. If He Stays? Turn Your Back.
By Kim Corsaro Published: December 25, 2008
An Open Letter to President-Elect ObamaDear Mr. Obama:It’s happening again. That sickening feeling. That combination of incredible joy with gut-wrenching anguish. Every gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender person in America – and our friends and supporters – felt it on Election Night, 2008. The election of the first African American to...
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Buy Melissa Etheridge A Newspaper Subscription for Xmas
Published: December 25, 2008
It was hard to read. Pop star Melissa Etheridge wrote a column in The Huffington Post defending pastor Rick Warren. Warren complimented her music and then she swooned - giving him a pass on his anti-gay rhetoric. The cunning preacher flattered her, she thought, but really flattened her - and...
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Barack Obama for President
Published: October 30, 2008
Wow. Did you ever imagine we would be where we are today, on the precipice of electing an African-American president to the White House?Everything changes for the better with Obama’s election. Remember the hope we all felt on election night in 1992? The despair as the vote count dragged on...
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McCain & Manhunt
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Published: August 21, 2008
Don’t Be Too Quick To Boycott Your Boy-LineQuestions are circling the gay male community like buzzards on rotting flesh, regarding rumors that the popular ManHunt.net online sex search engine is funneling money to slightly homophobic presidential candidate Senator John McCain. The headline news was splashed across Magnet’s marquee in the...
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The HRC Hullabaloo and What You Can Do
Published: July 24, 2008
By Justin Patrick JonesThe Human Right Campaign’s (HRC) recent actions have been an affront to our values. San Francisco’s LGBT community takes great pride in maintaining the inclusivity of all people, regardless of where they fall on the queer spectrum. While we sometimes fall short of this goal, it is...
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Bay Times Endorses: Carole Migden for State Senate
Published: May 29, 2008
Additional endorsements at the end of the article.On June 3, California voters will go to the polls to decide a number of issues. The future of rent control in the state hangs in the balance, and in The City, we face some important spending issues. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a...
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A Feckless Leader
By Wayne Besen Published: December 20, 2007
Has there ever been a more feckless, less respected religious figure than the “Arch-Baby” of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams? Liberals ignore him, conservatives walk over him and through his stunning lack of leadership he has lost control of the Anglican Church. The wheels came off the car in...
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T.G.I.G.- A Thanksgiving Editorial
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Published: November 22, 2007
Nov. 22 is almost here, and do you know what that means? It’s T.G.I.G. day, or what Sister has traditionally, annually called “Thank God I’m Gay” day. But in light of activist revelation, I’m going to revise it to T.G.I.Q. (and I know that it really pushes some gay people’s...
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How Larry Got Lucky
Published: October 4, 2007
...Important Research by Andrew RappAlthough the Larry Craig scandal has taught millions of Americans how to get head in a john, it’s left larger questions unanswered. People still want to know how you stay in the closet for so long without being discovered. And they want to know why a...
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Israel’s Tragic Miscalculation
By Wayne Besen Published: June 21, 2007
The Israeli Knesset is about to make a tragic mistake with far reaching consequences if it votes to ban Gay Pride rallies. This anti-democratic action will alienate secular Jews - gay and straight - worldwide and force stalwart defenders of Israel to rethink their allegiance. American Jews overwhelmingly reject the...
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Gay Leaders Continue to Label Black Politicians Homophobic
By Jasmyne A. Cannick Published: May 24, 2007
Recently California Senator Sheila Kuehl lambasted Assemblymember Laura Richardson of Long Beach for being homophobic.The occasion? Richardson is one of 19 candidates running to replace the vacancy left by the untimely passing of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. Richardson is considered is frontrunner in the campaign along with State Senator Jenny Oropeza.In...
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Banned at the Bay Bridge: Too “Brokeback” for CBS Outdoor?
By Kim Corsaro Published: April 26, 2007
When San Francisco radio station 95.7-"The Wolf"--went Country the morning of March 1, they devised an advertising campaign that sampled the Big & Rich Grammy-nominated country song from 2004, "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)." Their television commercial, which includes the song, has aired repeatedly and without controversy on numerous...
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Say What? Find a New Face For KGO News
By Kim Corsaro Published: October 12, 2006
Anchor Pete Wilson Blabs Bald-faced BigotryThe joyous news that San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, a gay man, and his close friend Rebecca Goldfader, a lesbian, have had a baby, the adorable Sydney, was trashed by KGO TV news anchor Pete Wilson on his KGO radio talk show this week. Wilson...
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SF’s Civil Blights
Published: September 28, 2006
By billee taniaThe San Francisco City Attorney’s Web site opens with a quote published in the Los Angeles Times from City Attorney Dennis Herrera on his involvement in the 2004 same-sex marriages: “Doing what we can do to ensure civil rights for everyone is not something we are going to...
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End Transgender Hate in the Leather Community
Published: September 21, 2006
By Phil NickersonThe thought of hate through discrimination happening in the City of San Francisco is appalling. Worse yet is the discrimination, amongst one another, within our own Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community--specifically, in the Leather Community.In case you missed the controversy months back, the Northern California LeatherSIR/boy contest,...
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Opportunity for Democrats to Let The Sunshine In
Published: August 31, 2006
Additional Glare of Scrutiny from LGBT Americans Will Benefit Party By Jo Wyrick, Executive Director National Stonewall Democrats Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once stated, “the best disinfectant is sunshine.” Our ongoing discussion as a collective LGBT movement regarding our accomplishments, challenges, and failures, in particular as LGBT Democrats, can...
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Why We Can No Longer Look the Other Way
Published: July 27, 2006
By Kerry Lobel and Julie Dorf It might seem rather myopic, even self-centered, to focus on an LGBTQ rights demonstration in Israel during times like these. For now, Jerusalem WorldPride is still on after much debate. Its organizers are even more determined to sound a message of peace and tolerance...
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Marriage Equality’s Day in Court
Published: July 13, 2006
By Seth KilbournOn Monday, July 10, the California Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Woo v. California, marking an important milestone in our collective efforts to achieve full equality for same-sex couples and their families in California. Many states have left these families behind without the support provided to...
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Impending “Realness” -Transgender Communities Dealt a Blow By REAL ID
Published: July 6, 2006
By Cole Krawitz Recently election reformers have focused a great deal of attention on the real potential for a rollback in voting rights with the flurry of highly restrictive photo ID laws moving across state legislatures. Adding to an already layered system, there have been serious restrictions tacked on the...
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Pride. Action. Equality.
By Geoffrey Kors Published: June 22, 2006
Pride for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is sort of like our own special New Year’s Eve. It is a time not just to celebrate, but also a time to take stock of our lives and to make resolutions for the future. As we celebrate Pride 2006, we...
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It’s Angelides!
By Kim Corsaro Published: June 15, 2006
It seemed like the gay community couldn’t lose in the selection of a Democratic candidate to run against Gov. Schwarzenegger. Both men running in the primary supported full LGBTequality, and both men said they would sign marriage legislation in California. But it was an ugly campaign, and Californians didn’t vote...
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McGreevey’s Confession
Published: May 25, 2006
By Wayne Besen In the shadow of Mary Cheney’s apologist memoir, “Now It’s My Turn,” comes an apology from former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey in his new book “The Confession.” With Mary receiving a mllion dollars for her “tell nothing” and McGreevey receiving a half million for his “tell-all,”...
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Politics Trumps Science At The FDA
Published: May 4, 2006
By Stephen Sidney, M.D. and Bruce MirkenAll Americans, whether or not they have any interest in medical marijuana, should be concerned by the Food and Drug Administration’s recent statement claiming there is no evidence that marijuana is medically beneficial. The FDA’s pronouncement tells us little about medical marijuana, but it...
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Why Create Community?
By Mitchell Halberstadt Published: April 27, 2006
In asking “Is the Gay Community Dead?” (Bay Times, April 13, 2006), Doug Sebesta mentions that San Francisco was a very different place when he arrived here 26 years ago. It’s worth noting, however, that Doug’s arrival must therefore have coincided with the election of Ronald Reagan as President, and...
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The Real Apple Pie: Bashing Immigrants
By Tommi Avicolli Mecca Published: April 20, 2006
If the proposed federal bill HR 4437 (Sensenbreener and King) becomes law, workers at AIDS and other social service agencies will have to ask for papers before helping anyone who walks in the door with an accent. Lo siento mucho, señor: No green card, no AIDS test. It’s that simple....
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Hip Hop’s Homophobia & Black Gay America’s Silence About It
By Jasmyne A. Cannick Published: April 6, 2006
Last month rapper Busta Rhymes let the world know how he feels about gays. While in Miami, Busta was at a diner with his bodyguards when a fan came up to him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder to congratulate him for his recent “comeback.” According to the...
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Is The Marriage Equality Movement Fighting With One Hand Tied Behind Its Back?
Published: March 9, 2006
By the Working Group of PerfectUnion.netSocial justice movements historically have faced constituencies ambivalent or outright opposed to movement objectives.Think of splits within women’s liberation when the Equal Rights Amendment became feminism’s central policy objective. Not only did many radical feminists and feminists of color question the prioritization of this proposed...
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State of the Black Union: Disappointing
By Jasmyne A. Cannick Published: March 2, 2006
The absence of any substantive conversation about the divisive tactics and issues used to distract Blacks and keep us at odds at this year’s State of the Black Union hosted by television and radio commentator Tavis Smiley in Houston, Texas, was deeply disappointing and frustrating. Often billed as the national...
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No to the Death Penalty
By Tommi Avicolli Mecca Published: February 23, 2006
How well I remember that day in May, 1988 when the jury returned with a verdict of guilty in the murder trial of Richard Laird and Frank Chester, the two Bucks County men accused of brutally killing a young Italian gay man named Anthony Milano. I felt relief that the...
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World Pride 2006: Don’t Cross The Picket Line
Published: December 8, 2005
By QUIT! Queers Undermining Israeli TerrorismThe theme of World Pride 2006, to be held in West Jerusalem in August, is “Love Without Borders.” From the planned starting point of the march on Ben Yehuda Street, you can see with the naked eye one of the harshest borders ever constructed: a...
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Just Say No!
By Geoffrey Kors Published: November 3, 2005
It’s Important That We Vote November 8The LGBT community stands at a pivotal juncture, and California is the battleground state that both sides are focused on.At least one anti-LGBT constitutional amendment—and possibly more than one— threatens to take away our fundamental equality in 2006. More than ever before, we will...
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Refueling the Movement Toward Marriage Rights
By Geoffrey Kors Published: October 6, 2005
Governor Schwarzenegger can impede the progress toward equal marriage rights, and he did exactly that. But he can’t defeat the cause of marriage equality.The dramatic ride of Assembly Bill 849, The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (Leno, D-San Francisco), came to a screeching halt on Thursday when Schwarzenegger...
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A Castro Manifesto Towards a More Welcoming Neighborhood
By Eric Rofes Published: September 29, 2005
Everyone hates the Castro.That’s the impression one gets from reading recent newspaper articles, letters to the editor, and Internet chats. It’s also the impression I’ve gotten from friends and activist colleagues throughout the15 years I’ve lived here, most of which have been spent occupying a small yellow cottage just a...
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Each of Us Must Participate in Our Liberation
By Geoffrey Kors Published: June 23, 2005
Executive Director, Equality California As we celebrate Pride, the LGBT community in California has a lot to be proud of– California is home to the most expansive civil rights legislation in the country. When the legislative session began last December, Equality California launched–as we do every year–an ambitious package of...
