Tag Archives: California

Elections prognosticator Nate Silver has published another super-complicated voting trends analysis. Even though there’s no plan to place a repeal of Prop 8 on the 2012 California ballot, Silver predicts that voters would overturn the measure if given the chance. Even the relatively cautious Linear Model predicts that 54 percent of Californians would vote against a measure like Proposition 8 …

Some real American history will be made at San Diego Pride. “To my knowledge [it is] the first time in the history of Pride in the United States, ever, that we have said, ‘Active duty, you are welcome,'” organizer Sean Sala said. “We want you to be there without fear of repercussions, because we love you.” Sala, an active-duty sailor, …

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California has declared DOMA to be unconstitutional. The ruling arises from a case in which a married gay couple was denied the right to jointly declare bankruptcy. Chris Geidner at Metro Weekly provides the court’s money quote: This case is about equality, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, for two people …

Via press release: Today, Chief Judge James Ware of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California heard arguments on a motion to invalidate former U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker’s landmark ruling striking down Proposition 8. Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell: “Today’s hearing made it crystal clear that the Prop 8 proponents’ central claim–that …

Less than 24 hours after hiring lawyer/shark Gloria Allred, an openly gay California corrections officer has been granted permission to participate in a gay pride parade. In May, officer Johnson, who is a member of the Gay Peace Officers Association, made a written request to march in uniform with other gay law enforcement. But, according to Allred, his request was …

An openly gay police officer from an unidentified California city was reportedly told by his superiors that he would discredit their department if he were to march in a gay pride parade. TMZ reports: Gloria Allred is repping the California officer, who made a written request to march in uniform with other gay law enforcement officers and citizens. Allred says …

Opponents of San Francisco’s proposed ban on circumcision say a comic book being using to promote the ballot referendum is anti-Semitic. The comic is being sold on the website of Matthew Hess, the bill’s chief author and proponent. It features a muscular blond superhero fighting off rabbis who are attempting to complete a circumcision. Saunders asked Hess if his comic …

First San Francisco, now Santa Monica. Performing a circumcision on a boy under age 18 — even for religious reasons — would be illegal under a measure that a San Diego group hopes to place on Santa Monica’s November 2012 ballot. A similar initiative this month from the anti-circumcision group known as MGM Bill garnered enough signatures in San Francisco …

End times proponent Harold Camping says he bears no responsibility for this. Lyn Benedetto of Antelope Valley, Calif. slit the wrist and throat of her two daughters and then slit her own, claiming to prevent them from going through the “Tribulation” on May 21, 2011. However, her neighbor discovered the attempted murder and suicide early enough for ambulance to take …

A giant AIDS ribbon has been installed on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks in observance of the 30th anniversary of the epidemic. The ribbon, which can been seen for many miles, will remain on the hillside until it’s replaced by the giant pink triangle which appears in that space every year on gay pride weekend. (Tipped by JMG reader James)[Photo Credit: …

From the virulently anti-gay Save California.

Former CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff ten years ago. “After leaving the governor’s office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago,” Mr Schwarzenegger said in a statement issued to the newspaper. “I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment …

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have separated after 25 years of marriage. According to some wags, this has been coming for a long time, but the couple was waiting until Schwarzenegger left office.

The California state Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday refused to advance a bill that would give private citizens the right to defend ballot measures in court. The bill, which was authored by Tea Party activist Sen. Tom Harman, failed 3-2 along party lines. The Sacramento Bee reports: “California voters deserve to have their position defended when an initiative is challenged in …

In another move in the seemingly unending Prop 8 battle, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has filed a brief declaring that private citizens do not have standing to defend the statute in court. In it, she argued that only public officials exercising the executive power of government have authority to represent the state when laws passed by voters or the …

A San Francisco anti-circumcision group has collected enough petition signatures to place a city-wide ban on the practice on the November ballot. Legal experts, however, said even if such a measure were to pass, it would likely be quickly overturned as an unconstitutional attack on the grounds of religious freedom. Chief opponent Lloyd Schofield, 59, acknowledged circumcision is a ritual …

They’ve been talking about it for weeks and today Prop 8’s backers officially filed to vacate Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling overturning the ban of same-sex marriage in California. Because a gay judge cannot possibly be impartial about gay issues. The sponsors of California’s same-sex marriage ban said Monday that the recent disclosure by the federal judge who struck down Proposition …

“Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people–mostly people I didn’t think would be upset by it. You’re not going to make a big deal about this are you? It’s just an Internet joke.” – …

California’s education bill requiring that notable LGBT people be positively portrayed in textbooks was passed yesterday by the state Senate. If the bill is adopted by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would become the first state to require the teaching of gay history. Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs …