Handpicked Queer Headlines: ‘Intolerance’ Among Gays, End Gay Blood Ban, LGBT Education Law…

Truth Wins Out on FRC’s Claim of ‘Intolerance’ Among Gays  Earlier this week, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins slammed Truth Wins Out, the group that recently went undercover at Marcus Bachmann’s Minnesota clinic to investigate reparative therapy rumors (rumors it confirmed). In an op-ed, Perkins called the subsequent media coverage a “drummed-up controversy” and wrote of Truth Wins Out, “These self-styled apostles of ‘tolerance’ should try practicing a little themselves.”                                                                                                                                                                    

Will Latest Attempt to End Gay Blood Ban Work? The U.S. department of Health and Human Services is once again looking at changing its policy that bans men who have sex with men from donating blood. The HHS described the current policy as “suboptimal” and asked a group of experts, known as the Blood, Organ, and Tissue Safety Working Group, to look into ways of changing it. As it stands, any man who had sex with another man since 1977 cannot donate blood. A new policy could allow certain gay or bisexual men, possibly those who have abstained from homosexual sex for a certain time, to donate.                                                                                                                                                                                  Group Targets California’s LGBT Education Law The Fair Education Act (SB 48), authored by State Sen. Mark Leno and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown earlier this month, requires social science curriculum to include the historical contributions of LGBT people, and has been criticized by the group Stop SB 48 “as selective treatment of history by requiring that only events that reflect positively on people in the LGBT community may be discussed.”

Jon Stewart Exposes Don Lemon’s Aversion to CNN’s Silly Antics: VIDEO

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Rick Santorum Pledges To ‘Go To New York’ And Repeal State’s Same-Sex Marriage Law At a campaign stop in Ankeny, Iowa, Rick Santorum reiterated his criticism of Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) for saying he was “fine” with New York enacting a same-sex marriage law and pledged to personally fight for its repeal. “I am not, as some in this race have said, OK with New York doing what they’re doing. What New York did was wrong. I will oppose it and I will go to New York, if necessary, to help overturn it,” he said. He also predicted that marriage equality would undermine “every traditional value in this country” and said that the nation has fought wars to protect that idea. AUDIO

 

ANTI-GAY CHRISTIAN GROUPS CAN NO LONGER PROFIT OFF APPLE  After a Change.org petition gathered more than 22,000 signatures, Apple has removed their iTunes store from the Christian Values Network (CVN). When customers make purchases through CVN, a donation is made to the religious charity of the customer’s choice, and anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council use the service to raise money. Companies like Microsoft, Macy’s, Wells Fargo, Delta Airlines, and BBC America have all recently removed their stores from the network.

Sen. Mark Leno: Excluding LGBT Americans From Textbooks Is Censoring History

Image via Wikipedia

California lawmakers ok bill to add LGBT figures to history textbooks. Thomas Roberts talks with state senator Mark Leno who introduced the bill. Not teaching our children about LGBT members in history who have fought for civil rights for all would be given them a handicap in life. Half- truths about history is never a positive  or productive thing. AB

State Assembly Passes Fair Education Act Authored by Senator Mark Leno

This is a big deal people!

Sacramento – Today, the California State Assembly in a 49-25 vote passed a bill that would require schools to fairly and accurately portray the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement and the historic contributions of the diverse LGBT community in social science instruction. The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act (SB 48), authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), would also add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s existing anti-discrimination protections that prohibit bias in school activities, instruction and instructional materials. 

Headlines: SF CA-Gentrification, Report Hate Crimes, Mayor a Leather Look

SF CA|Gentrification still an issue 15 years after dot-com boom,activists say “Our contribution to humanity is greater than what can be seen” in most shop windows in the Castro today, Mitulski recounted.

FBI encourages LGBTs to report hate crimes The FBI office in San Francisco is encouraging LGBT people to report hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity now that the federal agency has jurisdiction to investigate such criminal activity.

SF CA|Campaign backers give mayor a leather look He already has the quintessential gay male accessory – his trim mustache. Now Mayor Ed Lee has gone leather. During the Pride festivities the city’s interim leader could be seen sporting a leather biker’s cap. Well, the cartoon version of Lee, that is. The backers behind the “Run, Ed, Run” campaign, aimed at convincing Lee to seek a full four-year team, unveiled a new poster last weekend that showed the leather attired Lee’s cartoon face with a pink background and a rainbow over the left side of his head.                                                                                                                                Lesbian activist Jean Harris dies Longtime lesbian activist Jean Harris died at her home in Palm Springs, California on Saturday, June 25. 

A New York state of Pride The 41st annual San Francisco Pride Parade Sunday, June 26 had a joyous atmosphere surrounding it as people celebrated the victory in New York, where late Friday night Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a marriage equality law after it passed the state legislature. Some, like state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) reminded folks that the California legislature had actually approved a same-sex marriage bill first, back in 2005. But it was vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

Trevor Project’s Call Center is Officially Open; Ribbon Cut SF CA (photo collage)

Harvey Milk watching from up stairs window, proud. (painting)

Today goes down in the history books and most appropriately on Harvey Milk’s 81st Birthday, the Trevor Project’s call center is officially open. About 1 hour ago phone lines officially opened in Harvey Milk’s Camera Shop and Former Campaign Headquarters. It is a glorious day. The ribbon was cut at the door step of the new call center by Mark Leno, Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, Danny Nicoletta, Frank Robinson, Dustin Lance Black, Armistead Maupin, Christopher Turner and Stuart Milk and many more note worthy came out for the cause. The hot-line provides crisis and suicide prevention counseling to LGBT and questioning youth 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and this marks a historic moment because now those calls can be answered in the same place where Harvey took these kinds of calls.

After the ribbon was cut and history was made, politicians, reporters, volunteers and supporters all sang Happy Birthday to Harvey, which echoed down Castro Street. Harvey would have loved it!

Trevor Project will use the space rent-free since HRC paid for the build out and has agreed to donate $10,000 annually to the nonprofit during the duration of its five-year lease.
http://www.thetrevorproject.org

PHONES ARE NOW OPEN!

Call center staff

www.thetrevorproject.org