Gary Carnivele

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Asm. Chiu’s Equal Protection for All Families Passes First Committee

Yesterday, AB 960, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D—San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California, passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The committee voted unanimously to pass the bill, which now moves to the Assembly Floor for a vote at the end of May. The bill would update California’s assisted reproduction laws to help ensure that all families are equally protected by law.

AB 960, the Equal Protection For All Families Act, co-sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Our Family Coalition, ensures all couples using assisted reproduction are fully recognized as parents as intended. Specifically, AB 960 would allow unmarried people using assisted reproduction to be fully recognized as parents on the same terms as married parents. It would also remove the requirement from Family Law that couples must involve a doctor when using assisted reproduction in order to ensure that the donor is not presumed to be the parent. AB 960 also provides clear direction for how egg donors should be treated under California Law.

“All couples, including LGBT couples, should be protected by law and have access to the method of assisted reproduction of their choice to grow their families in California,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “AB 960 will help ensure that families formed in many ways are recognized and equally protected under law.”

“Thanks to Asm. David Chiu, if AB 960 is adopted, California’s Family Law will protect LGBT families, regardless of how they choose to conceive,” said Rick Zbur executive director for Equality California. “Families come in all different shapes and sizes, but they should be valued equally under the law. AB 960 corrects Family Law provisions so that LGBT families are respected and all parents can be fully recognized as intended by the state of California.”

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Equality California is California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization focused on creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

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‘Can Opener’ Molecule Makes HIV Vulnerable to Attack

A molecule that mimics a particular kind of protein has been demonstrated by a new study to render HIV vulnerable to antibodies that could kill off infected cells.
HIV in the bloodstream.

The JP-III-48 molecule forces HIV to open up and expose regions that are vulnerable to attack from the immune system.

Researchers from the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) Research Centre in Canada have described the molecule in question, JP-III-48, as acting like a “can opener” due to the way that it forces the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to open up and expose its vulnerable parts.

Study author Andrés Finzi, a professor at the University of Montreal, states the team also found that people infected with HIV-1 virus have naturally occurring antibodies with the potential to kill infected cells.

“We just have to give them a little push by adding a tiny molecule that acts as a can opener to force the viral envelope to expose regions recognized by the antibodies, which forms a bridge with some cells of the immune system, initiating the attack,” Prof. Finzi explains.

The development of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection has long been a goal of researchers. At present, antiretroviral drugs are used to slow the virus down but they are unable to prevent the formation of HIV “reservoirs” – areas where the virus remains hidden and dormant within cells. As soon as antiretroviral treatment ends, the virus returns.

Worldwide, around 35 million people are estimated to be infected with HIV-1, the predominant form of the virus. It is hoped that this new discovery could lead toward the development of a vaccine to finally stop the spread of HIV.
‘Shock and kill’ therapy may be the key to future HIV treatment

Previous research published earlier this year demonstrated that cells infected with HIV-1 were more easily eliminated when two HIV-specific proteins, Nef and Vpu, were deactivated by gene mutation.

This finding formed the basis of the new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These two proteins protect the virus from attack. If these proteins could be overcome, the virus becomes vulnerable.

The researchers added the JP-III-48 molecule to the surfaces of cells infected with HIV. This molecule imitates a protein called CD4 which is often found on the surface of white blood cells called T lymphocytes. CD4 proteins make these white blood cells vulnerable to HIV infection.

Jonathan Richard, a postdoctoral researcher at CHUM and study author, explains how the introduction of JP-III-48 subsequently makes infected cells vulnerable to attack:

“The virus has to get rid of the CD4 proteins to protect itself. Adding the small molecule forces the viral envelope to open, like a flower. The antibodies that are naturally present after the infection can then target the infected cells so they are killed by the immune system.”

JP-III-48 was previously developed by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. This study marks the first time the molecule has been tested successfully on patients with HIV.

Prof. Finzi believes that the molecule could be used as part of a treatment to eliminate the HIV reservoirs of people infected with the virus. “The solution is to develop a ‘shock and kill’ therapy,” he states. “We have to reactivate HIV reservoirs to force the virus out of its hiding place, then kill the infected cells with this molecule and the already present antibodies.”

The molecule could also be potentially used as a component in a two-part vaccine, alongside antibodies to target the virus. The next step for the team is to assess JP-III-48 capabilities in tests involving monkeys.

Recently, Medical News Today reported on the creation of a new drug candidate against HIV. The researchers state that the designer protein is effective against all known strains of HIV.

Written by James McIntosh

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LGBT Disparities Reduction Act Passes First Committee

The Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee on April 30 voted with bi-partisan support to pass Assemblymember David Chiu’s Assembly Bill 959, a bill that would move California public policy closer towards meeting the needs of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities.

“Excluding LGBT communities from statewide collected data keeps these individuals and the health disparities they face invisible to the state,” said Assemblymember David Chiu. “AB 959 will ensure that our LGBT communities count.”

AB 959, the LGBT Disparities Reduction Act, is sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and requires specified state agencies relating to health and well-being to collect voluntary information about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in the regular course of collecting other types of demographic data. Further, AB 959 would require that the aggregated SOGI data that act as indicators of disparities be reported to the legislature and made publicly available.

The rallying call for improved data collection about LGBT communities has only grown louder in the last few years. The prevalence of this historical exclusion of LGBT communities has recently prompted a convening of more than hundred organizations, community leaders, healthcare experts and educators hosted by EQCA. A report of findings from the convening stated that long-term discrimination and social bias has disproportionately impacted LGBT communities, resulting in high rates of poverty, suicide, homelessness isolation, substance abuse, violence, police profiling and criminal convictions, and low rates of health insurance, among other findings. These issues are increasingly prevalent for LGBT youth and seniors, communities of color, and the transgender and undocumented communities.

“The LGBT Disparities Reduction Act is a necessity to make sure government programs and services are being utilized effectively and reaching the communities that need these services and programs the most,” said Rick Zbur, Equality California executive director. “To tackle the disparities in health and well-being that LGBT people face, we need to make sure our community is counted. Assemblymember Chiu’s bill is one of the LGBT community’s top priorities and will give us the tools to address these disparities head on.”

“We want to be able to trust our health care providers to know more than we do about our health, but without data to reveal larger population-level trends, it’s hard—for them and for us,” said Niko Kowell, Program Coordinator for transgender services at the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center in San Francisco and a key witness in support of AB 959. “If we start collecting this data now, it might not help me, but it will help with the next generation of LGBT youth, especially transgender youth, in this country. I hope that one day, transgender, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people will be able to have the same experience as everyone else when we go to the doctor.”

AB 959 will be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in May.

Assemblymember David Chiu (D – San Francisco) is the Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly and represents the 17th Assembly District, which encompasses eastern San Francisco and the historic LGBT neighborhoods in the City.

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Equality California is California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization focused on creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

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The Occidental Community Choir Will Be “Riding the Waves” During May Concerts

The  Occidental  Community  Choir  presents  “Riding  the  Waves,”  an  eclectic  concert  of   lyrical,  heartfelt  songs  that  will  take  you  on  a  journey  from  the  silly  to  the  sublime.    The   Greek  philosopher  Heraclitus  wrote,  “the  only  thing  constant  is  change.”  Nearly  3000   years  later  it  is  still  true  that  we  must  all  ride  out  our  personal  storms.  The  human  heart   has  the  capacity  to  bear  great  joy,  sorrow  and  longing.     In  keeping  with  their  tradition  of  encouraging  and  presenting  original  works,  most  of  the   concert’s  songs  are  written  by  choir  members.  Steve  Fowler’s  “Rivulet”  is  wistful  and   lilting  while  Robin  Eschner’s  “Waltzing  the  Moon”s  lush,  romantic  harmonies  evoke  a   bygone  era.

The  musical  journey  continues  through  spirituals  and  gospel  to  songs  sung   in  Spanish,  Italian  and  Bulgarian.    Several  familiar  classics,  such  as  Cole  Porter’s  standard   “Anything  Goes”  and  the  Beatles’  “Can’t  Buy  Me  Love”  round  out  the  program  and  will   be  presented  with  delightful  and  unexpected  arrangements.

“What  we  create  musically  is  magical,  and  comes  not  only  from  hard  work,  but  from  our   sense  of  community,”  says  long  time  choir  singer  Diane  Masura.    Whether  one  is  a  fan  of   folk,  world,  classical,  or  choral  music,  the  Occidental  Community  Choir’s  spring  concert   offers  something  for  everyone.    Going  strong  in  its  36th  year,  this  Sonoma  county   treasure  is  not  to  be  missed!  So  kick  off  the  start  of  the  summer  music  season  with   some  real  “Music  From  Home.”

Saturdays at 8 p.m., May 2, May 8 and May 9  at Occidental Center for the Arts.   Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m. at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Sunday May 10 at 3 p.m. at the Glaser Center, Santa Rosa Adults – $15 • Kids 12 and under – Free Tickets available at the door or at OccidentalChoir.org Advance tickets recommended. Concerts sell out.

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Fire, Floods, Flags: Sonoma County Pride LGBT History in the River

 

As former President Richard Milhous Nixon so eloquently put it referring to Monte Rio’s Bohemian Grove “It is the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine. It’s just terrible!” Yes Tricky Dick, the River runs full of us!

The new Sonoma County Pride is about much more than just a fun-filled weekend. We want to be a resource for those that need assistance. We are working to make sure that all our Sonoma County residents live in Hate-Free communities. We are working with the county to raise our Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index. We are also working on chronicling and showcasing our LGBT River history. There are few places in the county that have as much local LGBT history as we do.

The River’s gay renaissance started in the mid 70’s. Wohler Bridge beach on actor Fred MacMurray’s ranch had become a popular gay spot. Not far from Wohler, the first gay resort opened as Russian River Lodge (now Farmhouse Inn) on River Road.
In the late 70’s Pete Pender bought Murphy’s Resort and opened Fifes. In 1979, a Newsweek magazine article “Where the Boys Are” featured a story that included Guerneville and called the area a “gay boom town.” Following Fifes, other resorts opened with disco-bars and clothing-optional hot tubs, and soon the Russian River was Northern California‘s gay getaway destination.
Just across from Fifes was Drums, which had a hard time recovering from winter floods. Others included The Willows, The Highlands, Paradise Cove, the River Village, and the Russian River Resort. Most of the nightlife took place at the major resorts, The Woods and Fifes, but downtown Guerneville had the Rainbow Cattle Company, which still exists today.

The most popular of the new gay resorts was The Woods.
On a holiday weekend, they had over 10,000 patrons with cars parking nearly two miles along Armstrong Woods Road back to downtown Guerneville. Disco divas such as Sylvester were regulars. The Woods, had been fighting with neighbors, for years, over the crowds and noise. The neighbors argued that The Woods was still operating under the original small cabaret license, from the Hexagon House days. There had been years of hearings on this issue and a final hearing, with an unfavorable ruling, was expected. Just days before, over a crowded Fourth of July weekend, The Woods experienced a mysterious kitchen fire, and burned to the ground.

The River Theater became Ziggurat, a packed dance club. West of town, in the space now occupied by Sweetwater Springs water company, the Mineshaft. On River Road, in Forestville, The Rusty Nail was where every weekend visitor made one final stop before returning to San Francisco. Restaurants of the day included Little Bavaria, Molly Browns, Sweets, and Burdon’s.

As for prominent LGBT residents, there were many: Cliff Anchor, who owned the nation’s first radio station to broadcast national LGBT news from Monte Rio; Cleve Jones, the founder of the Names Project, who lived in Villa Grande. AIDS took its heavy toll on the River with 200 AIDS related deaths that had been documented by 1988, 980 by 1998; Leonard Matlovich, the gay serviceman that came out on the cover of Time Magazine in 1979 and who owned a pizza place in Guerneville called Stumptown Annies/Stumptown Inn (where Community First Credit Union is now located). His tombstone reads “When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”; Randy Shilts, who wrote books such as “And the Band Played On”, “Conduct Unbecoming”, and “The Mayor of Castro Street”, and he is now laid to rest in Guerneville’s Pioneer Cemetery. In Cazadero, a couple built their dream of a retirement business in the country and opened a bar, Cazadero Bottling Company, in the’70s, Homophobia struck, and the building was burned to the ground. The owners escaped safely, but their dog was not as fortunate. Although there were suspects in the case and this was a premeditated hate crime, there were no hate crime statutes on the books in the 1970’s.

Some will say the heydays were the good old days. I came to the River after the heyday. I wish I could transport myself back in time to the days the trains brought thousands to the river to listen to the big bands, and to the gay heydays as well. I am proud of the contributions the LGBT community has made in the River over the years. Researching this history has been fun and I learned more than I could have ever imagined. But more than that, I have come away with a stronger appreciation of the history and of the people. I realized that today, there are people I encounter daily that have contributed so much to the community over the years.

Kari Kemp, who started Food for Thought, and Robert Gray, who in 1984 posed naked for a inter-racial safe sex poster. Gray remembers watching the local news with his mom and dad when the poster flashed on the screen as a reporter discussed it and the interracial controversy. He hadn’t come out yet. He said, “My heart pounded with worry that mom and dad were seeing me naked embracing a white guy and realized I was gay.” He was relieved when they didn’t make the connection. The poster went on to be displayed in bathhouses and bars from San Francisco to New York. I know there are many others that have contributed that I am not aware of. I encourage you to contact me, so we can build on our history. I am proud that our fleeting knowledge of local LGBT history is now going to be preserved and celebrated for future generations. I thank the GLBT Historical Society for their assistance. I look forward to working with our Russian River Historical Society as well in this endeavor.

Over the last few years, the River has come back strongly. LGBT contributions and history are not just things of the past. The most significant building in Guerneville, The Guerneville Bank Building, has finally been brought back to life, after decades of neglect thanks to a gay man. Johnson’s Beach will continue to provide relaxation and enjoyment for decades to come, thanks to recently being purchased by a gay couple. The River is beautiful. We live in an exceptionally unique place. A place that has changed much over the decades, a place that embraces diversity for all. We are so ahead of most of our country and have so much to be thankful for.

Which brings us to Pride Weekend:

With the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision due in June, which is expected to legalize marriage equality nationwide, Sonoma County’s LGBT community and its allies will have much to be proud of and to celebrate at this year’s Sonoma County Pride weekend.

Sonoma County Pride incorporated as a non-profit late last year. The new energy, enthusiasm, teamwork, excitement, and results are evident. This year’s theme is appropriately titled, Equality Everywhere. The planning group has gone all out to make this year’s event a weekend to remember. Friday June 5th will have a First Friday Art Walk in Guerneville, followed by country western dancing. Saturday June 6th will have a canoe/kayaking event ending up at the Rio Theater in Monte Rio for games, BBQ, music, and LGBT short films. Later Saturday night will be a disco party in Guerneville. Sunday June 7th will be the parade on Main Street in Guerneville followed by a celebration at Guerneville Lodge. The venue is perfect, right on the river, and the entertainment lineup is guaranteed to please everyone. Weekend lodging and camping is also available at Guerneville Lodge. And of course, we will have an LGBT History exhibit on site. For more information on Pride, please check out sonomacountypride.org

Looking forward to celebrating with you!

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Sexy Leads Drive Indie “Beautiful Something”

Four gay men of different generations are searching for love, and much more, one cold winter’s night in Philadelphia and this is the story of how their paths cross until the morning breaks.
Brian is a 30-something-year-old writer who is at the end of his tether as he has been unable to write a single word since the successful publication of his first book of poetry.  He seeks solace in a local bar in which he is the sole drinker until Chris comes in and immediately hits on him.  Chris fesses up to have a girlfriend back home in the burbs but just feels an urgent need to get some hot man-on-man action. Which is exactly what he gets back at Brian’s apartment but the moment their very passionate lovemaking finishes, Chris freaks out, and leaves a stranded Brian desperate to know what he had done wrong.
He shares his insecurities with his ex roommate whom he wakes up in the middle of the night insisting that they discuss his problems there and then.  Dan is straight but he too had once shared an emotional and physical connection with him and now Brian wants to know why that ended if it was all as real as Dan claims.
Whilst all this is going on, in another part of town super-hot 22 year old model Jim is being very energetically fucked by Drew his older lover on the bench of his workshop. Drew is a successful famous artist who considers Jim his muse, but a disgruntled Jim just believes he is being treated as a kept boy and threatens to leave and move to NY.
After he storms out of the house in a huff, he encounters Brian, and they hook up, and after more even hotter sex, he quickly abandons needy Brian who is now getting a serious complex about the men who just cannot leave him fast enough.  Jim meanwhile gets picked up by elderly Bob who has been cruising the streets all night in a big white limousine drinking heavily and looking to get lucky.
He doesn’t but others do when this intriguing wee film neatly comes to a climax and it is almost a case of all’s well that end’s well, but not quite.
Written and directed by Joseph Graham (‘Strapped’) this edgy and very sensual and unsentimental movie is by no means perfect but it’s forthright take on contemporary gay life ….. well, sex anyway …. is both refreshing and extremely entertaining. Evidently based on a true story, it has a good script which was very stylishly shot and with some rather excellent performances from newbie actor Brian Sheppard (Brian), hunky Zach Ryan (Jim), comedian Grant Lancaster (Dan) and established local actor Colman Domingo (Drew).


COMING IN

Tom is a celebrity hairdresser in Berlin although its been years since he picked up a

TANGERINE

It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Alexandra has just blown her last couple of dollars on buying Sin-Dee her best friend a pastry to celebrate her return after a 28 day stint in Jail. The mood quickly changes as these two transgendered prostitutes are dishing the dirty and Alexandra lets slip that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp Chester has been been dating a ‘fish’ (their slang for a biological female). An enraged Sin-Dee storms off in a huff determined to find this usurper and ‘sort her out’ once and for all .
Alexandra sets out in pursuit of her friend but then quickly gets embroiled in her own dramas. She is trying to hustle up some of the other working ‘girls’ on the block to attend her debut performance at a Bar later that night, but is distracted from that when a ‘john’ in a car asks her for a ‘quickie’.  When he refuses to pay up because he cannot get aroused, Alexandra shows her mettle by attempting to beat the crap out of the man in order to get her money.

This is just another day on some of the meaner streets of the underbelly of a city which is the home turf of these very tough sharp-tongue lady boys who make their living selling sex and whatever else they can lay their hands on.  They are fearlessly fabulous and rule the roost of these few blocks between Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard where straight ‘johns’ cruise to get a fix.

As the two manically rush around town separately Alexandra comes across Razmik a middle-aged Armenian cab driver who is a regular client of most of the ‘girls’ in the area and he is overjoyed to learn that Sin-Dee is back on the beat.  She tells the cabbie that Sin-Dee will be at the Bar later to watch her perform, and he promises to meet them there in the hope of scoring a ‘date’ with her. However nothing ever works out as planned and Alexandra ends up plaintively singing to an audience of one, so tonight is obviously not going to be when she gets the break to go legit that she pines for.

The plot gets messy from there when it takes a farcical turn, but frankly it is really not that important anyway. This whole movie is much more like a bizarre reality show with its the high voltage of energy that its cast of larger-than-life characters bring to it that is the essential ingredient of this wonderful big-hearted frenetic street drama.   The fact that filmmaker Sean Baker shot the whole thing on IPhones adds a real frisson plus the performance of his two lead transgendered newbie actors Kiki Kitana Rodriquez and Mya Taylor made such compelling viewing. Baker credits the actors for drawing on their own personal experiences that gave such a authenticity and vitality to all their unstoppable bad-mouthing which is such a sheer delight to watch and listen too.

When this rather audacious indie movie premiered at Sundance Film Festival audiences leaped to the feet at the end, a reaction that I feel will be repeated quite often whenever it is screened.

★★★★★★★★★

Posted by at 6:27 PM

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BACK ON BOARD : GREG LOUGANIS

Greg Louganis is an American Hero. The sad thing is that it has taken such a long time for many people to truly acknowledge that.  Despite him being a four-time US Olympic diving champion whose many records remain unbroken today, he never always got all the acclaim and rewards that other sportsmen got just because he was gay. In this new documentary that covers focuses mainly on his more recent past filmmaker Cheryl Furjanic paints an affectionate and stirring portrait of a remarkable man who has survived more his fair share of  trauma and who has come through it all with a big smile on his face.
The film starts with Louganis trying to keep the Bank off his back as financial troubles have left him somewhat high and dry (we find out at the end of the movie that it all works out very well). The film then cuts back and forth covering his early diving days to his first days of retirement from the sport when the drama really seemed to get worse. What is remarkable is that right through all this from his abusive father to the blatant homophobia that dogged his career to the people in his life who just took advantage of him, a sanguine and honest Louganis shows no sign at all of anger.  A few regrets maybe. Even dealing with the messy and bitter collapse of his relationship with Jim in the 1980’s who had contracted Aids, there is no hint of even a harsh word.  Almost broke and now HIV positive, Louganis still supported Jim until the day he died.
Even though the Diving community shunned their greatest athlete for decades until the 2012 Olympics when he was invited to be a Mentor to the US Team, there were a handful of people like  Ron O’Brien who never ever wavered in their support throughout. O’Brien coached Louganis through the years of his Olympic years and was present on the fateful day when Louganis cut his head open on the diving board with blood spilling into the pool.  It was an incident that filled the closeted diver with dread especially as the doctors providing emergency care had no idea about Louganis’s condition and did not protect themselves.
It was a very emotional Louganis who told this story to Oprah on national TV years later when his memoir (a NY Times Bestseller for weeks) ‘Breaking The Silence’ was published in 1995 and his sexuality was made public.  Equally moving is when at a recent reunion he presented O’Brien with the Gold Medal that the Coach had helped him win that day.
What we see on screen is a healthy and happy 50 year-old-man.  His health had deteriorated rapidly in the late 1980’s until the introduction of life-saving protease inhibitors, and his new found happiness came to him via Match.com who provided with a rather wonderful husband.  Plus he has his dogs
Louganis is a disarmingly charming man but most of all he is a hero, and it seems only fitting that ‘Back On Board’ reminds exactly why.

★★★★★★★★

BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS [TRAILER] from Louganis Doc on Vimeo.

Posted by at 3:37 PM

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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

BROKEN GARDENIAS

Jenni is a misfit and a nerd. She is so clumsy that she breaks most of the plant pots at the nursery where she works and that really pisses off her boss. Her self-absorbed roommates all but one ignore her, and she is totally friendless.  It gets even worse after she is hospitalized and loses both her job and her home.  Clutching one cardboard box of her worldly possessions she makes tracks to the nearest park and sets about hanging herself from a tree.
Even this does not go to plan as she is cut down and rescued by Sam (short for Samantha) a feisty lesbian with a buzz cut and ripped jeans and a great big grin. ‘This’ she tells a downcast Jenni ‘is the face of a nice person’. Something she feels the need to point out after listening to the miserable girl pour out her tale of woe as it seems likely that she has never encountered a nice person ever before in her life.
Part of the story is Jenni’s father who she hasn’t seen since she was brought to the city and dumped there when she was very little.  He is still in Los Angeles. Maybe. Jenni is very sketchy about details, but that doesn’t deter Sam who declares that they will set off for LA in search of him immediately.  Even the fact they do not have a car, or even the faintest idea where in the vast city he will be, is considered irrelevant by the overly optimistic Sam.
Their road trip is littered with characters that Sam just shrugs off, but which wind up Jenni even more. When they arrive in the city and the search for the father starts, Sam has a detour when she runs into an old fling who invites her …. and Jenni ….. to a wild party.  Whilst Sam goes off to make out with her Ex., wide eyed Jenni ends up tripping on a psychedelic cupcake and getting into some bedroom action that she didn’t didn’t count on. She freaks out and then as she has angered the owner of the house as well, runs off into the city and is really on her own now.  The question is will she survive, and will she find her father ?  Even more important will we have lost interest just like Sam does?
Broken Gardenias is billed as a dark comedy and is the work of first time director Kai Alexander whose bio states that he spent his childhood with his parents who were part of a Travelling Circus which may account for the bizarre roster of characters the two women encounter.  The script is by newbie writer Alma S. Grey who also plays Jenni.
The sole bright spot of this film is the performance of Ashley Morocco as the bubbly Sam as asides from this the movie just simply fails to really engage, and for a comedy, it is painfully unfunny.

★★

Broken Gardenias Trailer from Zep Tepi Films LLC on Vimeo.

Posted by at 10:21 PM

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Lights, Cabaret, Action: REVUE Takes Center Stage at Graton Casino

This Memorial Day Weekend, drag is the new Saturday in the North Bay thanks to the star-studded debut of REVUE on Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 at The Event inside Graton Resort & Casino. Presented by Duane Wells’ LivingWells Lifestyle Events and Graton Resort & Casino in Sonoma County, true to its namesake, REVUE combines cabaret, music, comedy and light theatrical entertainment into two evenings of award-winning performances and off-Broadway stellar.

Tickets cost $55 for general admission, $75 for premier tickets and $100 for VIP passes which include access to pre and post event receptions.

Tickets are available today at Ticketmaster, and more information about REVUE is also available at www.gratonresortcasino.com/Revue.

“With this production, we’re quite literally bringing the glitz of Wigstock and the glamour of Broadway to Sonoma,” says REVUE executive director Duane Wells. “Among drag personalities, Tony-Award winning performers, musicians and surprise special guests, this will be much more than just a drag show, it will be a festival of entertainment in which the audience can only expect the unexpected.”

REVUE’s multiple performances will feature an unprecedented roster of distinct talent culled from across the United States. Never before has this caliber of performers been gathered together under one spotlight, offering a superlative mix of everything from the outrageous to the sublime and the erotic to the exceedingly elegant. The cast line-up includes:

Candis Cayne; nightclub icon and primetime TV actress,
Levi Kreis; Tony Award winning, actor, singer and songwriter
Joey Arias; cabaret singer, jazz vocalist, , theater artist, drag performer, fashion icon
Jackie Beat; drag superstar
Lady Bunny; drag legend, Wigstock founder, emcee, performer and DJ
Jimmy James; award-winning entertainer, singer-songwriter and tribute artist
Shoshana Bean; R&B and Blues chart-topping artist and acclaimed cast member of Hairspray and Wicked
Ryan Raftery; the one-man musical juggernaut behind Ryan Raftery is the Most Powerful Woman in Fashion
Elaine Gibbs; X-Factor finalist
Jacob Lusk; American Idol finalist

In addition to the rarity of these joint on-stage performances and the only Northern California performance of the Anna Wintour-inspired musical, Ryan Raftery is the Most Powerful Woman in Fashion, there will also be incredible performances from Grammy-nominated and Tony-award-winning surprise special guests.

“We know how incredible it is to see all of these performers on the same bill, and we are thrilled to wow audiences with this showcase of talented entertainers,” said Joe Hasson, General Manager at Graton Resort & Casino. “REVUE is truly about music, elegance, entertainment and some occasional outrageousness, the like of which we know is not to be found anywhere else in Northern California.”

Setting the stage for the two evening event, REVUE will embody the excitement of an underground cabaret-styled theatre, allowing the Graton Resort & Casino Event Center to transform into an old Berlin nightclub. Enhancing the intimate setting, will be décor inspired by the roaring 20’s and styled by design sage and HGTV star Matthew Finlason.

And, REVUE’s weekend of entertainment doesn’t end when the curtain drops. Prior to and following the Saturday and Sunday ensembles, celebrations at Graton Resort & Casino will also include a pre-show VIP reception and a post-party/Meet & Greet in the casino’s Sky Bar lounge hosted by YouTube Sensation, Davey Wavey, Heatherette co-founders Richie Rich and Travis Rains and DJ’d by Lady Bunny on Sunday night with a special surprise DJ on Saturday night. For audience members traveling from the Bay Area, specially arranged bus transportation to and from San Francisco to the casino will also be provided as part of the REVUE ticket price.

Find out more about REVUE at www.gratonresortcasino.com/revue. Follow the latest about REVUE on Twitter and Instragram @RevueGraton and on Facebook at Revue at Graton Resort & Casino.

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Media Contact:
Steph Nadine
stephenie@theduanewells.com

About Graton Resort & Casino
Conveniently located off of Highway 101 in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence amongst rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino is the complete entertainment experience, featuring table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike.

CASINO
Graton Resort & Casino is the region’s newest full-amenity gaming resort with a high-energy casino floor featuring 3,000 slots, video poker, more than 100 table games, a live poker room and VIP gaming salons. From the excitement, sound, decor, and vibe, there’s no better place to play in the region. The convenience of getting to the casino resort is complemented with plenty of parking including a complimentary valet area.

DINING
Indulge your cravings at Graton Resort & Casino, starting with our four casual dining restaurants featuring menus from the Bay Area’s top award-winning chefs: Chef Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook! and Chef Tony Gemignani, famous for his Italian restaurant concepts around the Bay Area. Marketplace features additional quick-service dining options including La Fondita Taqueria, Boathouse Asian Bistro, Scoops featuring Three Twins Ice Cream, plus many others.

LOUNGES & BARS
Graton Resort & Casino is the place to see and be seen. From the high-energy center bar, Sky, and action-packed sports bar, G Bar, to the more intimate VIP lounge, 8.

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Bill that Supports LGBT Students Moves Through Committee

On April 22, AB 827, authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) and sponsored by Equality California, passed out of the Assembly Education Committee with a 6 to 1 vote. The bill would provide more support and a safer learning environment for LGBT students by requiring that schools provide annual training to teachers on various resources available to support LGBT students both at school and in the local community.

“Equality California sponsored AB 827, which is authored by Assemblymember O’Donnell, because this legislation will enable teachers and school administrators to foster a supportive school environment for all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth,” said Rick Zbur executive director for Equality California. “LGBT students have a higher dropout rate than their straight peers and are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. Assemblymember O’Donnell’s bill provides teachers and school administrators access to information that supports LGBT youth inside and outside the classroom.”

“Teachers have the power to build an educational environment that is truly welcoming to all students,” said Assemblymember O’Donnell. “This bill provides teachers with the information needed to better support LGBTQ students, creating a safer school environment that all students deserve.”

As outlined in Equality California’s Fair Share for Equality report, LGBT youth are at higher risk of homelessness and related health problems due to social stigma, family rejection, and bullying and violence in schools. LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, and 40 percent of transgender youth have made a suicide attempt.

AB 827 will head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee where the legislation’s fiscal impact will be analyzed.

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Equality California is California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization focused on creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

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Equality California Commends President Obama’s Statement Calling for an end to Conversion Therapy

Equality California, California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, released the following statement from Rick Zbur, executive director for Equality California, on President Obama’s call for an end to conversion therapy.

“Equality California applauds and commends President Obama for his statement calling for an end to ‘conversion therapy,’ the damaging psychological abuse practiced by some mental health professionals who falsely claim that they can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender expression” said Equality California executive director Rick Zbur. “The nation’s leading mental health associations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Counseling Association, have all issued position statements warning that there is no evidence that these treatments work, and that they may cause significant harm. That’s why in 2012, California became the first state in the country to protect LGBT youth by banning this harmful and dangerous practice, as a result of the groundbreaking adoption of Senate Bill 1172, authored by Senator and now Congressman Ted Lieu, and sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Gaylesta, Mental Health America of Northern California, Lambda Legal and the Courage Campaign. We thank Congressman Lieu, Governor Brown, members of the California legislature and our co-sponsors for the groundbreaking leadership that led to the banning in California of the damaging attempts to change the orientation of LGBT young people. We agree with President Obama that this dangerous practice must end, and the team at Equality California stands ready to assist our sibling organizations in states outside California in the important goal of banning conversion therapy everywhere.”

California’s Senate Bill 1172, signed by Governor Brown, banned licensed therapists in California from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender expression of patients under the age of 18. California became the first state in the country to protect LGBT youth by banning conversion therapy, and the legislation was used as a model in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Several states are considering similar action this year.

For more information on conversion therapy, Senate Bill 1172, or to interview Rick Zbur, please contact Linsey Pecikonis at linsey@eqca.org or by calling 202-746-8426.

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Equality California is California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization focused on creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals.www.eqca.org

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Jewish National Fund Award To Anti-Gay Pastor, Charles Stanley, Angers Some Jews

Stanley, who rose to national prominence in the 1980s with his “In Touch” television series and books that sold millions of copies, “has publicly called AIDS God’s punishment for America’s acceptance of homosexuality and called homosexuality ‘destructive behavior,’” reads a letter to JNF Southeast region leaders from the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity (SOJOURN).

“He has said that ‘God does not agree with the lifestyle of the homosexual’ and that accepting gay people is ‘an act of disobedience to God,’” the letter continues.

The controversy reflects the sometimes awkward embrace between American Jews and evangelicals — fervent partners in support of Israel but also outspoken opponents on many domestic social issues, including homosexuality and abortion rights.

Though not known as a culture warrior in the mold of the late Jerry Falwell or televangelist Pat Robertson, Stanley, 82, nonetheless recently joined an amicus brief at the Supreme Court that warned that nationwide legalized gay marriage would result in government actions to “silence religious dissenters who continue to hold to their millennia-old definition of marriage.”

Stanley led the Southern Baptist Convention from 1984 to 1986, and his son, Andy Stanley, leads the 30,000-member North Point Ministries in Alpharetta, Ga., ranked last year as the nation’s largest megachurch.

The award to be given to Stanley at an April 23 breakfast in Atlanta is coming from the group’s Atlanta office, not the JNF’s national headquarters in New York. JNF national spokesman Adam Brill defended the Atlanta chapter’s right to award it and said he has heard from both supporters and opponents.

“Not everybody is going to agree with what we do at all times, but what we do at all times is for the benefit of the people in the land of Israel,” Brill said.

The elder Stanley, who has led First Baptist since 1971, has taken many in his flock to Israel and is frequently a featured speaker at events sponsored by Christians United for Israel.

In a statement provided by Brill, JNF said Stanley “represents one of the largest Christian communities in the South which has always supported the Jewish people in times of peace and conflict.”

Stanley’s ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last summer, during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the statement continued, “when few would travel to Israel, hundreds of congregants from the First Baptist Church Atlanta went to stand united with the people of Israel. For such heroic actions, we honor this esteemed community, our neighbors in love.”

Rebecca Stapel-Wax, executive director of Atlanta-based SOJOURN, said that most of Atlanta’s Jewish community is “incredibly supportive” of LGBT rights and that the JNF’s decision stands in stark contrast to that consensus. More than 50 people have signed the SOJOURN letter, Stapel-Wax said.

At the same Atlanta breakfast in years past, JNF has honored Holocaust survivors and Israeli diplomat Reda Mansour, a Druze who served as consul general in Atlanta.

JNF, in addition to ecological work, sponsors Zionism education programs, promotes tourism and helps build Jewish communities in Israel. Some pro-Palestinian groups say JNF has been complicit in Israeli appropriation of Palestinian lands, a charge JNF has denied, pointing to conservation projects with Israeli Arabs.

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