Pride and Prejudice, indeed!

Greetings, AC4A friends!

It's been an amazing last few weeks, n'est pas? We're full of PRIDE! So
many AC4A family members have been christened as Pride Grand Marshals,
including:

- Our beloved Robert Haaland (a 2006 AC4A "Angel Award" recipient)!
- Our adored Page Hodel (the AC4A "Angel Award" lifetime achievement
recipient, and DJ at our fall event)!

Read more about why we love them here:
http://andcastroforall.org/index.php?news#honorees

Also receiving the Pride nod: AC4A allies Pat Norman (Lifetime Achievement
Grand Marshal!), Stuart Gaffney, and John Lewis (as well as our own John
Newsome). We need only enlist remaining Grand Marshals Dolores Caruthers
and Laura Espinoza to claim a clean sweep! Many congrats to all of our
community honorees; read more about them at http://www.sfpride.org.

Even more Pride: Another dear ally of ours, Theresa Sparks, has been named
President of the SF Police Commission. Teresa's accomplishments over the
years have been truly remarkable (corporate CEO twice over, former Alice
board chair, current police commissioner, and one of the nation's most
prominent transgender leaders!) but she will always occupy a special place
in our hearts for a smaller, but incredibly heroic, gesture: negotiating
with angry SFPD members, defending our Constitutional rights, and keeping us
safe during the insane and frightening 2005 Pink Saturday picket in front of
Badlands. Theresa, we love you very much!

Ah, but the prejudice... That's the 2007 Pride theme, after all... Sadly,
the Chron couldn't be bothered to report on Teresa's record or
accomplishments in their announcement of her prestigious appointment. In
fact, their article about Theresa's appointment focuses more on the clouded
resignation of the former president, and implies that Theresa's the
recipient of LGBT "political pandering." ARGH. Please read Robert
Haaland's thoughts (below) and consider drafting a letter to our friends at
the Chron.

Otherwise, take care, and get ready for a really proud Pride season!
xo AC4A

p.s. - apologies to those of you receiving this 2x; we're doing some Spring
cleaning and will fix the problem shortly. Thanks for your patience and
understanding!



from Robert Haaland at http://www.leftinsf.com

(To write a letter to the Chron, email letters [at] sfchronicle.com)

*The Chronicle mucks it up *<http://leftinsf.com/blog/index.php/archives/1898>
Everyone once in a while, the Chronicle, by accident, treats transgender
folks well in their coverage. Typically, the worst offenders
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/11/04/MN33161.DTL&hw=transgender+matier+ross&sn=002&sc=953>are
Matier and Ross
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/02/02/MNL123442.DTL&hw=transgender+matier+ross&sn=010&sc=717>who
love to sensationalize coverage
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1998/04/20/MN46495.DTL&hw=transgender+matier+ross&sn=003&sc=950>of
trans people, wink-wink, but the paper, in general, usually doesn't even
come close to doing it right. That's why I believe it is important to have
the Bay Area Reporter <http://www.ebar.com/>and the SF Bay
Times<http://www.sfbaytimes.com/>,
two LGBT weekly papers. The *SF Bay Guardian * <http://www.sfbg.com/>has
gotten much better over the last few years too though and is probably third
in line for best coverage of LGBT issues.
Today was the worst
though<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/11/BAG3TPP7881.DTL>.
For the first time in history, a transgender woman became President of the
SF Police Commission and the Chronicle completely failed to mention it. As
most know, I have some pretty strong feelings about police brutality towards
trans folks.
Every time I see a cop behind me when I am driving, I panic, and not because
I am worried that I broke a traffic law. Last time I got pulled over for a
broken tail light, I spent 45 minutes answering questions about my gender
status and my license, and this was one of my better interactions with the
cops. That happened four years ago, the night before Theresa was appointed.
I was so angry about the interaction that I hadn't been able to sleep all
night, and when I heard she was appointed, I felt this incredible sense of
relief.
So when I read the Chron today, and all that they mentioned was that Theresa
was the CEO of a sex toy retailer, I realized that they were trying to
marginalize her right out of the gate and make her less powerful. Worse, the
article seemed to try and make her seem unqualified for the position and
that those who voted for her were just trying to pander for political
reasons. Ironically, they never mention why they think people are pandering.
I suspect the implication was because she is transgender, not because she is
the CEO of a sex toy retailer.
The very idea that people would suggest that she is unqualified, and that
the only reason she got it was because she is transgender is insulting and
offensive.
And while I find it distressing, we must always remember that power is never
given, it is taken.