PFLAG SD Twits

    follow me on Twitter

    Friday, July 30, 2010

    Uganda update

    A human rights activist has praised Washington's expressions of concern that have helped slow down Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill in parliament which she said, if enacted, would broaden the criminalization of homosexuality by putting to death those with previous convictions.

    U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out recently at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington against Uganda's proposed anti-homosexual measure.

    Secretary Clinton also spoke with President Yoweri Museveni by telephone expressing her strong concerns about the measure.

    Valentine Kalende, an Uganda-based activist said homosexuals and activists, as well as lawyers who defend them, are often violently abused.

    Kalende is currently in Washington, D.C. as part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership program.

    "My mission is to meet faith groups and members of the [U.S.] federal government and LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) groups and other groups working on rights to create more awareness about the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda," she said.

    Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda with offenders likely to be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail.

    Recent polls show Ugandans are against homosexuality with some saying the practice is alien to the country's cultural practices, as well as an affront to traditional values and belief systems.

    Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality law stipulates that gays and lesbians convicted of having sex would be sentenced, at minimum, to life in prison. People who test positive for HIV may be executed. Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty. Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place, but does not report it, would risk up to three years in prison.

    But, local and international human rights group have rejected the proposed law saying the move will result in a witch hunt against homosexuals in Uganda.

    Supporters of the bill have warned parliamentarians not to block it. They threatened to embark on campaigns against the lawmakers if they fail to end what they described as an abomination that will undermine the country's moral fabric, as well as its social structure.

    Rights activist Kalende said her experience in America will make her better equipped to face the possible challenges in Uganda.

    "I have been to Salt Lake City (Utah), which is known for its conservative views from the Mormon Church. Now, my lesson there has been of how to engage conservative religious people [and] religious leaders in a conversation on human rights issues…and that there is room for conversations and dialogue," Kalende said.

    But, barring any government intervention, indications are that Ugandan lawmakers will pass the bill before the end of the year.

    Kalende said a majority of Ugandan lawmakers don't believe that LGBT issues are human rights issues.

    She also said that politicians often blame the United States and other European countries of bringing the homosexuality practice to Africa.

    "As activists, it is becoming more and more difficult to stay safe and that is our biggest challenge right now because Ugandans are angry now that they think that the government has kind of slowed down on this issue. They want the bill to be passed immediately. Now, in case this bill does not pass, and in case the government backs off, Ugandans are prepared to start shooting gays, or to start raping lesbians, or just doing whatever they can," Kalende sai


    HGTV Supports LGBT community

     
    A member of PFLAG in San Diego, CA noticed that in the past few years HGTV is including more and more "room mates" of the same sex as people that are part of their home improvement programs. Recently it appears HGTV is presenting couples in such a way that there is little or no doubt the viewer is seeing a gay or lesbian couple. This year a gay male couple had asked for assistance in staging their home for a quick sale. They had just recently adopted three boys and needed a larger home. Having gays and lesbians portrayed as having the same interest in creating a pleasant home as any other couple is important in the LGBT community finding its place in today's society. If you want to see that HGTV continues in this type of programming it is suggested you let them now how you feel. 
           Wayne Walker
            PFLAG San Diego
     
     


    Thursday, July 29, 2010

    GLAAD call to action


    Subject: Call to Action: Call on Clear Channel to Take Responsibility for Jim Quinn's Pattern of Ugly, Defamatory Attacks Against the LGBT Community

    CALL TO ACTION:

    Call on Clear Channel to Take Responsibility for Jim Quinn's Pattern of Ugly, Defamatory Attacks Against the LGBT Community

    Syndicated radio host perpetuates myth that "Pedophilia is far more rampant among the gay community than it is among the straight community."

    July 29, 2010- On the July 28 edition of Clear Channel's nationally syndicated radio program The War Room with Quinn & Rose, host Jim Quinn made defamatory anti-gay comments while discussing a federal case in which a jury ruled that the city of Philadelphia could not bar a Boy Scouts chapter from city-owned property despite the organization's anti-gay policy.

    During the conversation Quinn said: "You don't send gay men and young boys out together, okay?" Quinn's co-host Rose Tennent responded: "Most gay men have nothing to do with the young boys. Make sure that you understand that."  But Quinn went on to insist: "But I would give you that pedophilia is far more rampant among the gay community than it is among the straight community."

    The hosts continued to "debate" the topic for nearly three minutes.

    continue reading the Call to Action

     

    TELL CLEAR CHANNEL WHAT YOU THINK: TAKE ACTION NOW!

    Sign our petition which automatically sends an e-mail to Clear Channel executives!

    Contact Clear Channel
    GLAAD urges you to contact Clear Channel Communications and demand that the company stop supporting these rampant, defamatory attacks on gay people's lives.

    Clear Channel is failing to live up to its diversity standards that clearly state: "Our ZERO TOLERANCE policy that prohibits discrimination extends beyond our employees, into each and every market in which we conduct business." It is time for Clear Channel to stop enabling Jim Quinn's troubling pattern of on-air abuse that creates a hostile climate and puts our community in harm's way.

    Help spread the word on Twitter by posting the following tweet:
    RT @glaad: Act Now: Call on Clear Channel to take responsibility for Jim Quinn's attacks against the #LGBT community http://bit.ly/jquinn

    About GLAAD:
    The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.

    For the latest updates on GLAAD's work, join us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

    Wednesday, July 28, 2010

    NO MORE TARGET SHOPPING FOR ME!


     

    Subject: One woman's reaction to Target's donation to an anti-gay candidate/campaign

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SipXbgyi68

     

    Last week Target Corporation gave $150,000 to Minnesota Forward, an anti-gay group supporting Republican Tom Emmer's campaign for Minnesota governor. This donation, clearly acceptable under the new Citizens United Supreme Court ruling angered many in the state, seeing this as a $150,000 contribution to fund anti-gay politics. One Eden Prairie mom and grandmother took her anger directly to a Target. Her repeated attempts to get to Target executives failed so she took her Target Charge Card. A $226 purchase on that card was immediately returned for credit and she scissored her Target card into little pieces to be used no more,


    Tuesday, July 27, 2010

    Unbelievable



    Freedom to Marry header

    Terrie,
    Stop NOM
    We knew that the National Organization for Marriage opposed marriage for gay and lesbian families, but this is unbelievable.

    At their so-called "Summer for Marriage" stop in Indianapolis yesterday, a NOM supporter offered his "Solution to Gay Marriage"*: gay people should "be put to death," as described in Leviticus 20:13. "They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."

    We've had enough of NOM's increasingly violent attacks on gay families. Have you?

    Tell NOM to denounce these hateful attacks on gay families once and for all:

    http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893863/2717227d/4f809ddf/2e14d239/4204668823/VEsF/

    NOM's anti-gay bus tour, "Summer for Marriage," has devolved from a thinly veiled media gimmick to an open display of prejudice and incitement to violence.

    While claiming to "protect" marriage, NOM has funneled millions of dollars into political campaigns aimed at stripping away basic protections from gay people and their families. Now their supporters are calling for violence against gay and lesbian couples.

    This increasingly violent rhetoric has no place in our national conversation around marriage.

    Tell NOM to end these attacks against gay and lesbian families now:

    http://freedomtomarry.org/StopNOMsAttacks

    Thanks for all you do,

    Evan Wolfson
    Executive Director, Freedom to Marry

    P.S. Forward this email to anyone you know who wants to make a difference. Ask them to stand with gay and lesbian families against NOM's fear-mongering campaign of lies and intolerance.

    *NOM Sign: Lynch Gay Couples to Save Marriage, Bilerico Project.

    http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893863/2717227d/4f809ddf/2e14d238/4204668823/VEsD/

    © 2003-2010 Freedom to Marry | http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893863/2717227d/4f809ddf/2e14d23b/4204668823/VEsA/

    Newanti gay extremist group


    ====

    Right-Wing Crazies Who Fight Witchcraft and Demons Are Taking Over a State Near You

    A radical, right-wing charismatic evangelical movement is burrowing into the power structures of major American cities and states.
    July 26, 2010  |

    http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/147640/

    Editor's note: This story is about a radical right wing movement in charismatic Christianity that claims to fight demons but, leaving demonology aside, is demonstrably close to seizing the reigns of power in entire US states.

    They claim to be able to raise the dead and cause miracles, such as the multiplication of Thanksgiving turkey dinners. They burn "witchcraft items" and "idols." They hold mass exorcisms to cast out alleged evil spirits they say cause lust, pornography, addiction, homosexuality, bisexuality, and perversion. They claim to be able to heal HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C, Glaucoma, and cancer, and to break "generational curses" and "witchcraft curses." Who are they?...


    Patti Boman

    Be the change that you want to see in the world.
    Ghandi

    Thursday, July 22, 2010

    Reminder of events coming up


     
    A Celebration of San Diego LGBT History, Through July 24
    Come on down to City Hall and see your San Diego LGBT history. A Celebration of San Diego LGBT History, which coincides with Pride Month, features historical LGBT community treasures and is the first time an LGBT exhibit has appeared at City Hall. The exhibit runs through July 24 and is displayed in the lobby of San Diego City Hall, at 202 C Street. This exhibit is sponsored by Lambda Archives of San Diego and the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast of San Diego County, with co-sponsors including the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA), Imperial Court de San Diego, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, San Diego LGBT Pride, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign/San Diego.
     
     
    Mi Familia Premiere, Saturday, July 24, 6 pm
    Join us in The Center's auditorium at 6 pm on Saturday, July 24 for the premiere of Mi Familia, a documentary about families who love their LGBT children. A joint project of The Center's Latino Services program and PFLAG, Mi Familia was filmed in Spanish and is shown with English subtitles. Tickets are only $5. For more information, contact Carolina Ramos at (619) 692-2077, ext. 116, or cramos@thecentersd.org



    Monday, July 19, 2010

    Note from Mi Familia (PFLAG in Spanish)


    Mi gente
    Of all the things I have done this film project has been such a beautiful journey I hope you can come and share this experience with me .
    Please pass this flier on to those who have family members that are LGBT or people who work with families
    Social workers therapist teachers
    This is a beautiful film about Latino families accepting their loved ones
    It's amazing!!!
    Its 45 min long and Q&A with the families of the film
    We will be selling pop corn and candy and drinks

    PLEASE COME SUPPORT TU Hermana and our Latino LGBT community
    Besos
    Carolina

    See you Saturday!

    Carolina Alcoser Ramos
    Latino Services Coordinator
    The San Diego LGBT Community Center
    3909 Centre St San Diego CA 92103
    (619)692-2077 ext 116

    Tu Hermana en La Lucha

    Documentary premiere this Saturday July 24


    July 24, 2010
    Saturday
    The Center's Auditorium at 6 p.m.
    3909 Centre Street
    San Diego, CA 92103
    Para mas informacion/For more information
    (619) 692-2077 x116
    The LGBT Center and PFLAG
    Present the Premiere of "Mi Familia"
    A documentary of families who love their LGBT family members. (English subtitles)
    El Centro LGBT y PFLAG
    Presentan el Estreno de "Mi Familia"
    Un documental de Familias que aman a sus seres queridos que son LGBT.
    En Español (subtítulos en ingles)
    Produced by:
    $5 donacion/donation
    City Commissioner
    Nicole Murray Ramirez

    Saturday, July 17, 2010

    Acceptance of non-traditional gender role



     

    The following column appeared this morning in the Dayton (OH) Daily News. It's a very positive opinion piece on gender non-conforming children.

     

    CLOTHES-MINDED ABOUT BRANGELINA'S BABY

    BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL

     

    A bunch of folks are having a conniption over a certain oft-photographed celebrity's unconventional fashion choices. "Appalling!" they crow. "Why can't she dress like a NORMAL girl?" they caw.

     

    Who could "she" be? Lady Gaga? Kristen Stewart? Serena Williams? No, no and no.

     

    Despite having her face plastered all over websites, magazines, tabloids and newspapers around the world, this "star" hasn't had a hit song, starred in any blockbuster movies, or won an international sports championship. In fact, this blonde beauty probably is just beginning to master the fine art of coloring inside the lines. (No, it's not Paris or Britney, either.)

     

    Meet Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, the gender-bending, tom-boy-chic fashionista ... and thumb-sucking 4-year-old. Spawned from the two-headed entity known as Brangelina, little Shiloh is making headlines with her short­-cropped locks and preference for britches over ball gowns. According to Mama Jolie, the tot "dresses like a little dude … she likes track suits, she likes regular suits. She likes to dress like a boy."

     

    So what's the big deal about a little girl who likes pants and button-down shirts? No doubt it's Jolie's follow-up comment that "she wants to be a boy. So we had to cut her hair. She thinks she's one of the brothers."

     

    I repeat, "What's the big deal?"

     

    Maybe it's that the idea that a child so young adamantly refuses to conform to traditional gender roles. Perhaps it's the notion that her parents are comfortable with, and accepting of, her choices. Or maybe the thought that Shiloh's male-identified persona might not change as she grows up brings out people's fears about their own children.

     

    When I was Shiloh's age, I, too, wanted to be a boy. Like her, I grew up with two older brothers whom I idolized and imitated. Had I been dolled up in some frilly nonsense, there's no way I could have executed an effective knee-drop while playing "Big Time Wrestling." Plus, I envied my brothers for not having to run home while playing to answer a call of nature. (My attempts to imitate them in that respect were less successful.)

     

    Yeah, I wanted to be a boy. I also wanted to be a hamster, Muppet and one of the Supremes. Four-year-olds are barely beginning to identify as humans, much less grapple with gender identity.

     

    We have no idea who this preschooler will be as she matures -- a diehard tom-boy or a hearts-and-flowers girly-girl. And if she does turn out to be transgender -- like Cher's daughter, Chastity, who's now her son named Chaz -- I say better an alive, well-adjusted man with loving, accepting parents than a self-hating woman who, worst-case scenario, finds life not worth-living.

     

    Shiloh's apparel won't change the fact that her parents see her as "one of the goofiest, most playful people you'll ever meet," instead of just a haircut and boy's clothing. If anything, she'll grow up to be charismatic and independent-minded, instead of just another brick in the wall. So hey people leave her alone. 


    __._,_.__
    MARKETPLACE

    Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.


    Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center.

    __,_._,___

    Saturday, July 10, 2010

    Join Pflag at Pride parade July 17


    San Diego's Pride Parade is Saturday, July 17th and starts at 11:00 am at Normal Street and University and ends at Balboa Drive and Upas.  The route is 1.5 miles long and takes about 2 hours start to finish. The theme is "One World, One Heart, One Pride."  Free shuttles are available from the Naval Medical Hospital parking lot and run from 8 am to 2 pm. We have two cars in our contingent, which will be decorated in the theme. There are still spaces left for riders. Please contact Karen Thompson at kthompson64@cox.net if you need a ride.

    We are contingent #73 this year and will assemble in Zone G, which is on the east side of Normal Street between Lincoln and Blaine. Please arrive by 11:30 so you will be ready for our step off, which we estimate to be about noon. Everyone in the contingent needs to sign a Photo Release Form and there will be copies available the day of the event. The parade is an "all forward motion" parade and we will need to maintain a consistent pace and follow any directions given to us by parade staff.

    There is a designated "protest zone" at 9th and University and we are asked not to engage in any discussion with them as we walk by—they are exercising their right to free speech. We are not allowed to throw anything into the crowds, but can walk out to greet people or hand out materials. Our four footed friends are welcome to join us, but must be on a leash at all times and must be picked up after. In case you were even considering it: fireworks, alcohol, drugs and nudity are not allowed.

    As in any warm day in sunny San Diego, please bring water, sunscreen, a hat and wear comfortable walking shoes.  Please feel encouraged to make your own signs supporting our LGBT friends and family and be prepared to feel a lot of love!

     

    Thursday, July 8, 2010

    Help Us Get The Word Out

    .



     

     

    Help Us Get the Word Out about the 21st AIDS Walk & Run

    Dear Patti: 

    The work of organizing for AIDS Walk San Diego 2010 is moving into full swing and we need to get the word out about this important event. If you could join our Facebook page – and ask your friends to join – that would be great!

    As you know, AIDS Walk & Run San Diego will take place on Sun., Sept. 26, 2010 in Balboa Park. Registration is now open and already more than 70 teams have signed up!

    Now, we need to make sure people know how to participate in this fun and life-affirming event and that it is a significant way to support people living with HIV in San Diego County. To register or to form your team today, go to www.aidswalksd.org.

    aidswalksd.org


     

    AIDS Walk San Diego benefits 20 Local AIDS/HIV Service Providers

    With more 16,000 people living with HIV in San Diego, the work of our HIV/AIDS service providers is vital to our community. By joining us for AIDS Walk San Diego in 2010, you directly help 20 of those outstanding organizations.

    Visit www.aidswalksd.org to learn more about the agencies that receive your generous support!

    Thanks again for all that you do – and see you on Sept. 26 in Balboa Park!

    For more information about AIDS Walk & Run, please feel free to contact Donnie Luehring at (619) 291-WALK (9255), ext. 5 or via e-mail at dluehring@thecentersd.org. 


    AIDS Walk San Diego is San Diego's largest one-day HIV/AIDS in San Diego County. Dozens of agencies -- serving thousands of clients -- rely on funds raised at the annual AIDS Walk to help provide essential prevention and care programs to thousands of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS.

    Established as AIDS Walk San Diego in 1989, this event took place for two years prior as the Walk for Life. Through a unique funding partnership with the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative, AIDS Walk San Diego is able to increase the impact of the dollars raised at the event. Funds from the Walk are combined with donations from other philanthropists and foundations to qualify for matching funds. Since 1989, AIDS Walk San Diego has raised nearly $8 million. In partnership with the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative, nearly $500,000 was distributed to 20 community-based HIV/AIDS service organizations in San Diego County.

    2010 Funding Recipients

    Being Alive

    Bienestar

    Christie's Place

    Comite Civico del Valle, Inc.

    Deaf Community Services of San Diego, Inc. 

    Eunime

    Family Health Centers of San Diego

    Fraternity House, Inc.

    Jewish Family Service of San Diego

    Mamas Kitchen

    North County Health Services

    Operation Samahan

    San Diego Foundation for Change

    San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc.

    San Diego Youth Services

    San Ysidro Health Center

    Special Delivery San Diego

    UCSD

    Vista Community Clinic 



    Finally a victory!!


    Two huge victories for marriage equality.

    In an enormous victory for same-sex marriage, a federal judge in Boston today (Thursday, July 8) ruled, in two separate cases, that a critical part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.

    In one challenge brought by the state of Massachusetts, Judge Joseph Tauro ruled that Congress violated the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution when it passed DOMA and took from the states decisions concerning which couples can be considered married. In the other, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, he ruled DOMA violates the equal protection principles embodied in the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

    In Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Health and Human Services, Tauro considered whether the federal law's definition of marriage -- one man and one woman -- violates state sovereignty by treating some couples with Massachusetts' marriage licenses differently than others. InGill v. Office of Personnel Management, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), a gay legal group, asked Tauro to consider whether DOMA violates the right of eight same-sex couples to equal protection of the law. Both cases were argued, separately, in May, and the decision released today is a relatively quick turnaround, given that some judges take almost a year to decide cases.

    GLAD attorney Mary Bonauto told Tauro that DOMA constitutes a "classic equal protection" violation, by taking one class of married people in Massachusetts and dividing it into two. One class, she noted, gets federal benefits, the other does not. Just as the federal government cannot take the word "person" and say it means only Caucasians or only women, said Bonauto, it should not be able to take the word "marriage" and say it means only heterosexual couples. Bonauto said the government has no reason to withhold the more than 1,000 federal benefits of marriage from same-sex couples, and noted that a House Judiciary Committee report "explicitly stated the purpose of DOMA was to express moral disapproval of homosexuality."

    Maura T. Healey, chief of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Civil Rights Division, told Judge Tauro that Section 3 of DOMA -- the section that limits the definition of marriage for federal benefits to straight couples -- violates the state's right under the federal constitution to sovereign authority to define and regulate the marital status of its residents. Healey called DOMA an "animus-based national marriage law" that intrudes on core state authority and "forces the state to discriminate against its own citizens."

    Christopher Hall, representing HHS, said Congress should be able to control the meaning of terms, such as "marriage," used in its own statutes, and should be able to control how federal money is allocated for federal benefits provided to persons based on their marital status. Tauro essentially replied that the government's power is not unlimited.

    Both Bonauto at GLAD and Healey at the Attorney General's office urged Tauro to apply heightened scrutiny in considering whether the federal government had any legitimate need for DOMA. Heightened scrutiny requires the government to come up with a fairly significant reason for treating gay couples differently under the law. In both cases, however, the judge said that DOMA failed to meet even the most simple judicial review, rational basis -- in other words, there was no justifiable reason to the federal government to treat same-sex couples.

    Both lawsuits are very precise legal attacks against DOMA -- targeting just Section 3 -- and most legal observers believe both cases will eventually be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for resolution. The only other marriage case right now that has that same potential is the Proposition 8 marriage case in a federal district court in San Francisco. Judge Vaughn Walker heard closing arguments in that case in June and has not yet issued his decision. The next step for all three cases is the U.S. Court of Appeals.

    © 2010 by Keen News Service. All rights reserved.