"Bulletproof" by LaRoux provides the backdrop for a pride video from Syracuse, NY...there's a lot of color in this video from Edmonton Pride...Get a glimpse of some fireworks from New York Pride from the barge launch point...see what it's like to be in France for Pride in Paris...or maybe you'd prefer Napoli, Italy...or maybe Pride in Mexico City...it's estimated that 300,000 people showed up for Pride in Chicago...and they all checked out these sexy studs and hot chicks...or maybe they came for these studs...or maybe these...there were some wacky outfits at Pride in Berlin Part One...and here's Pride in Berlin Part Two...Brittany Blaze of Pussy On Wheels TV runs into a whole cast of characters at Pride in Minneapolis...there were some body-painted, nude bicyclists at the Pride Parade in Seattle...where there was also a GLEE Flash Mob...the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, who recently appeared here in Fresno, marched in the SF Pride Parade...as did the Barabary Coast Cloggers...while the Backstreet Boys were part of the entertainment...as well as the Parade, where they waved to the crowd...check out a video of one man's search for sexy studs during San Francisco Pride...as well as some video from Pride in NYC...and more video from Pride in NYC...as well as a CNN Report detailing members of a welcoming Catholic church who've marched in the parade for 10 years but were told by the church this year that they cannot march with their usual banner proclaiming the name of the church...and still more video from NYC Pride, with lots of color and music...here's the very beginning of the NYC Parade, with a massive arch of balloons...

Then there's the violence... Things were ugly enough in Croatia that police had to escort marchers... then there's what looks like some excessive force by police during NYC Pride...and a slow moving, strange girl fight during Chicago Pride...and lastly, here's a little bit of the chaos in the Castro following the shooting at Pink Saturday in San Francisco...

At his Kentucky elementary school, kids taunted Brent on the playground about being gay, whatever that was. By eighth grade, he realized what they meant and came out to a friend — and vice versa.

She was an avid writer, he a voracious reader. They headed to their school library in search of stories that spoke to their lives: gay, gay in the South, gay and fearing stereotypes like "disgusting" and "worthless."

"There were tons of books about gangs and drugs and teen pregnancy and there were no LGBT books. I asked the librarian about it and she was like, 'This is middle school. I can only have appropriate books here,'" said Brent, now 15 and heading into his sophomore year of senior high.

So they went to their public library, where they discovered plenty of romantic gay steam between covers — for adults. "We weren't complaining," said Brent, who asked that his last name and hometown not be used.

Turning next to bookstores, they finally found what they'd been looking for — a recent explosion in the publishing world of reads that speak to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens.

Read the rest of this article by clicking HERE

 

Thank you to all those who participated in Gay Central Valley's first official Community Engagement Action. On Saturday, June 19th, our team volunteered at the Community Food Bank. Details of our next Community Engagement Action will be posted soon...

Dear Friend of The Trevor Project in Tulare County,

I want to sincerely thank you for expressing an interest in volunteering with The Trevor Project as a Lifeguard Workshop facilitator.  This wonderful program takes volunteers into schools to assist youth in better understanding the negative consequences of their language and actions on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people, as well as train the youth about the warning signs of suicide and what they can do as youth lifeguards to help.  Through our partnership with county agencies and the Suicide Prevention Task Force, we look forward to launching this program in the summer of 2010 and expanding over the following school year.

To those ends, if you are interested in being part of our dedicated corps of Lifeguard Workshop Facilitators, please read over the attached position description.  If this volunteer opportunity seems like a good fit for your interests and talents, please submit a resume/CV and a cover letter outlining why volunteering in this program at The Trevor Project interests you to me at Dave.Reynolds@TheTrevorProject.org.  The deadline to apply is 10 July 2010.

Upon receipt of your resume/CV and cover letter, the application process to enter the training class is as follows:

(1)    Our program staff will review your letter and resume/CV to ensure on our end it is a good match for the program

(2)    A member of our Program Staff will call you in the coming weeks to set up a phone interview that will last approximately 30 minutes

(3)    The interview will be completed

(4)    Following the interview, we will let you know if you’ve been accepted to the training class

(5)    If you are accepted into the training class, please block out the evening of Wednesday July 21 from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm and Saturday July 24 from 10:00am to 6:00pm

Please forward this welcome letter to all you know who might be interested and share this widely.  Thank you again for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you,

Dave

Dave Reynolds, MPH, CPH
Advocacy and Education Manager / The Trevor Project
9056 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 208 / West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.271.8845 x258 p / 310.271.8846 f

/ www.TheTrevorProject.org

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

You can help save a life each month with an affordable monthly gift of just $15. Become a lifeline donor today! 

Are you a fan of Trevor? 

VIDEO: The View

Details

Parent Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 08:22

Published on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 08:21

Written by Chris Jarvis

Forgive me if I don't feel sorry for Constance McMillen.

She's the teenager who created a nationwide controversy when she requested that she attend her high school prom with her lesbian girlfriend, and that she wear a tuxedo. She was denied that request, which led to an uproar, resulting in a court hearing and a manipulated and subversive series of events that ended up with Constance being purposely separated from the rest of the school during the prom. The ACLU was involved, local courts and a whole group of parents who have no clue what America represents but are working diligently to undermine it. All the while proclaiming some patriotism that is antithetical to all things American.

I realize what Constance has gone through is more than any teenager should have to go through on an emotional level, let alone a lesbian teenager from a backwater town in the middle of nowhere. What has come out of this, however, is a legacy that Constance, despite her intentions of participation, will be able to look back on for decades to come. She'll pass the story down to the next generation of LGBT Americans about how a simple request to follow your heart can create an uproar in a country which, for the time being, only pretends to honor it's foundational principals of freedom for all Americans.

 

There are several choices if you want a great breakfast in Fresno, but the number one choice is BJ’s Kountry Kitchen. There are several of these restaurants here, but the one I frequent is on Blackstone just south of Shaw, and the food is better than the one in Clovis.

BJ’s is in a building that looks like an old fashioned diner and you walk in the door to a country ambiance. The service can be slow if the place is crowded, but is otherwise decent.  I usually order the BJ’s Special Omelet. I pick the hash browns over the country potatoes, and the biscuits and gravy over the toast. The omelet is a flavorful combination of of bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, and sausage drowning in a mixture of jack and cheddar cheese.  The hash browns are golden brown and the crispiest in town or anywhere else I have ever had. The biscuits are light and fluffy with rich cream gravy. The food is hot and the Tabasco is already on the table for those who like their food a little more spicy.

Other delicious choices are the steak with eggs and the linguica with eggs. The huevos rancheros, a dish composed of eggs cooked over easy, on top of warm tortillas, drowning in salsa and cheese, is great if you are in the mood for a southwestern style breakfast.  BJ’s is a terrific choice when you are on vacation from more healthy fare and have a craving for some good old fashioned comfort food. 

Take a walk down Santa Monica Blvd during L.A. Gay Pride...where Sharon Osborne and daughter Kelly were the Grand Marshalls, even grabbing a microphone to yell back at protestors...then check out a slide show of the parade & festival...and here's a better video of En Vogue at L.A. Pride...or watch 97.1 AMP Radio do some interviews on the street...looks like fun was had by all at Pride in beautiful Montpellier, France...a huge crowd showed up amidst the gorgeous architecture for Gay Pride in Lyon, France...take a look at a short video of some of the things you can do in the U.S. that could get you killed in Uganda, courtesy of  "Too Much Pride Makes The Baby Go Gay"...here's a collection of quotes related to the LGBT Community and others...check out a wrap up and review of Gay Pride Circuit Events from thecircuitdog.com...here's another great video from Metro Weekly on DC Pride with my favorite dance music vocalist, Inaya Day...there was a quaint Pride Parade in Key West, Florida...the Wisconsin Gazette covered Pride in Milwaukee...the Island House dominates the video of Pride in Key West, Florida...Shannon and Taylor Dayne were among the performers at Pride in Albany, NY...and Alexis Arquette did some body painting at Boston's Pride event...and count your blessings that you don't live in some of the countries that still criminalize homosexuality. The results are horrific, as evidenced by the trailer for the documentary Beyond Gay...more Gay Pride Videos next week...

Well guess what? The proponents of Prop 8, arguing in court to keep the hateful, bigoted Proposition 8 legal, told Judge Walker on the final court day of the case, that they didn't need to provide evidence as to the purpose of marriage. This came from Charles Cooper, leading the defense in the case.

Judge Walker pushed both sides in the day of closing arguments, asking Ted Olson, who is arguing to toss out Prop 8, why the majority of voters, who've clearly already had this debate, be overruled. Olson answered as briefly and brilliantly as he has throughout the case. People are allowed to discriminate privately but they cannot write discrimination into law.

Cooper, on the other hand, follows the lead of conservative Americans in general, a group for whom reality, logic and reason have long ago been abandoned. This is a man who said in court during the same trial, weeks ago, that he "didn't know" how same sex marriage would harm traditional marriage. He didn't know. Now, he stands and says that no evidence is required on his part to warrant the discrimination and restrictions placed on LGBT Americans. Ultimately, the point is to prove that Prop 8 was put into place simply because a group of Americans "wanted it". In other words, if there is no logical reason as well as no real threat, if it's all based on people's "feelings" and fears, then it has to be thrown out.

Walker pushed on our side as well, mentioning that by the time the Supreme Court ruled the ban on inter-racial marriage was unconstitutional, that several states were already aligning themselves with that idea. Currently, legal same sex marriage in the U.S. is still rejected by the vast majority of states. There's not much you can say to that. The fact that the majority of Americans have turned out to be closed minded, bigoted and irrational is fairly inexplicable. It's hardly, though, a valid reason to allow mass levels of discrimination against other Americans. This is a lesson the courts need to learn, since the American people have stopped evolving on the issue. You cannot uphold the will of the people on all issues, and certainly not on this one.

The judge is expected to reach a decision in a few weeks. You can read the entire court transcript by clicking HERE

According to a new study by Patrick J Egan PHD, Dept of Politics at New York University, the millions and millions of dollars spent on campaign both for same sex marriage and against same sex marriage has been pretty much a waste of time. The study, which looked at 35 states over a ten year time period, also states that pre-election polls typically underestimate the number of voters who are against same sex marriage by about 7%.  

According to the study, neither side has done much over the last decade to change anyone's mind on the issue of legal same sex marriage.

It's not something a lot of people want to hear. I think that those LGBT citizens out there who continue to press for another ballot measure as quickly as they can get it together, need to really listen to the data from this study. There are those of us, myself included, who've been saying for some time now that the citizens of this country have already made up their minds, and they aren't going to change it. During the debate over whether to proceed in 2010 those of us who felt it was bad timing were simply dismissed by those who wanted to get a measure on the ballot. We were labeled as lazy, un-committed and told we lacked insight. Now it appears that 2012 may not be the right time either. Still the campaign to get enough signatures to get a measure on the ballot failed miserably. Afterward, those who disagreed with the timing were blamed by the campaign which failed. A campaign, mind you, that was so sure of itself and so passionate that they were right and they would succeed.

The reason they failed, and the reason any future ballot measure might fail as well, is that the American people are steadfast in their opinion that we are a threat, that we don't deserve equal rights. We are not changing their minds. But what if we did succeed with a ballot measure? Then another ballot measure to strike our rights would rear its head and we'd lose them again. And back and forth and back and forth. That's why this issue should not continue to be decided at the ballot box. At some point, LGBT activists who continue to pursue ballot measures to regain our rights have to deal with this reality.

Final arguments in the Federal Court Case on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 will finally take place this Wednesday, June 16th.

Both sides are predicting victory, although Proposition 8 co-author Andrew Pugno may be admitting a likely defeat since he states,  "We have a solid record built up for an appeal."

Judge Walker has also issued questions to the attorney's that they must provide a written answer to prior to Wednesday. He's asking such questions as "What does it mean to have a 'choice' in one's sexual orientation?" and  "What does society have to lose?" by allowing same sex marriage. Also, "Can the court find Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional without also considering the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act?"

There's not a clear answer when it comes to when the Judge will issue his decision.

Read More Here...

While it's a small victory, it is also unprecedented. The Mormon Church is now the first religious organization to be fined for political malfeasance. They failed to report late, non-monetary contributions to the Yes On 8 Campaign. They have been fined just over five thousand dollars for the error, which they attribute to "an oversight".

The church is still in the midst of other lawsuits regarding their contributions to the Yes On 8 Campaign.

Read More Here... 

The sexual content available to young viewers online is extremely alarming. This objectionable content is available because it has been found by the courts to be protected by the first amendment freedom of speech and parents just imagine that their kids are angels and would never watch a sexual act online in the first place. To the contrary of the court’s rulings and parent’s beliefs adolescents do not see the point in the page that says, Do Not Enter. They usually continue by clicking the enter button directly below the adult site warning. This is when things get really erotic. To say curiosity kills the cat would not be enough.

        The internet gets worse than just providing pornography. Technology has made it extremely easy for anyone to post nude photographs of themselves online. Through forums and various social networking sites many people across all sexual identities and all sexually active ages participate in the sexual thrills of trading pictures with multiple partners. There is very little resistance by administration out there to prevent such activities. Many sites actually promote the behavior if not at least make it extremely easy to participate.

To whom it may concern;

On Tuesday May 18^th 2010 at The Living Room, a Project of West Care, an announcement was made by Toni Harrison, Program Coordinator. All clients that were present were informed that on Wednesday June 30^th 2010, the doors of The Living Room will be closing for good.

This came as a shock to many of us that look to The Living Room for services not provided anywhere else within Fresno County. We look forward to eating a warm meal twice a week. We look forward to having breakfast every morning, to seeing warm smiling faces of people who care and who are there for us on a daily basis. Some of us will no longer have case management services; help with housing, benefits, linkage to medical care and substance abuse. We will no longer have food pantry twice a month. This may not seem like much to those that have a steady income but, to those of us that are on a fixed income and can barely make it these services mean the world to us and keep us going on a daily basis.

We are asking help to keep the doors open to The Living Room. A fair review of contracts that affect our future. We would be more than happy to help out in anyway possible.  This would also include volunteering as we do already. All we ask is that you please reconsider and know that this decision is affecting hundreds in our local community.

Sincerely,

The Clients of the Living Room a Project of West Care

 

Even though it just happened today, as I post this, check out some video from Gay Pride Parade in L.A. ...which included some hateful "Christians" making a scene...which many on our side shouted down...while others ran into James Franco...while singer Kelis was in L.A. for Pride Weekend where she performed a mash-up of "Milkshake" & Madonna's "Holiday" as well as covering the Black Eyed Peas hit, "I Gotta Feeling"...En Vogue also performed, and one of their numbers was "Proud Mary"...and doesn't every gay man have to try walking in heels at some point in his life?...Watch hot as hell fitness model Scott Herman talk about being Grand Marshall in the Boston Gay Pride Parade...then zoom over to Pride in DC to see the Shirtless DC Cowboys dancing on their float entry, to such songs as ABBA's "Mama Mia"...the theme for Boston Pride this year was "Riots To Rights"...There's some great High Quality video from Indianapolis Gay Pride...doesn't look like they even block the street off for Edmonton Pride...lots of men showed up at the beach for Gay Pride in Tev-Aviv...looks like huge crowds and flashy performances at Gay Pride in Maspalomas...watch a video mash-up of Pride in Milan...a slide show of Gay Pride Events from around the world...watch some flag twirling in the Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade...some street interviews at Gay Pride in Asbury Park...and as a flashback to this Pride posting, check out Liza Minelli at Pride in Paris, France from 2009...STAY TUNED, MORE PRIDE VIDEO LINKS TO COME...

The HHS, or Health and Human Services Advisory Committee has voted to keep the ban on blood donated by gay men. Forget that this decision is against all scientific fact. Forget that Congress urged them to drop it. Forget that the American Red Cross, the AMA, America's Blood Centers and the American Association of Blood Banks have all urged them to drop it, and certainly forget that the ban on gay men donating blood is irrational and has no foundation in truth or logic.

So if you're a man who's had sex with another man at least once since 1977 you cannot donate blood.

And we continue to slide backward into oblivion.

Believe it or not, there actually is a Gay Pride Parade in Salt Lake City, UT ,and it's just as stocked with Trans & Drag & Activists & Hunks as any other parade...this is a confusing world...In Athens, the Pride Parade had a Stonewall Theme ...People packed the streets in Lille, France ...with no less action at Pride in Montpellier, France ...In Austin, Texas, Pride works both the Dayand the Night ...Naturally, it's a beautiful day for Honolulu Pride ...while in Ireland they were faced with dark clouds overhead for Cork Gay Pride ...there's a brief glimpse of the Pride Festival in Zurich ...There's a decent Boy George impersonator at Birmingham Pride ...and who wouldn't want to share the beauty of the landscape and the people at Gay Pride in Sitges, Spain, as they display in their Official Gay Pride 2010 Promo Video ...and New York's club Matinee promises fun at Pride 2010 with their Promo Video ...while in Kansas City, Gay Groups Protested a location for Pride 2010... Sharon Osborne tells the crowd to get ready for Pride in West Hollywood, while giving too much information about her daughter, Kelly's absence...and, check out this amazing slide show of pictures from Gay Pride in the 1980's in San Francisco ...We'll have more GLOBAL PRIDE VIDEO LINKS for you next week...Happy Pride!

Sao Paulo is the largest Gay Pride gathering in the world...

Leave it to Fresno, a city in which weather, yes, weather, is the biggest story on every local newscast. Every day of the year, all 365 of them. Who cares if there's actually no weather in Fresno? We just want to talk about it. We tune in to the local news so that in the first five minutes, we can be told how many degrees we've shifted since the day before.

In a city that obsesses about weather, despite the fact that there isn't any, it isn't difficult to believe that the Fresno Bee has now published an article intended to create sensationalism and controversy around a day of voting. It doesn't matter if it all actually adds up to anything. These days, you just have to write words on paper to create interest. Even if there's absolutely no substance to what you write, you'll at least get 2 or 3 days publicity out of it. Right? Drama works, right? We love drama.

Tuesday, June 8th. Primary day. Time to vote. Time to be a responsible American.

Tuesday, according to the Fresno Bee, goes more like this...(get ready to head to the bomb shelter...because stuff is about to fly...)

First , there are accusations that someone associated with Mike Briggs offered something in exchange for votes. Then, evidently,  a poll worker denied people the right to vote. And evidently, Mike Briggs intervened. Evidently, Rick Morse, recently highlighted in the local news for being arrested for operating a legal, medical marijuana clinic, is the initiating culprit.

Why? Well, because he...well, because he, uh, transported people who were without transportation, to a polling place, so that they could vote. Morse explained to the police that he was simply helping out. Yes, he bought them burgers, but not in exchange for particular votes, but because they'd be missing regular, provided meals by taking the trip to vote. The police were satisfied. Morse even apologized for the misunderstanding.

But of course, that's not a very good ending...so,

The Bee reports that Victor Salazar told them some volunteers didn't show up on time, so he had to fill in with reserve workers. (Insert terrified scream) In a separate incident, a Fresno precinct ran out of ballots. (Second scream) They did resolve it in less than an hour, but, hey, they ran out of ballots. AND, you won't believe this, but a voter emerging from a church (a CHURCH, people!) told the press that "everything went smooth".  

Are you serious? Everything went "smooth"? How can that be? I mean, the title of this article is "Brigg's Campaign Faces Voter-Fraud Investigation".  Isn't the sky falling?

Fresno media has had a self respect issue for a very long time, but this is about as red flag as it gets. None of this is a story. The Bee offers no summation. They make no offering as to the cliffhanger in this Central Valley based reality show. Not only does this story not hint at anything to look forward to in terms of charges or ramifications, but it ends with a senior American. A senior American who offers a commentary about his methods of voting. Something to charm the reader which has NOTHING to do with the story, but which will provide a "non-ending" capable of satisfying the novice. This senior American  says he makes his decision by who's in office. Whoever is, he votes out.

Fresno media are willing to make something out of nothing, as is all media these days. Let's face it, they want a reality show. Unfortunately, it won't be about us. They'll have to write some interesting and intriguing characters. But I guarantee you, the word "FRESNO" will be out there, and in the end, isn't that all that matters?

Does anyone know if there's a storm warning tomorrow? Because I have a volleyball game planned.

Read the "story" here... Fresno - The Mini-Series

Created in 1992 by Stepping Out Studios of New York, OUTdancing is a comprehensive same-sex Latin, swing, and ballroom dance program. The Valley’s own Franco Peraza now brings OUTdancing to Fresno!

BallroomLIVE encourages students to lead or follow, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. At BallroomLIVE it's common to see both gay and straight students and teachers dancing outside of traditional gender roles. The decision to lead or follow is your own. For beginners, we suggest you stick with either leading or following. Once you have the basics, you can try the other, or start switching back and forth!

BallroomLIVE invites you to join them for an LGBT OPEN HOUSE & DANCE CLASS at their studio on Saturday, June 19th, 2010 from 3:30 to 4:30PM. The cost is $10 per person and includes an LGBT Latin Rhythms Dance Class.

Check out this video from this year's Rainbow Pride Festival, and see just a taste of what you can learn and enjoy by signing up for OUTdancing at BallroomLIVE. BallroomLIVE is located at 5721 N. First Street in Fresno. Their phone number is 559-435-5678. Visit the studio's website here... BallroomLIVE

 

Part 1 of our complete High Definition Video Coverage of the 20th Annual Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade. Check out our YouTube Page for the rest of our videos. (As of Monday at 6PM, Parts 1,2 & 3 of the Parade are up on our YouTube page. Parts 4 & 5 will be available no later than Tuesday morning. The entertainment videos we were able to capture have been posted.)

Long time Fresno HIV/AIDS provider The Living Room will have to close June 30^th. However, director Toni Harrison didn’t waiting for that miracle to materialize—she hit the bricks at this year’s 20^th Pride Parade and Festival to hopefully make the miracle happen. Harrison had supporters working the crowd at the parade, buckets in hand collecting donations.

“We don’t want this to close, because of what we do,” Harrison emphatically said.

The organization is threatened with closure due to fallout from the recent decision by the county board of supervisors to close the Specialty Clinic at the health department. The clinic provided medical care and testing for people affected by HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

“When the board of supervisors voted to shut down the Specialty Clinic,” Harrison said, “65 people lost their care there. They were referred to Community Regional Medical Center, who told the county the hospital would not provide care for them unless CRMC got more money. So, our contract with the county was cancelled.”

That translated to a loss of $69,000 a year.

On Wednesday, June 2^nd, a group from The Living Room went to the health department to deliver a letter protesting the decision to county officials. After delivering that letter, the group walked to CRMC to deliver a similar letter there. Harrison said no one from hospital administration was available to accept the letter. “All the doors were locked,”

She added that CRMC was on alert because hospital security had been told a “mob of angry people” was going to show up and there was going to be a “riot.” Neither happened.

Health Department officials sat down with Gay Fresno and explained what happened from their perspective.

 

Click on the images to enlarge for viewing...Complete High Definition Video of the 20th Annual Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade will be available on Gay Fresno's YouTube Page by late Sunday or Monday, plus videos of some of the performances at the Entertainment Tent at the Festival.

 

Barring a miracle, long time Fresno HIV/AIDS provider The Living Room will have to close June 30^th. However, director Toni Harrison isn’t waiting for that miracle to materialize—she’s hitting the bricks at Saturday’s Pride Parade and Festival to hopefully make the miracle happen.

Harrison says she plans to have supporters working the crowd at the parade, buckets in hand collecting donations. Donations can be made at The Living Room’s booth at the festival following the parade.

“We don’t want this to close, because of what we do,” Harrison emphatically said.

The organization is threatened with closure due to fallout from the recent decision by the county board of supervisors to close the Specialty Clinic at the health department. The clinic provided medical care and testing for people affected by HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

“When the board of supervisors voted to shut down the Specialty Clinic,” Harrison said, “65 people lost their care there. They were referred to Community Regional Medical Center, who told the county the hospital would not provide care for them unless CRMC got more money. So, our contract with the county was cancelled.”

That translated to a loss of $69,000 a year.

On Wednesday, a group from The Living Room went to the health department to deliver a letter protesting the decision to county officials. After delivering that letter, the group walked to CRMC to deliver a similar letter there. Harrison said no one from hospital administration was available to accept the letter. “All the doors were locked,”

She added that CRMC was on security alert because hospital security had been told a “mob of angry people” was going to show up and there was going to be a “riot.” Neither happened.

A follow-up story will be posted on Gay Fresno.com as soon as possible.