Top Stories
BOYCOTT: Elon Musk is pushing millions into dishonest, anti-trans midterm ads
America PAC, the super PAC backed by Elon Musk, is set to spend over $100 million in an effort to help Republicans win in the midterms. So far, that spending budget seems to be going almost exclusively towards anti-trans ads that push scaremongering lies about trans people, misinformation about Democratic candidates, and are (in some cases) likely AI-generated. “Elon Musk is scapegoating LGBTQ+ Americans to distract voters from the cuts he made and the chaos he has caused,” Ramiro Sarmiento, the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “Trans people aren’t the reason cancer research has […]
Lawsuit Prompts Safety Changes At Colorado LGBTQ+ Bars
When the gunman who killed five people at Club Q opened fire in November 2022, queer bars across Colorado took a hard look at how they would protect their patrons. Nearly four years later, a federal appeals court has ruled that the shooting victims and relatives of the dead cannot sue the bar’s owner over its security measures. But for bar owners and managers across the state, the question of who could be held responsible after a shooting is secondary to a more immediate one: What can they do to keep their patrons alive? On Wednesday, a three-judge panel in […]
The Potential Impact of Voter Identification Laws on Transgender Voters in the 2026 General Election
Transgender people face unique obstacles to obtaining identity documents (ID) that match their gender identity. Identity documents that do not match a person’s gender, such as a person’s name or gender marker, create obstacles to participating in many facets of public life, including voting. Such obstacles may affect voting in the 36 states with voter ID laws, especially the 33 that conduct their elections primarily in person. In these states, voters encounter additional verification requirements at the polls, in addition to federal standards for voter registration and eligibility determination. The strictest of these voter ID laws require voters to present […]
Local News
Free Online LGBTQI+ History Class Will Focus on Local Queer Counter Culture of the 1960s
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000. Mondays 6-7:30pm. Online via Zoom. Join us on Monday, 9/21 for a segment on the 1960s Counterculture and early LGBT back to the land communities. Contact me to enroll and receive a Zoom link: cdungan@santarosa.edu
Wake Up Sonoma Reports on Sonoma School Board Meeting About the Pride Flag at Sonoma Valley High School
On Thursday night, September 10 there was a school board meeting which continued to illuminate the ways in which we have the wrong people sitting on our school board, and points to it’s ineffectiveness. Who are the adults in the room? Three of the Board members showed their inability to understand basic concepts of inclusion, bias, and compassion. There were moments of shock, disbelief and outrage from the audience in ways they can’t .. or won’t, comprehend these ideas, but then continue to re-process and state their same listless, inaccurate arguments. The disrespect shown to the students, as well as […]
Arts & Entertainment
Friday, September 25 @7 pm/Sunday Sept. 27 @ 3 pm : Acorn MusEcology Project: ‘The Earth Says’ at Occidental Center for the Arts
Friday, September 25 @7 pm/Sunday Sept. 27 @ 3 pm : Acorn MusEcology Project: ‘The Earth Says’ at Occidental Center for the Arts. Directed by Sarah Dupre, Acorn MusEcology Project is proud to present the Northern California premiere of Alex Berko’s Sacred Place, an immersive exploration of ecological spirituality set to the words of Wendell Berry, John Muir, William Stafford, and Rabindranath Tagore. Acorn’s 27-voice ensemble will be joined by violin, cello, and piano to offer up this song cycle of reverential texts within a richly-layered soundscape. Additional original music by co-directors Sarah Dupre and Robin Eschner includes a new setting of poetry by […]
Friday/Saturday September 18 & 19: Occidental Jazz Festival! at Occidental Center for the Arts.
Friday/Saturday September 18 & 19: Occidental Jazz Festival! at Occidental Center for the Arts. OCA offers audiences an opportunity to experience jazz in an intimate setting , where musicians and listeners truly connect. Greg Johnson, leader of Glass Brick Boulevard curated the lineup, as well as directing the Junior-Jazz All Stars youth band. This year’s festival continues OCA’s commitment to presenting exceptional regional artists while creating opportunities for audiences to discover new music and new voices. Featuring Jose Neto and Netoband, Glass Brick Boulevard, Paul Hanson, Michael Manring and Scott Amendola, Jaycie Grady 4 Tet, Ken Cook Trio and the Junior […]
State News
Teachers stage walk out in response to anti-trans activist outburst at chaotic school board meeting
A Davis, California school board meeting descended into chaos on Thursday night when teachers staged a walkout as Beth Bourne, a local Moms for Liberty chapter president and school board candidate, began speaking during public comment. Video of the meeting is available via the district’s school board meeting video portal. As Bourne approached the lectern, many district-area teachers stood up and left the room. Bourne shouted at the meeting chair: “Ask those teachers to stop interrupting my comment!” She then demanded: “I want my time back! I want my time back!” During the disruption, one attendee shouted “B*******!” at Bourne. Bourne […]
Newsom Signs New Restrictions On Social Media
The New York Times reports: California’s governor on Thursday signed into law restrictions on addictive social media technology and interactions with harmful artificial intelligence chatbots, ushering in some of the strongest online protections for young users in the United States. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill that prohibits social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under the age of 16, the first law of its kind in the nation. He also signed a new law mandating that A.I. companies disclose to young users whenever they engage with a chatbot, not a human, and restrict dangerous content on topics […]
