Top Stories
Transgender Children’s Gender Identity is ‘Consistent and Deeply Held’
Researchers have stated in a new study that the gender identity of transgender children is deeply held and consistent, rather than the result of confusion as many have previously maintained. Transgender symbol. Transgender children are children whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from those associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. The(…)
ExxonMobil Finally Officially Protects Its LGBT Employees
For over a decade, ExxonMobil shareholders and company officials have repeatedly voted against extending corporate policy to protect LGBT people from discrimination, earning it the Human Rights Campaign’s lowest ranking for LGBT inclusion among the country’s largest businesses. That reputation just came to an end, as the company has officially added “sexual orientation” and(…)
First Ever Law To Protect Gay ‘Cure’ Introduced in Oklahoma
Gay rights advocates have made significant progress in the fight to discredit and ultimately ban conversion therapy, a practice that claims to “cure” gay people. The mainstream medical community is united in its view that the therapy is both ineffective and potentially harmful. So far, California, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., have passed laws(…)
Local News
Sebastopol Widow Sues FedEx, Laying Claim to New Rights for Same-sex Couples
A Sebastopol woman has filed a federal lawsuit against FedEx, her late-wife’s employer, claiming she is owed spousal survivor’s benefits that have been denied her based on outdated, unconstitutional pension provisions excluding same-sex couples. The suit filed by Stacey Schuett in U.S. District Court is the latest development in a case that reflects the real-life(…)
What’s Happening in Sonoma County This Week
OCCIDENTAL, JAN. 31 Swing dance: Occidental Center for the Arts hosts a Saturday Night Swing Dance with Out of the Blue Band 8 p.m. Saturday at 3850 Doris Murphy Court. $15. Arrive an hour early for a swing dance lesson. 874-9392. PETALUMA, THROUGH FEB. 27 Good Eggs sought: Petaluma’s Good Egg award is presented(…)
Calendar of LGBT Events for January 19 – 24
Monday, January 19, 2 p.m. Sonoma General LGBT Support Group will happen at Sonoma Community Center, 276 Easy Napa Street in Sonoma, in Room 211. Young people 12 – 18 years old are welcome. Also Monday and every Monday at 5:30 p.m. Petaluma Health Center will host LGBTQ Support Group at 1179 North McDowell Bvd.(…)
How to Recycle Unusual Stuff in Sonoma County
January as the month to lighten up and unload, whether it is to lose pounds, a bad habit or stuff cluttering up your home or garage. Most people now have curbside recycling, but it has its limits. There are a lot of other places to offload stuff either for recycling, upcycling or for use(…)
Arts & Entertainment
RuPaul’s Bevy of Drag Racers Release Musical Mixed Bags
Debuting soon with its Seventh Season is the Ultra-Fabulous RuPaul’s “Drag Race.” Undoubtedly, the new season will be way over the top and filled with cheesy drama, deliberate conflicts, and shameless product placement. However, I find it very entertaining as it seems to make fun of itself and still comes across as genuine. Aside from(…)
Joel Grey Comes Out: ‘Cabaret’ Star Says ‘I’m A Gay Man’ At Age 82
Broadway legend and Oscar-winning “Cabaret” star Joel Grey opens up about his sexuality in a new interview with People magazine, telling the publication: “I’m a gay man.” Although the 82-year-old actor says he doesn’t like labels, Grey says he “came to realize, along with being attracted to girls, I had similar feelings for boys”(…)
State News
EQCA Head Talks PrEP, Health Disparities
The head of Equality California voiced strong support for PrEP as an HIV prevention tool, and discussed the statewide LGBT advocacy group’s work to address health disparities, at a recent town hall meeting in San Francisco. Rick Zbur, an attorney who took over as the nonprofit’s executive director in September, noted the organization has expanded(…)
HRC and Equality Federation Highlight California’s LGBT Protections, Laws and Legislative Proposals in Inaugural National Report
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation, today released its first national report assessing the status of state legislation affecting LGBT equality across America, including in California. The inaugural State Equality Index reveals that, even with progress on marriage equality, there(…)
