Results tagged “lesbian”

The fourth hearing over a pending federal court case challenging the legality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, will take place in San Francisco today. Backers of the ban are asking U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker to dismiss the challenge because the law is clearly written and, get this, "there is no constitutional right for gays and lesbians to marry because marriage has long been defined as a union between a man and a woman," according to the LA Times.

As Obama prepared for his big "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" speech last week, government figures released showed that women are more likely to be kicked out of military service under the policy than men. In a story, the Associated Press highlighted Julianne Sohn, who now works for the LAPD.

Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, released a pointed statement this afternoon regarding Republican Michael Duvall, the Orange County Assemblyman who today resigned after a local TV station exposed a video of him crudely bragging about his extra-marital affairs, presumably with at least one lobbyist, according to reports. Jean's main point? Despite his family values when it came to opposing gay issues, he had no problem cheating:

It's just after 10 a.m. and case against the unconstitutionality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, is being heard for the second time in a federal district court in San Francisco. Before the first hearing in July, Judge Vaughn R. Walker said "given that serious questions are raised in these proceedings ... the court is inclined to proceed directly and expeditiously to the merits of plaintiffs' claims. ... The just, speedy and inexpensive determination of these issues would appear to call for proceeding promptly to trial.”

Backers of restoring gay marriage in California announced today that they will focus their energies on a 2012 ballot proposition, based on "information, research and feedback" from analysts, pollsters and the community-at-large. Equality California stepped back from attempting to win a measure on the 2010 ballot, but said in an e-mail that they refuse to wait until there is full confidence of winning, which could be later than the 2012 election.

                     

The annual Dyke Day L.A. march and celebration took place Saturday, moving from the top of the hill in Barnsdall Art Park to Edgecliff Dr in Silver Lake. "Dyke Day L.A. is a day in the park for all self-identified dykes and allies, including gay families, transgender dykes, and dykes of all ages. The mission of Dyke Day L.A. is to create an inclusive space that brings together the past, present, and future of our east side Los Angeles dyke community," explains their Facebook contingency.

Today the state of Maine Legislature gave their approval of gay marriage. Although there were enough votes to pass the measure, there were not enough to override the "undecided" Gov. John Baldacci, who has 10 days to take action on the bill, if he chooses to veto. However, if he signs it into law, Maine would join Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont.

The California Supreme Court is rumored to announce their ruling on the fate of gay marriage as early as Monday. But as they figure things out, New York Governor David Paterson yesterday introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. "There is clearly a problem in that those individuals who are gay or lesbian who would live in a civil union are still not entitled to somewhere between 1,250 and 1,300 civil protections" that are afforded to married couples, he said. A similar same-sex marriage bill was knocked down in the New York state Senate in 2007 when former Gov. Eliot Spitzer brought it to the table.

For the first time in U.S. history, a marching band comprised of Americans identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer, will perform in the Presidential Inaugural Parade. Of the 177 musicians from twenty six states representing the Lesbian and Gay Bands Association (LGBA), four will represent Los Angeles.

Just two days after Saturday's nationwide candlelight vigil regarding the passing of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, organizers from Join the Impact announced another cross-county event that will address President-Elect Barack Obama directly, reminding him of a campaign promise made in February.

       

It was quiet, people seemed happy and overall, the Prop 8 candlelight vigil on Saturday night in Hollywood was positive. Light Up the Night was a nationwide demonstration that aimed to make an impact on the private sector by holding the vigils in high traffic business or shopping areas. Organizers estimate the vigils reached one million people with the message of equality.

Marjorie Christoffersen, who was the most popular person at the 77-year-old restaurant, reportedly resigned Saturday after coming under fire for a $100 donation to support banning gay marriage in Califiornia. For her, she was going with what her Mormon leaders were saying even though her restaurant had been a gay friendly hang for years. El Coyote became one of the centerpieces of the boycott debate over where the line should be drawn on employee/management donations political causes. A protest was held outside the restaurant (see photos here) and many vowed never to eat thre again.

In a move that shows how much more resourceful and mirthful GLBT activists are than their self-righteous opponents with the funny underwear, the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center has raised over $60,000 since the election to invalidate Prop. 8--and each of their 2,300 world-wide donors did it in the name of Thomas Monson, head of the Latter-Day Saints.

The California Supreme Court agreed yesterday to consider Prop 8 opponents' arguments on the validity of the proposition that banned gay marriage in California on November 4th (court motion in PDF here). However, the justices denied a stay that would have let county clerks resume issuing marriage license to gay couples until the case finished.

When it was found that the CEO of Cinemark Theatres donated $9,999 to support Prop 8, talks of boycotting Sundance came up because the only movie theatre used in Park City, Utah is one owned by the company. But Sundance isn't budging and many opponents of Prop 8 agree. "As a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting artists, we very much appreciate and are sensitive to the larger issue at hand and respect the rights of individuals to express themselves," Sundance said in a statement via Variety. "It is our hope that people will embrace the festival for its commitment to diversity, not avoid it."

       

It seems Saturday's National Prop 8 protest in all 50 states was a tipping point. Not the same tipping point that beget large passionate protests and rallies on a daily basis outside the Mormon Temple in Westwood, but the type of tipping point where people are done protesting and now starting to put the pieces back together, plan for the next move and wait (but yes, protests are still going to happen no matter what).

“People have a right to participate in the electoral process without fear of intimidation or harassment,” Meg Waters of the Yes On 8 headquarters in Orange County told WeHo News in an investigation of the campaign's claim that their civil rights were violated. To that, Executive director of UCLA’s Williams Institute, Harvard-educated attorney Brad Sears said "They do like to play the victim. The right to participate without fear is not a right that’s recognized by any state constitution, and certainly not in the United States’ Constitution. The right to vote is a recognized right, but it isn’t people who voted being targeted, but those who gave money.” Both the FBI and US District Attorney's Office said they have received no reports about said civil rights violations.

             

Around 120 people protested last night in front of El Coyote on Beverly Blvd. over the well-known restaurant manager's donation of $100 to support Prop 8 that eliminated gay marriage in California.

"The Los Angeles Mormon Temple in Westwood, which was the target of recent protests by opponents of Proposition 8, has been closed because temple employees received an envelope filled with an unidentified white powdery substance, according to a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," reports ABC7 who says a similar letter was sent to the Salt Lake City Mormon temple. UPDATE, 5:32 pm: NBC4 says this is an FBI investigation and people are sheltered in place inside the temple. UPDATE #2, 6:00 p.m.: NBC4 reports that the situation is over and the powder is not harmful.

Now here's one way to show how large scale Saturday's national Prop 8 protest will look like. The above image is from a flyer being used to promote the Los Angeles event. But it doesn't stop there. Versions for San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacrament and San Diego are also being distributed.

The CEO of Cinemark, the company that operates 2700 screens internationally including the only movie theatre used at the Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah, has reportedly donated a large sum of money to support Prop 8, the ballot initiative that eliminated gay marriage in California. Alan Stock donated $9,999 in late October to proponents of the measure.

       

After seven straight days of protests, two planned events last night had a comparatively low turnout. At least seven news vans were parked at the Mormon Church on Santa Monica Blvd. last night, but protesters were few and far between. Later in West Hollywood, a planned protest at Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards had turned out about 50 people, who are seen below.

Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle.

An e-mail is floating around pointing out Southern California restaurant high ranking employees or owners who donated to Yes on Prop 8, which sought to eliminate gay marriage. The author of the e-mail, who wished to remain anonymous wrote "it's wrong to penalize those whose employees were the ones that donated, of course, so this list is limited only to ownership and decision-making upper management. Still, the results are surprising. All of these results are freely available to verify yourself." As you may already know, El Coyote Restaurant on Beverly Blvd. has already been the focus of much discussion.

Apparently the well intentioned free lunch to discuss El Coyote manager Marjorie Chrisoffersen's $100 donation to pass Prop 8, ultimately eliminating gay marriage in California, did not go one bit well.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to join one of the three lawsuits filed in the California Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8, which eliminated the right of gay couples to marry in California. They joined the City and County of San Francisco, County of Santa Clara and City of Los Angeles in the case.

    

Mark (last name unknown) from Stop8.org made these Barack Obama styled posters that reflect the mood of Prop 8's opposition. They're humorous in one way, but sadly true in another way.

Bill Marriott, the Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, posted a blog entry on the company's website yesterday defending his own and his hotel brand's involvement in Prop 8's success. Marriott is heavily involved in the Mormon community. Is he feeling the financial pressure? Is he unfairly guilty by association? Or is he just chiming into the issue?

More Prop 8 lawsuits are hitting the California Supreme Court, but still no action has been taken on any of them says the LA Times: "In letters to the court, the Anti-Defamation League and other groups sided with lawsuits that said Proposition 8, which reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage, amounted to a sweeping revision of the state Constitution instead of a more limited amendment. Constitutional revisions can be placed on the ballot only by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Proposition 8 reached the ballot as a constitutional amendment after a signature campaign."

But Marjorie Chrisoffersen, who is also a Mormon, is not feeling good about her actions. She wants to speak to people about it tomorrow before lunch at the restaurant on Beverly Blvd. near La Brea: