Tag Archives: California

Split California literally, that is. Duncan Osborne at Gay City News reports that the lawyers backing the litigants in the Smelt case, the one that has caused all the DOJ-DOMA furor, have a master plan other than marriage equality. The attorney representing two gay men who sued in state court and now in federal court in southern California to win …

In a conference call with activists and reporters, this afternoon Equality California announced their decision not to pursue a repeal of Proposition 8 until 2012. Veteran reporter Rex Wockner was on the call and quotes Equality California head Geoffrey Kors as saying that if another group pursues the repeal in 2010 and qualifies for the ballot, Equality California will support …

A new Field Poll (PDF) unsurprisingly demonstrates that over the last 30 years, Republicans in California have become even more opposed to marriage equality. Californians’ greater acceptance of allowing same-sex marriage has come entirely from the changing views of registered Democrats and non-partisans rather than Republicans. Democratic voter views have shifted from greater than two-to-one opposition in 1977 to greater …

Openly gay California legislator Tom Ammiano’s bid to legalize and tax marijuana could come to the ballot in 2010. Right now 56% of voters in California favor legalization.

“California already has the second highest prevalence rate of HIV infection in the nation and the impact on our community is grossly disproportionate. Seventy-three percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in California are gay or bisexual men (of all races and ethnicities). “With an unemployment rate over 11% and a growing number of uninsured people, these cuts could not come …

As feared and protested, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has dramatically slashed funding for California’s HIV prevention and AIDS treatment programs. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation laments: Today’s cuts to HIV/AIDS programs include: an 80% reduction in funding for Education & Prevention, a 70% cut in HIV Counseling and Testing, a 50% cut for Early Intervention (that provides primary medical care), a 100% …

Members of the “leaderless” marriage equality movement voted this weekend in California to attempt to overturn Prop 8 in 2010. A straw poll of same sex marriage leaders gathered in San Bernardino Saturday just came in: The majority want to return to the ballot in 2010 to try to overturn Proposition 8. Final count of the nonbinding measure: 93 people …

Technically this was in La Jolla, if that matters to anybody.

There will be a kiss-in at the Mormon Temple near La Jolla, California tonight in support of the recent incident in Salt Lake City.

Former Clinton White House advisor David Mixner doesn’t want to wait until 2012 to challenge Prop 8 at the ballot. The cabal of powerful decision makers wants everything to be safe, clean and perfect before moving. Don’t upset anyone, don’t jump ahead of ourselves and most of all don’t deviate from a well-laid plan that hopefully will eventually lead to …

The last really big Pride event of the season is this weekend in San Diego, although a few major cities have moved their celebrations into the fall. Here’s a little promo clip San Diego Pride made for local tv. CORRECTION: I should have said: “The last really big Pride event in the U.S. is this weekend.” Montreal’s event is at …

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force has signed on to the “Prepare To Prevail” document, a letter from a large coalition of LGBT and progressive groups stating a plan to wait until 2012 before challenging Proposition 8 at the ballot. Task Force head Rea Carey: “As a state that has often served as a political and cultural trendsetter for …

Back in February, openly gay California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed legalizing the sale of marijuana, a move tax experts predicted would bring in an annual $1B in desperately needed tax revenues. The tax experts were wrong. California tax officials have found that a state bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue. A …

Working a loophole, openly gay California Assemblyman Mark Leno has introduced legislation to allow the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages performed before the enactment of Prop 8. Couples married in other jurisdictions after Prop 8 would “receive all the rights and obligations opposite-sex California couples enjoy, with the exception of the designation of “marriage.”” The bill faces its first test …

Father Geoff Farrow came out to his Fresno, California congregation in October last year in a sermon decrying Proposition 8. Predictably, his diocese promptly suspended him. But far be it for the Catholic Church to miss ANY opportunity to rake in some dough, even in the case of a “disgraced” priest, as they are now SELLING Father Geoff’s office desk …

The literal deification of Michael Jackson has begun. A Stockton family says the image of Michael Jackson appeared on his tree stump the day the King of Pop died. Like the “Virgin Grilled Mary” or “Cheesus,” the family thinks they’ve got an unusual spiritual image staring right at them from their own front yard. Felix Garcia has lived in the …

The body of an openly gay sailor was found yesterday in a guard shack outside of Camp Pendleton, a USMC base just outside San Diego. The case may be investigated as a hate crime. The body of Seaman August Provost of Houston, Texas, was discovered about 3:30 a.m. on the western edge of the base, said Doug Sayers, a spokesman …

Congressional candidate Francine Busby was being hosted at the home of a lesbian couple in San Diego, where they and 30 guests raised funds for her campaign. A neighbor of the couple began shouting homophobic slurs over his backyard fence and then apparently called the police to complain about the noise. What happened next is surreal. Cops responded with eight …

Although there is no set plan yet for overturning Prop 8, Equality California is already working on making inroads with the state’s black community. As same-sex couples who were able to legally marry last year celebrate their one-year-anniversaries, Equality California (EQCA) and Jordan / Rustin Coalition (JRC) are together launching an education and mobilization effort on the freedom to marry …

Via the Los Angeles Times: California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown asked a federal court Thursday not to block Proposition 8, arguing that a resumption of same-sex marriages in the state before the federal challenge was resolved would put those unions in “legal limbo.” In written arguments filed late Thursday, Brown said permitting gays to marry before appeals in the case …