LGBT + Picnic…Saturday, April 16^th at 11AM at Einstein Park (Dakota & Millbrook).

Gather together with friends and family to picnic in the park. Bring your own picnic or buy a lunch combo. Celebrate Spring and the LGBT Community. Fun, Food & Friends. Door Prizes plus “just for fun” softball and volleyball.

Hosted by Trans-e-motion and sponsored by Gay Central Valley, PFLAG – Fresno and United Student Pride. For more information email…

zoyer_zyndel@yahoo.com

The Fresno Stonewall Democrats present…

“MOVE FORWARD FRESNO – TOLERANCE THROUGH EQUALITY” Campaign Launch

Spring Brunch – Saturday, April 16^th 2011

VIP Reception – 10:30AM  Main Event – 11:30AM

Special Guests: Judge Kevin McCarthy & Local Activist Robin McGeHee

1044 N Van Ness Avenue Fresno, CA 93728

Purchase Tickets & Advertising ONLINE by visiting the

Official Fresno Stonewall Democrat Website

http://fresnostonewall.com/wordpress/

UPDATE: The soldier referenced in this issue is from Lemoore...

Dear friends,

In December, when President Obama signed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010," I breathed a sigh of relief. Although there is still work to do to make repeal fully inclusive and get it implemented, my hope was that at least now we would not lose another servicemember because of that discriminatory law. After so many discharges even as late as last year [1], I thought we were finally out of the woods.

Sadly, I thought wrong.

A short time ago, we were contacted by an active-duty servicemember who -- despite the repeal of this horrible law -- is still going through the process of being discharged. The process started for him on November 8, 2009, when someone anonymously outed him after seeing his MySpace page.

Within weeks, his discharge process began -- but it limped along while the government waffled about what to do about repeal. A year went by before he got any kind of update, each day believing it was his last day to serve his country. After the repeal bill was signed into law, he believed his case to be over.

But Derek got bad news earlier this month. Despite DADT repeal, his case is still being pursued and his hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. With implementation still not in place, is this the Navy's attempt to slip in another discharge or bully him with a hearing...just because they still can?

Click here to show your support for Derek and to fight back against his discharge!

Derek joined the Navy right after high school -- here are his own words:

This lengthy matter has been tearing me up; it has destroyed relationships and displaced loved ones who were relying on me. But even after the U.S. Government has made it clear they don’t want this law in effect the Navy has said that, because the paperwork has been submitted and the policy is technically still active, they have no choice but to continue.

I have been in the U.S. Navy since I graduated high school. It’s all I know and all I want to do. I have dreams of grandeur, hopes of retiring a young, highly-decorated, respected senior enlisted sailor. My resolve is weakened but not broken. I just have to place my fate in the hands of three strangers -- strangers who I hope have strong moral convictions and like-minded sentiments to my own.

Click here to add your name to the list of supporters Derek will take into his hearing with him!

Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!

Robin McGehee, Director

Hi CET members:

We have two events in April and I need to lock in the teams ASAP. First and foremost, we have the SF Gay Men's Chorus coming to Fresno State on Sunday, April 10th. We will need a team of volunteers from Noon to 4 pm to set up, take tickets and usher and then to clean up after the event. Volunteers for the CET that day will receive a free ticket to the performance. I have only 5 free tickets left, so please reply to this e mail right away if you want to volunteer and get your name on the list.

Second we have had a request for team members to help out at the Mutts in Motion Fly Ball tournament on Saturday, April 9th (the day before the Gay Men's Chorus). This is a super fun event too, where dogs race each other on a course with little hurdles. The nonprofit Mutts in Motions is the largest fly ball group in Fresno and are really great to work with.  If you enjoy dogs and want to help by being a line judge for the races (easy job ) please let me know right away so that if we don't have enough team members they will have time to get more volunteers. The tournament is held at the Fresno Fair grounds. They would like us there both Saturday and Sunday, but I have only committed to Saturday since we will be at the Gay Men's Chorus on Sunday. 

So to summarize, SIGN UP FOR:

• San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus on Sunday, April 10th from Noon to 4 pm at Fresno State-only 5 spaces left!

AND/OR

• Mutts in Motion Fly Ball Races on Saturday April 9th from either 8 am to noon or noon to 4 pm, at the Fresno Fair grounds.  (I'll be there from 7 am to 5 pm!)

Let me know right away!

Thanks for your continued participation in the Gay Central Valley Community Engagement Team,


kate

kate@gaycentralvalley.org

Last year, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performed at the Tower Theater here in Fresno. This year marks the second year of their California Freedom Tour, and they will perform here again at Fresno State on Sunday, April 10th, 2011 at 2:30pm.

Purchase tickets online by visiting Gay Central Valley or by clicking  HERE

Advance Tickets Pricing: $40 VIP (Premium Seating) - $20 General Admission - $10 Student

Day Of Tickets: $45 VIP (Premium Seating) - $25 General Admission - $15 Student

Don't miss the chance to see this legendary chorus perform right in your own backyard...the Chorus will also host a meet and greet immediately after the performance...

All proceeds benefit Gay Central Valley, the Fresno LGBT Community Center, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and Bulldog Pride Fund...

Local Youth Organize Events to Speak OUT IN THE SILENCE

Against Bullying & Discrimination in California

Screenings of award-winning film to help build bridges on gay issues, bullying and teen suicides

Redwood City / Clovis, CA — March 14, 2011 — A series of free community screenings of OUT IN THE SILENCE, "a stunning documentary" (Philadelphia Inquirer) about the harrowing, ultimately successful battle waged by a gay teen and his mother against recalcitrant school authorities when the teen is brutally attacked for coming out in his small town high school, will follow the film's local premier in the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (Sat., March 19).

The events, organized by Gay-Straight Alliance, parent, church, and other community leaders, include:

The screenings will be followed by a Q & A session with filmmakers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, GSA leaders, and other community representatives aimed at engaging audiences in conversation about building the movement for inclusion, fairness, and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people locally, in California and across the country.

OUT IN THE SILENCE was produced in association with the Sundance Institute, premiered at the 2010 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in New York, and has won praise from critics and film festivals around the world.  But Wilson and Hamer are most interested in using it as part of a grassroots campaign to help raise LGBT visibility, support local organizing and advocacy work, and promote dialogue and civic engagement in smaller cities, towns and rural communities.

At the heart of the campaign is a dedication to the idea that small acts of visibility, particularly in places where they are rare, unexpected, and sometimes unwelcome, help to raise awareness, open-up dialogue and create ripple effects and opportunities to organize for change that go far and wide.

California Gay-Straight Alliance leaders have spearheaded the organizing for these events as a way to help communities respond to the tragic rash of suicides among gay youth that captured the nation's attention last fall and to help counter the pervasive harassment and violence LGBT students face on a regular basis in schools across the state.

http://OutintheSilence.com

We are looking for Black Males to join our very first Black Men and Boys Leadership Academy. The criteria are listed below.

WHEN: March 26th-May 7th, 2011

TIME: Every Sat. 8:00am-12:30pm

COST: None

MORE INFO: Jocelyn Chretien at 559.485.1273 or Dr. Jean Kennedy at 559.270.1023

Black Men and Boys (BMB) mission is to identify the systemic failures which have created unequal health outcomes for black men and boys of color (BMBoC), and to promote policies and system practices which demonstrate the greatest potential for improving their quality of life.

BMB LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CRITERIA
1. African American Male - (Preferred but not limited to the ages of 18 and over)
2. The candidate must be interested in community advocacy
3. Willing to volunteer time to Black Men and Boys projects
4. Willing to represent themselves in a professional manner.
5. The candidate must be willing to complete all training sessions every Saturday 8:00am-12:30pm beginning March 26th- May 7th (No Class on Saturday April 23rd) . BMB Leadership Academy Graduation Ceremony will be held on June 3rd , 2011
6. At the completion of graduation from BMB Leadership Academy, the participant must be willing to serve on 1 of the 6 BMB Committees.
a. Leadership professional and personal Development
b. Education and Training
c. Social-Economic Development
d. Justice and Safety
e. Health Equality
f. Community Capacity.

Academy Sessions Include:
"Building Healthy Communities"
"Black Brotherhood: Building Relationships of Healing & Hope"
"Developing Black Men for Leadership"
"Education"
"The Basics of NonViolence"
"Black Men Health Issues"
"Advocacy & Immigration"
"Conflict Resolution/Mediation"
"Bringing Your "A" Game"
"Building Coalitions Among Diverse Groups"
"Community Organizing and Community Engagements"
"Overcoming Obstacles in the Job Market"
"The Black Entrepreneur"
"Crime Prevention for Black Males" What you gonna do when they come for you?

If you fit the above criteria and are interested in Attending CALL NOW!

559.485.1273

SEATS ARE FILLING UP!

CALL NOW TO PARTNER! If you are interested in partnering with us, we have a partnership letter available. Please contact FWCED at 559-485-1273.

Thank you to our current partners,

Kings of Kings Community Center

Mary Ella Brown Community Center

Hills Document Assistant

Center for Multicultural Cooperation

Keith Kelley - Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development

FACEBOOK PAGE

The Fresno LGBT Community Center, operated by Gay Central Valley, now has expanded hours, and is open 5 days a week...

MONDAYS – CLOSED

TUESDAYS – 1:30PM – 6PM

WEDNESDAYS – NOON – 6PM

THURSDAYS – CLOSED

FRIDAYS – NOON – 5PM

SATURDAYS – NOON – 6PM

SUNDAYS – 9AM - NOON

Fresno's LGBT Community Center is located at 1055 N Van Ness Avenue Suite C, Fresno, CA 93728 559-325-4429

Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79. Taylor was one of the founders of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and was revolutionary in her dedication to bringing awareness to AIDS and to creating an open dialogue about it. When AIDS carried an enormous stigma and help was hard to find for those with HIV, Taylor blazed the trail for AIDS awareness, and continued to do so until the end of her life.

As far as same sex marriage, Taylor once said...

“I've married 8 times, shouldn't they be allowed to marry at least once?”

Courtesy The Advocate...

Taylor's publicist, Sally Morrison, told the Associated Press that the actress died of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Taylor had been treated for symptoms of the condition in recent weeks.

Taylor's son, Michael Wilding, released the following statement as first reported by ABC News: “My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world.”

Read More Here

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the request to end the stay on same sex marriage until the Prop 8 case if finally resolved in the courts.

That decision was appealed to the Ninth Circuit, where the case is tied up on a legal question the panel asked the California Supreme Court to rule upon: Do Prop. 8 sponsors have legal standing to defend the law in court when the state will not.

Read More Here

(Click on the links for more information)

On Wednesday check out...

Peter Robertson Speaks at United Student Pride Meeting

Peter Robertson’s topic is “GLSA + USP: The first three years (1987-1990),” which will include personal recounts of the struggles faced by the Gay Lesbian Student Alliance (GLSA) (today known as United Student Pride or USP) and the organizations’s journey to overcome arson and total destruction of its booth, personal and public homophobic attacks, an appearance on the campus by the Ku Klux Klan, and public fallout from within fr...om some of its very own members.

Included in his presentation will be historic articles and photos that appeared in both “The Daily Collegian” and “The Fresno Bee,” as well as recounting successes such as re-building a new booth, hosting a GLBTQ+ conference on campus that included guest speaker Cleve Jones, presenting two drag shows featuring the Fresno City Bulldrags and members of the Imperial Dove Court de Fresno, and launching the inaugural Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (today known as Fresno Reel Pride).

Facebook Page

then...

On Thursday, check out the GLBTQ Collection Showcase & Open House

Did you know that the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State maintains a GLBTQ collection of more than 500+ books? Attend this special showcase and open house featuring this important collection!

5:30 p.m. Reception • 6:30 p.m. Program • 7:00 p.m. Tour

Details : 559.278.5790

AND

This Friday, check out the Reel Pride DOUBLE FEATURE at Fresno State

5pm Out in the Silence (FREE Reprise Screening)

7pm KABOOM($10 general/$5 Members and Student)

**New Venue: Fresno State's Save Mart Center Complex Leon and Pete Peters Educational Center Auditorium**

Our Night OUT! series presents a two-fer!  The night starts with a FREE 5pm screening of the Emmy Award winning "Out in the Silence" from last year's festival and presented in partnership with the Clovis North Gay Straight Alliance club.  Filmmaker Joe Wilson will be there to introduce the film and answer questions afterward.  Then we kick up the heat with the recent Sundance fave from bad-boy indie filmmaker Gregg Araki, "KABOOM".

Plus...

On Saturday, check out...

Expression Not Suppression (ENS) is a FREE conference for LGBTQQI youth activists and their allies who are dedicated to defeating homophobia and transphobia and creating safe and supportive schools for everyone. The target audience is high school & middle school students. Teachers & GSA advisors are welcome.

Expression Not Suppression

Gay Central Valley's LGBT Community Center continues to grow...

We're working to expand the number of days we are open. Currently we are open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and we've just added the first Tuesday of every month, with the all Tuesdays to follow shortly.

Hours are Wed Noon-6PM, Fri Noon-5PM, Sat Noon-6pm, Sun 9AM-Noon. The first Tuesday of each month we are open 11AM-3PM.

Anyone interested in volunteering for Gay Central Valley, whether to work in the office or for any number of various activities throughout the year, please come into the community center and fill out the appropriate paperwork. We also have a monthly activity driven through our Community Engagement Team, at which we as a group volunteer for other organizations in the Valley. Visit GayCentralValley.org for more information about volunteering for this group, which generally takes no more than 3-4 hours (sometimes less) one day out of the month. In March our team will plant native plants in a nature preserve up by the San Joaquin River for the San Joaquin River Stewardship Program on the first day of Spring, Sunday March 20th from 9 am to noon. In April our team will be helping out at the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus concert at Fresno State on Sunday, April 10th. PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE NOW

We've added more resources and information from community organizations. We offer free condoms and HIV information, free Rainbow Delegation Wristbands, free copies of News Link and other local papers, as well as community schedules and a community bulletin board for upcoming events. Information on the many ways you can participate and/or advertise at the Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade and Festival (June 4th, 2011) is also available.

We've added a guest desk with computer and printer for those who would like to utilize it during our open hours. We also now offer WiFi service, which you may access for free, or choose to make a donation to Gay Central Valley in return for the wireless access.

Groups and organizations are free to utilize our center for their meetings. Simply contact us to arrange your groups meetings, which we provide even during hours when the community center is not regularly open.

We've now catalogued our donated books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as our DVD, CD and VHS selections. Come in anytime during normal operating hours and fill out a library card and you may borrow any of these for a two week period of time, which is available for extension.

Gay Central Valley is reaching out to the community to assist us in covering the monthly cost of our open and operating LGBT Community Center (about $300). With only a few people making regular monthly donations, we can easily cover the cost...

How easily?

All we need is 12 people who can commit to a monthly donation of $25 each and we will have covered our operating expenses for the LGBT Community Center each month. By simply visiting the link below you can set up monthly donations to Gay Central Valley, an official 501(c)3 nonprofit. There are also many other options for monthly donations or one time donations.

We thank those in the community who are able to assist us in keeping Fresno's only LGBT Community Center operating every month, for many years to come.

Click Here to Donate Now

We will spend a day planting native plants in a nature preserve up by the San Joaquin River for the San Joaquin River Stewardship Program on the first day of Spring, Sunday March 20th from 9 am to noon. Please see the email below for the link to a map and registration. We each need to register a head of time because they like to give out volunteer certificates and need everyone's name and correct spelling. I would be happy to transport anyone who needs a ride, just give me a call at 559-443-9901.

About the GCV Community Engagement Team: Spend time each month giving back to Central Valley nonprofit organizations and representing the LGBTQIA community! We will spend one day a month volunteering to improve the lives of others, as a team alongside others in the Fresno area who are making a difference. Team Members will receive a free Gay Central Valley tee shirt to wear at volunteer events. Gay Central Valley will do the leg work to set up volunteer days with friendly organizations and send you a reminder to attend and help. GCV will bring your tee shirt and we will all have fun while doing some good.

Please RSVP on facebook or write to Kate Henry at kate@gaycentralvalley.org.  Hope to have you join us!

Gay Central Valley and the Bulldog Pride Fund have partnered together to present the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) on Sun. April 10^th at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union at 2:30 p.m.

The SFGMC is the world's first openly gay-identified choral organization, and today is the world's largest. It is widely known affectionately as the “grandfather” of the LGBT choral movement. It held its first rehearsal on October 30, 1978. Its first public performance took place a month later on November 27^th at an impromptu memorial at San Francisco City Hall for Mayor George Moscone and openly-gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, both of whom had been assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White earlier that day.

Today, the SFGMC performs under the baton of newly appointed Artistic Director, Dr. Timothy Seelig. Enjoy a two-hour concert by more than 150 members of the SFGMC! Tap-your-toe and hum-a-long to Broadway show tunes and favorite standard classics!

Advance tickets are priced at $10 students, $20 general and $40 VIP. Day of show tickets are priced at $15 students, $25 general and $45 VIP. Purchase advance tickets online at www.gaycentralvalley.com or www.bulldogpride.org.

The Arne Nixon Center, within the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State, is showcasing its collection of more than 500 GLBTQ+ books on Thurs. March 24^th at 5:30 p.m. One of the largest collections on any of the 23 campuses in the California State University system, Fresno State boasts large categories of children’s and young adult selections.

Selections being showcased include “Unfriendly Fire” by Nathanial Frank, “Stonewall” by Martin Duberman, “Outing Yourself” and “Queer in America” by Michelangelo Signorile, “Me” by Ricky Martin, “Gay New York” by George Chancy, “Gay L.A.” by Fresno’s own Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons, “Loving Ourselves” by Kimeron Hardin, “The Mayor of Castro Street” and “And the Band Played On” by Randy Shilts, “Becoming a Man” by Paul Monette, “Crisis” edited by Mitchell Gold with Mindy Drucker, “Dancer from the Dance” by Andrew Holleran, “King and King” by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, “Heather Has Two Mommies” by Leslea Newman, “Daddy’s Roommate” by Michael Willhoite and one of the most-banned children’s book in America “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.

Sponsors one this event include Arne Nixon Center Advocates, Bulldog Pride Fund, XO Productions, Unites Student Pride, GSA Network, Rainbow Delegation, Central California Alliance, Community Link and Gay Central Valley.

The event includes a reception, program and tour of the recently remodeled and expanded library. Tickets are $5 general and $1 students and available online at www.bulldogpride.org. For further details and information, please call 559/278-5790.

Two Films will be screened by Fresno Reel Pride at Fresno State on Thurs. March 25^th in the Peters Education Center Auditorium, adjacent to the Student Recreation Center.

The first film, “Out in the Silence” will be screened at 5:00 p.m. “Out in the Silence” documents a newspaper’s announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson's wedding to Dean Hamer. It ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small hometown (Oil City, Penn.) and a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school.

Screening hosted by Clovis North GSA. Admission is free and includes a special appearance by Joe Wilson, filmmaker. A question and answer discussion will follow the screening.

The second film, “KABOOM” by Gregg Araki will be screened at 7:00 p.m. “KABOOM” is about the character, Smith's everyday life in the dorm - hanging out with his arty, sarcastic best friend Stella, hooking up with a beautiful free spirit named London, lusting for his gorgeous but dim surfer roommate Thor - all gets turned upside-down after one fateful, terrifying night.

Screening sponsors are Bulldog Pride Fund, Central California Alliance, Gay Central Valley, Rainbow Delegation and United Student Pride.  MPAA unrated, no one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian. Admission is $10 general and $5 for members and students.

Fresno Reel Pride online: www.reelpride.com. Fresno Reel Pride on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ReelPride.

United Student Pride, a student group at Fresno State, is hosting guest speaker Peter Robertson on Wed. March 23^rd in USU 310 at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Robertson’s topic is “GLSA + USP: The first five years (1987-1992),” which will include personal recounts of the struggles faced by the Gay Lesbian Student Alliance (today known as United Student Pride or USP) and the club’s journey to overcome arson and total destruction of its booth, personal and public homophobic and heterosexist attacks, appearances on the campus by the Ku Klux Klan, and fallout from within from some of its very own members.

Included in his presentation will be historic clippings and photos that appeared in both “The Daily Collegian” and “The Fresno Bee,” as well as recounting successes such as re-building a new booth, hosting a conference on campus that included guest speaker Cleve Jones, presenting two drag shows featuring the Fresno City Bulldrags and members of the Imperial Dove Court de Fresno, and launching the inaugural Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (today known as Fresno Reel Pride).

In addition to being a founding member of GLSA (USP) in 1987, Robertson and Ken Fries co-founded Fresno Reel Pride in 1990. He was honored as being named a grand marshal in Fresno’s first Pride Parade in 1991.

A three-time graduate of Fresno State with a BA, MA and MBA, Robertson also founded the Bulldog Pride Fund (BPF) in 2005, an endowment that supports student scholarship at Fresno State. Since its inception, the BPF has awarded 14 scholarships totaling $21,000.

Stacy Layne Matthews was, until recently, a contestant on the current season of RuPaul's Drag Race. She was voted off only two weeks ago and is now pursuing a drag career across the United States. Stacy stopped over in Fresno recently, performing exclusively  AT THE NORTH TOWER CIRCLE on January 22nd, 2011. After watching Stacy voted off the show (TRAGEDY!)  I thought I'd call her up and talk about what it takes to get on RuPaul's Drag Race, and how to maintain your sanity once you're there...

Chris Jarvis: Let's talk about the process of what it takes to get on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Stacy Layne Matthews: You know, it was kind of  a last minute thing for me. I sent in a tape and then they contacted me and I was kind of surprised. I didn't expect to get a call back. I'm glad I did.

CJ: Why didn't you expect to get a call back?

SLM: I've never auditioned for anything like that. I did American Idol once.

CJ: What happened on American Idol?

SLM: Well, they liked my voice when I sang, but I guess I wasn't what they were looking for.

CJ: Can you tell me about what happens after you send in a tape and they say they're interested? What's the process like? How long does it take?

SLM: It's a lot of phone calls and a lot of questions. You have to meet with a psychologist, send in measurements, and they ask you a lot of personal information.

CJ: What's the psychologist stuff about?

SLM: I guess they just want to make sure we're sane and we're not going to kill all the other contestants.

(laughter)

CJ: I guess the reason I'm asking is because Delta was just voted off and if anyone should have been spotted by a psychologist it should have been Delta. She was just so depressed and moody.

SLM: Yeah, she sounded sad. You know, the whole pressure of the competition finally caught up with her.

CJ: Well let's talk about that. How much privacy do you get on the show? How much are they on top of you all the time?

SLM: There's a lot of pressure. You know, we were filming for a long time, we'd get up early and go to bed late so it's a lot of pressure. You eat late, not a lot of sleep, so it's a lot of pressure. It was a challenge for me.

CJ: What hour would you guys start and when would it end every day?

SLM: On a good day we would be at the studio about 9AM and we'd leave around 11 at night. We were in drag for a while.

CJ: So let's say for the one episode we see every week, does that entail one week's worth of work?

SLM: Not really, there's a few days for each episode. Some might take longer because we were always on photo shoots.

CJ: What kind of reaction did you get when you were voted off?

SLM: Honestly, there are a lot of people who thought I should still be there and a lot of people who, you know, kind of miss the flavor of the country queen on the show. You don't really have that left on the show, and I hear from a lot of people who are upset that I'm not still on the show.

CJ: You've got a lot of support on Facebook. How is it effecting your local performances?

SLM: I'm doing a lot of shows actually. Next week I'm doing a show in Alabama, then I go to Chicago, and a lot of shows after that.

CJ: Now I know we had you out here and you performed at the North Tower Circle a few weeks ago. Does the LOGO show work with you on getting performances?

SLM: They did. I have my own manager now.

CJ: So tell me, what was your favorite challenge and your least favorite challenge?

SLM: I think my favorite challenge was with the celebrity impersonations, because I've done theater my whole life, so I felt like I shined it that episode, obviously, because I won the challenge.  I think my least favorite was the news episode, because we had to read a teleprompter and it was a lot of work.

CJ: And the impersonation you're talking about is when you did Mo'Nique. Is that something you've done before?

SLM: Yeah, I do it at the clubs.

CJ: Well you nailed Mo'Nique.

SLM: Well you know what there's a place in New York that wants me to come and do a mock talk show as Mo'Nique and I'm working on material for that now.

CJ: Let's talk about the editing on the show.  Do they pretty much film everything that you do?

SLM: They film a lot of stuff that doesn't make it on the show and that people never see, but they have to squeeze all that footage into one hour so it's hard.

CJ: And how do you feel they make you guys look when they edit you? Do you think they make you look cattier than you are?

SLM: I don't feel they did that to me. I think they made me look like one of the sweetest people on the show.

CJ: Absolutely. But how do you feel they portrayed the others? Did they make them look catty?

SLM: Well, you know, we were all kind of catty. It is a competition, you know. It was pretty vicious, but you expect that in any competition.

CJ: Can you say who your favorite on the show was and who was hard to deal with?

SLM: There was a lot of sneakiness going around. The ones I knew were sincere with me were Shangela, Alexis and Jada and Mariah, and we kind of created a bond. The other girls were nice at times but it's a competition so you couldn't really trust anyone.

CJ: Now do you guys have to do all your own costuming? And let me just say this, when they asked you guys to do the cake thing, to decorate cakes, I thought that was weird. I mean, I'm a cake person but you guys are there for drag, not for cake.

(laughter)

SLM: Yeah, they just threw that on us. I was not prepared to decorate a cake.

CJ: So do you have to all the costuming on your own?

SLM: Yeah, nobody helps us with anything. We do all our own makeup and everything.

CJ: So you bring everything with you  or do they give you fabrics to work with?

SLM: There are fabrics there to work with but a lot of the stuff we brought ourselves. We brought our own accessories.

CJ: How much do you interact with RuPaul and the celebrities?

SLM: There's a little bit of interaction between takes. But the production was so tight that we didn't get to sit down and talk to anybody face to face.

CJ: So when you get your main challenge, how much time do you have between when you get the challenge and the moment you're on stage?

SLM: A few hours. Different challenges take different times.

CJ: So if you win the show, what exactly do they do for you? Do they just set you free?

SLM: I have no idea.

CJ: What about those of you who are voted off?

SLM: We still have representatives from LOGO who help us out.

CJ: Was it a good experience? Would you suggest others do it?

SLM: Yeah, it is. I would recommend it for anyone who cares about drag and who wants to put themselves out there, because that's basically what it does. It puts you out to the world and lets people experience what kind of entertainer you are.

CJ: And it must make it a lot easier for you to get bookings after the show.

SLM: Of course. I feel like I handled myself very well on the show and I was very professional. So I know a lot of people will want to work with me now. I didn't portray myself in any negative light.

Stacy Layne Matthews has upcoming performances in North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and then back to Los Angeles, for a RuPaul's Drag Race Reunion episode, which will air after the season ends...Visit Stacy's website at StacyLayneMatthews.com for information on Stacy and to follow her on Twitter...

Gay Central Valley and Bulldog Pride Fund have joined forces to bring the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to Fresno for a Sunday Afternoon concert on April 10th, 2011. The concert will take place on the campus of Fresno State and starts at 2:30pm, and is part of the SFGMC's second year of their California Freedom Tour. All proceeds from the concert and other sales benefit Gay Central Valley, the Fresno LGBT Community Center, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and Bulldog Pride Fund.  There are several ways to be involved in our event...

PROGRAM ADVERTISEMENTS

Business Card Ad        (3.5"x2")                      $50.00

1/4 Page Ad                (2.5"x4")                      $75.00

1/2 Page Ad                (5"x4")                         $100.00

Full Page Ad                (5.25"x 8.25")              $150.00

Inside Front Cover       (5.25"x 8.25")              $200.00

Inside Back Cover       (5.25"x 8.25")              $200.00

Back Cover                  (5.25"x 8.25")              $225.00

(Ad sizes are width X height. Please submit completed ads in JPEG format, 300dpi. Submission Deadline is Thursday, March 31st. Send ads & inquiries to Chris Jarvis at chris@gaycentralvalley.org or call 559-325-4429 for more information.)

We are also accepting donations of raffle items as well as silent auction items. Silent auction items will be on display for bidding prior to and after the performance. Raffle and Silent Auction acknowledgements will be provided. Also, during the concert we will auction off an offer to personally conduct the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus for one song.

Purchase tickets to the event! Tickets are available for online. Please visit gayfresno.com for links. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the event at a slightly higher cost. Youth & Student rates are also available.

Thank you for your support in bringing the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to Fresno. We look forward to seeing you at the show...

Chris Jarvis - Vice President - Gay Central Valley - chris@gaycentralvalley.org 559-274-7577

Gay Central Valley, partnering with Bulldog Pride Fund, is bringing the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to Fresno for a Sunday afternoon concert at Fresno State. The SFGMC has a new artistic director, Tim Seelig, highlighted in the attached video. This is the second year the Chorus has come to Fresno as part of their California Freedom Tour...

Don't miss out... PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

Kathy Griffin is coming back to Fresno on her latest tour. She'll be performing at the William Saroyan Theater on Friday, July 15th at 7:30PM. I've seen Kathy in Fresno twice now it's worth the price of the ticket, I assure you...

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

A local director. A 5 person cast.  No budget.  Small venue.  Do you know what you get when you put all of that together?  A pleasant surprise.  Truthfully, I expected to be disappointed.  Not because I thought it would be a "bad" play, but after years of attending live performances, I've come to have a certain level of expectation that is rarely met.  I've had the esteemed pleasure of sitting front row for three Broadway productions, four at the Orpheum, and several others at venues worldwide, so you have to understand that I'm easily unimpressed by local productions.  This time I was surprised.  I'm not saying that The Wretched Void is Broadway ready, but I have to say that if Mr. Webber were in the same position as Scott Hancock, Cats wouldn't have been much better.  So kudos to the crew of The Cutting Edge for not only making the best of a bad situation, but also for delivering a powerful message on controversial topic with the grace and talent it demands.

The Wretched Void details the struggles of four LGBT youth struggling with acceptance, understanding, and inner turmoil, culminating in tragedy, a story that has become all too familiar these days.  Scotti Maldonado, plays a 15 year old bullied at school and accurately portrays the desperation one feels when attempting to explain "the gay" to someone who is not homosexual.  The frustration of constantly having to repeat the same tiring arguments to the misinformed is evident in his character's demeanor and tone.  Caroline Long and Danielle Jorn give a stellar performance as they personify the relationship of a self-righteous, socialite, single mother and her daughter's coming out.  Their interactions were perfect displays of the common mother-daughter arguments with a lesbian twist.  Bravo ladies, you had me at hello. Jonathan Wheeler's monologue displayed what I believe to be the constant prayer of every gay Christian youth.  I expect that many of them have prayed to their god, pleading for an answer and finding solace in the inevitable.  A true product of fundamentalist parents who can't see past what they were told to believe, their son was left with only one choice.  James Martinez rounds out the ensemble with a letter to those that should have been concerned.  His delivery was real, heartfelt, and deliberate.  I've had the unfortunate displeasure of seeing notes like that one before, having written something like that myself, and it was eerily accurate. 

Now, with the sweets comes the sour, for such is the balance of life.  Nothing ever gets better without some constructive criticism.  As I writer, I'm often the recipient of critiques.  Sometimes I care, sometimes I don't.  It all depends on the delivery.  Having said that, let me say, that of course, the performance could have been better.  The ending seemed almost anti-climactic.  Perhaps that was the intent.  However, I think that if the audience had been drawn in a bit more toward the end and forced back to realty with an old fashion shock, this play would be on their minds months down the road.  The lack of props is sometimes a good thing, sometimes not, but what can you do with a zero budget?  These players need funds people, and I believe with an upgrade to backdrops, costume, and make up, that they will have something spectacular.  Get your checkbooks and support the arts!  As with the evolution of scripts, the dialogue will get better with time and practice, perhaps some tweaking to voice and delivery.  All in all, the good far outweighs the bad, and the entire cast and crew are to be commended for the talent, effort, and passion.

Upon leaving, I felt as though I had just seen the love child of Grover's Corners and the Castro.  That's not a bad thing.  Both places have gained international notoriety and deservingly so.  I like the idea of a gay-themed Our Town.  So if your looking for something to do on March 12, stop by the Starline in Fresno's Tower District and take in the show.  Show times at 1 PM and 5:30 PM.  You won't be disappointed.

Speaker of the House John Boehner has said he will take over defense of DOMA in federal court cases after the Obama administration has declared a portion of DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) be unconstitutional, specifically the part declaring marriage is only between a man and a woman, at least on a federal level.

"The constitutionality of this law should be determined by the courts -- not by the president unilaterally," Boehner said in a statement. "This action by the House will ensure the matter is addressed in a manner consistent with our Constitution."

Boehner has created a committee of both Republicans and Democrats to tackle the task, although some who were included, such as Nancy Pelosi, agrees with the administration.

Pelosi has lauded Obama's decision to stop defending it as a "victory for civil rights, fairness and equality." She added "This is nothing more than a distraction from our most pressing challenges."

READ MORE HERE

Imperial Dove Court de Fresno Madera Inc presents the CINDERELLA BALL. Come join us for an Enchanted Evening. Contest for the titles of Prince Charming, Cinderella, Wicked Step Mother and Ugly Step Sister. Anyone can enter. Applications are at the bars or online at www.idcfresno.org, as well as at the event. (21 & Older Only)

March 19th 2011. Doors at 6PM, Music 6:45PM & Show @7PM. 4030 E Belmont Avenue Fresno CA 93702.

Tickets: Presale $10 * Door $15 * Online $11 * www.idcfresno.org

Info: Regent Empress 37 Margo Starr 559-905-6674

Mardi Gras Parade 2011

A recent study, titled, Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations, assembled by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has been released through the Journal of Homosexuality. Twenty-six researchers, clinicians, educators and policy experts were involved. The report studies the prevalence and underlying causes of suicidal behavior in the LGBT community.

The study set out to...Summarize what is currently known about completed suicide, suicide

attempts and suicide risk across the lifespan...Identify knowledge gaps most in need of future research, and make recommendations for how these can be addressed, and...Offer recommendations for applying what is already known to reduce suicidal behavior and suicide risk in sexual minority populations.

The study ties the rate of LGBT suicide to the inequities of civil rights in the LGBT community. Some conclusions the study come to are to...Advocate for anti-bullying and safe schools legislation, and for the specific inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in protective legislation

related to school safety...Advocate for changes in all federal and state laws and regulations that

create inequities based on sexual orientation or gender identity and have been shown to have negative mental health outcomes or otherwise heighten suicide risk for LGBT people...Advocate for improved access to mental health services through nondiscrimination policies and expansion of health insurance coverage to same-sex partners...Advocate for legislation requiring measures of sexual orientation and gender identity to be incorporated into federally supported benchmark surveys and other population-based databases related to health and mental health, so that the consequences of inequities affecting LGBT people can be more fully identified.

READ OR DOWNLOAD THE STUDY HERE

Here Media, the world’s largest gay media company, has joined with Greater Than AIDS -- a new national movement to respond to AIDS in America -- to inform and engage the LGBT community about HIV/AIDS.  The multimedia partnership includes public service announcements (PSAs) and expanded HIV/AIDS news and editorial across Here Media’s iconic brands -- including Gay.com, OUT, The Advocate, HIV Plus, and MPOWRPlus.com. A dedicated new web portal, http://www.gay.com/greaterthan, provides targeted information and resources for gay and bisexual men.

Gay and bisexual men account for about half of all Americans living with HIV/AIDS today and are the only risk group among which new infections are on the rise. According to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five (19%) men who have sex with men (MSM) in major U.S. cities today are HIV-positive -- and as many as half of those who are infected don’t know it.

"Homophobia and other social stigmas, low self-esteem, and high rates of substance use contribute to rising rates of HIV infections among our community," said Joe Valentino, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Here Media. "We are proud to partner with Greater Than AIDS to educate and empower our audience. This partnership refocuses our community’s attention on the important need to reduce the spread of HIV."

"As one of the communities hardest hit by the disease, gay and bisexual men have been at the center of the AIDS crisis since the early days of the epidemic," said Stephen Massey, Associate Director of Entertainment Media Partnerships at the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, a founding partner of Greater Than AIDS. "In joining with Greater Than AIDS, Here Media is providing a powerful platform to reach the gay community with action-oriented and empowering messages and helping to mobilize a new generation in response to HIV/AIDS."

June 2011 will mark 30 years since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed. More than 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV today, and at least half a million more have died of AIDS complications. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been at the center of the epidemic since its earliest days and today account for more than half of new infections in this country. According to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five (19%) gay and bisexual men in some the largest U.S. cities are living with HIV -- and half of those who are positive don’t know it. MSM are the only risk group among which new infections are on the rise.

April is STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) on the lives of Americans and the importance of preventing, testing for, and treating STDs. It is an opportunity to normalize routine STD testing and conversations about sexual health. Read more about STD Awareness Month in the Senate and the House of Representatives Congressional Resolutions.

Since 2009, MTV, the Kaiser Family Foundation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other partners have been supporting National STD Awareness Month with the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign to inform young people about STDs, encourage and normalize testing for STDs, and connect young people to testing centers. While here on the STD Awareness Month site, please check out our GYT campaign section for the latest campaign materials to help spread the word through posters, banner ads, widgets, and more. The Kaiser Family Foundation offers partner information about the GYT campaign on its Web site, or you can go directly to the campaign Web site at www.GYTnow.org.

We hope the content on this site will assist your efforts to educate, motivate, and mobilize your local community in the prevention of STDs, not just in April, but year round.

For more information on STDs, visit www.cdc.gov/std.

For more information about the STD Awareness Resource Site, e-mail mhabel@cdc.gov.

With all the chaos around DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) it's helpful to understand exactly what the law does and how it might effect you as a couple. You can get details about the law

and the following article, courtesy of the Huffington Post and written by Bill Donius, explains more...

In case you don't know what "DOMA" is, it is the legislation titled, "Defense of Marriage Act," enacted in 1996. DOMA enshrines discrimination against gays and lesbians by permitting states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Does DOMA matter? If you're in a heterosexual marriage, recognition of same sex marriages may not matter to you. Your marriage is recognized by the state and federal government, not to mention your family, friends and co-workers -- society in general. If you have one of these, you are entitled the automatic rights and privileges that go along with a civil marriage. i.e. if your spouse dies, you collect the benefits, you get the tax breaks, the hospital visitation rights and a myriad of other benefits conveyed by law. No problems, no questions asked.

READ MORE HERE

The seventh circuit court of appeals in Illinois has ruled that the wearing of anti-gay t-shirts in school is okay.

Students, protesting the Day Of Silence, an annual event which highlights the bullying of kids at school, wore shirts to school that proclaimed BE HAPPY NOT GAY, which was then changed to BE HAPPY BE STRAIGHT, until a school administrator stepped in and censored the students.

In its opinion, the court said a “school that permits advocacy of the rights of homosexual students cannot be allowed to stifle criticism of homosexuality...people in our society do not have a legal right to prevent criticism of their beliefs or even their way of life.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Despite the urgings of the American Foundation for Equal Rights and the Courage Campaign for an expedited trial in the appeal of the overturning of Proposition 8, the California Supreme Court has stated it will not move the hearings up from the current date of September of this year.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights and the California Attorney General have also asked that while the case is being heard that the current stay on same sex marriage in the state be lifted.

Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign issued a statement including the following...

"With Proposition 8 already ruled unconstitutional in federal court, it is imperative that the ninth circuit court of appeals immediately lift the stay on enforcement of this decision so that families like Riverside’s Derence Kernek and Ed Phillips — together for 40 years but now waging a battle against Alzheimer’s Disease — are able to marry before it’s too late. I challenge the California supreme court — or any court for that matter — to tell Derence or Ed that they have not yet earned that right."

READ MORE HERE

The atheist movement continues to grow and make itself a force in a world filled with religious hyperbole. The following video is from the Center For Inquiry. Their mission statement is...

The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.

Courtesy Associated Press...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral must yield to First Amendment protections for free speech. All but one justice sided with a fundamentalist church that has stirred outrage with raucous demonstrations contending God is punishing the military for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

The 8-1 decision in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., was the latest in a line of court rulings that, as Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion for the court, protects "even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."

The decision ended a lawsuit by Albert Snyder, who sued church members for the emotional pain they caused by showing up at his son Matthew's funeral. As they have at hundreds of other funerals, the Westboro members held signs with provocative messages, including "Thank God for dead soldiers," ''You're Going to Hell," ''God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11," and one that combined the U.S. Marine Corps motto, Semper Fi, with a slur against gay men.

Justice Samuel Alito, the lone dissenter, said Snyder wanted only to "bury his son in peace." Instead, Alito said, the protesters "brutally attacked" Matthew Snyder to attract public attention. "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," he said.

READ MORE HERE

Gay Central Valley is considering offering some FREE self improvement workshops through our LGBT Community Center. Classes would be helmed by a professional and would be on subjects such as smoking cessation or stress reduction.

We'd like to hear from the community about what topics you'd like to see offered at such workshops. This will help us better determine the audience that is out there and how to best serve them.

Please feel free to post suggestions on our Facebook page or message us.

Courtesy the Adovcate...

The American Family Association's in-house attorney says that while he and many members of his organization believe that marriage should be reserved only for heterosexual adults, the Defense of Marriage Act is "probably unconstitutional."

While those bringing Judge Walker's historic judgment to appeal will be scrutinized by the California Supreme Court later this year, more California officials are standing behind the civil rights of LGBT Californians and pushing back hard against the continued injustices we face.

After then Governor Schwarzenegger and then Attorney General Jerry Brown supported Walker's decision to overturn Prop 8 and refused to appeal the decision, others took up the charge. However those bringing the appeal, the same involved in the original Prop 8 case, are now subject to the discretion of the California Supreme Court as to whether they have the standing to appeal the case. That case is set to begin sometime in September and could delay any decision in the Prop 8 case until early next year.

Meanwhile, just last week, Ted Olson, on behalf of AFER, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the group that helmed the battle in the first place, asked the courts to lift the current stay on same sex marriages granted during the appeal process. Olson pointed out that the case was to originally have been a speedy one, and with the current delay, the injustices to LGBT Americans in California is unacceptable. Now, the current Attorney General of California, Kamala Harris, has joined the effort, requesting the stay be lifted while the appeal takes place.

Harris stated...

The appeal’s likelihood of success has been substantially diminished, Harris said in her statement to the court, “both by the United States Attorney General’s conclusion that classifications based on sexual orientation cannot survive constitutional scrutiny and by this Court’s certification order to the California Supreme Court, which seriously questions the Court’s jurisdiction to decide the merits of the case.”

Harris went on to cite the recent decision by the Obama administration not to defend DOMA in appeals court.

READ MORE HERE