Feature Archives

LGBT Pride Celebrations were held in many California cities during the month of June. On Saturday, June 3rd, Out in the Valley was held in Fresno. Photos
San Francisco Pride took place from June 23rd through 25th.
The Trans March was held on Friday, June 23rd. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
The Dyke March was held on Saturday, June 24th.
The SF Pride Celebration was held in Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday. The main Pride March began on Sunday at 10:30am at Market and Beale Streets, and ended at Civic Center. Photos | Reports: 1 | 2

On Saturday, June 3rd, Marriage Equality USA held walks across bridges in California and New York to raise visibility and funds for efforts to win the 1400 state and federal protections for civil marriage for same-sex couples. For the Golden Gate Bridge Walk for Marriage Equality, people gathered at the western end of Chrissy Field at 9:00am, and vans brought people to the Golden Gate Bridge for the Walk, which started at 9:30. Single "lesbian soccer mom" Jennifer Schumaker walked the last 5 miles of her 500 mile journey from San Diego to San Francisco in support of LGBT inclusion and marriage equality for same-sex couples. The event ended at 12pm and was to be followed by a cake reception.

It is expected that the US Senate will vote on the Federal Marriage Constitutional Amendment on Monday, June 5th. The marches on Saturday will help to increase outreach and educational efforts against the amendment. On Monday, June 5th, there will be a press conference in Washington, DC to kick-off postcard delivery to US Senators urging them to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Marriage Equality USA

June 5th 2006 marks the 25th year since AIDS was first identified. The "official" date for the beginning of the AIDS epidemic is usually marked as June 5, 1981, when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that unusual clusters of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia had been discovered in gay men in Los Angeles.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca writes:
This anniversary should be a time to reflect on where we’ve come from and where we still need to go. A time to admit that as a City we have failed in providing adequate affordable housing for people with AIDS. A time to say that it’s unacceptable that PWAs live in poverty while other members of our community wallow in wealth and privilege. A time to commit ourselves to ending poverty and economic inequities for all people. A time to honor the thousands of brave activists who took to the streets in the 80s to fight against the all-pervasive uncaring attitude of our homo-hating culture. The millions whose Herculean efforts gave us safe sex guidelines, medical marijuana, HOPWA vouchers, AIDS hospices, the American with Disabilities Act, etc. A time to remember the AIDS tent city that stood for years at U.N. Plaza right here in SF. Where is the tribute to all of that?

Read More On Indybay's International Page

Mireya Gómez-Contreras of the Watsonville Brown Berets writes:

In 1998, I was one of four people to receive a Queer Youth Leadership Award for my activism around gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning (queer) issues. As a young, queer Latina, I was saved from falling into the hands of drugs, violence and total depression because I became involved in my community. Queer activism specifically helped me deal with the added pressure of feeling I had to conform to a heterosexual world. Looking back, I don’t know where I would have turned had it not been for the youth group Gay And Proud, which formed in 1996 out of a Watsonville clinic, Salud Para la Gente.

This year, I find myself nominating a queer youth who, through her creative and ambitious activist work, reminds me that supporting youth is paving the best path possible for our future leaders. My message to Santa Cruz County community members today is to step it up and really support teens, where I feel it counts a great deal to young people, through recognition.

The Ninth Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards, scheduled for May 21st at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville at 4:00pm, is a project of the Santa Cruz County Task Force for LGBTIQ Youth, which is affiliated with the Diversity Center. For more information, call 831-427-4004. Read more

August 6th-12th 2006 will be World Pride in Jerusalem. Queeruption 9 will take place in Tel Aviv from August 3rd through 13th. Queeruption is a do-it-yourself, anti-commercial, non-hierarchal, safe and open space for workshops, music, art, actions, parties, sex, performances and everything participants propose and/or prepare. Queeruption welcomes and celebrates all gender identities and sexualities, with no tolerance for sexism, macho behavior, racism, heterophobia, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination based on different abilities or ages, and any form of aggression.

The slogan of the World Pride Parade is “Love Without Borders”. Queeruption organizers believe that love without borders should reject occupation, Apartheid, social injustice, ecological destruction and walls. Queers who were present at Queeruption in Barcelona last year said that they view themselves as part of the global struggle for freedom, justice and self determination. They say that several Palestinian organizations have called for a boycott of World Pride, and that it is important to push their solidarity further by going to Israel and Palestine for a celebration of diversity, empowerment and resistance. Read more

The Boycott World Pride website says, "Although Jerusalem was designated as an "international city" by the United Nations, travel to Jerusalem may only be accomplished with the consent of the Israeli government and its military forces. We are appalled that InterPride chose Jerusalem as the site of the second World Pride event and is encouraging LGBTIQ people from all over the world to ignore the boycott and spend significant funds in Israel, bolstering its tourist economy and its disingenuous claim to be a "free," democratic, state." Deeg from LAGAI writes, "(F)or the LGBTIQ movement...for peoples who consider ourselves part of the international human rights movement, to figuratively march en masse across the Palestinians’ picket line to attend (either World Pride or Queeruption)... is an appalling spectacle."

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has condemned homophobic statements made by Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in connection with World Pride 2006. The organization has stated that it will not be participating in World Pride 2006. It also points out that many people from the Middle East will be unable to participate in World Pride due to travel restrictions and conditions that limit mobility and participation. IGLHRC encourages all those who participate in World Pride 2006 to engage in discussion about the denial of human rights of all people in the region, as well as LGBTI communities in Israel and the Occupied Territories. IGLHRC's statement

Queeruption | Queeruption 9 website | Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism | Read more on Indybay's Palestine News Page

Eyewitness account of the assault and false arrest carried out against Shane (Tammy) Maxfield by Santa Cruz Police Officer Brierly.

I am a witness in the case of Shane (Tammy) Maxfield, case #065-04163. Shane was handcuffed and forced to sit down against the chainlink fence on Pacific Ave/Church for "directing traffic." He was actually helping a friend and another witness, David Bliss jump David's battery to move his van out of the handicapped space.

The officer refused to give me his name and badge number. I begged him twice not to arrest Shane as he is severely ill with AIDS and has just started a dibilitating HIV cocktail of Trevada and Sustiva. He laughed at me and said "That's not gonna happen." I told him Shane might die of stress in jail and he guffawed and shrugged me off.

It was apparent the officer realized he hadn't charged Shane with anything yet as he pulled Shane up by his coat, slammed him against the fence and forced the top of Shane's head to barely touch him. He said: "Now I've got you for battery." This was in full public view of at least 40 witnesses at 1:00pm on April 25th, 2006. Before the sergeant could take stories from witnesses Shane was put in the police car and taken to jail. His arraignment is May 15th, 2006. The jail personnel were sympathetic and thought the whole incident ridiculous. Read more, including a letter sent to City Council

Two years ago on February 12th, Gavin Newsom opened the doors to City Hall and over 4,000 same-sex couples were married in San Francisco. Those marriages were later overturned but the determination to end discrimination is stronger than ever. Equality California (EQCA) has launched a month-long campaign to galvanize people around the cause of ending marriage discrimination against same-sex couples. EQCA's Get Engaged Tour has hit the road, carrying the message of marriage equality to virtually all 58 counties in California.

Anti-equality opponents hope that supporters of same-sex marriage stay at home on Valentine's Day. Randy Thomasson will be travelling around the state on what he is calling his "real marriage tour." A highlight of the Get Engaged Tour will take place on Valentine's Day, when thousands of LGBT Californians will put their hearts into the marriage equality cause. In each county, couples will to go to their county clerk's office to request a marriage license. These actions will highlight the government's discrimination against same-sex couples, and give a face to the part of the population that is negatively impacted by the inability to marry.

Some local February 14th actions: There will be a marriage counteraction at Noon on Tuesday at the Sonoma County Clerks Office at 2300 County Center Drive, Suite B177 in Santa Rosa. Last year Sonoma County had the biggest turnout in the state at its Valentine's Day event. Same-sex couples are going to go inside to request marriage licenses, and straight and LGBT supporters will cheer them on while bearing witness to the discrimination against them. Clergy who are willing to conduct marriage ceremonies if they were legal will also be in attendance. An Alameda County Valentine's Day Celebration will be held in Oakland on Tuesday evening, from 6pm to 10pm. It will take place at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street by Castro (about five blocks from the 12th street BART station). People will gather at San Francisco City Hall at 1:00pm.

Find your local EQCA chapter and its Valentine's Day action