Feature Archives

On Sunday, June 28, two groups of radical queer activists demonstrated against other contingents participating in the 2009 Pride Parade in San Francisco. Members of the International Jewish Solidarity Network marched and protested Zionist presence at the Pride Parade. Another group staged a die-in in front of Gavin Newsom's float at the annual Pride Parade to protest cuts to HIV/AIDS prevention, queer youth programs, and other vital services.

Several thousand people gathered in Dolores Park on June 26th to demand equality for the transgender community. Beginning at the park they formed a contingent of marchers that made their way through San Francisco's Mission district to 26th and Valencia. This year's march marked San Francisco's sixth year since the event began in 2004 when it was first established to honor Gwen Araujo, a young transgendered woman who was brutally murdered in Newark, California in November of 2002.

On June 11th in Tel Aviv, a group of queer Israeli activists protested the cynical use of gay rights by a conservative American group called StandWithUs (SWU). The activists disrupted an event called I-Pride, organized by SWU, exploiting queer issues to support Israel’s existence as an apartheid state and its occupation over Palestinians.

The 17th annual Santa Cruz Dyke March takes place on Saturday, June 6th, the night before Pride. Frootie Flavors, Beaver Fever and Lisa Pawlak are featured at the 2:30pm rally at the Town Clock. There will be a march around 6pm, followed by an after party.

On May 30th, thousands of marriage equality activists came to Fresno from throughout the state to protest the Supreme Court decision on proposition 8. A 15 mile march for civil rights by about 100 marriage equality activists who walked in the scorching valley heat from Selma to Fresno started the day. About 3,000 people were waiting for them when they arrived at Fresno City Hall.

Gay Shame held a protest at the San Francisco LGBT Center on Thursday, June 25th. Gay Shame wrote: Does today’s mainstream LGBT movement make you feel like you’re lost in an alternate reality? Perhaps even another dimension? Do the things groups like the HRC fight for cause you to feel as if you’re going the wrong way backwards through time? Does the thought of straight ally Gavin Newsom’s ascendancy to governor give you vertigo?

On Tuesday May 26th, the California Supreme Court's ruled in favor of Proposition 8 banning future same-sex marriages but upholding existing same-sex marriages. Street actions to protest discrimination are taking place throughout the day in California and elsewhere in the nation. In San Francisco, police arrested more than 150 protesters for blocking an intersection near City Hall shortly after the ruling was announced.