State

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The Parentage Opportunity Program Expands Services to  Include California’s Diverse Families 

“Through the Parentage Opportunity Program, millions of parents have voluntarily established legal parentage for their children, giving them access to the benefits that they deserve,” said Michelle Santiago, Program Manager, California Parentage Opportunity Program. “Now, with the expanded services to parents within the LGBTQ+ community, families of all shapes and sizes have access to our free services.” WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: The Parentage Opportunity Program honors the validity and value of LGBTQ+ parenting with more supportive services and accessibility to parents of all sexual orientation and gender identities who wish to take responsibility for their children. Legal parentage benefits children throughout their […]

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Light Amidst Hard Times: Exploring the Mary Richards Collection

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Rafael Franco worked in the GLBT Historical Society archives this summer, helping us process a vital collection of recorded interviews. We interviewed Rafael about his time in the archives, and the surprising material he uncovered. Can you tell us about your time in the archives? Rafael Franco: I worked with the Mary Richards Collection, which houses audio recordings she made as a freelance writer for the San Francisco-based LGBTQ newspaper, the Bay Area Reporter. The recordings are from the 1980s and 1990s and touch on topics such as the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, AIDS fundraisers, queer nightlife in […]

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Richmond Maintains Perfect Score in LGBTQ+ City Ranking

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Richmond has once again demonstrated its commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity by maintaining a perfect score of 100 in the 2023 Municipal Equality Index, a notable achievement that places the city at the forefront of LGBTQ+ advocacy in Virginia. The MEI, conducted by the Human Rights Campaign, evaluates municipalities based on their inclusivity in laws, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ community. Richmond’s consistent performance in this index reflects the city’s ongoing efforts to support and protect its LGBTQ+ residents. Reflecting on this achievement, Mayor Levar Stoney told The Advocate, “When I became mayor, I think we were at 42, and over the last […]

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Out in the Vineyard Hosts The Annual Holiday Wine Festival Dec. 2 at The Academy in SF

JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY WINE FESTIVAL Saturday, December 2 The Academy SF (2166 Market Street, San Francisco)6pm-9pmBringing Wine Country to you for the holidays! Dear Gary,It’s that time of year again and the holidays are just around the corner! We at Out In The Vineyard are thrilled to partner with The Academy in San Francisco, the luxe LGBTQ+ member club for our Annual Holiday Wine Festival. This years event will feature an all-star lineup of Northern California wineries to be announced shortly, paired with scrumptious hors d’oeuvres from Chef Chad of Classic Culinaire and fabulous entertainers. Tickets to the event also […]

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California’s first lesbian Senate leader could make history again if she runs for governor

The first time Toni Atkins acted as the governor of California, she used her powers to honor the passing of San Diego Padres baseball player Tony Gwynn while playfully rebuffing Jimmy Kimmel’s advice that she “invade Oregon. ” It was 2014, and Atkins — the first lesbian to be the speaker of the state Assembly — was filling in for former Gov. Jerry Brown, a quirk of the California Constitution that requires governors to put someone else in charge whenever they leave the state. Atkins, now the president pro tempore of the state Senate, has filled in as governor a few more times […]

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Oakland creates an LGBTQ District to celebrate queer culture

The city of Oakland now has an LGBTQ cultural district, created in the Grand Lake area and meant to highlight the community’s history and celebrate its importance to the city. The City Council passed a resolution Tuesday to designate a multiblock triangle between Grand Avenue and Lakeshore Avenue just east of Lake Merritt as the city’s first LGBTQ cultural district. The city’s 6-year-old LGBTQ Community Center is located within the boundaries of the area.  Introduced by Mayor Sheng Thao, council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, the district is meant to create a “supportive environment for diverse […]

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Equality California Endorses 36 Pro-Equality Members of Congress for Re-Election

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced endorsements for 36 incumbent members of Congress running for re-election in 2024 on Monday. Equality California extends pro forma endorsements to incumbent members of Congress in California running for re-election who have earned a 100% pro-equality rating on the organization’s legislative scorecards in both of the last two years and who meet Equality California’s code of ethics, standards of conduct and other applicable endorsement criteria. (See below for additional details.) “LGBTQ+ Californians are lucky to be represented in Washington by so many incredible pro-equality champions,” said Executive Director Tony Hoang.“Together […]

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Arson Suspected After San Diego Queer Women’s Bar Set on Fire

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The front patios at San Diego’s Gossip Grill, one of the few remaining lesbian-focused bars in the nation, were set on fire in an apparent arson attack about 12:30 a.m. Friday. Damage was limited to the two patios, and no one was injured, Gossip Grill staffers said in social media posts. But the incident was extremely distressing, they said. “It was intentional and was arson,” they wrote on Instagram and Facebook, adding, “Gossip Grill is one of the last remaining Queer Women’s bars in the country. It breaks my heart knowing that someone intentionally tried to burn it down.” Related: An Epic Journey […]

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Judge blocks California school district policy to notify parents if their child changes pronouns

Parts of a controversial Southern California school district policy that require school staff to tell parents if their child asks to change their gender identification will remain halted after a judge granted a preliminary injunction Thursday to block them until a final decision is made in the case. The ruling by San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael A. Sachs, who called portions of the policy unconstitutional, came after another judge temporarily halted the policy in September. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who filed a lawsuit against the Chino Valley Unified School District in August, said the policy is harmful to transgender and gender-nonconforming […]

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Unexpected allyship: How a California church became “the midwife of the modern LGBTQ movement”

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Throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, San Francisco’s Tenderloin District was changing fast. Gone were the young professionals, replaced instead by growing numbers of homeless queer and trans people, the street queens and hustlers turning tricks to ensure their survival. These communities were treated as disposable; the Tenderloin’s rundown streets were often strewn with trash thrown by yuppie businessmen, who worked just a stone’s throw away from the dilapidated district. When Reverend Cecil Williams started working at San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church in the early 1960s, he made it his mission to serve these communities. The church had always been rooted in philanthropy, but the congregation was […]

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