Reprinted with permission from History Happens, the newsletter of the GLBT Historical Society (San Francisco)” with a link to our website (www.glbthistory.org).
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Achémagazine, a free journal and community organization for, by and about black lesbians that I cofounded with Pippa Fleming. The GLBT Historical Society’s archives preserve a full run of Aché, which was published from 1989 to 1993. Reflecting on the magazine after three decades, I’m struck by the outsized impact it’s had. Over its four-year run, Aché morphed quite a bit. In the beginning, it featured artwork, poetry and a calendar of events, and was less of a literary journal. It quickly became apparent that we struck a chord in the community, and people started contributing work. Writers contributed short stories, and organizers used our pages to reach a wide audience.
The years we were active were in many ways to black gay culture what the Harlem Renaissance was to African American culture. There was so much happening in our community: in politics, art, the literary world and organizing. As Aché was an integral communication vehicle, it served as an important nexus for all things black and gay. The journal developed a following in upwards of 12 countries and published over 200 artists and writers, most of whom had never before appeared in print. Scholars and researchers examining the journal today in an exploding age of instant communication and social media won’t be able to help noticing that it’s dated; it’s a time capsule of the golden era of bitmap printing. But you can go to the back page and see what kind of organizations and support groups existed in the early 1990s and you can peruse the artwork produced by the artists we invited. The magazine charts the development of our aesthetic. Whether it’s organizing, culture or art you’re interested in, there’s something in Aché that can be illuminating today. At a 30th-anniversary event held this past month, I had people come up to me and say that Aché changed their life in some way, which was a phenomenal feeling. To think that a project I devoted an intense chapter of my life to is going to be preserved 50 years from now is remarkable.
Lisbet Tellefsen has been an archivist, collector and event producer in the Bay Area for more than three decades.
Our pantry is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon – 5pm. Please come in to visit us during those hours. If there is something you’d like us to stock in the pantry please contact Bri at bsilva@thespahrcenter.org Cal Fresh 2019 UpdateGreat News! For the first time, beginning in June 2019, clients who have Social Security Income will be able to apply for CalFresh and receive a monthly benefit of $130 deposited onto an EBT card. You can’t apply until June 2019 but we can help you apply once June rolls around. Contact your Case Manager or Benefits Advocate for assistance.
Give OUT Day on April 18th!Mark your calendars now! Give OUT Day is right around the corner, on Thursday April 18th. Give OUT Day is the only national day of giving to LGBTQ organizations. Last year we raised $2,165 to help support our annual Pride Picnic! This year our theme is “Cause to be PROUD”. Please join us in raising even more this year to support the life-affirming programs of The Spahr Center! More information to follow in the next two weeks.
Q’d In! News and NotesThe Spahr Center’s Q’d In Programs Build the Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth By Nina Friedman, LGBTQ Youth Program CoordinatorThe Spahr Center’sQ’d InLGBTQ+ youth programs are dedicated to supporting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth and young people ages 12-25 across Marin County. All of these programs are youth driven and directed. Together, we lead community drop-in support groups in Novato, San Rafael and Mill Valley, as well as in-school support groups in the Tam district. Another integral part of Q’d In is the Youth Advisory Committee that prepares The Spahr Center’s educational trainings for students, educators and community members. Since its inception one year ago, the Advisory Committee has trained over 800 educators, students, and providers across Marin county. In addition to leading trainings, the Q’d In Youth Advisory Committee plans engaging events for LGBTQ+ youth, young people and families. We hope to continue planning community events and providing educational trainings to increase the safety, visibility, and well-being of LBTQ+ youth and young people! A shocking 8 in 10 LGBTQ+ students are regularly harassed at school because of who they are, with a harrowing 75% of transgender students reporting physical harassment at school (GLSEN, 2018). I often hear narratives of great progress on LGBTQ+ issues in Marin county, and that “we are in a bubble, within a bubble, within a bubble.” Unfortunately the above statistics are realities present in Marin schools and suggest that, while there has been progress, we have farther to go to build a truly welcoming community. I started working at The Spahr Center with a larger goal of “supporting LGBTQ+ youth”. When we think about ‘supporting’ any group of people, we often think of direct support — therapy groups, individual counseling, etc. That idea of support often negates the bigger picture and does not account for the environments that people are in; the everyday, the minute. In order to fully support someone, you must ensure the environment they are in is supportive. I recognized the need for an advocacy group made up of students and young people in the community who felt the need to respond to things happening on their campuses and in their lives. The committee had to be peer driven and directed. A year and over 25 trainings later, I still joke that all I do is buy the snacks and open the door. The Youth Advisory Committee focuses their trainings on education and awareness. Most of our curriculum focuses on LGBTQ+ basics; we provide a framework for talking about our personal experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community and then move on to talk about how best to support LGBTQ+, and specifically transgender and gender expansive, students in schools. Committee members address issues like micro-aggressions, pronouns, and offensive jokes. They successfully address how to interrupt this behavior. For the past year I have had the privilege and honor of seeing Youth Advisory Committee members lead these trainings, speaking from a place of powerful personal narrative. Starting April 1, I will be transitioning out of my current role. I have loved working with and alongside LGBTQ+ youth in the Marin community. I will greatly miss facilitating groups. While I am incredibly sad to be leaving The Spahr Center, I am excited to see where the program goes. I learn something new from the youth I work with every day, and have immense gratitude for all the wonderful community members I have had the opportunity to work alongside. On April 1, Felicia Agrelius will be taking the role of Program Coordinator for LGBTQ+ youth programs at The Spahr Center. Felicia has ample experience supporting, working alongside, and advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and young people-s rights and well-being. In college, Felicia worked at the Queer Resource Center and conducted allyship trainings for students, faculty, and staff groups. After graduating from Scripps College in southern California, she moved to the Bay Area where she has been supporting clients at the Independent Living Resource Center in San Francisco. Felicia is excited to be supporting all Q’d In programs and services. In addition to facilitating our community and in-school drop in groups for LGBTQ+ youth, she is dedicated to expanding our community activities. In line with the Spahr Center’s mission, Felicia is committed to principals of justice and intersectionality. We are both lucky and excited to have her join the Spahr family!Basic Terminology:*Cisgender/Cis | A term for someone whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned to them at birth.*Non-Binary | Someone who does not identify on the male/female binary. Non-binary people may identify as being both male/ female, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many non-binary people also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. *Transgender/Trans | An umbrella term encompassing many gender identities of those who do not identify or exclusively identify with their sex assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. Note that transgender does not have an “ed” at the end.
Monthly Mixer/Open HouseOur Monthly Mixer is traditionally held on the 4th Monday of the month at San Rafael Joes. For April, though, we’d like to invite our Mixers, and the entire Spahr Center family, to our April 22nd Open House! We will show you around the new office, share refreshments, and say a warm hello! Be there!
The Board of Directors Welcomes Clients and Group Participants to Join In Guiding the Work of The Spahr CenterBy Dana Van Gorder, Interim Executive Director It is absolutely essential to The Spahr Center’s ability to deliver the best possible programs that we include our clients and community members in shaping the work of the agency. Please consider two current opportunities to have an active voice in decision making about our policies, programs, and operations. First, we have a nine member HIV Advisory Committee that provides advice about how to strengthen existing Spahr Center services, and recommends new efforts to meet emerging needs of clients. You can find more information and an application by going to www.thespahrcenter.organd clicking on the Get Involved heading . Or please call 415.886.8551 Additionally, the Board of Directors welcomes all Spahr Center clients and group participants to consider joining them in its work. The Board oversees the work of the Executive Director, oversees finances and fundraising, assures the strength of agency programs and operations, and sets policies for how things are done by the agency. More information about the role of Board members, as well as an application to be considered for membership, can also be found at www.thespahrcenter.org under the Get Involved heading . Once again, feel free to call 415.886.8551 I am happy to talk to you at any time about any questions or thoughts you may have about the future of our work at The Spahr Center. You are the reason we are here, and we are fully dedicated to making sure you have a voice in the work we do. I can be emailed at dvangorder@thespahrcenter.org or called at 415.886.8551
Support Groups
The Spahr Center offers a variety of social support groups. Below is a list of the groups, with a short description. Please click any of the groups to learn more!
HIV Groups Latino Support Group – this group is for Latinos living with or affected by HIV.Women’s Support Group – this group is for women living with or affected by HIV.Long Term Survivors Group – this group is for any individual who identifies as a “long-term survivor” of HIV.LGBTQ Groups Parent Groups – these groups are for parents/caregivers of gender expansive and/or questioning youthYouth Drop-in Groups – these groups are for any LGBTQ youthSenior Discussion Groups – these are facilitated discussion groups for LGBTQ identified adults of any age.Men’s Brown Bag Lunch – this is a group of older gay men that meet for lunch/discussion
Closed for Staff DevelopmentThe Spahr Center’s offices will be closed on the morning of Friday, March 29th for a staff development retreat. We will open at 1:30 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Upcoming Outside Events
Here are some events coming up in April that are not sponsored by The Spahr Center; however, we think they might be of interest to our clients. 4/6 &4/7 When the Bud Blooms – An LGBTQ play4/11 Healing with Feeling – an Attitudinal Healing Support Group4/16 LGBTQ Senior Game Day – at Sam’s in Novato4/18 LGBTQ Senior Breakfast – at Sam’s in Novato4/20 Queer Book Talk – at Falkirk Cultural Center
misterb&b (misterbandb.com), the world’s largest short-term rental marketplace dedicated to the Gay community, has launched a Wefunder campaign to give guests, hosts, and the public the opportunity to invest in the company to help launch expansion to hotels.
Homosexuality is illegal in a third of the world, and in 8 countries, it is punishable by death. In the U.S., hate crime incidents increased by 17% from 2016 to 2017, as reported by the FBI’s yearly “Hate Crime Statistics” report, with 20.6% due to sexual-orientation — the largest increase since 9/11.
Not knowing whether a host will be welcoming makes “traveling while gay” for men, women, and gender non-conforming people around the world dangerous – and potentially life-threatening.
At hotels, global gay travelers have been rejected or forced to book separate rooms. The only solutions available to them are third-party, unverified, user-generated reviews.
misterb&b was created to give its community the freedom to book an entire home or rent a private room at the home of a gay or gay-friendly host, and with many located in gay-friendly neighborhoods.
Now, after verticalizing the short term rental industry, misterb&b wants to build equality into the sharing economy and give back to a community that’s been historically economically marginalized, by providing the misterb&b community with the power of part ownership of the company.
The funds, raised through Wefunder, which reached half a million dollars in just 7 days, will be used to provide gay and gay-friendly hotel rooms on the platform.
This new offering curates gay-friendly and welcoming hotels that have been hand-selected by the company’s editorial team, with high quality, exclusive, and verified reviews from LGBTQ travelers. What’s more, misterb&b travelers will be able to discover and connect with others from the misterb&b community staying at their hotel, and to explore the city together – especially because there’s truly safety in numbers.
Crowdfunding provides a way for all individuals (even non-accredited investors) to participate in investment opportunities and reap the benefits.
Matthieu Jost did not want to go the traditional route of investment for this round because he wanted to extend the opportunity first to the misterb&b community, many of whom may not be accredited investors.
“This is a unique opportunity to own a part of misterb&b and help us create a more welcoming world. We are reaching out to the most passionate people in the community: our hosts and our guests, as well as LGBTQ allies,” said Matthieu Jost, founder of misterb&b. “We want to provide the opportunity to financially benefit from our successes – giving back to a community that’s been historically economically marginalized.”
While the sharing economy for short-term rentals has increased, it has been difficult for gay hosts and travelers to feel secure and welcome. misterb&b is a response to strong demand for collaborative tourism in the booming niche of global gay tourism, a $100B market. The gay market is also a premium segment, traveling twice as much as other travelers.
“The online travel industry is already generating massive business worldwide and innovation keeps on thriving in this sector,” said Jean Bourcereau, managing partner at Ventech, a member of misterb&b’s board of directors. “misterb&b’s early commercial traction and tremendous growth over the past two years have proven the huge value of their differentiated offer for both hosts and guests.”
misterb&b is a graduate of 500 Startups and have raised US$13.5M from institutional investors like Project A and Ventech, and from angels like Joel Simkhai (founder of Grindr, sold for $300M USD).The marketplace has310,000 hosts in over 135 countries.
“We have a penchant for companies with strong growth and revenue. Not only does misterb&b have both, but they also have a stellar team,” said Christine Tsai from 500 startups
misterb&b is the world’s largest short-term rental marketplace dedicated to the Gay community. Matthieu co-founded misterb&b after he and his partner booked a room in Barcelona through a third party rental website, and were faced with a homophobic host, which prompted them to cut their trip short. The company was then incubated in Silicon Valley by 500 Startups and raised $13.5 million in venture capital. Today, misterb&b operates out of 3 offices on 3 continents, providing it’s community with access to more than 310,000 properties in 135+ countries. The marketplace is open to everyone across the spectrum of gender & sexual orientation. In the media, misterb&b has been recognized by CNN as being integral to ‘The Gay Travel Revolution’, has received coverage in Forbes, Forbes Travel, New York Business Journal, USA Today, Logo, and was the very first gay “App of the day” on the Apple Store.
LGBTI advocacy groups and transfeminist organizations gathered in Verona, Italy, today (30 March) to protest the World Congress of Families.
Organizers estimated that the march reached more than 50,000 people. Many took to the streets of the city in Northern Italy with placards and banners.
The demonstration aims to support the LGBTI community and all women whose rights have been threatened by the WCF.
Now in its 23rd year, the Christian Congress has raised concerns across the country and internationally for its vocal opposition of LGBTI rights and reproductive rights.
A platform to spread discrimination
‘We’re more than 50,000 according to official estimations’ says Mattia Stella, President of Pride Vicenza.
‘It’s impossible to tell where the parade ends.’
He joined many other LGBTI people and allies for the demonstration.
‘I’m here today with thousands of other people to state there’s no such thing as one kind of family. And that gender equality should be a priority for every country claiming to be democratic,’ he told GSN.
‘Events such as the WCF are providing platforms to spread hate and discrimination.’
He furthermore added: ‘We’re not here only for ourselves, but also for the future generations. We hope they won’t have to go through this medieval-like era someone is imposing upon us.’
Anti-LGBTI speakers at World Congress of Families
A three-day convention, the WCF opened its doors on 29 March.
Significantly, the counter-protest took place on the same day where Italy’s far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is set to speak.
Among this year’s speakers, there are also international figures infamous for opposing LGBTI rights, such as Lucy Akello.
As Shadow Minister for Social Development, Akello supported a law in Uganda mandating the death penalty or life imprisonment for gay people.
Using data from the 2015–2017 Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the Trevor Project released a new report about the health of bisexual youth in the United States.
On the whole, they found bisexual youth reported higher rates of suicide ideation, bullying, and other negative experiences.
In the CDC’s data, as re-stated in the report, 7% of youth identified as bisexual, compared to 2% as gay or lesbian and 4% as not sure.
Between their fellow peers in the LGBTI community, and heterosexual peers, there exists a disparity. Researchers found this both in mental health and victimization.
What they experience
Overall, bisexual youth reported higher rates of various mental health struggles than all their peers.
When asked if they felt sad or hopeless, ever seriously considered suicide, or attempted suicide, bisexual youth had the highest affirmative responses.
A majority of bisexual youth (66%) reported feeling hopeless or sad. In comparison, 27% of straight youth reported this, as well as 49% of gay/lesbian youth.
When it comes to suicide ideation, 48% of bisexual youth have ‘seriously considered it’. 27% have actually attempted suicide.
Among gay and lesbian youth, these numbers are 37% and 19%.
Further, bisexual youth also have the highest rates of reporting bullying (on school and online). They also report the highest rates of experiencing ‘forced’ sexual intercourse.
21% say they’ve been forced into sexual intercourse, and another 36% and 30% say they’ve been bullied at school and online, respectively.
Stigma around bisexuality
As Amy Green, Director of Research for The Trevor Project, noted, bisexual youth are ‘more likely to experience victimization, depressed mood, and suicide attempts than their straight, lesbian, and gay peers’.
‘These disparities are likely related to increased minority stress faced by bisexual youth who may be stigmatized by both straight and gay/lesbian communities,’ she continued.
There is stigma surrounding the bisexual community based on negative stereotypes and myths. Some of these myths include bisexual people not being able to make up their mind or being promiscuous.
Green said: ‘Enhancing youth coping skills and social support can mitigate the link between stigmatization and negative outcomes, which is why The Trevor Project’s crisis services operates 24/7 to provide that support to bisexual youth as well as all LGBTQ youth in crisis.’
If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, contact The Trevor Project’s TrevorLifeline 24/7/365 at 1-866-488-7386. Counseling is also available via chat every day atTheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678-678.
The date April 3rd has held a unique place in our history over the years. Theologians and astronomers will tell you that Christ was crucified on that date. On April 3rd Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan, arguably the greatest postwar intervention in the history of man. The first portable cellphone call was made on April 3rd. Marlon Brando was born on that day.
But this April 3rd will hold its own place in history. On this particular April 3rd the nation of Brunei will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay. Let that sink in. In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone.
Brunei isn’t a significant country. Its population is less than 500,000 people, pretty small in relation to most of its neighbors, The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia. But Brunei has oil. This year it was ranked as the 5th richest nation by Forbes. Good for them. Of course they haven’t had an election since 1962 and have adopted the most extreme version of Sharia law so, not so good for them. At the head of it all is the Sultan of Brunei who is one of the richest men in the world. The Big Kahuna. He owns the Brunei Investment Agency and they in turn own some pretty spectacular hotels.
A couple of years ago two of those hotels in Los Angeles, The Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel were boycotted by many of us for Brunei’s treatment of the gay community. It was effective to a point. We cancelled a big fundraiser for the Motion Picture Retirement Home that we’d hosted at the Beverly Hills Hotel for years. Lots of individuals and companies did the same. But like all good intentions when the white heat of outrage moves on to the hundred other reasons to be outraged, the focus dies down and slowly these hotels get back to the business of business. And the Brunei Investment Agency counts on that. They own nine of the most exclusive hotels in the world. Full disclosure: I’ve stayed at many of them, a couple of them recently, because I hadn’t done my homework and didn’t know who owned them.
They’re nice hotels. The people who work there are kind and helpful and have no part in the ownership of these properties. But let’s be clear, every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery. Brunei is a Monarchy and certainly any boycott would have little effect on changing these laws. But are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens? I’ve learned over years of dealing with murderous regimes that you can’t shame them. But you can shame the banks, the financiers and the institutions that do business with them and choose to look the other way.
Below I’ve listed the nine hotels. It’s up to each of us what we want to do.
George Clooney
The Dorchester, London 45 Park Lane, London Coworth Park, UK The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles Le Meurice, Paris Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris Hotel Eden, Rome Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan
Survivors of Chechnya’s homophobic purge are, with very few exceptions, always anonymous.
Many people have fled for their lives. Officers could catch them and send them back to a concentration camp.
People are tortured, humiliated, beaten and electrocuted and murdered.
Very few can bear the pain without breaking.
Some former detainees have revealed what happened to them to Human Rights Watch.
The following survivors have all been given pseudonyms to protect their identities.
Survivors of Chechnya’s homophobic purge reveal what happened
One remembers a torture named the ‘carousel’. Security officials put you face down on the floor and beat you with pipes.
Officers, when they’re tired, also force other prisoners to carry on with the beating.
‘You literally turn black and blue from waist to toes,’ one survivor said.
Other survivors remembered the homemade electric chairs.
One said: ‘They turn the knob, electric current hits you, and you start shaking. And they keep turning the hellish machine, and the pain is just insane, you scream, and scream, and you no longer know who you are…
‘Finally, you faint, it all goes dark, but when you come to your senses, they start all over again.
‘And once they’re done with you and you get your bearings, you hear other inmates screaming, and the sounds of torture are just there all day, and at some point, you start losing your mind.’
Zurab
Zurab, 32, spent a week in the detention facility.
On 1 March, he was arrested at his home. Quickly, he deleted his cell phone of all evidence of his communications with other gay men.
The police officer drove Zurab to a security compound. The officials dragged him into a room where he saw two gay acquaintances. One of them was bloodied and bruised from a recent beating.
The security official demanded to know who he was and his relationship with them. Zurab claimed they were just business contacts.
‘They beat me, they gave me electric shocks attaching wires to my ear-lobes,’ he said.
‘I would not give in. I insisted those two lied about me.’
He also said: ‘But the humiliation was the worst part of it.
‘They called me a ‘woman,’ a ‘fag,’ an ‘ass-bugger’… the most offensive things one can call a man. They mocked me, taunted me. I could not stand it. I wished they just killed me.’
Zurab was also not fed in seven days he spent there locked in a cage, losing 22 pounds in a week. He was given water in accordance with Muslim ritual and only after prayers.
Security officials released Zurab after finding no evidence he was gay. Two weeks later, a friend told him security officials had rounded up an ex-lover who had pictures of him on his phone.
‘I could not face another detention…’ he said, who fled to southern Europe.
He also said: ‘If they showed [it] to my relatives… If my father doesn’t kill me, my uncle will.’
Khasan
A placard at a Chechnya protest in London, April 2017, targeting Russian President Putin for his inaction (Photo: David Hudson)
Khasan, a 20-year-old university student, was lured by an officer posing as a potential date.
The two met and the officer said there was an apartment outside the city limits.
After driving for 30 minutes, the officer posing as a gay man drove off the road into a field.
‘Three security officials in black uniforms were waiting for us there,’ Khasan said.
‘I understood everything as soon as I saw them, I begged him to turn back, I cried–but he pushed me out of the car.
‘They beat me, kicked me, and punched me in the face. They stripped me naked and filmed me on a cell phone, as they gave a running commentary about having caught a “faggot”.
The officials found Khasan’s phone and found intimate photographs and messages with other gay men.
Khasan was left with a broken jaw and bruises.
They said he had a month to deliver several thousand dollars or he would be outed to his family.
Khasan sold all his valuable electronic equipment, borrowed money and came up with the sum.
‘I did not have a choice. If my relatives found out about me being gay, the shame for the family would be unbearable,’ he said.
After he paid the ransom, he fled to join other survivors. He later learned that friends of his had been abducted – likely with information gathered from his phone. A friend’s mother called him in tears saying police had dragged her son away.
Magomed
Magomed, 35, spent 11 days in the detention facility in Argun.
Three security officials accosted Magomed in a public place in Grozny. With them, a gay acquaintance was in handcuffs.
When the officials asked Magomed what they were after, he said no. One of the men then hit Magomed on the head.
Handcuffed, dragged into a car, he was driven to the camp. He was held there with around 40 to 50 people.
‘Every day it was torture, torture, and more torture,’ he said.
On his release, family members of many detainees had assembled in an official facility.
The officials shouted abuse while family members were forced to stand and listen.
Each detainee had to step forward, face his family and also ‘confess’ his sexual orientation.
‘Our relatives were in tears and they [officials] were telling them, “You know what to do now.”
‘They didn’t say “kill” but it was all crystal clear,’ Magomed said.
One of the detainees refused to ‘confess’ and security officials refused to release him to his relatives. Several other detainees were not released because their family members did not show up.
While officials ordered Magomed to not leave Chechnya, he kept hearing about detentions of gay people.
He immediately fled Chechnya for a neighboring region without even stopping to pack a bag, and from there went to central Russia.
‘My life is ruined. I cannot go back. And it’s not safe here [in central Russia] either,’ Magomed said.
Chechnya Crisis Appeal
As well as using our investigative journalism to keep you informed about what’s happening on-the-ground as it happens; we’re inviting you to make a difference today by donating to the Chechyna Crisis Appeal.
Every dollar, euro and pound you give will help evacuate LGBTI people in the most danger. And to pressure the Chechen authorities to stop this persecution.
Please also share our appeal with your followers, friends and family; ensuring we raise awareness and apply pressure to permanently end this abuse.
Friday April 5 @ 7:30 pm. Occidental Center for the Arts. First Friday Live: Crystel Collaboration. Jazzvocalist extraordinaire Julie (Crystel) Lester, who ‘daylights’ as an RN/Educator with our own West County Health Services in Occidental, joins forces with the most excellent musicians of The Collaboration Jazz Band (David Scott, Randy Quan, Tim Haggerty and Geoff Whyte ) for some high energy, danceable ‘Crystel Collaboration’ that will knock your socks off!$15 at the door. Wine, beer and refreshments available. Wheelchair Accessible. www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. 707-874-9392. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465
A legendary trans bar and nightclub in San Francisco will be closing up shop at the end of the month.
Divas bar and nightclub in the city’s Polk Gulch neighborhood will be throwing a final goodbye party on March 30 before closing for good.
Divas has billed itself as ‘the largest bar and nightclub in the United States devoted to the TS/TV community,’ and is one of the few trans-focused nightclubs in the US.
The three-story venue has been a cornerstone for many in San Francisco’s trans community since 1998.
Divas’ previous incarnation was as The Motherlode, which had been situated down the street from its current location.
It had been one of the few remaining LGBTI venues to survive in Polk Gulch, as property prices continue to skyrocket in San Francisco.
‘I’ve been the manager here for 31 years,’ Alexis Miranda told SFGate. ‘It’s depressing. It’s the only transgender club in California, one of three in the country.
‘We will find another place in the city. I’m working on it,’ Miranda added.
Divas in San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood | Photo: Google Maps
‘This is a nightmare that has been coming for a long time’
While the news will be upsetting for many of its regulars, it is unlikely Divas’ closure will come as surprise.
The building has been on the market since at least 2014 with a reported price-tag of $3.8 million.
Many of its fans had hoped the iconic venue would remain a space for the trans community.
Divas featured prominently in photography book ‘Divas of San Francisco: Portraits of Transsexual Women’, by photographer David Steinberg.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, alongside photos he had taken in Divas over the years, Steinberg wrote about his sadness in seeing the club go.
‘This is a nightmare that has been coming for a long time, but is nevertheless a real tragedy, for the community, for the city, and for me personally,’ Steinberg wrote.
‘Divas has been a unique and wonderful place for so long that it’s hard for me to even wrap my mind around the reality that, very soon, it will no longer exist.
‘Stories from Divas could fill a dozen mind-dazzling books, and an equal number of films. Beautiful stories, ugly stories, crazy stories, wonderful stories, amazing stories all.’
Steinberg added that the owners are planning on converting the bottom floor into a coffee house, and the top floors into offices and condos.
Divas’ goodbye party will take place between 10pm and 2am on 30 March.
Divas is far from the first LGBTI venue to fall victim to San Francisco’s high-priced property market.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Blow Buddies, the city’s largest gay sex club, was facing the prospect of closure as the building’s owners are looking to sell.
The U.S. House voted Thursday morning to rebuke President Trump’s transgender military ban by approving a non-binding resolution with bipartisan support.
The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-Mass.), was approved by a vote of 238-185 after an hour of debate on the House floor in which lawmakers denounced the Trump administration’s policy as discriminatory.
On the House floor, Kennedy said his resolution reinforces the American idea that “equal has always been our nation’s North Star” despite a history that has included slavery and racial segregation.
“Today, this House has a chance to not repeat the mistakes of our past, to move one step closer to that sacred promise, by telling brave trans men and women in uniform that they cannot be banned from military service because of who they are,” Kennedy said.
Five Republicans voted for the resolution against the transgender military ban: Reps. Will Hurd (Texas), John Katko (N.Y.), Trey Hollingsworth (Indiana), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa) and Tom Reed (N.Y.). Another Republican — Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) — voted present.
(Initially, as the vote was being tallied, a total of six Republicans were recorded as having voted in favor of the resolution. But, just before the vote was made final, that number dropped to five. It’s unclear which Republican switched his or her vote before it was recorded.)
The House approves the resolution shortly after the Defense Department unveiled its plan to begin the transgender military ban on April 12. Although federal courts had initially blocked the administration from enacting the policy, the orders were lifted in the accordance with guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court effectively green-lighting the ban as litigation proceeds against it.
Also speaking out in favor of the resolution was House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who last week announced he would bring the measure to a House floor vote.
“The Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in our military is discriminatory, that it denigrates the service of patriotic Americans,” Hoyer said. “That is the facet of their character, they are patriotic and they want to serve, and the service judges them able to do so. The resolution, millions of Americans understand, undermines our national defense at a time of serious global threats, and the this resolution rightfully calls on the Trump administration not to implement such a ban on April 12.”
A significant source of ire for the lawmakers speaking out against the measure was President Trump’s tweets in 2017 declaring he’d seek to ban transgender people from military service “in any capacity.”
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said before that tweet “there was no problem” allowing openly transgender people in the military — a practice that started during the final year of the Obama administration.
“He sent out a tweet saying we should ban transgender people from the military, and the military has had to backfill that tweet with a policy, and I feel bad for members of the military who have had to do that, who have to waste their time for the last year trying to accommodate the ignorance and bigotry of this presidential policy,” Smith said.
The number of lawmakers — all Democrats — who spoke out on the House floor in favor of the resolution by far exceeded the two lawmakers — both Republicans — who spoke out against against it.
Among them was Rep. Vicky Hartlzer (R-Mo.), who has a notoriously anti-LGBT record and two years ago introduced an amendment to the House floor seeking to ban the U.S. military from paying for transition-related care, including gender reassignment surgery. Even though Republicans at the time controlled the House, lawmakers voted down the amendment.
On the House floor, Hartzler said the transgender ban is justified because the military has broad exclusions on service based on a variety of medical conditions. (That ignores the conclusions from the American Medical Association that being transgender isn’t an impediment to military service.)
“Our all voluntary military is the greatest military force in the world and we must allow it…to make the best medical and military judgment about what medical conditions should qualify or disqualify an individual from serving,” Hartlzer said. “We should not carve out exceptions for an entire population. Military service is a privilege, not a right.”
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said lawmakers were “rather consumed by presidential tweets” and urged fellow House members to remember the six-month long study that began at the time of Trump’s tweets and resulted in the transgender military policy.
“Well before any presidential tweet, Secretary of Defense Mattis had put a delay on implementation of the policy that had previously been announced so there could be a six-month review,” Thornberry said. “And there was a six-month review with experts, with uniform, civilian people, from all the services, with medical experts, a whole variety of folks, and it is serious and thoughtful despite some of the characterizations that have been made from time to time.”
The vote in resolution comes in the same week that top defense officials spoke out on the transgender policy before Congress. During a House hearing on the annual defense Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the policy “applies standards uniformly.”
Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford — who said on transgender service anyone who meets the standards of service should be able to serve — spoke about the process that led to the current policy.
“The secretary included the leadership and medical experts, then based on the definition of physically, mentally, psychologically capable of deploying, performing in our occupational fields, with the caveat, without special accommodations, he proposed a revision to the 2017 policy,” Dunford said. “That was the process that was used to be able to do that.”
According to numbers first reported by USA Today and verified by the Pentagon, the U.S. military since 2016 has spent nearly $8 million for transition-related care for 1,500 transgender troops, which includes 161 surgical procedures. That’s a small fraction of the Pentagon’s annual budget of around $600 billion.
During testimony last month before Congress, five transgender service members said the time they needed to transition during service was minimal and took as little as a few weeks. Many said they transitioned on vacation or personal time.
The non-binding resolution approved the by the House doesn’t have the force for legislation. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced bills in their respective chambers of Congress that would bar the U.S. military from discharging qualified individuals on the basis of transgender status. Speier has said she’d seek to amend the annual defense authorization bill with her measure.
