The 22nd Annual Central Valley & Fresno's GLBT Pride Parade and Festival will take place on SATURDAY, June 2nd 2012 in the Tower District between 10am and 3pm.
Dine for Pride at Tacos Marquitos all day on Friday May 25th. Javier, the wonderful owner, is donating 20% of his sales for the day. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Let me say right off that I understand the skepticism and the caution. President Obama, after all, waited nearly four years to say anything this unequivocal. He sat and watched while state after state chose to pull right after right away, sometimes preemptively. Sometimes he spoke up, but generally, it was weak tea.
But, this time it was different. He said:
"At a certain point, I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
Now, there are two schools of thought. One is that he has "evolved," like he had stated, and that this is something that he has come to during his presidency. The other is that this is a political calculation, done to try and garner votes (whether he believes it or not is immaterial).
I am going to come out right now and say neither matters. This is still a good thing. This is a sitting president publicly throwing in his lot with lgbt people. After North Carolina, no one can deny that we need that endorsement right now. At the very least, it is a tiny bit of salve on the wound.
Should he have come out with this before the election in North Carolina? Well, do you honestly believe it would have made a difference? It was not a small margin that it lost by. I really don't believe that anyone who cared about gay rights would have stayed home just because the president hadn't given his endorsement. Honestly, I think it is a more likely scenario that it would have riled more bigots up to get out and vote against it because Obama supported it.
But, coming on the heels of this loss... we are angered. We are hurting. We are motivated again. We are cognizant once again of what happens when we are complacent, when we don't speak loudly enough. Once again, we see the results of those who already speak loudly, with a cable news microphone, throwing lighter fluid on the flames.
And then the President came in and sacrifices his queen for us. He knows that this will anger some people to the point that they will never vote for him again, even if they voted for him the last time. But, honestly, there were a lot of people who were going to throw this election away, because they wouldn't vote for him if he didn't come out for gay marriage. Maybe not enough to make a difference, but enough to make his election to a second term not a sure thing. And, that is too close for comfort.
Because, what would our other option be? Mitt Romney? That's not just biting off your nose to spite your face, that's lopping off the whole head. Ron Paul? Yeah, he's for gay marriage, but against rights for women and blacks. And Gingrich? He supports a federal (!) amendment to ban gay marriage.
We cannot do anything that would put any of these men and their ilk in the White House. We cannot stay home. We cannot be complacent. We cannot lose. People are waiting, with their lives on hold, for people to understand that rights are not given. That's why are called rights. But, rights have been denied and we need to change that.
President Obama is not perfect, but we don't get perfect in politics. However, when I have to chose between not perfect and perfectly awful, I will vote for not perfect everytime.
The President is no longer riding the fence. He is with us, for better or for worse. We need to have his back. We need to support him and win this election in a landslide. We also need to vote out the bigots in Congress who have been thwarting every move he has tried to make. Change cannot happen when only one person is doing it. We need to get people in there that will work with him and people who believe in fairness and equality.
He sacrificed his queen for us. Now, let's protect his King and get her back.
President Obama, marking the end of a prolonged "evolution" on the issue, now favors allowing homosexual couples to marry, he said in a television interview Wednesday.
The announcement comes days after Vice President·Joe Biden’s comments that he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay marriage put new pressure on Obama to clarify his position on the issue.
Obama told·ABC'sRobin Roberts Wednesday: "Over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."
So, you are going to see the doctor. Have you prepared? In this day and age, going to see your doctor isn't like it was for we old guys and gals who were around in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Back then you could just show up on his doorstep (his because a woman doctor was an almost unheard of commodity then, whereas today all but one of the physicians and specialists I see are female) and you'd get seen. Back then it also cost $3 for an office visit and for $7 — at least in the Highlands area of Louisville where I grew up — Dr. Elliott Podoll or Dr. Lennie Rosenblatt would come with his little black bag to the house and treat you in your own bed!
Times have certainly changed and with them there's a lot more paperwork, restrictions and that rather odious (to many of us) thing called HIPAA.
That's the well-meaning law which guarantees privacy but does so to such an extreme degree not even our lovers, best friends, rabbi, priest or sister-in-law can find out we are even in the hospital or at the doctor's much lass what the prognosis is. I could go on and on about how much I personally hate HIPAA and how I always write in a bunch of names I especially want to know how I am doing, followed by "and anyone who cares to ask!"
But HIPAA aside, doctors have changed a lot since the old days and if you are caught off-guard you might find that $45 office visit or $50 or $20 co-pay if you have insurance is money wasted. That's largely because so many physicians' practices are not owned by the friendly doctor who sees you (as was always the case before) hut by some hospital or mega-corporation off in some far-flung city.
At HQ you aren't a patient but a client and you are known by an account number or by whether you pay the bill or not. Care has changed and for the patients, and often the doctors who don't usually like working for some big brother, either not for the best. The bean counters determine just how long your doctor gets to see you, as well as how many patients he or she must see to have an "efficient day." This, of course, doesn't take into account that seeing someone with sniffles and a sore throat will take less time whereas someone with HIV/AIDS or a major concern will need a lot more. It also doesn't take into account any pleasantries like "How was your vacation?" or any "extras" you might want to ask about (like that mole which changed color and worries you but is not the prime reason you made an appointment).
So what can we, as patients, do? First remember that a doctor today is just like a store or restaurant. If you go to Macy's and want a blue dress shirt but they have nothing to fit, you try Nordstrom's or Sears Roebuck or J.C. Penney. If you want a crab dinner and the first place you go doesn't sell those, you go to a different restaurant. The same thing applies here: If the doctor you see sells his or her practice or just is not a good fit for your needs, then shop for another one. It's business. And unlike settling for roast beef when you want crab or white when you want a blue shirt, this is your health and life we're talking about.
When searching for a new doctor, be sure you include asking while considering a physician if they take your insurance, what their office policy about time with patients is, how to get refills on your prescriptions and anything else you need to know — including no-brainers like days and hours they are open. If you need to, make a list before you go for your get-acquainted appointment and make sure you get the answers you want. Keep shopping if the responses aren't to your liking.
I don't know what to say that I haven't said before. I don't know how to convince people if it didn't work before. I don't know how to hold back this tide of fear and hate that seems to be gaining tread in this country, in this world.
But, being quiet doesn't feel like an option.
Bigots won today in North Carolina. They won last week at the Methodist General Conference.
The definition of a bigot is a "person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, irrationality, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs."
How is deciding that others should not have the very same rights that you enjoy just by existing not being irrational and intolerant?
I am not "name-calling." I am "naming." There is a difference. This is not a word meant to hurt, but a word meant to make them open their eyes. If there is a tiny shred of humanity left in them...it just might make them listen and think about what they do.
The whole thing just makes my heart hurt and I get a feeling that we are feeling what the civil rights worker in the 60's felt. But, then, realizing that what they felt was probably even stronger and that they really were in the face of greater odds (we at least have that legislation and time to piggyback on), I feel like we can do this. This is only a blip in time and one day it'll be in a history book. And, when our grandkids read about it, we can say "We fought for equal rights. We lost friends. We lost battles. Sometimes, we lost hope. But, we picked ourselves up and we kept fighting. We did it, because it was the only right thing to do."
Hopefully, by then, this will all be over and out grandkids will be amazed that this was ever an issue.
North Carolina voters approve a referendum to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage
Written by Jason Scott
Tuesday, 08 May 2012 17:22
A constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in North Carolina, even though state law already forbids such unions, appears to have passed.
Amendment 1 had the support of more than 59% of the nearly 1 million votes tallied about an hour after polls closed Tuesday night, according to figures from the State Board of Elections. Its backers prepared to celebrate by serving wedding cake to their supporters in a Raleigh ballroom, even as Tami Fitzgerald, the head of Vote for Marriage NC, noted it was "a bit early."
I am not ashamed to be a Methodist...but, they should be
Written by Vickye Ashton
Tuesday, 08 May 2012 17:08
Dear Methodist General Conference,
Congratulations. You’ve just re-affirmed acceptance of homophobia in the name of a man who told you to go and love everyone…without exception.
In this day and age, one would think that we have moved past this pettiness and into a space where we can allow for love to thrive, unhindered. One would expect a world that can see what is obvious: love is love is love. One would hope that we have learned from our lessons of the past: singling out a group for derision never ends well…for anyone, but most especially for that group.
You see, you can take the Bible, point to a few carefully picked verses, and claim that this is what God wants, but I would be very careful about doing that. As soon as you start using the Bible, or Jesus, as a tool of segregation, you have totally missed the point of your religion. Moreover, you seem to have completely missed the New Testament.
Jesus didn’t put caveats, disclaimers, conditions, or rules on his order to love you neighbor. He never said that anyone had any reason that they shouldn’t be able to hang with him. In fact, he chose to hang with those who most of us wouldn’t want to share a pew with on Sundays. And, he just loved them. He never told anyone they were “incompatible “with his teachings.
The main point behind almost all of Jesus’s lessons were to be kind to each other. I fail to see how telling a person that they are “incompatible” with lessons about kindness, simply because of who they fell in love with, is following Jesus’s teachings. It is simply mean. It serves no purpose other than to make a small-minded person feel big.
Homosexuality is not, nor has it ever been, incompatible with Christian teachings. However, homophobia, and the promulgation of it, IS.
I love my gay families and when you are talking to them, you are talking to ME.
Maurice Sendak dies at 83, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are'
Written by Jason Scott
Tuesday, 08 May 2012 10:46
Children's book author Maurice Sendak died in Connecticut Tuesday morning. He was 83.
Longtime publisher Michael di Capua told the New York Timesthat Sendak died of complications from a recent stroke.
Sendak, the author of several iconic books including Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen,and Higglety Pigglety Pop!, came out publicly in 2008. He had lost his partner of fifty years, psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn, in 2007. When asked why he had not been out previously, he said he "just didn't think it was anybody's business."
So, you finally met the one, you've played the dating game, set the sheets on fire, learned to sleep in the same bed and left your toothbrush at his house. You finally found the courage to say the L word — that's love, not lesbian — and now you're left with that final step. Cohabitation. Terrifying, right?
Someone is going to be there with you all the time to see you at your worst. Will he still love you when he sees you every day, warts and all? Not only that, the odds are you won't be able to leave your cereal bowl on the coffee table for a week. It's scary and exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time.
Yes, I'm fully aware that I have written about the joys of being single and living alone. I believe my exact words were: "Not only are you free to date and flirt and fuck to your heart's content, but you can watch porn any time you want, throw your clothes on the floor and drink orange juice right out of the carton. It's awesome. If you want to jump up and fly to Vegas for a weekend full of whiskey and wet Platinum, have at it. If you want to strip down and dance on the coffee table in nothing but your Asics, knock you, sell out. Freedom reigns, baby." I still believe that. If you're single.
I also revealed the other side of the coin: "You do sleep alone — that can be a blessing or a curse, I guess — and there's no one waiting for you when you get home. You have no one special to share life's amazing moments and no one to hold you close when you're feeling down. When you're alone, you are alone with your empty bedroom and uninhabited living room seemingly closing in on you."
There are pros and cons to a life lived with the person you love. Are you familiar with the saying "familiarity breeds contempt"? Let me boil that down for you: it means being around someone all the time has the tendency to make you want to slit his throat while he sleeps. Okay maybe it's not that bad, but just like every other facet of a real relationship living with someone takes a lot of work. The quirks and bad habits that you both have will be thrust into a spotlight.
Oh, you don't have any bad habits? Is that so? See the thing is what you may not consider a bad habit may actually be something that drives your partner crazy. Maybe you feel like the dishwasher has to be loaded a certain way in order to get the maximum cleaning effect. Sounds like a good idea, right? But when someone puts the dishes in the dishwasher in a way that you feel is incorrect and you complain about this time and time again, your nagging is definitely a bad habit.
Here's an example: when my boyfriend leaves half empty water bottles or glasses of water sitting around my apartment I tend to pick them up and take them to the kitchen. I feel like unless we are currently starring in the movie Signs, there's realy no need for this kind of behaviour. It turns out he leaves them scattered around so he has water nearby whenever he needs it, which is perfectly logical and apparently quite common. When I get rid of the bottles and glasses he has to go back to the kitchen for more water and this tends to irritate him. These are two perfectly normal behaviours, but each of us sees the other's actions as a bad habit.
There are plenty more extreme examples, but I used this one as one way to say how the smaller things that will annoy you about your partner are trivial, and all you have to do is shrug them off and your new life together will be so much easier. There's a huge difference between the bad habit of selling heroin from your house and the bad habit of leaving the cap off of the toothpaste. You need to always remember to pick your battles.
When you live with someone there are many decisions you will have to make and responsibilities you have to share. Just like every column I've written in these pages about every part of a mature and healthy relationship, communication is the key whether you're discussing the proper place to display your vintage Star Wars poster or whether or not to paint the house as pink as Nicki Minaj's new wig, all decisions are made together. Compromising and keeping an open mind are staples a your new two-sided decisions. Some things don't need to be discussed in a committee — like when to feed the dogs or which show to watch first on the DVR, but the things which affect you both and the things that both of you feel strongly about are definitely going to be on the table.
Believe it or not the dynamic of a gay relationship actually lends itself to faster resolutions. I'm sure you've heard that irritating and somewhat homophobic thing that straight people say: "well, which one of you is the wife?" Well, guess what? Because there is no traditional division of power — which even now in the age of empowered women seems archaic — it is a known fact that gay couples argue more constructively and with more humour than our heterosexual friends. Not only that, but fairness and power sharing are more prevalent in gay relationships than they are in straight relationships. What does this mean? It means that we can come to a civil solution a lot quicker than Dick and Jane arguing over what kind of wallpaper to put in the master bathroom.
Now let's say you can't come to an agreement about something involving your home or your money or your relationship and your discussion is now a full-blown argument. The best advice I can give you is don't go to bed until it's resolved. Going to bed angry is the absolute worst. It feels like there's a thousand miles between the two of you as you lay there waiting for the other person to apologise. So let me repeat myself: never go to bed angry. Simple, right? The one thing you have to realise, however, is that you have to be mature enough to cool down your argument, talk it out until it's resolved, and then engage in, ahem.. "making up". All before that 6.45 a.m. alarm.
So we've talked about communication and keeping your fights out of the bedroom — two simple things that often don't feel very simple — but there's one other thing that is very important: time for yourself. Like I said earlier; being around someone every day can be taxing, especially when you still haven't learned to shrug off the petty annoyances that come with cohabitation.
It's in everyone's best interest if both of you take time away from your relationship (Disclaimer: When I say time away from your relationship. I do not mean the kind of "time away" where you have sex with other people.) to do your own thing, whether it's hanging out in the clubs with your friends, spending the afternoon riding the trails or going to a movie that your partner has no interest in seeing. It can even be a trip home for a couple days to visit your parents or a weekend trip out of town to catch up with an old friend. It's surprising how much you appreciate someone when you haven't seen them for a few days. I guess that other saying: "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is veny true as well.
Now that we've gone over the ways to survive living with the person you love without going to jail for murder, let's wrap this up by talking about how awesome it can be. A smile always waiting for you when you get home. A body wrapped in your arms at night. A constant companion and friend to share all the little things that make you happy. A helping hand in repairs, yard work and even in your latest culinaly experiment. A wardrobe consultant when you need it and a voice of reason when you really need it. A sounding board when you want to rant about work or complain about the character development on The Vampire Diaries. It's all of these things and so much more. It's everything every one of us hopes for and dreams about when see are ready to settle down and share our lives with someone who is our partner and our equal. Keep an open mind and an open heart as you start your journey together. Fill your home with light, love and laughter and everything else will fall into place. And don't forget to pick up your water bottles.
Although our logo has changed, you can expect the same level of commitment to the community. We will be announcing a new partnership and more regular postings as we move forward. Stay tuned....
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EVENT: The Laramie Project - 10 Years Later
Written by Chris Jarvis
Saturday, 05 May 2012 18:06
Gay Central Valley is proud to present, in cooperation with the New Conservatory Theater Center in San Francisco, THE LARAMIE PROJECT - 10 YEARS LATER.
Ten years after the brutal death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, five members of Tectonic Theatre Project returned to Laramie to try to understand the long-term effect of the murder. They found a town wrestling with its legacy and its place in history.
There will be two exclusive performances in Fresno on June 16th and 17th at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The 16th is an evening performance and the 17th is an afternoon performance.
There will also be a special Laramie AFTER PARTY at the North Tower Circle the night of the 16th. A five dollar donation at the door is requested. Horchata Fresca and Friends will be performing an Exclusive Drag Show that night and there will be free giveaways and a Sea of Green Raffle. The cast of The Laramie Project - 10 Years Later will also be at the Circle for a Meet & Greet...Visit the Facebook event for the After Party HERE
Both events are a great way for you to support the LGBT Community Center while having a great entertainment experience at the same time...
Peter Robertson Receives "Spirit of Service Award"
Written by Chris Jarvis
Thursday, 03 May 2012 15:04
PETER ROBERTSON BA, 1992; Jordan CAST MA, 1995; A&H MBA, 2005; Business
CLASS NOTE: Peter Robertson (BA ’92, MA ’95, MBA ’05) (pictured right), who has worked at Fresno State for the past decade, has received the 2012 "Spirit of Service Award" presented to a staff member from President John D. Welty (pictured left). The award “Recognizes his exemplary commitment to community engagement." In 2006, as a volunteer, Robertson founded the Bulldog Pride Fund (www.bulldogpride.org), an endowed scholarship that supports students at Fresno State. By this fall, the $220,000+ endowment will have provided 23 scholarships valued at $39,000 to students based upon academic achievement, financial need and service to the community.
He has also volunteered throughout the community for the past 25 years with organizations such as Fresno Reel Pride Film Festival, Fresno Grand Opera, Fresno Art Museum, Tree Fresno, Rainbow Delegation and Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade. In 2011, Robertson was bestowed the “Arthur Safstrom Service Award” by the Fresno State Alumni Association at the Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala; the “Spirit of Caring Award” from HandsOn California; as well as a “Volunteer Service Award” from President Barack Obama.
I recently had an opportunity to speak with Linda Perry. If you don’t know her, you should. She is a successful singer, songwriter, producer and an out lesbian. Originally known as a musical force with her band The 4 Non Blondes, Linda is one of the most sought after names in the music industry. The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center holds an annual event called An Evening With Women. Linda Perry and Brent Bolthouse, along with Shannon Del, Annie Goto and Kelly Lynch, have co-chaired this event at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel for the past five years.
PWB: How did you come to be involved with An Evening With Women?
LP: The Center had come to me a couple times about participating in an event; I also received a Creative Integrity Award from them. I think it was the 4th time they invited me, I decided to do it and it was held at a place called The Music Box. The event had been going on for years but was much smaller then, at a different type of level. I decided if I was going to be involved with it then I would have to make it over so it could be a bigger, more solid event that would help make more money for The Center; to get the word out to more people, more advertisements, get more celebrities involved. Basically, to team up to make more money for The Center was my number one goal and it is really a fun event.
PWB: Do you do other work with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center? Or is this your primary focus there?
LP: No, this one event is pretty time consuming. I have my work that I do and I’m pretty busy all the time. Besides GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and obvious things, I’m always a part of The Center. I dedicate my time to this event for the women’s portions of the programs and services there because, you know, the women struggle more. It’s just the way it is. We don’t have as much going on as a lot of the men’s services; they get a lot of money. There are a lot of gay men out there that are so awesome, they’re out, they’re spending money, and they are being a part of things. They go out and support gay bars and events; they’re wonderful. But part of why women’s bars can’t stay open is because women aren’t like that; we don’t go out as much. We want to hibernate, be in bed at 8:00pm with our girlfriends, snuggling, drinking tea and watching a movie with our dogs. We don’t want to go out, go to bars, and be out there “doing” the nightlife. This event is that one time a year where I go after them and say, “Hey ladies, can we seem to gather up the momentum to be a part of this and make it happen?” It’s not so much a male/female thing, but, if you go to the (The Center’s Anniversary) Gala, it’s huge, it’s massive, and it’s very male-dominated in attendance. The guys are out supporting the bars, the scene, you know? Women, we’re not like that. We want to pack up the U-Haul and move into our new girlfriend’s house that we’ve known for three days. That’s what we do. (laughs)
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EVENT: Fresno State hosts GLENNE McELHINNEY (Lesbian filmmaker)
Written by Peter Robertson
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 13:02
“On These Shoulders We Stand” With Filmmaker Glenne McElhinney Thursday, April 26, 2012 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
· Free screening takes place in the Henry Madden Library, Room 2134.
Open to the public.
Not everything began with Stonewall. On These Shoulders We Stand is an illuminating historical account of early gay life and activism in Los Angeles told by the people who lived it.
Synopsis: Eleven elders of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community in Los Angeles chronicle gay life from the 1950s into the early 1980s. The film brings to light Los Angeles' hidden gay history by interweaving first person accounts with narration and unprecedented access to seldom-seen archival materials.
For more information call the Central Valley Cultural Heritage Institute at 278-6946
Be The Change…Tuesday, May 1st…California State University, Fresno…Free Speech Area…5200 N Barton (off of Shaw & Barton)…10:30AM – 1:30PM…A project of United Student Pride…click on the Comments link below for a full size flier…
We aren't asking for much. Just a pledge of $10 a month; about the cost of taking yourself and a friend out for a fancy drink or a foo-foo coffee. But, even the smallest donation makes a huge difference!
Spring has come to Fresno! Perhaps a bit early, perhaps not on the schedule we had hoped for, but never-the-less, spring is here which means that summer is just around the corner. Here at the Fresno LGBT+ Community Center we are excited about the change of seasons. Summer brings Pride. Summer brings the Laramie Project - 10 Years Later. Summer brings the NoH8 Project to Fresno.
As we pause a moment now to take a slow deep breath of the newly blooming flowers (or a quick breath and then an allergy pill), it is good to remember those goals we set back at New Years, those to-do lists that we were going to work on, the resolutions we might have forgotten, the promises we totally intended to keep...
I know a lot of you thought about being more active in your community in the coming year. I know a lot of you hoped to be able to spend more time at the Community Center or wished to find a way to be more supportive. Well, the good news is that you still have that chance!
Our Fresno LGBT+ Community Center is the only brick and mortar center of its kind between Sacramento and Los Angeles. We service, on average, over 240 calls, over 40 walk-ins, and several dozen email information requests a month. We support our community with an ever expanding lending library of books (fiction and nonfiction), DVDs and even VHS tapes. (The library is in the process of being computerized so you will soon be able to tell, from the comfort of your couch, what titles we have available.)
But we are probably the most proud of the unique and ongoing support and social programs that we are able to host. Currently we provide space over 30 times a month for groups and individuals to come in, get informed, get involved, to meet, and to connect.
As the economy spiraled down and unemployment rose, we know many of our community members struggled financially. But we also know that the need is greater than ever in today's climate of fear and conservative thinking.
I would like to invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor to the LGBT+ Community Center. Obviously, we are grateful for any and all one time donations, but as we look towards expansion and providing even more services to our community we want to able to plan, to dream big, and that takes consistent community support.
We aren't asking for much. Just a pledge of $10 a month; about the cost of taking yourself and a friend out for a fancy drink or a foo-foo coffee.
$10 a month can help us keep the lights on, the coffee pot plugged in, and the folding chairs set up for those in our community who need our services.
$10 a month can help our staff be here and able to answer the phone calls that come in, almost daily, from youth that need help with bullying, middle aged community members who need help finding legal advice, elderly transgendered people looking for a friendly ear... basically they all need a way to not feel so isolated and alone.
$10 a month can help us add more groups, more events, and more places for people to come together, to find solace and community.
$10 a month can help us expand our office hours from 20 hours a week (currently) to maybe 25... and then maybe 30...
The possibilities are endless. But we can't do it alone.
All donations are tax deductible, but more than that all donations are essential to helping the center thrive.
Even the smallest donation makes a huge difference.
It's spring. It is time to plant... seeds for tomorrow, hopes for the seasons to come.
Gay Central Valley Board of Directors Jason Scott, President Chris Jarvis, Vice President Kaylia Metcalfe, Secretary Brooke Burk, Treasurer Kate Henry, Member Jaymi Morgan, Member
Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law
More about the Fresno LGBT+ Community Center:
The Fresno LGBT+ Community Center, which opened in January 2011, currently serves as a safe space, a resource center, an ever expanding lending library, and a meeting site for multiple programs including support groups (AA, CMA, Transgender, Women, Coming Out, etc), social programs (creative, hobby, and community building), and informational workshops (name / gender change, legal rights, etc). The Center also facilitates several community activities such as LGBT themed health fairs and fund raisers, as well as bringing nationally renowned cultural events to the Fresno area such as the San Francisco Gay Men’s Choir, the NOH8 Campaign, the Laramie Project – 10 Years Later, etc.
Gay Central Valley and the Fresno LGBT Community Center are staffed by volunteers and volunteer board members. Our programs are also facilitated by volunteers from the community and by volunteer board members. Currently, we have no paid positions. All board members are fiscally supportive of Gay Central Valley and the LGBT Community Center. Several of our board members donate 15-30 hours a week to Gay Central Valley and the Fresno LGBT Community Center.
For a full listing of programs and upcoming events, please visit the Fresno LGBT Community Center’s website at www.fresnlgbtcenter.org
EVENT: The FAIR Education Act: Extending FAIRness In Our Schools
Written by Chris Jarvis
Tuesday, 24 April 2012 11:23
The FAIR Education Act: Extending FAIRness in Our Schools
The Printise J. Womack Lecture endowment, the Henry Madden Library, and the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature invite everyone to attend a panel discussion on the FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, Respectful) Education Act. The discussion will be held on May 1st from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Henry Madden Library, Room 2206.
Signed into law on July 14, 2011, the FAIR Education Act requires schools in California to integrate information about social movements, current events, and contributions of people with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people into the K-12 social studies curriculum. Current curriculum addresses these issues for people of color, women, and other diverse and previously underrepresented groups. The new law updates and expands the groups to be included in its coverage.
A panel of guest lecturers will discuss the FAIR Education Act, presenting information about the law’s impact, curriculum development, and implementation in the schools.
Panelists include:
Lee Wind, M.Ed. Blogger, author and speaker, Wind holds a master’s degree in Education and Media from Harvard. One of four sites linked from the American Library Association’s Rainbow Project, his award-winning blog on LGBTQ Teen Literature and Culture, “I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?” gets over 200,000 page loads a year. The official blogger for the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators, Wind’s articles and interviews have been published online and in print, including the 2011 and 2012 “Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market.” He speaks to thousands of students and educators a year, conducting Smashing Stereotypes workshops and presenting Safe Space: Ending Anti-Gay Bullying in our Culture... and at YOUR School programs. www.leewind.org
Robert McGarry, Ed.D. Director of EducationforGLSEN—the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Dr. McGarry is a lifelong educator with a diverse K-12 background that includes over 10 years of guiding, developing, and assessing the implementation of curriculum on both the district and state levels in his home state of New Jersey. His professional and academic passions, exemplified by his doctoral thesis Troubling Teachable Moments: Initiating Teacher Discourse on Homophobic Speech brought him to GLSEN where he is now fully engaged in evidence-based efforts to provide educators with tools to teach young people the value of respecting that which makes us different. www.glsen.org
Shelbi Day. Staff Attorney in the Western Regional Office of Lambda Legal, Day has litigated a diverse range of civil rights cases. Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people and individuals with HIV. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Day worked as a Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Florida, Southern Regional Office of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Southern Legal Counsel. She has a particular interest in issues concerning LGBT Youth, and over the last five years has successfully represented several LGBT and allied students whose rights were being violated by school districts. www.lambdalegal.org
I don't know what to say that I haven't said before. I don't know how to convince people if it didn't work before. I don't know how to hold back this tide of fear and hate that seems to be gaining tread in this country, in this world.