Wednesday, January 28, 2009

That's So Gay! Knock it off!

One of my favorite ladies, Wanda Sykes, holding it down... "KNOCK IT OFF" ... Do you realize what you say when you say "That's So Gay"?

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

First Love, Second Chance. First Call.

My friend, Tony, aka Mr. Nightlife sent me an email today. He's casting now for a new TV Show and he's looking for people who want another chance with their first love. Here's what Mr. Nightlife is looking for:

"I’m casting a new reality show for TV Land!!!!

It’s called “First Love, Second Chance” and I’m looking for a few good men and women that are willing to give love a second try.

Here’s some info on what we’re looking for. Please feel free to pass it along to anyone you think would like to fall in love with their “first love” all over again.

TV LAND’S “FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE” CASTING NOW!

Ever wondered what happened to the one that got away? To your high school sweetheart or college love?

That's the question at the heart of the new TV Land Program "First Love, Second Chance" which reunites former couples and gives them a glimpse of what life would have been like if they'd stayed together. In each one-hour episode, a former girlfriend and boyfriend who are currently single will be reunited. Will the passage of time and their differing life experiences have changed them beyond recognition? Will they be tempted once again by each other, or decide they can't get far enough away?

“First Love, Second Chance” reveals whether true first love conquers all for the couples -or whether they discover that they had a lucky escape first time around!

If you are single, mid 30's to mid to late 40's and looking to reconnect with a past love, we want to hear from you!

If you are interested or want to tell us your story of lost love, please visit us at www.cornwellcasting.com or send your story to firstlovecasting@me.com.

See you on the red carpet. Tony Miros 'Mr. Nightlife'

Friday, January 23, 2009

Artist Shepard Fairey on Colbert Report

Check Obama's favorite criminal, Shepard Fairey, on the Colbert Report. Street artist and founder of Obey is interviewed about the creation of the "HOPE" poster for the Obama campaign. Shepard is pretty adorable.

Check out the clip on Hulu - which I love for free TV and movie clips on my laptop.

LGBT Job Fair, San Francisco

It's been a rough year for many. If you've been laid off or are looking to get hired for a new job, check out the LGBT Job Fair @ The Center.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Job Fair 9.1, the Bay Area's premier LGBT workforce recruitment event, will attract all levels of job seekers with qualifications in:

· Technology
· Entry, Management, and Executive
· Retail, Call Center, Cashier
· Customer Service
· Administrative
· Sales

Employers who have attended The Center's Job Fairs in the past include:

Federal Reserve Bank
Bank of America
CLOROX
Citibank
Kimpton Hotels
Walgreen's
McKesson Corp.
Olivia Companies
Charles Schwab
California Pacific Medical
Good Vibrations
Johnson & Johnson
PG&E
Wells Fargo Bank
UCSF Medical
SFPD
UCSF Campus
Patelco Credit
Kaiser Permanente
Townsend & Townsend
SF Int. Airport
SFPUC
CSAA
City & County of SF
Safeway
Robert Half
and many more…

How Job Seekers Participate:
1). Pre-register by going to http://jobfair.sfcenter.org
2). Attend our free Pre Job Fair Workshop on February 4th, 2-4pm.
3). Get here early, dress to impress, have copies of your resume, and know your elevator speech.

For more information contact:
David Bach, Workforce Development Specialist
(415) 865-5534, DavidB@sfcenter.org
www.sfcenter.org/job_fair.php

The SF LGBT Center
1800 Market Street, SF 94102
See you @ the Fair!If

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Happy Inauguration Day!


I was walking on this beautiful day through San Francisco. The air was crisp with excitement and hope for change in America, as our 44th President, Barack Obama, was sworn into office. As I was walking up Fillmore on this wonderful inauguration day, I was greeted with many gleaming smiles. I got to the intersection at Bush and Fillmore and saw some great street art.

Someone took the street signs down bush street and changed them to "Obama". It was so great to see! A Japanese man came up to me and told me he wanted to see how far it went. He walked down 9 blocks and realized the entire street had been changed. Someone else told me the signs were changed all the way downtown to Battery. I snapped this shot with my iPhone.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Freedom to Marry Day - February 12


On National Freedom to Marry Day, Thursday, February 12, 2009, at local marriage counters in cities all over the country, same-sex couples will request marriage licenses at their local County Clerk's Offices to raise awareness of the harms and impact that the inability to marry causes on their families. This national event is hosted yearly by Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) and this year they have asked Join the Impact for our help to make this their largest Marriage Counter Action yet!

"Marriage Equality USA started the Marriage Counter Action/Get Engaged for Marriage Equality in 2001. This year, we invited Join the Impact to join us, and we are very excited to be working with them and look forward to a large turnout. We do this annual direct action during Freedom to Marry week to make marriage discrimination visible, it forces our local clerks to have to look us in the eye, see our children, and enforce a discriminatory and unjust law at their counter – it moves everyone who witnesses this sad, but powerful event and gives us the opportunity to tell our stories and show that we live in every community and want to honor and protect our families like everyone else." - Jordan Palmer, Vice President of Development & Organizational Relationships for Marriage Equality USA.

Learn more about how you can be involved in Marriage Equality for All!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Upcoming Protests - Prop 8 + Marriage Equality!

I will try to keep a list here of any upcoming Marriage Equality Rallies or Prop 8 Protests. Please email me if you have something to submit or simply add it to the comments, and i'll post it for you.

The new year brings us a new energy for our fight for Marriage Equality for the LGBT community. Gays and Lesbians deserve the right to marry and have their love equally recognized. Show your support by attending one of these protests near you. Invite a friend to an upcoming Prop 8 Protest and tell them to invite a friend.

Get your Protest Poster for the Rick Warren Protest here.... Separate Church and State!

----- Sunday, January 18th -----

ORANGE COUNTY / LAKE FOREST,CA
PROTEST AT RICK WARREN'S SADDLE BACK CHURCH
11:00am - 2:00pm
Saddleback Church in Orange County 
1 Saddleback Parkway
Lake Forest, CA
More information on
Facebook.


----- Monday, January 19th -----

MILLION PERSON EQUALITY MARCH
SACRAMENTO,CA
Capitol Building, Sacramento
Get your hotel reservations now. 
Sign up for teams: equalityactionnow.org


----- Saturday, January 24th -----

PIECES OF 8 - CREATIVE MARCH
EMBARCARDERO, SAN FRANCISCO
Saturday, January 24, 2009
10:30am - 1:30pm
Embarcadero
The Sidewalks along Embarcadero from Justin Hermann Plaza to Marina Green.
San Francisco, CA

What: An exhibition of performing arts in conjunction with the BACORR protest against the anti-choice and anti-marriage march along the Embarcadero from Justin Herman Plaza to Marina Green. Artists will perform on the theme of oppression of women or the attempts by religious organizations to impose their “values” on our laws, especially on abortion and same-sex marriage.
Who: acoustic musicians, poets, comics, clowns, mimes, performance artists, painters, rappers, actors, sculptors and anyone who wishes to artistically express their support for equal rights for all.

When the Catholic Church sends their Crusade to San Francisco to try to eliminate a woman’s right to choose and our freedom to marry the partner of our choice we are going to greet them with an outburst of creativity! Instead of insults, we will hurl artistic performances at them. We will captivate the spectators and tourists, and, of course, the media, so the message of equal rights will dominate the day.


----- Thursday, Feb 12th -----

NATIONAL FREEDOM TO MARRY DAY
Sit-in & Protest! At the Steps of your City Hall and ask for a marriage license. If you are denied a license, don't leave. Sit with your community, your allies, and friends.
Read More about FREEDOM TO MARRY DAY!


----- Saturday, February 14th -----

VALENTINE'S DAY KISS-IN
LOS ANGELES CITY HALL
2:00 pm
LA City Hall
Between 1st and Temple on Spring (200 N Spring St.)

They took away our rights, they made us second class citizens, and now they’re trying to take away the marriages we already legally obtained. Well F that. Show them that no matter what they do to us, we are and will continuing to love.

So on the day that celebrates love, bring your protest signs and yell to your heart’s content at 2:00 pm… then at 2:30. KISS!

Not only is it fun, but we are showing them that they can try to take away and invalidate our marriage, but our relationships, families, and love will not be extinguished.

RSVP on the
facebook page


----- Monday, February 16th -----

SACRAMENTO, CA
Gather together at the Capitol to demonstrate that the LGBT community and our allies will settle for nothing less than equality. Sponsored by Equality Action Now.


----- Tuesday, February 17th -----

SACRAMENTO, CA
Marriage Equality Lobby Day
More Info to Come

----- PAST PROTESTS -----

----- Saturday, January 10th -----
This is a National Protest with rallies taking place all over the country. We are also collecting 1 Million Signatures in an Open Letter to Obama to be delivered on Inauguration Day. Join the DOMA Protest. Learn more about DOMA.


DOMA Protests include: Washington DC, San Diego, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Jose, Redlands and More Protest Cities Here.

BLUE 4 EQUALITY
Light up your night with BLUE! Put a blue bulb in your window, on your porch light, or store front to show support for Equality. Read more at Blue 4 Equality.

----- Saturday, January 3rd -----
CHINO HILLS, CA
2pm-6pm
The Shoppes at Chino Hills
13920 City Center Drive, Chino Hills
We will meet at the corner of Grand Avenue and Peyton Drive.

----- Thusday, January 1st -----
"IN YOUR FACE" NATIONAL KISS-IN
Nationwide Protest Day, Thursday 01/01/09
A
public kiss-in in support of same-sex marriage rights, LGBTQ rights, love and equality for all!Find a same-sex friend and kiss them publically-- at work, school, the mall, wherever-- and show the world that love is for everyone. *smooch*

----- Saturday, December 27th -----
LAKE FOREST, CA
From: 1pm-6pm Trabuco Rd & Lake Forest Dr, Lake Forest
Hesperia/Victorville/Apple Valley, CA
2pm, 14868 Bear Valley Road, Victorville
From Rancho Cucamonga, travel on the 15 North (approx. 25 minutes) exit Bear Valley Rd and turn Right. Once you pass Mariposa Rd, we will be meeting on the Left side of Bear Valley Rd.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Cleve Jones Speaking at Cal Berkeley


As you may have noticed, I am a graphic designer. I recently designed this flyer for human rights activist, Cleve Jones. Cleve is human rights activists and founder of the AIDS Quilt. You may have recently seem him portrayed by Emile Hirsh in the Gus Van Sant biopic, "MILK", release last year. Take this chance to listen to Harvey Milk's friend, who he mentored, and let him mentor you!

PRESS RELEASE:

An afternoon with

CLEVE JONES, Human Rights Activist, Author
JANUARY 29, 2009
4:30 PM
UC BERKELEY
MULTICULTURAL CENTER - HELLER LOUNGE



Come here first hand about what it was like to work alongside HARVEY MILK. He is portrayed by actor Emile Hirsch in director Gus Van Sant's biopic MILK.

Cleve’s career as an activist began in San Francisco during the turbulent 1970s when pioneer gay rights leader Harvey Milk befriended him. He worked as a student intern in Milk’s office while studying political science at San Francisco State University.

In 1983, when AIDS was still a new and poorly understood threat, Jones co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Jones conceived the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at a candlelight memorial for Harvey Milk in 1985 and in 1987 created the first quilt panel in honor of his friend Marvin Feldman. The AIDS Memorial Quilt has grown to become the world’s largest community arts project.

Come hear Cleve Jones speak about the importance of community and public service. There will be opportunities for students to find out about intership and volunteer opportunities at local LGBT Organizations.


** This event is wheelchair accessible. For disability accommodation requests and information please contact Danny Kodmur at (510) 643-6456 or (510) 642-6376 (TTY) for communication services or Peter O’Connell at (510) 642-2795 for mobility services. Their website address is http://access.berkeley.edu. Please try to make your service request with as much advance notice as possible.

Monday, January 12, 2009

All my Single Ladies ... Put a Ring on it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Thanks for all the hard work over the weekend... This will make you smile... You thought Beyonce had original dance moves for "Put a Ring on It"... Enjoy!


Saturday, January 10, 2009

DISCRIMINATION! Protest DOMA today!


Join me and many others across the nation in the National Protest of DOMA! If you are in San Francisco, we will be on the corner of Castro and Market TODAY, January 10th, at 11am.

Download this protest poster for your rally! Stop H8 and DISCRIMINATION in America! 

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Video: Anne Hathaway to Obama "Explain Rick Warren"

The lovely Anne Hathaway tells E! while at the Palms Springs International Film Festival that she'd like President Obama to "Explain that choice of Rick Warren." Thanks for speaking out Anne!

Don't Wait, Start Now! Protest DOMA.

Protest DOMA this weekend, January 10th! Don't wait, START NOW... You can begin gathering signatures in support of the repeal of DOMA. Find 10 ways you can help below. As you know, you can always get FREE PROTEST POSTERS here, to 

From Join the Impact:

A little under 1 year ago when Barack Obama was running for president he wrote an Open Letter to our community. A community where many members do not have equal protections under the law. A minority community that has felt the sting of discrimination, and held on to love to build bridges in the hope of overcoming.

The opening to this letter still chokes me up today: "I'm running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all ‐ a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It's wrong to have millions of Americans living as second‐class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans."

In this letter, Barack Obama promised to repeal laws that discriminate against the LGBT community. He vowed to

Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ensure that states treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws
Enact a fully inclusive Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Enact the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes against our community
Confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the stigma surrounding it
Amend the Uniting American Families Act to afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system

A letter was crafted in response to Obama to remind him of his promises that we expect him to keep. This is not an online petition. Studies have shown that they are far less effective than the obvious blood sweat and tears that went in to physical signatures. Imagine Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office with One Million of our voices in his hands. We need Real People, Real Signatures, Real Change.

Signature gathering has already begun.

Here's 10 ways you can help get signatures:

1. Gather signatures at your place of work (make sure it doesn't hinder your HR policy)
2. Go out to the bars on Friday and Saturday nights and get signatures
3. Go to your local screening of MILK and get signatures from individuals in line or as they are leaving
4. Go to local stores and ask that they put the signature pages at the counter
5. Grab a friend and canvas your neighborhood asking for signatures
6. Go to a local event to gain signatures (Art Walks, Concerts, etc)
7. Take a copy to class and ask your teacher if you can announce that you're gathering signatures.
8. Attend one of the National Rallies on January 10th to gain signatures (find your rally here)
9. Go to church on Sunday and ask for signatures
10. Use the power of the internet: Email this letter, Blog about it, ping all your friends on Facebook/MySpace, send this message to EVERYONE

As always, when on private property be sure to ask for permission.

JOIN THE IMPACT ON THE WHITE HOUSE:
Print the Open Letter
Print Signature pages

Mail all signature pages by January 12th to:

Join The Impact
PO Box 141491
Columbus, OH 43214

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Seattle Gay Bars receive Threat Letters


It has been reported today that 11 Seattle Gay Bars in the Capitol Hill are have received threatening letters. This sounds like hate crime to me. 

The letters are addressed to the "Owner/Manager" of the bars and threaten to poison patrons of the bars with Ricin. The writer of the letter threatens to poision the patrons of the Seattle gay bars on a Saturday in January.

According to The Stanger's website:
A letter also arrived in The Stranger's offices, addressed to the attention of "Obituaries." The letter's author said the paper should "be prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals all of whom were patrons of the following establishments on a Saturday in January." The listed bars are: the Elite, Neighbours, Wild Rose, the Cuff, Purr, the Eagle, R Place, Re-bar, CC's, Madison Pub, and the Crescent. "I could take this moment to launch into a diatribe about my indignation towards the gay community," the letter concludes, "however, I think the deaths will speak for themselves.

Seattle, stick together, be strong and don't let anyone intimidate you in your struggle for equal rights.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

DOMA is America's Prop 8

[  click to enlarge  ]

DOMA - AMERICA'S PROP 8

Stand up for Marriage Equality for all this weekend! Join the NATIONAL PROTEST OF DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). DOMA deprives Gays and Lesbians of having their marriage recognized under federal law.

Defend Love, Destroy DOMA!

[  click to enlarge  ]

Defend Love, Destroty DOMA!

Use this Protest DOMA Poster! Join the nation on January 1oth, for the NATIONAL PROTEST OF DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).

Monday, January 5, 2009

Obama Don't DOMA!

We are coming together as a community asking the supporters of the LGBT community and marriage equality to help us repeal DOMA. We need to gather 1 million signatures to deliver to on an Open Letter to President Barak Obama his first day in office. We want him to know that we will not wait for equality! NATIONAL PROTEST of DOMA on January 10th!

[  Download the Protest Poster: OBAMA DON'T DOMA  ]


[ click to enlarge + download ]

Open Letter to Barak Obama - 1 MILLION Signatures Needed!

In protest of DOMA (Defense of Marraige Act), we are coming together as a community asking the supporters of the LGBT community and marriage equality to help us gather 1 million signatures to deliver to President Barak Obama his first day in office. We want him to know that we will not wait for equality!

We need you to help. It's easy and every signature represents a supporter helping us get closer to our goal. Reach out to the largest group of people you know that support you and your right for Marriage Equality and for your love to be recognized equally under the law. Think of all the people you know - friends, family, co-workers, church members, neighbors, business owners - and ask them to support YOU.

Step 1:  READ the Open Letter to Obama
Step 2:  PRINT out the Letter and Signature Pages
Step 3:  COLLECT
signatures from people who support you
Step 4:  MAIL your pages in by January 12, 2009.

OPEN LETTER TO OBAMA
> Print the Open Letter to Obama and Signature Forms

January 21, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on your historic and inspiring victory. Your lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens, along with families, friends, and heterosexual allies, would like to welcome you to the White House. We are thrilled to see that true change has come to this country.

During your election campaign you wrote an open letter to us, making it clear that you were committed to gaining ‘full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country.’ In that letter you asked for our vote and promised to:

• Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ensure that states treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws

• Enact a fully inclusive Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity

• Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

• Enact the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes against our community

• Confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the stigma surrounding it

• Amend the Uniting American Families Act to afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system 

We come to you as esteemed citizens of the United States of America in need of equal protections under the law for all families. The LGBT community is part of this diverse country, but do not share the same rights as their heterosexual brothers and sisters. In the spirit of family, respect, and of course, hope, we will work with you to make these promises become a reality.

We paid attention to the statements you made during your campaign, and we voted for you. Now, as you take office, we ask something in return. Please keep your promises to the LGBT community and provide the leadership needed to achieve true equality for all Americans.

Sincerely, Your Fellow Americans

###

Now, PRINT out the Open Letter to Obama and Signature Forms

Collect Signatures and Mail them in! The deadline for mailing the signature pages is January 12 for us to get them to Barack Obama on his first day in office.

MAIL SIGNATURES TO:
JOIN THE IMPACT
PO Box 141491
Columbus, OH 43214

Join your friends and family of the LGBT Community and Protest DOMA on January 10th. We need to collect 1 Million signatures from across the country to President Obama on his Inauguration Day. We will not wait for him to act on his promises to our community.

What is DOMA? DOMA is America's Prop 8

Find out how to Protest D.O.M.A.

I'm finding out many people don't know what D.O.M.A. is. Even more disappointing is the fact that many don't even realize that it exists. 

I'm going to spell DOMA without periods from this point forward, because I just find it more visually appealing. Now, let's talk about DOMA. 

DOMA is America's Prop 8. 

DOMA is the DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT. It should have been called DOMAFH (Defense of Marriage Act for Heterosexuals).

In simplest terms it is a federal equivalent to California's notorious Proposition 8. In the same way Prop 8 discriminates against Gay Marriage in California, DOMA does the same on a national scale.

DOMA was signed into Federal law by Bill Clinton in September of 1996. The bill was passed by a majority vote by both Congress (85-14) and the House of Representatives (342-67). The bill was passed in fear that one or more states at the time would want to legalize same sex marriages. The main purpose of the bill was to ensure that same-sex marriages would not have to be recognized under the Constitution of the United States. So, if you're marriage is recognized in Connecticut, that means it doesn't have to be recognized in any other territory of the U.S.

Here are the two main clauses of DOMA:

POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES:
`No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.'.

DEFINITION OF 'MARRIAGE' AND 'SPOUSE'
`In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word `marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word `spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.'.

Join your friends and family of the LGBT Community and Protest DOMA on January 10th. We need to collect 1 Million signatures from across the country to President Obama on his Inauguration Day. We will not wait for him to act on his promises to our community.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Make your own Mini Flyers!

Here's a really easy way to make your own many flyers. You can use these to pass out to friends or at rallies to people who don't have signs. You can also post them in your window of your home or business to show your support for the LGBT community and Marriage Equality for all.


Step 1:
DOWNLOAD this image to your computer.

Step 2:
PRINT the image out on standard letter paper (8.5 x 11") 

Step 3:
PHOTOCOPY or print out mulitple copies

Step 4:
CUT INTO QUARTERS
Simply fold one of the copies in half length wise and then in half width wise. This will create a creased cross shape in the center. This is where you cut! Simple as that. If you are measuring, you cut in the center of each edge so, lengthwise you cut 5.5" and width wise you cut 4.25". Your final flyers will be 4.25" x 5.5".

Step 5:
PROTEST! 
Go to a rally or protest and spread the word and the flyers!

Marriage Equality Workshop - Oregon Jan 10th

For those of you living in the Oregon area, there will be an MARRIAGE EQUALITY WORKSHOP hosted on January 10th. Take the day to meet people of like minds, fighting for the same cause as you. Meet new friends and make the impact united.

Marriage Equality Education - Workshop

Saturday, January 10, 2009
11:00am - 12:30pm

Q Center
69 S.E. Taylor St.
Portland, Oregon

Description

Do you want to talk to your family about marriage equality but don't know how to begin?

Are you speechless when people say homosexuals are going to hell?

Come join us then at the Q Center, Jan. 10 starting at 11:00 a.m. till 12:30 p.m.

Training will be taught with Basic Rights Oregon and touch base on how you can start the conversation of Marriage Equality and how to respond effectively to the opposition.

The workshop is free but donations are being asked from the Q Center in order to cover the expenses of having the building open.

Click here to RSVP on the Facebook page.

President Bush Signs "Gay Rights Bill"


Source: Minnesota Independent
By ANDY BIRKEY 12/30/08 10:17 AM

Call it a Christmas present for gay and lesbian couples. President Bush signed the Worker, Retiree and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA) two days before Christmas. The new law makes it mandatory for businesses to roll over retirement benefits to a same-sex partner in the event of the employee’s death.

Previously, employers could decline and surviving same-sex partners would have to pay tax on the inheritance of the deceased partner’s retirement savings. Legally married heterosexual couples automatically avoid that tax penalty.

National LGBT rights groups hailed the move. “This legislation secures much-needed protection for lesbian and gay couples,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Our community faces unique challenges in preparing for retirement because we are denied Social Security spousal and survivor benefits. Protecting our hard-earned retirement savings is even more crucial to us, and until now, the tax code made it that much harder.”

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Blue 4 Equality - Jan 10th

This is an easy way to show your support. You don't have to even leave your home or work... just put in a Blue Light!

Display a BLUE BULB on January 10th and show your support for Equality for All. Light up your front porch, window or store front. Just put a blue bulb in and you'll be one of thousands lighting up the night for Equality!

Tell your friends, local merchants and businesses you support, to show their support for you and your community by lighting up blue on January 1oth!

Blue4Equality is trying to organize the City Halls of eight major cities to light up blue. Miami Beach has already agreed! They are still waiting for feedback from Camarillo, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Ventura.

For more information on Blue For Equality and how you can help, check out Blue4Equality.org.


January 10th is also the NATIONAL PROTEST OF DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). Join thousands across the country to get 1 Million Marriage Equality Supporters to sign an Open Letter to President Obama and deliver it to him on his first day in office. We will not wait for equality!

4 Arrested in Lesbian Gang Rape

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that four have been arrested as suspects in the gang rape of a lesbian in the Bay Area on December 13, 2008.

Two men and two teens are in custody. Richmond resident, Humberto Hernandez Salvador was arrested at his  home. The two teens were already being held at a juvie center on other charges. One man, Josue Gonzalez, turned himself into police. He was wanted for gang rape, kidnapping and car-jacking charges.

National Protest of D.O.M.A. - January 10th

Join the Nation on January 10th and Protest Against DOMA! DOMA is the "Defense of Marriage Act". Protest for the Repeal of this Act that eliminates Marriage Equality for All.

We need to gather 1 Million Signatures on an Open Letter to Barak Obama. This will be delivered to President Obama on his first day in office. We want him to know that we will not wait for Equality. Get the Open Letter to Obama and Signature Forms.

----- SAN FRANCISCO, CA -----

RALLY 11AM
Castro & Market Streets
(NOT at City Hall!)

PETITION FOR SIGNATURES
Time: After Rally is Over
Place: Over 20 Neighborhoods in San Francisco, Oakland, Marin and North Peninsula
Join the group on Facebook.

----- SAN DIEGO, CA -----

10AM: WARM UP RALLY
11AM: MARCH
1PM: MAIN RALLY

San Diego County Admin Building
1600 Pacific Hwy
San Diego, CA

Complete details at SD Equality Now.


----- LOS ANGELES / WeHo, CA -----

2pm-10pm
RALLY @ 6pm

Corner of Santa Monica & San Vicente Boulevards
West Hollywood, CA
Contact: david.comfort@mindspring.com
Event on Facebook.

----- SAN JOSE, CA -----

Noon - 2 p.m.

San Jose City Hall
200 E. Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA

More information at Join the Impact San Jose.

----- REDLANDS, CA -----

2pm 

Redlands City Hall
35 Cajon Street, Redlands, CA
We will meet near the Redlands City Hall and march toward Redlands Blvd & Orange Street.

----- WASHINGTON, D.C. -----

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

March For Equal Rights
Washington, D.C.

Join the group on Facebook.


----- DALLAS, TEXAS -----

11:30 am

Historical Plaza behind Records Building
509 Main Street
Downtown - Dallas, Texas

Read Article on Dallas Protest 


----- BLUE 4 EQUALITY -----
Across the nation, Light up your night with BLUE! Put a blue bulb in your window, on your porch light, or store front to show support for Equality. Read more at Blue 4 Equality.

Happy New Year! Find us on Facebook

Happy New Year everyone! We have a big year ahead of us! The Protests of Prop 8 and Rallies for Marriage Equality continue across the country this month! Join us for the NATIONAL REPEAL of DOMA PROTEST on January 10th!

Also, we have launched a new FACEBOOK group. Join the Group and keep up with all my latest poster designs. There are some great ones coming soon!