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  • VIDEO: SNL - Vincent Price Halloween Special

  • Auditions for RENT

    Time
    Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 6:30pm - Monday, February 7, 2011 at 6:30pm

    Location To Be Determined
    Visalia, CA

    Created By

    More Info Fourth Wall Theater is proud to present the hit musical RENT.

    Audition Dates are February 6 & 7 at 6:30 PM

    Vocalists, Actors, Dancers between the ages of 17-40 are encouraged to audition.

    Please come prepared with a song from RENT or something similar with a rock/pop edge.

    Performance Dates are July 22,23,24 29,30,31

    Rehearsals will start in May.

    This is a benefit production and all proceeds will be given to a local HIV/AIDS charity.

    Contact Corey Ralston or Cabrilla Ravalin-McGinn for more information.

    PLEASE PASS THIS INVITATION ON TO OTHERS!

  • Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear

    ImageTwo big rallies hit Washington DC this weekend, hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. They are the Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear...

    From the website...

    Are you sane and/or afraid? Do you wish there was a way to express your reasonableness and/or dread in a large public gathering of likeminded citizens? Well now there is and/or is. Join Jon Stewart and/or Stephen Colbert to call on America to take it down a notch and/or spread terror the likes of which the world has never seen before. It's the sane and/or truthy thing to do.

    Stephen Colbert tweets about his rally...

    StephenAtHome Despite what you may have heard, the Rally will have port-a-potties. Though 1 in every 10 is just a toilet over a tiger pit.

    while Jon Stewart tweets...

    Rally4Sanity Remember, unlike most malls, there are no Talbots at the National Mall. Please pack accordingly.

    You can keep up with the rallies even if you can't be there...

    As much as we’d like you to come to the Rally, we realize that you have enough sanity and/or fear in your life without having to plan a last-minute trip to D.C. Watch it live on Comedy Central — or totally uncensored online and beaming it to your iPhone, iPad or Android 2.2 device — beginning at 12pm/11c on October 30. It will be just like being there, without the epic Port-o-Potty lines.

    Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear WEBSITE

  • VIDEO: Anderson Gets McCance

    Well, here we go again. Another public apology from someone claiming that they didn't mean what they said and that they aren't the way people are painting them. A HUGE problem with today's society is that because it's so easy to get caught being hateful, or bigoted, or just plain stupid, we've created this "public apology" method for people of no integrity to "clean" their record. It's worst in politics, where day after day we see stories of embezzlement, tax fraud, illegal activity and most of all, manipulation of the system in general at the expense of taxpayers simply so a career politician (which is basically what they all are now) can keep their job. We have whittled accountability down to things like public denials of who we really are and what we really said to the fantasy land that is "sex rehab".

    So here comes McCance, the abhorrent school board member from Arkansas, appearing on Anderson Cooper on CNN, to answer why he said that all the "fags" and "queers" should kill themselves and that the world would be a better place if all gays would contract AIDS and die, . McCance calmly and timidly denounces what he said and offers up his resignation on air for his seat on the school board. I don't see how anyone with a rational mind can think that McCance doesn't believe every single word he said, and that if he hadn't been caught, would be saying them again today. This goes back to when Mel Gibson got pulled over while drunk driving and slandered Jews. Afterwards, he was protected by those who explained that "you say crazy things when you're drunk". Sorry. You may say crazy things when you're drunk like, "Did you know I could jump from a height of 30 feet and not hurt myself?", but you don't shout out prejudiced and racist statements when you're drunk if you don't really feel that way. Alcohol does not change your opinions, it merely brings out what you really think.

    And condemnation only brought about one change in McCance, and it wasn't a change of heart or mind. No, McCance simply pretended to be someone he wasn't in order to get out from under the public realization of who he is. You can't blame Anderson Cooper for getting McCance on his show, and it's enjoyable, in a way, to watch McCance squirm, but what exactly are we telling ourselves when we consistently dig for something deeper in a person with no depth? A grown man who says these things believes these things, period. And by allowing them the forum of false apology, how much fame and fortune are we bestowing upon them? McCance told everyone on the planet exactly who he is when he made those statements. People don't become who they are when they apologize for getting caught in the act. People are who they are in the midst of the act. 

     

  • Meet Jerry Brown in Fresno This Saturday

     

  • VIDEO: Anderson Cooper Takes On McCance

  • VIDEO: The Daily Show Lands President Barack Obama

  • VIDEO: The View Talks Prop 19

  • VIDEO: Joy Behar Lays It On The Line

  • Arkansas Dept Of Education Responds

    ImageThese are the statements made by Arkansas Midland School Board member Clint McCance's concerning the recent Spirit Day...

    "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE."

    After being challenged by a commenter, this was Mr. McCance’s reply:

    "No because being a fag doesn't give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it."

    "I would disown my kids they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone."

    The Arkansas Dept of Education issued this response...

    The Arkansas Department of Education strongly condemns remarks or attitudes of this kind and is dismayed to see that a school board official would post something of this insensitive nature on a public forum like Facebook. Because Mr. McCance is an elected official, the department has no means of dealing with him directly. However, the department does have staff who investigate matters of bullying in schools and we will monitor and quickly respond to any bullying of students that may occur because of this, as we have with other civil rights issues in the past.

    A statement from Dan Farley, executive director of the Arkansas School Boards Association:

    Members of the Arkansas School Boards Association Board of Directors and staff were appalled to read the comments purportedly made by the Midland School Board member in which he denounces gay students. Our organization expects school board members to support the education and promote the welfare of all students in their districts. With 1,500-plus school board members in Arkansas, we are saddened that the comments made by one individual will reflect poorly on other board members who work hard on behalf of the children in their communities.

    ASBA has no tolerance for bullying or attacks on children, and we certainly would not tolerate such actions, either physical or verbal, by adults.

    When school board members take the oath of office, they swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Arkansas. ASBA expects board members to adhere to state and federal laws, and bullying would certainly fall under those statutes.

    The following statement is from Dr. Tom Kimbrell, Commissioner of Education:

    “I strongly condemn the statements that appeared on Mr. Clint McCance’s Facebook page. These comments in no way represent the viewpoints of the thousands of dedicated public school board members, administrators, faculty, staff and students in Arkansas.

    “Every student in Arkansas must be educated in a nurturing environment, free from discrimination or harassment. The statements attributed to Mr. McCance constitute a significant departure from statements we expect from our school leaders. The divisiveness and disruption of these comments cause me to seriously question the ability of Mr. McCance to remain as an effective member of the Midland School Board.

    “I have been in close contact with the Midland School District superintendent and school board president. They are aware of my strong feelings concerning this matter and I know they share in my grave concern. Along with the members of my staff, I will continue to closely monitor this situation.

    “Despite these unfortunate events, it is my utmost hope that the students in the Midland School District and across the State of Arkansas clearly understand that they are all valued and have intellectual and human worth, and they deserve the best education we can offer.” 

    You can keep up on developments at the Arkansas Dept of Education by clicking here...ADE Briefs

  • VIDEO: Thomas Roberts Covers Arkansas Hate Speech

  • Bulldog Pride Fund Reception Photos

    (Click on the images to enlarge for full size viewing...) 

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    Jared Lindo, three-time BPF scholar and Class of 2009 graduate, welcome alumni, donors, family and friends to the 2010-11 Bulldog Pride Fund Scholars’ reception held at the Smittcamp Alumni House.

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    Ally Zulewski, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies, accepts her $2,000 scholarship.

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    Leo Barajas, a sophomore studying mass communication and journalism, thanks everyone for their support.

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    Julia Scott, a senior majoring in fine art, accepts her $2,000 scholarship.

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    TimeOut, a junior majoring in liberal studies, thanks attendees with a poster.

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    The 2010-11 Bulldog Pride Fund Scholars -- Leo Barajas, TimeOut, Julia Scott and Ally Zulewski -- were each presented a $2,000 scholarship on Oct. 15, 2010. That's $8,000 total, made possible by donors, alumni and friends. Thank you for your continued support.

  • Just As I Am

    In the last few weeks, I've been dealing with some depression.  It happens to me occasionally, and because of my own mental instabilities, I tend to obsess on the depression.  I, as always, attempted to fill the void and placate the overwhelming sensation with food, shopping, and booze.  More or less, I just buried the things I needed to deal with instead of confronting them.  It culminated in my feeling inadequate, unwanted, unattractive, and useless, followed by hours of tears, a late night conversation with a good friend, and a few dozen nightmarish fantasies about ending my own life.  The worst part of it, in the wake of the suicides across this nation, I was thinking of ending it all over something foolish.  Thankfully, those thoughts were fleeting, and even while the moments of time that captured those feelings seemed like an eternity, I was able to get past them.  After I cleared my head a bit, I started thinking about why I felt the way I did.  It wasn't the first time I had felt that way in my life, and though it had been years since I had considered it, the feeling was all too familiar and indescribable.  I decided it was time for me to figure out why my mind goes to such lengths in my darkest moments, and after a discussion with my roommate Angie, I was able to come to some solid conclusions.

  • VIDEO: Joy Behar with Dan Savage & Jim McGreevey

    On the Joy Behar show, Dan Savage and Jim McGreevey discuss religion and morality as it pertain to the LGBT community in America.

    McGreevey is the former Governor of New Jersey. In 2004, at the pathetically overripe age of 47, he announced to the world that he was gay. This, despite that he was married to a woman, his second marriage to the opposite sex. Still, he admitted his true self at a national press conference. Why? Because the media caught him.

    They'd reported  he'd had an affair with a man (who he'd appointed to public office) while still married to a woman he'd fathered a child with (and who had no idea McGreevey was gay).

    Since then McGreevey has proclaimed himself loud and proud. He's been heralded by LGBT organizations as the example of living an honest life. Really?

    How proud McGreevey must be. What's he doing now, in his new life? He's working towards a Masters Degree in Divinity, with the goal of becoming a priest. He's so strong that he's trading one fantasy for another. Although it's one far more respectable, and one where he has access to young boys...

    Listen to Dan Savage and the pathetic Jim McGreevey in the attached video clip...

  • World AIDS Day 2010

     

  • Ted Olson Comments on DADT Appeal

    ImageAttorney Ted Olson, who, with David Boies, helmed the California Prop 8 case, has commented on the Obama administration appealing the federal ruling which declared Don't Ask Don't Tell to be unconstitutional. Olson said, “It would be appropriate for them to say ‘the law has been deemed unconstitutional, we are not going to seek further review of that.’”

    Valerie Jarret, White House Senior Advisor, said on CNN that it was the duty of the Justice Dept to defend all laws in matters such as these, but added that Obama is still against DADT and vows to end it on his watch.

    READ MORE HERE

  • Court Will Hear Prop 8 Arguments Starting Dec 6th

    ImageThe 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the Prop 8 case starting on December 6th. There will be a three member panel of judges chosen for the case, and their names have not yet been made known.

    Should the court feel the case has merit, they will hear it out and then decide whether to appeal Judge Walker's decision which overturned Prop 8 and legalized same sex marriage in the state of California. If the court overturns Walker's ruling, then the case is fully expected to be taken to the Federal Supreme Court.

    The other possibility is the 9th Circuit Court will find there is not enough validity to the appeal and refuse to hear it. If that is the case then same sex marriage will become legal in the state of California on a permanent basis.

    READ MORE HERE

  • Another Suicide

    Courtesy  The Advocate

     

    A 19-year-old Oakland University sophomore took his own life Tuesday, a few months after telling his family and friends he was gay.

    Family members of Corey Jackson say they believe the Rochester Hills, Mich., college student had been bullied over his sexual orientation, and it ultimately led him to commit suicide.

    "I believe [it happened] because he recently realized he was a homosexual and he was getting pressured at school by his peers because he told his family and nothing changed here," his grandmother Carolyn Evans told Click On Detroit. "Corey was the most loving, giving, funny person. He had the most wonderful personality. He had cousins from ages 14 down to 2 and he never said a bad word about anybody. When he went to school and he realized his sexual preference had changed, he changed completely. He withdrew."

    Oakland University president Gary Russi said in an e-mail to students that Jackson’s death "diminishes us all."

    "In our mourning, I am hopeful that we will not focus on the manner of Corey's death, but rather celebrate the life he lived and the people he touched," Russi wrote.

    Students organized a candlelight vigil Wednesday night to honor Jackson. The president Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, of which Jackson was a member, wore a purple shirt Wednesday in remembrance of Jackson and in support of ending bullying of LGBT teens.

    Police are still investigating Jackson's death, but the Oakland County medical examiner's office confirmed that it had been ruled a suicide.
  • Appeals Court Grants Temporary Stay on DADT

    The turns keep coming in the federal case to end Don't Ask Don't Tell. Today the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court granted a stay on ending DADT. They stay is temporary, however, allowing the matter to be further investigated.

    Christian Berle, speaking for the Log Cabin Republicans, who originally filed the federal case, said... "Log Cabin Republicans believes that the Department of Justice is seriously underestimating the professional capacity of our brave servicemembers in continuing under a military that allows open service by gays and lesbians. We are prepared to defend this injunction and this ruling in whatever court or forum in which we are challenged."

    READ MORE HERE

  • TODAY IS SPIRIT DAY

    TODAY...Wednesday, October 20th 2010 is SPIRIT DAY. Wear PURPLE to honor the LGBT TEENS we have recently lost to suicide because of bullying...We ALL need to do whatever we can to REACH OUT to LGBT TEENS who are struggling, as we all did, with the pressures of growing up in a prejudiced and vindictive society...WE ARE RESPONSIBLE for letting them know that IT GET'S BETTER...

    Change your social network pages in order to show support, click HERE to find out how...

    GLAAD explains the meaning of SPIRIT DAY...

    The idea behind Spirit Day, first created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together.

    Spirit Day honors the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who support them.

    Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.

    As one of the event's Facebook pages says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple." 

    Wearing purple on October 20 is a simple way to show the world that you stand by these courageous young people and a simple way to stand UP to the bullies. Remember those lives we've tragically lost, and show your solidarity with those who are still fighting. 'Go Purple' today!  

    For LGBT teens struggling right now with desperation due to negative influences in their lives, particularly  those contemplating suicide, please STOP AND TAKE A MINUTE TO MAKE A FREE AND SIMPLE PHONE CALL TO THE TREVOR PROJECT

    They will listen, they will UNDERSTAND, and most of all, they will HELP YOU to find your way...PLEASE REACH OUT TO THEM, OR ANYONE WHO CAN HELP YOU.

    We at GAY CENTRAL VALLEY are here to HELP you bring your life back into balance. REACH OUT to us, if no one else, so that we can help you realize that IT GET'S BETTER...THERE IS HOPE...YOU HAVE A FUTURE...
  • Federal Judge DENIES STAY on DADT Ruling

    Federal Judge Virginia Phillips has officially denied the stay requested by the Justice Dept in regards to her ruling that Don't Ask Don't Tell is unconstitutional and must end immediately. She called their reasoning "unpersuasive".

    The case will certainly be appealed.

    READ MORE HERE

  • 8th Annual "The Rocky horror Picture Show" Night

    Saturday, October 23rd

    Live stage show, featuring staff & friends of The Express. 

    Show starts at Midnight

    1/2 off drinks all night

     

  • THE PINK SHOW - This Friday

  • Openly Gay Americans Can Sign Up For Military Service

    The Defense Dept is now accepting openly gay applicants for military service. This is on the heels of Federal Judge Virginia Phillips ordering the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell and is expected to deny a stay requested on the matter.

    The federal case will be appealed, which has led LGBT groups to caution LGBT Americans already serving in the military. They suggest not coming out as openly gay at this time since the outcome of the appeal is not known.

    Read More Here

  • Stay for Reversing DADT Likely to Fail, For Now...

    U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips said this, on the matter of the Justice Dept request for a stay on the recent DADT ruling..."My tentative ruling is to deny the application for a stay."

    Phillips was the Judge that issued the ruling for the military to immediately cease the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell, on the basis that it was unconstitutional.  Phillips stated that the government has "not proven" that the overturning of DADT would in any way harm the troops or handicap the military in any way.

    The military has currently opted to abide by the original ruling, issuing orders to top military to cease to investigate and follow through with violations of DADT.

    Phillips will rule as early as Tuesday on the matter. Regardless, the government can still appeal, and the farther up the case goes, the more likely it is that DADT will remain in place.

    READ MORE HERE

  • VIDEO: Adam Lambert "Still Bullied"

  • VIDEO: FCKH8 (WARNING: Lots of F Words)

  • VIDEO: Vigil for LGBT Suicides - Speakers: Jason Garrigus, Vickye Ashton & Scotti Maldonado

  • VIDEO: Ft Worth Councilmember's Passionate Speech "It Gets Better"

  • Halloween Fundraiser For The Living Room

      Click on the images to enlarge for details...


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  • Voter Registration DEADLINE is MONDAY

    If you want to vote in the upcoming California election on NOVEMBER 2ND and you aren't registered yet, you don't have a lot of time. You must register by MONDAY OCTOBER 18TH. Image Follow this link for all the information...Register To Vote HERE

  • Thomas Roberts

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    (In Homer Simpson's voice...)

    Mmmmmm....Thomas Roberts...

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    Thomas Roberts is a gay news anchor for MSNBC who came out of the closet in 2006.

  • VIDEO: Thomas Roberts & Rachel Maddow DADT Interviews

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  • Bishop Gene Robinson Calls It As It Is

    ImageBishop Gene Robinson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire,  has written an article for The Huffington Post entitled "How Religion Is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth". In it, he lays much of the blame for the high suicide rate of LGBT teens directly where it belongs, at the feet of religion.

    "An increasingly popular bumper sticker reads, "Guns Don't Kill People -- RELIGION Kills People!" In light of recent events I would add religion kills young people: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people."

    Robinson concedes there are other contributing factors to the anti-gay rhetoric  which results in such a high rate of suicide, but even when discussing the matter with gay teens who had no religious background, he found that the atmosphere created by religious hate speech is known to those unfamiliar with the Bible...

    "You don't have to grow up in a religious household, though, to absorb these religious messages. Not long ago I had a conversation with six gay teens, not one of whom had ever had any formal religious training or influence. Every one of them knew the word "abomination," and every one of them thought that was what God thought of them. They couldn't have located the Book of Leviticus in the Bible if their lives depended on it yet they had absorbed this message from the antigay air they breathe every day."

    It's a spot on analysis by someone in the middle of religious America. I urge you to read it.

    "How Religion Is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth" by Gene Robinson

  • VIDEO: Candlelight Vigil for LGBT Suicides - Performances by Miranda Ashton

  • VIDEO: Candlelight Vigil for LGBT Suicides - Joey & Matt

  • Fresno State Production of "Eastern Standard"

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    Eastern Standard By Richard Greenberg

    Directed by J. Daniel Herring

    October 29- November 6, 2010

    Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre  Fresno State

    SYNOPSIS:

    An uniquely perceptive and devastatingly witty play for our times, it traces the experiences of a group of young, rich and somewhat jaded New York "Yuppies" as they move from disenchantment to hopeful anticipation and on, finally, to a resigned acceptance of the limits of what modern life can offer.

    PLOT:

    In the first act, very successful but disenchanted architect Stephen Wheeler is lunching with his best friend from their days at Dartmouth University, rising avant-garde gay artist Drew Paley, in a trendy restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Seated at the adjoining table are Wall Street investment counselor Phoebe Kidde and her television producer brother Peter, who has just revealed he has AIDS to her. When boisterous homeless woman May Logan enters the restaurant and creates a scene, the four diners and their frazzled waitress Ellen find themselves thrown together, and they eventually strike up an unlikely alliance.

    In the second act, six months have elapsed, and the sextet are spending the weekend at Stephen's summer house in The Hamptons. Stephen and Phoebe find they share a mutual attraction, while Peter, unprepared to discuss his recent diagnosis, is trying to discourage Drew's amorous advances. Representing the lower class are Ellen and May, whose presence forces everyone to reexamine their lives and reevaluate their priorities.

    TICKETS:

    559.278-2216

  • Pentagon Ceases Enforcement of Don't Act Don't Tell

    In the wake of the appalling yet expected appeal by the Dept Of Justice to the recent ruling by a Federal judge that the military policy Don't Ask Don't Tell is unconstitutional and must end, the Pentagon has announced that it will follow the judge's ruling during the appeal process. The Pentagon will stop investigating allegations and will not discharge anyone violating the DADT policy.

    Still, caution should be observed by LGBT military personnel. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund has stated that with such confusion during this time of legal challenges, it's "dangerous for service members".

    Robin McGehee, with GetEqual, hit the nail on the head by stating, "Today's appeal by President Obama's Department of Justice is not only indefensible - it is yet another shocking lack of leadership from the White House on issues of equality for the LGBT community."

    Commenting in the midst of the current uproar, Obama stated that "This policy will end, and it will end on my watch." Well, we're two years in to an administration that could possibly end in 2012, so when does he expect to accomplish this? While the Obama administration has stated that it is their duty to challenge rulings contrary to national policy, the fact of the matter is that Obama has missed yet another opportunity to allow an unconstitutional and anti-American law to be swept away.

    READ MORE HERE

  • VIDEO: Whoopi & Joy Storm off The View

    Bill O'Reilly made a fool of himself for the millionth time today on ABC's The View when he declared that the Mosque in NY should not be built because Americans disapprove. He went on to state that Muslims attacked us on 9/11 and when Whoopi Goldberg tried to correct him, tempers flared and Whoopi and Joy Behar walked off the set, only to return after an apology. Take a look...

  • VIDEO: Jackass 3D Screens at The Eagle

  • DOJ Asks For Immediate Stay Over DADT

    Well, not much of a shocker, but the Dept. of Justice has requested an immediate stay to U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruling that Don't Ask Don't Tell should be ended. If the judge does not grant the stay then it's expected to be appealed to the US Court of Appeals.

    The Dept of Justice had a choice in fighting the ruling, and they chose to fight. The irony is that even today, the Obama administration admitted their support of repealing DADT, but said they want it to be done legislatively.

    READ MORE HERE 

  • VIDEO: Patsy Montgomery at Candlelight Vigil

    All videos from the Candlelight Vigil should be posted on our YouTube page by Friday, October 15th...

  • VIDEO: GLEE Gets Lesbian

  • Paladino's Apology Angers the Orthodox

    ImageCarl Paladino, the Tea Party candidate running as the Republican Gubernatorial candidate in New York, has come to odds with the Jewish Orthodox community who he stood before recently to denounce homosexuality. Paladino said that "children should not be brainwashed" into thinking that homosexuality is acceptable. His history is littered with nasty behavior. He's forwarded a number of obscene and racist emails, labeled global warming as "a farce", called out his opposition, Andrew Cuomo, for participating in a Gay Pride Parade with his daughters and praised himself as a family values candidate who just happens to have fathered a child with another woman while still married to his wife.

    Now he's angered the Orthodox Jewish community because he issued an apology for the homophobic statements he made in front of the very same group. Rabbi Yehuda Levin, who helped write that speech for Paladino, is angry about the apology. The rabbi asks, “Will we see you next year with your daughter at that gay pride march?

    The conflict comes because Paladino, pretty close to the scum of the earth, needs votes to gain his office seat, while  the rabbi does not. With the national media heating up every word Paladino says, he had no choice but to apologize. The crazy and ironic thing is, that's all he has to do. We've created a social and political structure which allows the insane to merely apologize for what they said, despite the fact that it was true and remains so. The new foundation of American fame is that you can get caught saying anything (which is, in fact, the truth of what you believe) and you only have to issue a public apology afterward to be granted immunity.

    This will be an interesting election across the nation. Now that Tea Party candidates such as Paladino and Christine O'Donnell are revealing their true nature, yet attempting to vindicate themselves with apologies and soft spoken denial, the integrity of this nation will be further revealed. Will Americans accept these false and ridiculous apologies and elect them anyway, with zero consideration about the current trend to glorify political candidates who are undeniably crazy?

    How far will a certain portion of this nation go in order to block the long overdue equality of LGBT Americans? We'll see...

    READ MORE HERE 

  • VIDEO: Olbermann Comments on Federal Ruling on DADT

  • Bulldog Pride Fund Scholars' Reception

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    PLEASE join our SCHOLARS,
    DONORS, ALUMNI and FRIENDS:

    Bulldog Pride Fund Scholars’ Reception
    Friday, October 15, 2010, 4:00 p.m.
    Jensen Library, Smittcamp Alumni House.
    A short program begins at 4:30 p.m.

    Honoring Centennial Donors of $100+:
      Donors making gifts of $100 or more, since July 1, 2010
      Armando & Betty Rodriguez • Christine Forbes Smith
      Daniel Waterhouse • E. Francis Kain • Edward Guillen • James Cardella
      Jim Daggs & Enrique Quiroga • Javier & Traci Morales
      Jodi Fitzpatrick & Marc Kerkochian • Maureen Lewis & Hal Kissler
      Rudy Rios • Victor Kral • Wayne Boos & Daniel Loera

    Honoring New Sustaining Circle Donors:
      Donors making monthly credit card or payroll deduction gifts
      Christopher Healy • Diana Sewell • Jennifer Burgess
      Jill Wagner • Rick Riddick • Russel D. Statham • Terry Lewis

    Honoring New Lifetime Donors of $1,000+:
      Donors of $1,000 or more, cumulative giving
      Brad & Linda Fischer • Kathy Weston & Debra Harding
      Natalie Clark & Scott Miller • Thorisa & Kooi Yap

    Honoring the 2010-11 Bulldog Pride Fund Scholars:
      Each receiving a $2,000 scholarship – $8,000 total

      Allison Zulewski • Leonel Barajas • Julia Scott • TimeOut

    The Bulldog Pride Fund is a $180,000+ endowment dedicated to providing an annuity to support student scholarships at Fresno State.

    www.BULLDOGPRIDE.org

  • VIDEO: KSEE24 Covers Coming Out Day & FSU "Be The Change"

  • VIDEO: ABC30: Local Family Discusses Recent Suicide & Bullying

  • VIDEO: Stewart Takes On Paladino

  • Don't Ask Don't Tell May Have Just Died

    A Federal judge has ordered the government to immediately end the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy of the U.S. military. U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled the policy unconstitutional and issued an immediate injunction.

    The U.S. Dept of Justice has 60 days to appeal the ruling. This very well could be the end of DADT.

    Here's what the ruling states...

    1) DECLARES that the act known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" infringes the fundamental rights of United States servicemembers and prospective servicemembers and violates (a) the substantive due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and (b) the rights to freedom of speech and to petition the Government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    (2) PERMANENTLY ENJOINS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense, their agents, servants, officers, employees, and attorneys, and all persons acting in participation or concert with them or under their direction or command, from enforcing or applying the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act and implementing regulations, against any person under their jurisdiction or command;

    (3) ORDERS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act, or pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 654 or its implementing regulations, on or prior to the date of this Judgment.

    (4) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to apply for attorneys' fees pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412; and

    (5) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to file a motion for costs of suit, to the extent allowed by law.

    READ MORE HERE 
  • VIDEO: KSEE 24 Covers Local Vigil For Recent LGBT Suicides

  • VIDEO: "Homophobia Kills" Flash Mob

  • Campus Pride Calls For Expulsion Of Students

    Courtesy Campus Pride...

    Campus Pride Calls on Rutgers University to Immediately Expel Dharun Ravi & Molly Wei for Egregious Invasion of Privacy that led to the Suicide of Tyler Clementi

    “Now is the time to act decisively and send a clear message at Rutgers and at colleges across the country that LGBT harassment and hate will not be tolerated any longer,” states Campus Pride noting it has now been two weeks since Clementi committed suicide.

    (New Brunswick, NJ)  Campus Pride, the nation’s leading non-profit organization working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally college and university students, today called for Rutgers University to act decisively to expel both Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei for invasion of privacy of fellow student Tyler Clementi.  Two weeks ago on Wednesday, September 22, Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge posting on his Facebook page, "jumping off the gw bridge sorry."

    According to Campus Pride, the Rutgers University Code of Student Conduct prohibits "making or attempting to make an audio or video recording of any person(s) on University premises in bathrooms, showers, bedrooms, or other premises where there is an expectation of privacy with respect to nudity and/or sexual activity, without the knowledge and consent of all participants subject to such recordings."

    “Ravi and Wei acted maliciously to secretly tape Tyler Clementi, even posting comments to encourage others to ‘video chat’ and watch. This is an egregious act of invasion of privacy. Both students should be expelled. Period,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “This act was not simply a prank. It has been two weeks now and neither student has been expelled. Now is the time to act decisively and send a clear message at Rutgers and at colleges across the country that LGBT harassment and hate will not be tolerated any longer.”

    Campus Pride’s “2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People” released last month shows that LGBT incidents of harassment and discrimination are neither rare nor fleeting-- they are real.  The national study indicates that one quarter (23%) of LGBQ staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment. An even greater percentage of transgender students, faculty, & staff reported experiencing harassment (39%), often more overt and blatant on campus.

    Since the death of Clementi, Campus Pride has received hundreds of emails and phone calls from concerned parents of LGBT youth who are asking for resources to determine safe, welcoming LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.  While the national organization recognizes that it takes time for law officers to deal with the investigation surrounding the criminal charges and prosecuting to the full extent of the law, Rutgers University has a clear violation of its own student code of conduct to enforce for the safety and privacy of all students. 

    “Rutgers University has an obligation to the family of Tyler Clementi and to parents who have gay kids across the nation to enforce the student code of conduct,” said Windmeyer. "The nation is watching what happens. Rutgers should take immediate action in the wake of this national tragedy and immediately expel both students."  

    Form more information about Campus Pride's "2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People" report, visit www.campuspride.org/research.


           Believe In -- Campus Pride. Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to give "voice and action" in building future LGBT and ally leaders. More info online at www.campuspride.org.

  • Interview With Trevor Project CEO

    Image

    John Shore blogs for Huffington Post and just posted an interview with the Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project. Within the interview are some basic suicide facts...

    • In the United States, more than 34,000 people die by suicide each year (2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]).
    • Of all American teens who die by their own hand, 30 percent are LGBTQ.
    • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, accounting for over 12 percent of deaths in this age group; only accidents and homicide occur more frequently (2006 National Adolescent Health Information).
    • Suicide is the second leading cause of death on college campuses (2008 CDC).
    • For every completed suicide by a young person, it is estimated that 100 to 200 attempts are made (2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey).
    • Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers (Massachusetts 2007 Youth Risk Survey).
    • LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide than LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection (Ryan C, Huebner D, et al., Pediatrics 123(1): 346-52).
    • Almost 85 percent of LGBTQ teenagers are harassed in high school because of their sexual orientation, with 61 percent of gay youth reporting that they felt unsafe in school and 30 percent staying home to avoid bullying (2009 Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network survey).
    More and more startling statistics are coming out in the wake of recent LGBT teen suicides due to bullying. Read Shore's interview HERE
  • Candlelight Vigil & "It Gets Better" Project

    ImageImage

    A Candle Light Vigil is being held this Saturday, October 9th starting at 7pm in the parking lot of the EQCA Local Field Office at 1055 N Van Ness Ave # C, Fresno, CA. Here's a description from the Facebook Page for the Vigil...

    The Candle Light Vigil and Memorial service is being held in memory of those community members who have lost their lives due to anti-LGBT bullying. As of late, there has been a rash of suicides directly related to the mistreatment of LGBT youth, spanning the ages of 12 to 21. It has become an epidemic.

    We are asking that all community members everywhere to take the time to light a candle, not only for their memory, but as a bea...con of hope and a symbol that we are a family coming together in support of each other. If you can attend the event, it will be held in the parking lot of the EQCA field office on Saturday, October 9, 2010, at 7:00 PM. We intend to have a couple of speakers and possibly music prior to the lighting of the candles. We would ask that all in attendance to bring a light source (preferably a candle, but any source is fine), and if you have extras that someone else could use, we would appreciate your bringing those as well.

    Gay Central Valley has decided to use this time to also get some video footage from the participants to be edited and made into a video that will be posted on YouTube for the It Gets Better Project. In the segments, participants are asked to relay their own experiences of being bullied or isolated in school, and to reassure the LGBT youth of today that it does, indeed, get better. Anyone is welcome to participate. Visit the link above to visit the YouTube sight for the project to get an idea of what we're planning to do. There's also a SF video directly this article. If you're interested in being a part of this video project please come to the vigil on Saturday when you can record a message and also be a part of a show of strength for at risk LGBT Teens during the Candle Light Vigil.

  • VIDEO: San Francisco "It Gets Better"

  • We Give A Damn


    Cyndi Lauper has started a new campaign and website called We Give A Damn.org. Check out their Issues Page

    As the website states..."The Give a Damn Campaign is for everybody who cares about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

    But, it’s especially for all you straight people out there! Whether you’re already an active supporter, want to show your support for the first time, or hadn’t given equality a lot of thought before and now want to learn more, we are here to help you get informed about the issues and get involved, at a pace that works for you.

    You’ll find a lot of useful information throughout this site—information that’ll engage you, surprise you and move you. You will also find a bunch of ways to get involved and show your support and encourage your straight peers to show theirs as well.

    For all you gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks—we need and want you here, too! Because this site is also for you. Not only will you learn new things that might surprise and interest you, you’ll also find a lot of useful tools and resources that will help you encourage the straight people in your life to give a damn."

  • Get Equal: We'll Give When We Get Equal

    ImageGet Equal has launched a campaign that at this stage of the game makes sense. Their campaign, We'll Give When We Get Equal, urges the LGBT Community to withhold dollars and support from any politician that is not finding "concrete ways to work toward our collective equality". Check out their FAQ Page to learn more about the campaign.

    Any one of us paying attention to the politicians in Washington over the last few years can easily come to the conclusion that it's basically little more than words. Not only are we struck down on issues we're told are a slam dunk, but we're verbally massacred on a daily basis, labeled such things as un-natural and diseased. For anyone to say at this point that our government is operating on anything other than the blueprint of maintaining their comfortable position and placating the prejudice masses who will in turn guarantee their career stability is simply naive. It's far past the time when LGBT Americans should have been allowed access to equal rights. If money is the way politicians operate and what they respond to (and we know it is) then that's where we have to hit them.

    Get Equal is not asking you to cut off funds to one political party, but to any party or politician that merely speaks eloquently, but follows through on none of their words. In the past, we've continued to donate money because we believed that Republicans were a loss and that Democrats were simply struggling to win over the opposition. Now, it's clear that Democrats simply don't have the balls to shove logic and common sense, and most of all, American principals, down the throats of those that do little more than pander to the misguided masses who don't truly believe in the foundations this nation was founded on.

    So while we have financially supported what we considered to be the more liberal in the ethically challenged world of politicians, in the hopes of providing the stimulus to succeed, we must now retract any support until America fulfills it's pledge to all its citizens, not just the majority.

    Really, how long should we provide financial support for those who don't put themselves on the line for us? For me, this is the same as when even LGBT organizations use every dramatic turn of events in our struggle for equal rights to fill our email boxes with requests for more money. It's the same as when, during every election, there are measures to give more money to schools. Another example of an American institution which fails year after year to step up to the plate and make the money they have work for them. Institutions, which year after year, fall farther and farther below the line of success while money is literally thrown at them.

    It's time to stop the flow of dollars for all kinds of institutions and organizations throughout this country until they prove that they have even the slightest responsibility and integrity to manage what they are given in order to benefit all Americans.

     
  • VIDEO: Dan Savage Discusses Suicides and "It Gets Better" Campaign

  • VIDEO: Sarah Silverman Hits The Nail On The Head

  • VIDEO: Cyndi Lauper Speaks About The Trevor Project

  • Rick Sanchez Fired From CNN

    Rick Sanchez has officially been fired from CNN...

    I tuned in to watch Rick Sanchez last Friday on CNN. I'd seen the story of his rant on radio where he called out, among others, the host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, labeling him a bigot. I didn't find Sanchez hosting his regular, daily show on CNN. Instead, there was a substitute. I didn't look into it further. I just assumed that either Sanchez had the day off or he was taking the day off because of the controversy his comments had created on the internet.

    Sanchez called out Jon Stewart, and people like him, by saying that "elite, Northeast establishment liberals" who "deep down, when they look at a guy like me, they see a guy automatically who belongs in the second tier, and not the top tier."

    He also stated that CNN and the majority of the rest of the media is run and controlled by Jewish people, and that they are far too privileged to be seen as the subjects of prejudice.

    "I'm telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they -- the people in this country who are Jewish -- are an oppressed minority? Yeah."

    Sanchez went on to claim that Stewart spends time on his show calling people like Sanchez "stupid". Sanchez believes that when Stewart calls him out as stupid it's a reference to the difference between Stewart's background and Sanchez's background. The interviewer is quick to point out that "If he's bigoted against the ignorant, fine."

    Sanchez adds that Stewart's show is prejudiced against anyone who doesn't share Stewart's supposedly "white, liberal, establishment point of view". Another example of un-evolved Americans labeling those who've actually done their research as nothing more than isolationist.

    Establishment? Really? Stewart is, if nothing else, anti-establishment. He is one of the most reasoned, logical and thoughtful celebrities alive. Stewart, who is by all accounts, including his own, essentially a comic, has focused and faced the truth as long as I can remember. It's easy for those who fall under his media rant to claim that he speaks only for humor, or in terms of personal belief. To believe that, however, is to avoid the inevitable truth of reality. Stewart calls anyone out for hypocrisy.

    There are really only two possibilities here. Either Sanchez was speaking from the heart, which can only mean that he's self prejudiced against his own background, and in essence, self loathing, or the more likely scenario. Sanchez, in my opinion, noticed what Glenn Beck recently accomplished. Beck was someone on the decline, even occasionally making sense, although without much media support, who then decided to create a personality that resonated with the simplistic and easily influenced audience of FOX news. Of course Beck, with a personal history littered with suicide attempts and failed relationships spanning his entire lifetime, chose to create a new personae. In a world resistant to reality, he was successful.

    So Sanchez tried to create, in my opinion, what has been, to this point, a relatively safe transition from anonymous media personality to media titan. As of today, he's failed. And he must be asking himself why. Why, when so many lesser morons have succeeded, such as Beck, O'Reilly, Coulter and Wallace, was he so immediately ousted from the financial bonanza of cashing in on the stupidity of conservative America?

    Who knows? Maybe he wasn't devoted enough to fallacy.  Maybe his boss was Jewish and got pissed off. Maybe he wasn't marketable enough. One thing's for sure. He wasn't going to make CNN more money in the short term. Whatever the reason, whether it public image or scorned superior, Sanchez wasn't valuable enough.

    He was, without a doubt, opportunistic enough to risk the end of his career in order for a chance to grab the brass ring.

    Let's hope this doesn't become a reality show.

    Read More Here

  • Another Baby Step Toward Logical Marijuana Laws

     

    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a new law into effect which decriminalizes possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Still, those caught with less than an ounce of marijuana will still face the maximum penalty of $100, but will not be faced with a criminal record or jail time.

    Wow, the one thing he kept in place was the penalty of a financial payment to the state. Shocker...

    Schwarzenegger, although he's against the upcoming Proposition 19, which makes marijuana legal for any citizen in California, states that...

    "In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket."

    Let's face it, the Governor makes sense in his decision as far as the cost of lawsuits and prosecution. Does he make sense in the larger sense of the insanity of marijuana laws? Of course not. Still, it's a step. A self serving step wherein the state releases themselves from the expense of prosecuting non-crimes while still collecting finances from the non-criminals they find guilty, but in terms of the evolution of marijuana law, it's a step, none the less...

    Read More Here 
  • VIDEO: Vigil in NYC For Recent LGBT Suicides

    From thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

    In the month of September, 2010, at least nine teens committed suicide, literally bullied to death. At least eight were victims of anti-gay bullying.

    On Sunday, October 3, thousands converged in New York City's Washington Square Park, on the campus of New York University (NYU) despite the rain, to show their support, and tell victims of bullying, "You are loved."

    Source: The New Civil Rights Movement

  • So, exactly what is enough?

    This morning I woke to my husband watching television after having worked overnight.  He was smoking his hookah and relaxing, contentedly.  The sun was shining through the window, bright as ever, and the sky was a nice cerulean blue.  I thought to myself, "what more could I need."  I rose for my morning cup of coffee, and as I smelled its comforting aroma calling my body to start the day, I made the mistake of reading the news. Yet another LGBT youth was bullied to the point of not wanting to live.  As a result, Asher Brown, at the age of 13, took his own life, because he couldn't live in a world where he wasn't accepted.  It begs the question, just how many LGBT people have to die before we do something?  Let's take a look...

    Hate crimes against gay men and women have existed for centuries, so much so that they were forced to live their lives in shadow and secrecy.  It started with the exile of Sapho and the stoning of Democles (both historically gay). Over the centuries, it has become more and more prevalent.  You'd think that as time past, hate crimes against the LGBT community would diminish as the world becomes more tolerant and accepting of our existence, but according the numbers reported by the FBI and the national JANUS report, they are actuallly on the rise.  In 2004, when the FBI began official records for hate crimes committed based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the numbers were considered "low": 1167 (keep in mind these were the ones that were reported). Now, 6 years later, the number has climbed to a little over 2000, almost double of what it was.  Based on the data collected, they estimate that the number of reported crimes is less than 10% of the actually number of hate crimes against LGBT people.  So for those that don't do math, that means that 20,000 people have been a victim of an LGBT hate crime since January 1 of this year.  Does anyone else find that staggering?

  • Cooper Will Have Daytime Talk Show

    ImageAnderson Cooper, who has been aggressively taking on anti-gay bigots and pundits in recent weeks, will be helming his own daytime talk show starting some time in 2011. Cooper will continue his relationship with CNN.

    Read More Here

  • VIDEO: Ellen Speaks Out On Recent Suicides

  • Book Review: Sweet Lips

    Sweet Lips

    A Novel

    Author: Mel Smith

     

    Reviewed By: Leon Velasco

    Rating:

    Two Thumbs Way
    UP

     

    Set in a country westernized theme, the author brings to life two characters that are full of personality. Surprisingly, the author is female but yet catches the essence of man to man sex. She is very detailed from scenery of the open plains to boner popping male action. This book was a page turner; I read it in 4 days. This book is so, for lack of better comparison; “ Brokeback Mountain”. I was all engrossed in the story line that there were times that actual time passed by the hours. She sends you on a continual roller coaster ride of experiences of all the characters and the ending, such like the beginning, is captivating. This book is a, “MUST OWN”, for your personal library.

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