| HAPPENINGS by Jen Marcelo and Kimberly Monari HILLCREST MARDI GRAS 9th annual Hillcrest Mardi Gras Street Party celebration will be held on Fat Tuesday, February 16, 2010 on University Avenue between First and Fourth Avenues. The time of the event is 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. and as always, the festival will take place rain or shine. Save the date for this outrageously fun fundraiser in true gay, NOLA style. More details and information about the event are at fabuloushillcrest.com/events_mardigras.php LILITH FAIR SEEKS LOCAL TALENT Since the news of Lilith's return has spread, the interest from emerging musicians to be a part of the tour has been astounding. The Lilith 2010 tour is pleased to announce a new partnership with OurStage.com, the music discovery destination dedicated to new artist and new music discovery. Lilith and OurStage will run the "Lilith Local Talent Search;" an exciting contest to find the next best emerging female musicians across North America. A winner will be chosen for many N. American city the tour visits, and that winner will have the opportunity to perform a set in their city on the Village Stage. Ten years ago, that same stage featured artists like Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado and Tegan and Sara. Furthermore, the OurStage platform involves fans to be a part of the selection process in their cities. Go to ourstage. com/go/lilithfair for complete details, entry, rules, prizing, and more. LOVE/AVON ARMY OF WOMEN Help stop breast cancer by joining the Love/Avon Army of Women, a new initiative founded by cancer surgeon Susan Love, MD. The group seeks to help scientists find women of all ages and backgrounds who want to participate in research studies to find both the cause and the cure for breast cancer. As a member of the Army of Women, you simply agree to receive e-mails about the latest studies. E-mail armyofwomen.org. GROUP FOR FRIENDS & FAMILIES OF LGBT A new group, Spatula Ministries, assists friends and families of lesbians and gays. Interested people can call (619)426-9300 for meetings times and locations. SHOE DRIVE FOR WOMEN Pacific Beach now has a stylish destination for women’s shoes with the re-opening of Forward Footwear. A chic woman’s shoe and accessory store with affordably priced, fashionable brands and styles. Staying true to the company mantra and to giving back, Forward Footwear teamed up with Soles4souls, Inc. Every 13 seconds, Soles 4Souls, Inc gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need. The shoe charity has earned glowing endorsements from Hollywood stars and professional athletes. The people who truly glow are the ones who clean out their closet to drop off their “gently worn” shoes at participating locations, such as Forward Footwear. For every pair dropped off donors will receive 10% off a new pair at the store. Forward Footwear is located at 1043 Garnet Ave., San Diego, Ca 92109. WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM The Women's History Museum & Educational Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Mary B. Maschal in 1983 as the Women’s History Reclamation Project. The museum moved into permanent public space in 1996 in historic Golden Hill. Its mission is to educate and inspire present and future generations about the experiences and contributions of women by collecting, preserving and interpreting the evidence of that experience. The museum is located at 2323 Broadway Street, Suite 107, San Diego and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit whmec.org. LINC – LESBIANS IN NORTH COUNTY LINC - Lesbians in North County is a community/social group of older Lesbians and Lesbian Seniors In North County San Diego, California. Most meetings are held on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. at the Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (PUUF). We rent space from the church but are not affiliated with any religious group. As you all know, we need to leave pets at home in respect for the building we rent. In order to receive LINC emails, please send an email to lincinformation@yahoo.com asking to be added to the LINC yahoo list. PALS OF NORTH COUNTY The purpose of our group is to: provide a friendly, supportive setting; exchange ideas, concerns and experiences; share pertinent information and fun activities; advance the visibility, health and welfare of senior lesbians; and reach out and connect with the Lesbian community. The meetings are generally held on the second Sunday 2 – 4 p.m. at: Mission Branch of the Oceanside Library (not the main library), 3861 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA. For further information, please call Jeanie at 760.757.1410. GROUPS & REGULAR EVENTS AT THE WRC by Abby Schwartz WOMEN OF COLOR UNITED Are you a woman of color interested in connecting and networking with other lesbian, bisexual and transgender women of color? Join the Women’s Resource Center for a vibrant new discussion group, Women of Color United, every Saturday at 1 p.m. at The San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center), in the Latino Services room. This group has grown immensely since its inception, so come check it out! WOMEN'S DISCUSSION GROUP An open discussion group for LBT women to talk about a variety of subjects, including relationships, school, work, family, friends, and any other topics of interest. Mondays 7:15 - 8:45 p.m., at The Center. GRUPO DE APOYO PARA LESBIANAS/BISEXUALES Espanol grupo de apoyo para Lesbianas/Bisexuales. Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the The Center's Latino/a Services in the lower level of the building (entrance on south side/parking lot area). WOMEN'S COMING OUT GROUP A group to support women who are straight, gay, bi, trans or questioning in coming out and being out. The coming out group meets every Wednesday from 7:15 - 8:45 p.m. WOMEN'S BOOK CLUB A book club for LBT women. Always open for new members. 1st Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. SLIGHTLY OLDER LESBIANS (SOL) SOL meets every Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Center. This group continues to build a vibrant community of Slightly Older Lesbians with varied topics of discussion, creative arts and social gatherings. The Women's Resource Center is a program of The Center that seeks to create a safe space where LBT women and their allies have access to important resources and referrals regarding health care, social services and community activities. For more information, contact Abby Schwartz at (619) 692-2077, ext. 212, or women@thecentersd.org. RAY AT NIGHT The Ray at Night art festival, San Diego's largest and longest running monthly art walk, is held the second Saturday of every month from 7:00p.m. until 10:00p.m. on Ray Street between University Avenue and North Park Way. This free art festival features a wide variety of artwork on display including paintings, sketches, sculptures, ceramics, blown glass, organic art and jewelry. Many of the participating are along the one-block stretch of Ray Street between University Ave. and North Park Way; others are nearby on University Avenue, North Park Way, and 30th Street. Art galleries are not the only participants in Ray at Night: there are coffee shops, an art school and various other stores who also turn their space into galleries for the evening. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| NEWSFLASH HIV/AIDS ON THE RISE IN S.D. According to the national Center of Disease Control, "In 2006, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 22% of new AIDS diagnoses and 59% of all people living with AIDS," nationwide, with San Diego County having the third highest number of AIDS cases statewide. The CDC notes that "injection drug use, STDs, poverty, and cultural beliefs are some of the HIV prevention challenges facing the Hispanic/Latino community." Antonio Munoz, co-chair of CLASP, shares, "I want to help the community I was raised in because HIV/AIDS was a topic you would never discuss in the family nor in the community." According to the CDC’s MMWR, the HIV prevalence rates in Hispanics are 2.6 times higher than the rate for whites (585.3 per 100,000 compared to 224.3 per 100,000), nationwide. In an effort to educate and reduce the number of infected Latinos, CLASP (Coalition of Latino Aids Service Providers) hasted a family event on National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), October 15. Bringing the message back to the community, the event, which took place at the Sherman Heights Community Center, included free HIV testing, entertainment, food, and testimonials of HIV/AIDS infected and affected individuals. QUALIFIED BOARD CANDIDATES FOR PRIDE Do you have the vision, talent, and leadership experience to sit on the Board of San Diego LGBT Pride? Then we'd like to hear from you! Send your résumé and a brief statement stating why you'd like to serve to secretary@sdpride.org or visit http://sandiegopride. org/33/Board_of_Directors. htm for more information. |
| NEWS LOG Breaking news & opinion between print dates. email editor@thelavender.com contributions by Kim Monari, Dru Garica, Jen Marcelo, Ahni Endangel |
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| Benefit for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign The San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence invite the community to wear their favorite red outfit for CODE RED, a benefit for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign being held at Bamboo Lounge on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010, from 7:00 p. m. until 10:00 p.m. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, so the American Heart Association created the Go Red for Women campaign to raise awareness and funds to combat this alarming epidemic. Women are dying at a rate of one per minute so help is critical. You can make a difference by attending CODE RED! CODE RED will feature entertainment by House music DJ Michael Carrera, fabulous raffle prizes and awesome food and drink specials, courtesy of Bamboo Lounge. The fun starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010! Bamboo Lounge is located at 1475 University Avenue and the Sisters are suggesting a $5.00 donation at the door. About the San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a leading-edge Order of missionary nuns. Since their first appearance in San Francisco, Easter Weekend 1979, the Sisters have been accused of “Ruining it for Everyone” with their habitual injection of gaiety into serious affairs including human rights, political activism and religious intolerance. The Sisters consider it their mission to “ruin” all detrimental conditions including complacency, guilt and the inability to laugh at oneself. Founded in 2005, the Asylum of the Tortured Heart Incorporated, or the San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, is a non- profit 501(c)(3) organization composed of men and women dedicated to the support, education and development of the diverse communities of San Diego. Their mission is to bring joy to the heart and liberation of the spirit wherever it is needed: in the bar, the bathhouse, the parade, the hospice, the youth shelter, the health center and the street. The Sisters, as true nuns, follow the traditions of the women over the centuries who have dedicated their lives to selfless service for the betterment of their communities taking vows to serve each other, their neighbors and all San Diegans. For more information on the Asylum of the Tortured Heart, please visit their website at www.sdsisters.org or email at InfoSPISD@yahoo.com. STATE Governor signs pro-gay bills California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed two bills that demonstrate his (new or renewed) commitment to the gay community. The much publicized Senate Bill 54 requires California to validate and recognises same-sex marriages performed outside of the state before November 5, 2008 when California voters approved Proposition 8. The proposition amended the state constitution to protect heterosexual marriage. The governor also signed SB 572, which established May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in the state's public schools. (He vetoed the same legislation a year ago.) Drunk Driving on the Rise Among Women The burgeoning club scene in both the gay and the straight communities continues to grow, but something else is growing: the rate of drunk driving among women. While most drunk drivers tend to be men, DUI arrests among women rose 28.8% between 1998 and 2007, while DUI's among men have fallen by 7.5%. Mothers Against Drunk Drivink's (MADD) CEO Chuck Hurlely says "Women are picking up some of the dangerously bad habits of men." Chris Cochran of the California Office of Traffic Safety noted, "Younger women are feeling more empowered, more equal to men, and have been beginning to exhibit the same uninhibited behaviors as men." Experts are looking at the stats after a horrific accident last summer when an upstate New York woman, Diane Schuler, drank, smoked pot and then drove the wrong way on an area parkway. Schuler's victims included her two year old daughter, three neices, three men in the oncoming vehicle and herself. MADD's Hurley says, "Druknk drivers often carry their kids with them, It's the worst kind of child abuse." |
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| CA. SUPREME COURT WILL RULE ON PROP 8 PETITIONS/LAW SUITS AS EARLY AS MAY 2009 |
| MAYOR SANDERS TESTIFIES IN PROP 8 TRIAL “It was an amazing experience. I was so proud of my father for helping continue the fight for equality. Sitting in the court room seeing your father stand up for your rights and the rights of all Californians is indescribable,” reflected Lisa Sanders on her father, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, taking the witness stand during the Prop 8 trial session on Tuesday, Jan. 19. “The lawyers on our side are doing a great job. I want to thank City Attorney Dennis Herrera and his team for all their hard work. My father is a perfect example of the journey that so many Americans are beginning to take; the journey of discovery and opening their eyes to every community around them,” said Lisa Sanders. “Every minority community faces discrimination. Unfortunately, we are the last minority to fight for full and equal protection under the law. Today, I am just a proud daughter and very grateful for my loving and supportive family,” she added. Lisa Sanders and her wife Meaghan’s marriage is currently not recognized in California. “My daughter deserves the same opportunity to have a wedding in front of family, friends and co-workers,” plead San Diego’s mayor in the landmark trial. Although his statement may not be directly relevant to the outcome, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker will have to weigh in the emotional factors of the marriage equality concern before delivering the decision. |
| by Kim Monari and Bianca Waxlax HILLCREST MARDI GRAS BENEFIT The 9th annual Hillcrest Mardi Gras Street Party celebration will be held on Fat Tuesday, February 16, 2010 on University Avenue between First and Fourth Avenues. The time of the event is 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., rain or shine. The festival will take place rain or shine. The event is sponsored by the GSDBA Charitable Foundation and the Hillcrest Business Association. All proceeds from the street party benefit both organizations. The GSDBA Charitable Foundation issues annual Youth Scholarships. The festival will feature live entertainment, special guest performers, and an exclusive V.I.P. area. Food and other drink will be available for purchase from participating vendors and venues. Additionally, full liquor will also be served during the event. An array of other surprises, plenty of beads, and various other party favors will also be part of the festive evening. Hillcrest Mardi Gras remains a 21 and up age event. Ticket prices remain at last year prices. Hillcrest Mardi Gras is a fun-filled evening featuring many games, vendors, food, live entertainment, and costumes. More than 2,000 guests enjoyed the event in 2009. Additional details can be found online at HillcrestMardiGras.com. SAN DIEGO HOSTS YOUNG A.A. CONVENTION The All California Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ACYPAA) l holds its annual “Round-Up” in San Diego from Feb. 11 – 14, when an estimated 2,000 youthful A.A. members gather from throughout the West at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center. ACYPAA Round-Ups are primarily an occasion for young A.A. members to celebrate their sobriety and to show other alcoholics that recovery from alcoholism can be fun and meaningful. This year’s theme is “Unshakable Foundation,” a phrase taken from the 1953 A.A. book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The program includes “marathon” meetings, family and friends groups, karaoke, yoga, guided meditations, sumo wrestling, a comedy show, a spades tournament, a motorcycle “poker run,” an MC battle, a drag show and dances featuring top 40, funk/soul, hip-hop, techno/electronic, old school and 80s hits. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 and ACYPAA started as a small event in Fresno in 1973. In 2009 over 2,600 people attended the 37th convention in Irvine. San Diego also hosted ACYPAA in 1983, 1986, 1994 and 1999. LAMBDA ARCHIVES GALA HONORS TRAILBLAZERS Lambda Archives of San Diego presents the 3rd Annual Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers Award and Fundraising Event. Each year the Archives selects outstanding individuals that have been on the forefront of the movement for social justice through dedicated service to activism, humanitarianism and political change. The event will be held on Friday, February 26, at The Center, and includes heavy hors ‘d oeuvres and beverages, entertainment and the opportunity to meet some of San Diego’s most outstanding LGBT citizens. This year’s awardees are Toni Atkins, previous San Diego Councilmember and politician; Frank Buttino, the first publicly gay FBI agent whose class action lawsuit changed FBI employment practices for LGBT applicants; Jeri Dilno, political activist and first female Executive Director of The Center; Judy "the Beauty" Forman, owner of The Big Kitchen, civil rights activist and philanthropist; Cheryl Houk, former Executive Director of Stepping Stone and HIV/AIDS activist; Mel Merrill, political activist for gay rights and philanthropist; Big Mike Phillips, bartender, LGBT activist and philanthropist; Sandra Ramirez, Latina transgender activist. Sharon Parker, past President of Lambda Archives will also receive the Presidential Award for her service in helping to collect and preserve San Diego’s LGBT history. Finally, Isaac Gomez will receive the Trailblazing Youth Award, along with his parents as an example of family support provided to a transgender youth. Purchase tickets at lambdaarchives.org. GAY MEN’S CHORUS EQUALITY TOUR The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) is known for rousing concerts, not political action. But the passage of Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry in California, has inspired the Chorus to bring its music -- with a message -- to some of the cities in which support for the measure was strong. The three-part tour commences in May with concerts in Fresno and Bakersfield, and end in July with a concert in Tracy. The SFGMC was born out of tragedy in 1978, making its first appearance on the evening of the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The chorus performed “Thou Lord Our Refuge” on the steps of San Francisco City Hall during the memorial candle light vigil that was featured recently in the Academy Award winning film, “Milk.” In 1981, the chorus once again made history by embarking on its first national tour. Soon LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) choruses began springing up across the country. Today, there are over 400 LGBT choruses worldwide, which meet every four years for the GALA Festival of Choruses. NATIONAL Openly Lesbian Rabbi attends White House Hanukkah celebrations WASHINGTON, DC – Openly lesbian Senior Rabbi, Sharon Kleinbaum, of New York’s Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, accepted an invitation from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to attend the White House Hanukkah reception on Dec. 17. Congregation Beth Simchat Torah bills itself as the world’s largest synagogue for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Its website cites it is committed to the idea that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews are wholly legitimate members of the Jewish people, are equally legitimate members of civil society, and have a unique and essential contribution to make to the life of Judaism and society. DC City Council votes to legalize gay marriage WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington, D.C., City Council voted Dec.15 to legalize gay marriage in the nation's capital, handing supporters a victory after a string of recent defeats in Maine, New York and New Jersey. Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill, which passed 11-2, and gay couples could begin marrying as early as March. Congress, which has final say over Washington's laws, could reject it, but Democratic leaders have suggested they are reluctant to do so. The bill had overwhelming support among council members and was expected to pass, though opponents have vowed to try to get Congress or voters to overturn it. David Catania, who introduced the bill and is one of two openly gay council members, called the bill a "matter of social justice" before the vote. Lesbian bishop-elect finds support as well as controversy BALTIMORE, MD – The election of Annapolis priest Mary Glasspool to be the first openly lesbian bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion drew a stern rebuke from the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the 70 million-member church. "I'm conscious of the symbolic nature of my election and hoped-for consecration, and it's very humbling," said Glasspool, 55, in her office at the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, where for the past eight years she has served as canon - or adviser - to the bishops. "It's also very exciting," she continued. "I'm not ignorant of some people who are fearful that this will mean a real change in our relationship in the Anglican Communion. I'm more hopeful than fearful." CA Gov. signs pro-gay bills SACRAMENTO, CA – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed two bills that demonstrate his (new or renewed) commitment to the gay community. The much publicized Senate Bill 54 requires California to validate and recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the state before November 5, 2008 when California voters approved Proposition 8. The proposition amended the state constitution to protect heterosexual marriage. The governor also signed SB 572, which established May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in the state's public schools. He vetoed the same legislation a year ago. Alarming increase of women driving under the influence WASHINGTON, DC – The burgeoning club scene in both the gay and the straight communities continues to grow, but something else is growing: the rate of drunk driving among women. While most drunk drivers tend to be men, DUI arrests among women rose 28.8% between 1998 and 2007, while DUI's among men have fallen by 7.5%. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) CEO Chuck Hurlely says "Women are picking up some of the dangerously bad habits of men." Chris Cochran of the California Office of Traffic Safety noted, "Younger women are feeling more empowered, more equal to men, and have been beginning to exhibit the same uninhibited behaviors as men." Experts are looking at the stats after a horrific accident last summer when an upstate New York woman, Diane Schuler, drank, smoked pot and then drove the wrong way on an area parkway. Schuler's victims included her two year old daughter, three nieces, three men in the oncoming vehicle and herself. MADD's Hurley says, "Drunk drivers often carry their kids with them. It's the worst kind of child abuse." WORLD Rwanda to vote on criminalizing gay sex RWANDA – Homosexuality is not currently criminalized under Rwandan law, but anti-gay bills are likely to go to senate for approval. The amended language for Article 217 would give offenders – those who “practice,” “encourage,” or “sensitize” someone of the same sex towards homosexual relations – a prison term of five to 10 years in addition to a hefty fine. Politicized anti-gay sentiment has recently been sweeping across east Africa. Burundi earlier this year criminalized homosexuality. Uganda has been debating an anti-gay bill that includes a possible death sentence for violators. Kenya and Tanzania already have anti-gay laws, though homosexual rights activists fear that these laws could be expanded. An added concern is the criminalization of homosexuality likely discourages members of the gay community from seeking testing and medical care for HIV/AIDS for fears of being suspected. Portuguese govt. may pass gay marriage LISBON, Portugal – Portugal’s Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage; a promise Prime Minister José Sócrates made on 21 January 2009 that, if re-elected in the September 2009 elections, he had planned to pursue. The law is almost certain to pass, as the center- left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure. While the bill does not contemplate adoption, most LGBT organizations in Portugal support the measure as an important step towards equality. If approved by Parliament, the proposed law goes to Portugal’s conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who can ratify or veto it. A veto can be overturned by Parliament. If there is no presidential veto, the first gay marriage ceremonies could take place in April – a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on a four- day official visit. Gay marriage is currently permitted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. U.S. travel and immigration HIV ban lifted President Barack Obama has announced that in 2010 the United States will overturn a 22 year old travel and immigration ban against people with HIV. The order will complete a process started during the Bush administration. The President said, "If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it." In 1987, at a time of widespread fear and ignorance, the Department of Health and Human Services added the disease to the list of communicable diseases that disqualified people from entering the US. No major international AIDS conference has been held in the country since 1993 because HIV positive activists couldn't enter the country. Austria legalizes civil unions, bans adoption and IVF AUSTRIA – Austria will begin recognizing civil unions on New Year's Day 2010, following the parliament's passage of a civil union bill on Dec. 10. Unfortunately, the new bill also formally bans the adoption of children or artificial insemination for same-sex couples. The bill will give same-sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts, including access to a pension if one partner dies and alimony in the event of a split. |
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