The historic healthcare bill is scheduled for a vote in the US House of Representatives Sunday. But the vote is not locked up. From longtime Orange County LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist Jeff LeTourneau comes this Urgent message:
“Please take a moment to call long time LGBT supporter Rep. Loretta Sanchez and urge her to cast a YES vote on healthcare reform this evening. We are down to the wire and her office is getting innundated with calls from right wing tea bagggers. She has yet to publically declare her support for the bill. The best number to call is (202) 225-2965. Also… please post it on Facebook! Never has the phrase “We will not pass this way again” been so true!
Thanks Jeff LeTourneau”
URGENT URGENT UPDATE FROM RICK JACOBS –
At a time when 1 in 4 Californians lack health insurance, we cannot afford to let this bill fail. Unfortunately, that’s just what Rep. Loretta Sanchez — who represents California’s 47th Congressional District — appears ready to do.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spent the last few days rounding up votes for the bill and Democrats are just a few votes short. But according to a Roll Call report on Saturday night, Rep. Loretta Sanchez is seriously considering voting “No” on the bill — even though every other California Democrat is voting “Yes.” If Loretta Sanchez does not vote “Yes,” the bill may fail.
The fate of health care reform is now in your hands. Will you drop what you are doing and take a minute to call Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s office and tell her to vote “YES”? We need as many Californians as possible to call right now — before the House votes today:
Campaign office: 714-839-4431
District office: 714-621-0102
D.C. office: 202-225-2965
UPDATE: OPENLY GAY REP BARNY FRANK WAS CALLED A SLUR – “THE ‘F’ WORD THAT RHYMES WITH ‘MAGGOT,’ SAYS CNN – BY “KILL THE BILL” PROTESTERS; AFRICAN AMERICAN HERO REP. JOHN LEWIS CALLED THE “N” WORD; ANOTHER CONGRESSMEMBER SPAT UPON.
DC Agenda reports on the LGBT provisions cut out of the final House bill, including “a provision eliminating the tax paid on domestic partner health benefits received under an employer plan as well as language authorizing states to cover low-income people with HIV before they develop AIDS.” However, language to “enable AIDS Drug Assistance Program expeditures to count toward out-of-pocket expenses under Medicare Part D. In other words, people with HIV/AIDS on Medicare who receive help purchasing HIV drugs would have a lesser burden for other prescription drug costs.”
Wondering how to spend your lovely Sunday? How about joining others in cheering on 250 APLA runners who are participating in the National AIDS Marathon Training Program as they run with about 25,000 other runners in the LA Marathon through Hollywood, West Hollywood, West LA and Santa Monica. Please click inside to read more about the APLA runners.
APLA says they will have signs, clappers, pom-poms and more at multiple locations – the numbers refer to the mile markers.
#10 – “Hollywood Cheering Section:” Hollywood Boulevard between the 101 and Gower, on the northeast corner of Bronson by “Tommy Burgers.” (8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.)
#15 – “West Hollywood major event point and Cheering Section:” Look for the tent at Santa Monica and Doheny. This is a major water stop and cheering section. (7:00 a.m. – tear down at approx 2:00 p.m.)
#20– “West LA Cheering Section:” Sawtelle Blvd., just north of Santa Monica Blvd. – see map (10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
#25– “Santa Monica/FINISH LINE Cheering Section:” Ocean Boulevard near Arizona by the FINISH LINE! Should be finished by around 3:30 p.m.
Young Social Media is offering a free workshop for local small businesses Saturday afternoon at the Hunger Café in West Hollywood. Lunch provided by Hunger Café and media and technology provided by Apple One.
Young Social Media, founded by Jacob Young, is a web development and marketing company focusing on small businesses and individuals. Young told LGBT POV that his “core passion” is networking and “connecting the dots” to help local businesses grow and build community. “In this time of change we all can use a little help. And this weekend we will be giving actual tips and strategy’s to help weather the storm of recession,” Young says.
Young says he plans on working with the Courage Campaign and with Equality Across America to achieve the community-building goal. Additionally, his five-year plan includes giving back 50% of his company’s profits to charity.
The free workshop is today from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at the Hunger Café, 8731 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
When Lieutenant Dan Choi came out on Rachel Maddow’s show last summer, the National Guard began discharge proceedings. He received a letter that stated, “You admitted publicly that you are a homosexual, which constitutes homosexual conduct … Your actions negatively affected the good order and discipline of the New York Army National Guard.”
Since the passage of the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993, more than 13,000 troops have received similar letters, have been subject to investigation, and have been discharged. In addition, more service members have resigned or decided to not reenlist because of fear of discovery or in protest of the policy. It seems, on the surface that these departures might also “negatively affect the good order” of the military, and yet this policy has stood the test of time. It has not, however, gone unchallenged. Challenges have come from servicemembers inside the military who make voluntary statements, and from outside the military—LGBT vets, politicians, and LGBT rights groups. …
Retired General John Sheehan told Sen. Carl Levin’s Armed Services Committee Thursday during a hearing on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that Dutch gay peacekeeping soldiers contributed to the massacre of thousands of Bosnia Muslim at Srebrenica in 1995:
SHEEHAN: “That [Srebrenica] was the largest massacre in Europe since World War II.” LEVIN: “And did the Dutch leaders tell you it was because there were gay soldiers there?” SHEEHAN: “It was a combination …” LEVIN: “Did they tell you [that gay soldiers were to blame], that is my question.” SHEEHAN: “Yes.” LEVIN: “They did?” SHEEHAN: “They included that as part of the problem.”
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Levin rebuked Sheehan:
The Dutch Ambassador told CNN that they are “proud” of their gay soldiers and VoaNews reported:
Asked for comment, Dutch military officials expressed astonishment. The spokesman for the Netherlands Ministry of Defense, Roger van de Wetering, told VOA Sheehan’s assertions are “total nonsense” and that he “cannot believe that a man of that rank is stating such a thing.” He added that he had never heard Sheehan’s allegation before from any source in the Netherlands or anywhere else.
In the midst of massive action nationwide for LGBT equality, local activist Michael C. McKeon has organized a rally at the Los Angeles Federal Building downtown (1100 Wilshire Blvd) tonight at 6pm.
Attendees will demand the immediate release of Lt. Dan Choi, Captain Jim Pietrangelo, and Robin McGehee, who were arrested today while protesting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in front of the White House in Washington.
Author, gay man with HIV/AIDS and Olympian Greg Louganis just spoke.
Dr. David Hardy, M.D., is director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
John J. Duran was recognized as representative of patients in the clinical trials. An attorney and well-known and widely respected advocate for HIV/AIDS patients, Duran is an attorney and a current councilmember and former mayor of West Hollywood, California.
Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality – more commonly known as ANGLE – has been revived for this important 2010 election season. Thursday night ANGLE and equality California are hosting a free meet and greet with California Assemblymember Dave Jones who is a candidate for State Insurance Commissioner.
Jones has a lifetime 100% on the Equality California scorecard. On World AIDS Day last December, Jones, who chairs the Assembly Health committee, held an important hearing in Los Angeles to discuss the impact of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget cuts on critical HIV/AIDS funding – especially the threatened cuts to ADAP.
The free event is from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Eleven Restaurant and Nightclub, 8811 Santa Monica Blvd, in West Hollywood. Drinks and light appetizers will be served
The host committee includes: Diane Abbitt, Steve Afriat, Roberta Bennett, John Cleary, Cary Davidson, Hon. John J. Duran, John Gile, Joe Guardarrama, Lorri Jean, Barry Karas, Geoff Kors, Dana Perlman, Brian Pendleton, Hon. Jeff Prang, Chris Roberts, Alan Uphold. rsvpfordavejones@gmail.com.
A March 8 press release promoting an upcoming gala celebrating “eight years of leadership in San Francisco’s LGBT Community” gives no hint that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center is “on the verge of foreclosure,” according to a story Wednesday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The center, which says it serves over 9,000 visitors and hosts more than 400 event events each month, is asking the cash-strapped city for a $1 million credit bailout. Please click inside for more on the story.
This beautiful story about how a whimpering, abandoned greyhound became the surrogate mother to a motley crew of orphaned and injured animals has the wonderful benefit of also being true – according to Snopes.com. Please click inside to read this beautiful story and see the extraordinary photos.
Everybody’s talking about the case of the California antigay GOP state senator who got busted with a DUI – which wound up outing him. I never heard of Ashburn – but apparently our friend Brian Leubitz over at Calitics did. Here’s part of his take:
“That Sen. Roy Ashburn was a closet case was one of the worst kept secrets around Sacramento. He would periodically appear in a gay bar, trying to be as discreet as a state senator can be in Sacramento. He’s not exactly a rock star or anything, but in a city built around state government, he’s pretty recognizable.
And so, on 2 occasions, somebody sent me an email saying that they had seen him at a gay bar. It had become more common over the last few years, as he was heading for his term limit and had no logical place to continue his political career. And, with his vote in support of a few minor tax increases in the California budget dispute last year, his chances of winning a Republican primary for dog catcher were also rapidly decreasing.
Apparently, he became sloppy in his closet, either because he didn’t care anymore or because he thought he would never be caught. But, I’m no Mike Rogers, and I’ve never been all that great at the CYA work that’s necessary if you are going to start publishing that kind of stuff. But, one sure way to get your name in lights? Get busted for DUI. And to make sure it is really exciting, bring along a guy that you picked up at the gay bar.”
A commanding street mural of Lady Justice, spanning 100 feet of the parking lot wall adjoining the now-defunct Big Lots on Vine in Hollywood, greeted visitors to Tuesday’s opening night of Manifest Equality, an art exhibition dedicated to getting the artistic community involved in the fight for LGBT civil rights. The mural was a collaboration by graffiti artists El Mac, Kofie and Retna. The Big Lots parking lot also featured a string art installation bearing the Manifest Equality logo — a white heart with a red “equals” sign in the middle — which no doubt will be turning the heads of motorists traveling down Vine during the exhibit’s run through March 7.
The event was the brainchild of Yosi Sergant, the Echo Park resident and publicist credited with hooking artist Shepard Fairey with the Obama campaign, resulting in the infamous “HOPE” poster. Yosi mobilized the artistic community to support Obama by organizing a similar art exhibition and contest (”Manifest Hope“) during his presidential campaign. After a tumultuous stint working in the Obama administration, Yosi returned to L.A. and set his sights on organizing artists again, this time in the name of LGBT civil rights.
Two days after being sworn in as the first openly gay Speaker of the California Assembly, John Perez has teamed up with pro-gay State Controller John Chiang to provide free tax preparation help for folks who earned an annual income of less than $49,000 in 2009. Here’s the info in English and Spanish.
Rep. Brad Ellsworth announced on Friday he would seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Evan Bayh. I touched on Ellsworth’s history of throwing LGBT people under the bus in a post last week for Huffington Post. Today I want to touch on two more aspects: how Ellsworth is not only wrong on many other issues that concern Hoosiers, but how he is following a path that will blow the seat for Democrats faster than an Indiana twister.
Please click inside to read the rest of Bil’s analysis.
The International Bird Rescue Research Center recently released rehabilitated storm-injured Brown Pelicans back into the wild at a San Pedro, CA beach. Footage posted to YouTube by Ron Kilgore KNX1070 Newsradio. H/t LAObserved. who earlier reported on the plight of the sick birds.
Marriage equality activists are not waiting for the federal court to rule in the Prop 8 trial. They are continuing to build momentum in the court of public opinion.
“[W]e know two things from history. We can’t be complacent and depend on the court to permanently secure our rights for us, and like when it overturned bans on interracial marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court is more likely to rule in our favor if we obtain majority support,” says Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors.
EQCA is holding statewide canvases to discuss freedom to marry with local activists at these locations Saturday:
Los Angeles: Holy Faith Episcopal Church, 260 N. Locust St., Inglewood
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Riverside: 1410 3rd St., Suite #7
12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
San Diego: 4506 30th Street
12 p.m. -5 p.m.
AND Sunday, February 14
Orange County: 1601 South Grand Ave, Suite F, Santa Ana
It seemed like common courtesy to me — not to mention the law in California — to ask if it was all right to tape record our interview, but Yosi Sergant took a moment to thank me. “For me, to have somebody ask if I’m okay with being tape recorded is a blessing, so, ‘Yes’,” quipped Yosi, at the beginning of our telephone conversation about Manifest Equality, an LGBT civil rights-focused art contest, exhibition and grassroots movement of artists he’s organizing in Los Angeles. “It’s been quite a year.”
That’s an understatement. Some seemingly benign remarks Yosi made on a conference call last August, while serving as Director of Communications for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) — which was being recorded by one of the participants — ended up posted on Breitbart and eventually became red meat for the eternally apoplectic Glenn Beck. At first President Obama only demoted Yosi within the agency –but the incident ultimately led to Yosi’s resignation in September. (See USC’s Neon Tommy behind-the-scenes blog for the full story.)
Manifest Equality was inspired by a similar art contest and exhibition that Yosi and co-producer Jennifer Gross hatched with artist Shepard Fairey during the 2008 presidential campaign, called Manifest Hope. Yosi, as local legend goes, was the guy who originally hooked Fairey up with Obama — resulting in the now iconic and infamous work of art that literally became the face of the Obama campaign.
The producers — with Fairey serving as one of the esteemed judges — hope Manifest Equality will generate similar enthusiasm. The deadline to submit artworks for consideration in the exhibition is next Friday, Feb. 19, at 11:59 a.m. PST. The themes are Equality, Justice, Respect, Unity, Civil Rights, and Love. Artists may upload images of their 3D or 2D artwork (sorry, no video) here.
(Read the full interview with Yosi after the jump.)
The Los Angeles Times and Radar Online are reporting that Zelda Rubinstein has passed away. Rest in peace, sweet lady and thank you so much for all your kindness towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
This is from LA Gay & Lesbian Center:
“Zelda not only lent her support to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center—before it was popular for celebrities to support AIDS and LGBT organizations–she volunteered to star in a groundbreaking HIV prevention campaign for us,” said Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. “The image of her on billboards and posters, saying to a shirtless guy holding an umbrella: ‘don’t forget your rubbers,’ is now iconic. She will be deeply missed.”
If you’re an LGBT activist – Wednesday may seem like a brush with heaven. There are at least four important LGBT events going on, including the LA LGBT community’s first opportunity to meet new LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
Click inside for more information, but here they are at a glance:
San Diego: Protest Exodus International “Ex-Gay” Training Event – 8:00am-9:30am LGBT Center parking lot, 3909 Centre Street, San Diego. See Mike Tidmus’ blog or check out the Facebook event page.
Los Angeles: Protest over murder of gay Honduran activist Walter Trochez – 5 pm to 7 pm Human rights rally at Honduran consulate, 3550 Wilshire Blvd. will also protest inauguration of undemocratically elected President-elect Porfirio Lobo. (Protests in Washington DC and San Francisco also.)
Los Angeles – Meet LAPD Chief Charlie Beck – 6:00- 8:00pm. The LA Gay and Lesbian Center’s Village, 1125 N. McCadden Place. RSVP REQUIRED for reception, followed by Chief’s open forum. See the Center’s site to RSVP.
PLEASE NOTE: Chief Beck was very happy to meet with me shortly after his confirmation and he is squarely behind the separation of the LAPD from the Boy Scouts. I have a fresh quote from him inside.
TV – President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address – 6:00p Pacific. The broadcast and excerpts will be repeated throughout the night and on Thursday, as well as transcripts provided by the White House. He is expected to say that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be a top priority for 2010. Please click inside to see information from both the Palm Center and the Williams Institute on the latest info on gays in the military.
Amid all the head-scratching news about the US Supreme Court ruling that corporations are like people and can contribute what they want to political campaigns – and the ups and downs of healthcare reform – and continuous news from Haiti – THIS story captured the attention of Southern California and some of the nation via CNN: a frightened dog stuck in the swelling Los Angeles River. First citizens, then firefighters, then rescuers all trying to save the poor dog from drowning. Finally a helicopter dodging power lines lowered a rescuer into the freezing water and rescued the German Shepherd – shrugging off dog bites as just part of the rescue. Asked about the expenditure of resources when the state is so broke – the Captain wisely said that the rescue was necessarily – lest a citizen jumped in to save the dog and then there would be two in need of rescue. It was a nail biting-drama, watching it live. Not only for dog-lovers, but for those of us who need a breath of hope, as if the real live rescue was symbolically there for us, too. Now the vets are looking for the dog’s owner. Here’s the story:
The historic healthcare bill is scheduled for a vote in the US House of Representatives Sunday. But the vote is not locked up. From longtime Orange County LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist Jeff LeTourneau comes this Urgent message:
When Lieutenant Dan Choi came out on Rachel Maddow’s show last summer, the National Guard began discharge proceedings. He received a letter that stated, “You admitted publicly that you are a homosexual, which constitutes homosexual conduct … Your actions negatively affected the good order and discipline of the New York Army National Guard.”
Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality – more commonly known as ANGLE – has been revived for this important 2010 election season. Thursday night ANGLE and equality California are hosting a free meet and greet with California Assemblymember Dave Jones who is a candidate for State Insurance Commissioner.
A March 8 
This beautiful story about how a whimpering, abandoned greyhound became the surrogate mother to a motley crew of orphaned and injured animals has the wonderful benefit of also being true – according to 
Everybody’s talking about the case of the California antigay GOP state senator who got busted with a DUI – which wound up outing him. I never heard of Ashburn – but apparently our friend
Brad Ellsworth: A Disaster Waiting to Happen
The International Bird Rescue Research Center recently released rehabilitated storm-injured Brown Pelicans back into the wild at a San Pedro, CA beach. Footage posted to YouTube by Ron Kilgore KNX1070 Newsradio. H/t 
Marriage equality activists are not waiting for the federal court to rule in the Prop 8 trial. They are continuing to build momentum in the court of public opinion.
If you’re an LGBT activist – Wednesday may seem like a brush with heaven. There are at least four important LGBT events going on, including the LA LGBT community’s first opportunity to meet new LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
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