Feature Archives

September 22, 2004: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed into law the Omnibus Hate Crimes Act of 2004. SB 1234 creates a uniform definition of a hate crime that includes crimes against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, broadens what a hate crime is to include crimes against individuals based on their assosciation with people who are gay or transgender (as well as association based on other protected categories), and provides tools designed to reduce such crimes.

Equality California sponsored the legislation, which was introduced by Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica). SB 1234 received bipartisan support in the legislature during the final days of the legislative session. This action comes just a day before the United States House of Representatives takes up the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA, S. 966/H.R. 4204). SB 1234 reflects the recommendations of several high profile commissions and studies of hate crime in California. This bill enjoyed the support a coalition of prominent organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Crime Victims United, and numerous labor and LGBT organizations, including the Log Cabin Republicans of California who actively worked with Equality California (EQCA) to ensure that this legislation became law.

"Hate crimes are acts of violence or terrorism, directed at an individual victim, because of their perceived association with a group or community," said Senator Sheila Kuehl. "While every hate crime represents a personal tragedy for the victim, hate crimes also are an attempt to intimidate a larger group or community of people. Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our society and it is important that we have a strong and effective response to them."

Statement from EQCA: "Equality California greatly appreciates Governor Schwarzenegger's continued support of legislation designed to reduce discrimination and violence against LGBT Californians. We hope his action sends a strong message to any members of Congress who may not be inclined to support the federal Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act," said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. "President Bush's call for writing discrimination into the United States Constitution has resulted in anti-gay rhetoric that fuels hateful activity, and we hope that this bi-partisan effort on preventing hate crimes will help reverse this trend." Human Rights Campaign statement

Grassroots activists hope that the signing of SB 1234 into law will help to create a climate in which people are not killed for being who they are, such as Delicious, aka Tony Green. Governor Schwarzenegger himself is infamous for his recent and ongoing references to political "girly-men."

Equality California | Anti-Defamation League | Muslim Public Affairs Council | Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund | Crime Victims United | Log Cabin Republicans of California

The 2004 Folsom Street Fair (SM) took place on Sunday, September 26, 2004. The FSF website says: The overcast skies parted on Sunday just so that the 21st annual Folsom Street Fair could take place on a traditional sunny warm day. Thousands of kinky leather fans from around the world at the frolicked on the tolerant and accepting streets in the South of Market district. The 2004 Folsom Street Fair SM should be remembered as one of the best, but we say that every year. See you again on September 25th, 2005, from 11am to 6pm. And remember, the fair is always the last Sunday in September.
The event honored the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who are now in their 25th year of fun(d)raising, philanthropy, and fabulousness. Indybay clothing-optional beat reporter Seniornude reports about nudity at the Folsom Street Fair. Photos by Indybay photographer Matt Fitt: 1 | 2

Marriage Equality and Don't Amend are sponsoring an October 11th National Coming Out Day Rally For Marriage Equality at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The rally on October 11th will be from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol. The rally is part of continuing campaigns to fight the proposed amendment to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution, to demand a repeal of anti-gay measures like the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and to demonstrate for the Freedom to Marry. From October 4-11, 2004, Marriage Equality California, which is now a project of Equality California Institute, is spearheading a cross-country tour to Washington D.C. with stops in 10 cities, including kickoff rallies in San Francisco and Sacramento, to promote marriage equality. On Saturday, October 2nd, the kickoff party took place at the LGBT Center in San Francisco. On October 4th, Oakland City Council member Danny Wan delivered a Supportive Resolution from the City Council to the caravan riders as they boarded the National Marriage Equality Express tour bus, from 6-7 am at Oakland's MacArthur BART Station. Also on Monday, there was a rally at the State Capitol in Sacramento at 9am. About the riders Riders' Online Journals
The riders in the tour will include same-sex couples whose marriage licenses have been voided. These couples have issued a national call to action in support of marriage equality. Press Release

On October 10th, 2004, the eve of National Coming Out Day, OUT in Oakland came to the Parkway neighborhood. The "Parkway" is the neighborhood on the southeast shore of Lake Merritt. City Council member Danny Wan is "nurturing" a new LGBT-oriented commercial and residential neighborhood in that area. According to the Parkway Pride announcement on the Oakland Community and Economic Development Agency's website, Wan envisions creating a welcoming district lined with cafes, shops and other businesses that would appeal to Oakland's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender residents.
OUT in Oakland took place on Sunday, October 10 at 4 p.m. This free event included live music performed by groups such as Deep Dick Collective, LGBT information booths, food, children's activities, and walking tours of the up-and-coming Parkway neighborhood. Photos It remains to be seen whether a district oriented towards queer communities can be created, rather than growing by itself.

Cynthia Peters argues that "rather than fighting for the right to same-sex marriage, progressives should be fighting for the right to a social safety net that protects everyone regardless of whether the sex they're having is lewd, adulterous, with the same sex, and/or non-monogamous. And we should be fighting for social and cultural space outside the marketplace and outside state-sponsored incentive plans where we can exercise our right to define cultural and social norms about our roles in relationships." Gay Shame says that Marriage is Murder, or "...a financial and legal contract that allocates the movement of property, power and privilege from one person to another." During a time in which national lgbt organizations in the US are focused on marriage as the main civil rights struggle of our time, there is more disagreement about the issue of gay marriage in Canada,

8/2/2004: Comedian Margaret Cho was invited to perform at the LGBT Unity 2004 event in Boston during the Democratic National Convention. She was uninvited from the event by Human Rights Campaign, which was one of the ten organizations that were part of the event. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force withdrew from the event when it heard about the uninvitation. The NGLTF had recently given Cho a Task Force Leadership Award, and she has been given a variety of awards in the past. Margaret Cho is an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights, and she has spoken at several pro-same-sex marriage rallies in Northern California.
"I am not surprised at the reversal in light of how the Kerry campaign distanced itself from Whoopi's routine in response to the unrelenting media hype and Republican criticism," said Margaret Cho's manager, Karen Taussig. "It's Whoopi's job as a comedian to say things that are sometimes shocking. I wish they could have backed her up. Dennis Miller can make gay jokes about Senators Kerry and Edwards at a recent Bush rally in Wisconsin to a complete absence of media scrutiny. No one demanded a tape of that event or alleged that his comments as a comedian might reflect poorly on Bush."

Margaret Cho's press release about the uninvitation | Margaret Cho's Blog | MargaretCho.net | BuzzFlash Interview with Margaret Cho | Original Flyer from the event | Gay Geeks | Margaret Cho's State of Emergency Tour

Over 400 people attended an August 8th rally in San Francisco's Sunset District was held to show support for same-sex marriage. Photos Conservatives have recently staged anti-marriage equality demonstrations of 7,000 people in San Francisco and 5,000 in Alhambra. Event co-sponsor Marriage Equality California said, "We must do our part to organize FOR marriage equality." The rally was called by a coalition of organizations including Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Equality California/Marriage Equality California, and Asian Equality (formerly the Asian Pacific American Coalition for Equality. The rally took place from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in Larsen Park (at 19th Avenue & Wawona) in San Francisco’s Sunset district on Sunday, August 8th. A similar rally was held in Los Angeles on that date. Some organizers in San Francisco are planning to head to the October 11th National Rally for Marriage Equality in Washington, DC. Participants were asked to bring signs, "sass," and fellow supporters to the rally.

Pacific News Service article Ethnic Communities Speak Out Against Gay Marriage | Baptist Press article about SF rally against gay marriage | Article about Gay Activism in Asian and Asian-American Churches | Asian American Bar Association Supports Same-Sex Marriage | Asian American Journalists Association| GLAAD Media Resource Kits geared towards communities of African descent and Asian Pacific Island communities. More rallies against same-sex marriage are tentatively scheduled for August 21st in San Jose, LA, and San Diego-- current info is available on the Current Issues Page on the Asian Equality website.