Feature Archives

The nation’s first bill to address use of panic strategies, the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act (AB 1160), was signed into law on September 28th by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill was written by Assemblymember Sally Lieber and sponsored by Equality California. It puts California firmly on record as opposing a defendant’s use of societal bias against their victim in order to decrease their own culpability for a crime.

Saturday, August 26th was the 5th Annual Sistahs Steppin' in Pride celebration. This East Bay Dyke March and Festival started at the Lake Merritt pillars at 11am, with the march leaving at noon. The free community celebration continued that afternoon in Snow Park's Sistah Village (on Harrison between 19th and 20th Streets). There were vendors, a children's area, elder space, and more. Photos and audio

A number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and allied activists, scholars, educators, and other community members have written down a new vision for securing governmental and private institutional recognition of diverse kinds of partnerships, households, kinship relationships, and families. They hope to move beyond the narrow confines of marriage politics as they exist in the United States today. They have written a statement, in which they outline the principles that they believe should influence strategies, and they want more people to sign on to show their endorsement of the statement.

On Monday, July 10th, the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco heard oral arguments in Woo v. California and five other cases that will decide whether excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the California Constitution. Last spring, a San Francisco Superior Court Judgeheld that California's exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage discriminates on the basis of sex and violates the fundamental right to marry under the California Constitution. A decision from the Court of Appeal is expected to come in October.

Estee Slaughter representatives gave away thousands of “RealityfoldTM” sleep masks at SF Pride on Sunday, June 25th. The black mask, which is emblazoned in gold with the ES logo and “Make the Occupation Disappear," includes text that explains the connections between the company Estee Lauder, the destruction of Palestinians' homes, and World Pride 2006. The representatives were told by SFPD officers to stop distributing the masks. Also that day, Senior Unlimited Nudes activist Tortuga Bi Liberty was told by police to "cover up" when he was picketing and handing out leaflets at Pride while in the nude.

Dina Boyer is a photographer and videographer who frequently posts media to Indybay, and covers LGBT and police brutality-related issues. Ms. Boyer reports, "For the last 8 years I have been covering the Pride celebration in San Francisco... every year I obtained media passes." After having applied months in advance for her official press passes, she was denied her passes on Saturday. She feels that she was discriminated against, and that her First Amendment rights as a journalist were violated. She feels that her presence as a transgendered woman and a journalist will not be missed when she does not cover Pride events next year. The press credentials of Allen White, who wrote a story critical of the corporate nature of SF Pride for Beyond Chron, were also lifted.

A memorial plaque commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot was installed in San Francisco at 12pm on Thursday, June 22nd, at the corner of Turk and Taylor Streets. The 1966 riot in the Tenderloin was the first known instance of transgender resistance to police harassment in the U.S. National and local community activists present will include Reverend Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church, author/activists Leslie Feinberg and Jamison Green, Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality, and representatives of the SF Mayor’s Office, Human Rights Commission, and Police Commission. Photos | Video