The talented collaboration of Sonoma County actors and Playwright Dianna L. Grayer is proud to present “Private Lives Private Lies,” an original play about the struggles and joys from the perspective of eight LGBTQ characters. The show will take place during the weekend of August 12-13, 2017, at the Raven Theatre, 115 North Street, Healdsburg. The play will begin at 7pm on Saturday, August 12th and on Sunday, August 13th, the show will begin at 2pm. Tickets are $20 Senior/Student and $25 General and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets –
Dr. Grayer says, “Private Lives Private Lies explores relationship discord, addiction, discrimination, and rejection in the lives of 8 LGBTQ people – the struggles they face and the joy that comes from being authentic and free. It is educational, therapeutic, hopeful, and entertaining, and pulls from every emotional realm, including love and laughter!” Playwright Dianna L Grayer’s motivation for writing this play was to bring LGBTQ relationship dynamics to life while tackling some of the issues behind the masks that everyone wears – gay or straight.
GLAAD today released the following audio of Tony Perkins, the president of anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council (FRC), claiming that the Trump administration is set to reveal additional executive orders next week that could allow people to use “religious exemptions” as an excuse to openly use a violent and discriminatory agenda against LGBTQ Americans. Perkins made the statement last night on Washington Watch, a weekly radio broadcast that Vice President Mike Pence has even served as co-host on.
Tony Perkins [49:01]: “By the way, stand by next week, you’re going to see some follow-up to the president’s executive order on religious liberty. The next phase of that is going to be coming about and I think it is going to be very instructive. We are going to see government agencies basically put on notice that they have to respect religious freedom. And that is not just the ability to believe, it is the free exercise of religion.”
GLAAD leaked a draft executive order last February that highlighted the Trump Administration’s attempt to issue an order that would allow any business or person to use so-called “religious exemptions” as an excuse to fire someone, reject a housing application, or deny a person a service – like medical care – just for being LGBTQ. This draft executive order was very similar to Vice President Mike Pence’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) which he signed while serving as Indiana’s governor. RFRA brought open discrimination against LGBTQ Hoosiers and received across-the-board backlash from national businesses and Americans.
“If President Trump issues another executive order based on advice from anti-LGBTQ extremist groups like the Family Research Council, he will be harming countless hardworking Americans and their families,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “The ‘religious exemptions’ laws that groups like the Family Research Council are successfully pushing fly in the face of real American values and open LGBTQ people and our children up to discrimination.”
This revelation comes after a recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) showed how a majority of Americans oppose anti-LGBTQ discriminatory laws, also known as so-called “religious exemption” laws. This is in complete contradiction to the efforts by anti-LGBTQ activists like the FRC and the Trump Administration to issue such orders.
The audio follows Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ choice to voluntarily issue a friend-of-the-court brief for a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that argues LGBTQ Americans are not protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This gives the greenlight for LGBTQ Americans to be openly targeted and discriminated against by employers, landlords, business owners, or other Americans simply for being LGBTQ.
GLAAD warned about the possibility of additional anti-LGBTQ executive orders in May when President Trump issued his first “religious exemptions” executive order, which stopped just short of allowing rampant discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.
FRC President Tony Perkins has been glued to the hip with the Trump Administration since Day One. Perkins has visited the White House regularly – including a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office just two weeks ago with other anti-LGBTQ activists. Perkins even spoke about in the White House on the night of Trump’s announcement of Neil Gorsuch as the next U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Like many gay men in the 1980s, Miguel moved to New York City in search of a life out of the closet; he found a career in theater and a rewarding relationship. Yet in the midst of the AIDS crisis, his devout Catholic mother pressured him to repent for his homosexuality on his deathbed. Twenty-five years later, his niece Cecilia Aldarondo breaks the silence surrounding her uncle’s death, sifting through conflicting memories of a man she never really knew. She locates Miguel’s estranged partner and begins to unlock long-dormant family secrets.
Through home movies, audio recordings, family photos, letters and interviews, Cecilia Aldarondo’s Memories of a Penitent Heart reconstructs her uncle Miguel’s New York life, one he lived far from his family, especially his religious mother. Along the way, her investigation untangles a knot of family secrets, denials and repressed conflicts.
Memories of a Penitent Hearthas its national broadcast premiere on the PBS documentary series POV(Point of View) on Monday, July 31, 2017. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 30th season. Memories of a Penitent Heart, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, is a co-presentation between POV and Latino Public Broadcasting.
Born and raised in the 1970s in Puerto Rico, Miguel Dieppa was a gay man eager to leave the island in search of Broadway fame in New York City.
Aldarondo’s investigation begins with a two-year search for Miguel’s long-time partner, Bob, who disappeared after Miguel’s funeral. When she eventually finds him, he is living in Pasadena, California, as Father Aquin, a Franciscan monk. Through the reminiscences of Aquin and others who knew him, Miguel emerges as a charismatic and vivacious actor and playwright, struggling to live comfortably in his own skin.
We see glimpses into Miguel’s restlessness in his autobiographical play, Island Fever: “I guess that’s a diagnosis for my case. It’s that feeling that creeps on up on those who have known wide spaces, or long to do so.”
Miguel seems eternally torn between two identities. His New York friends know him as Michael, a freedom-loving gay thespian, while to his family in Puerto Rico he remains Miguel, the obedient son who downplays his sexuality.
Unexpectedly, Miguel begins to get sick, and although he refuses to be tested, telltale skin lesions on his legs indicate AIDS as the underlying illness.
Miguel’s illness places Bob on a collision course with Miguel’s mother, Carmen, as the two come to represent opposing faces of faith. Fearing that her son is not yet “dead to life but dead to grace,” Carmen feels Miguel can only find redemption if he repents.
Delving into her family’s trove of secrets, Aldarondo’s Memories of a Penitent Heart examines the light and dark sides of faith and how we fight over the memories of those we love. In the director’s intensely personal film, Miguel’s friends and family reflect on their imperfect relationships. Considering her own flaws, Miguel’s sister (Aldarondo’s mother) Nylda reflects, “The bottom line is that we all need to survive and we use different ways of surviving, according to our gifts, our limitations and our circumstances.” That prompts her daughter to ask, “Can’t we survive and look out for others as well?”
Memories of a Penitent Heartis a brave and honest exhumation of buried resentments that ultimately reveals how reflections on grief, betrayal and love bring us closer to reconciliation.
“Cecilia Aldarondo’s beautiful and evocative film explores not only the difficulties of being Puerto Rican in America, but also what it means to be gay and shunned by your community, family and church,” said POV executive producer Chris White. “This personal and complex portrait of her uncle and those who loved him shows how hard it can be to reconcile religion and sexual identity—and how blurry the line between sinners and saints can be.”
Many of us in our 60’s or older are feeling that our community has moved on without us. While we were stuck with having to choose between “lesbian” or “gay,” “butch” or“femme, a whole new vocabulary is evolving (and our acronym expanding!) to describe an ever-expanding range of sexual preferences and gender identities. Many LGBT youth have also reclaimed the umbrella term “queer” that we who lived in less-accepting times grew to hate. Also meet-ups, websites, and on-line social media options catering to a wide range of LGBT interests have replaced the smoke-filled bars that were often our only option for socializing and dating.
Do we, as LGBT elders, continue to have a role in our community? If so, what do we have to offer our youthful counterparts? I am recommending an exciting forum for exploring answers to that question – the upcoming LGBTQ+ Summit scheduled for September 16th at Sonoma State University.
The LGBTQ+ Summit is the vision of Javier Rivera-Rosales, the director of Positive Images. With seed funding from the Community Foundations’ s LGBTQI Giving Circle Fund, Javi has put together a creative and diverse Summit planning team of individuals and agency representatives. The team is committed to producing an innovative event that will bring together a cross-section of Sonoma County’s diverse LGBTQ+ community with the intention of stimulating an ongoing collaborative approach to building safe, welcoming, inclusive communities for LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences and gender identities.
It is important that we LGBT elders make sure our voices are represented in this effort. We have personally experienced our tumultuous history. In our fight for equality and for compassionate treatment of those affected by HIV/AIDS we learned the importance of working together. We also know how quickly our rights and protections can be lost if we do not maintain solidarity. We have the skills and experience to lay a strong foundation for collaboration. That is our collective legacy.
The planning team is making every effort to ensure that all segments of our community are represented including LGBT elders so I am encouraging my peers to seize this opportunity to contribute their rich history and wisdom in community-building that will ensure that future generations of LGBT and, yes,“Queer” individuals will not have to experience what we have. Registration is limited and will soon be open so you can continue checking the Summit website (www.lgbtqsummit.com) to learn when.
By the way, the planning team is seeking sponsors to provide help with funding and donated goods and services so that Summit participation can be offered at no cost. It is also seeking volunteers. You can do either or both at the Summit website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for you to contribute the legacy of our generation!
Buz Hermes is co-facilitator of the Sonoma Valley LGBT Seniors Group and a former staff member of Spectrum’s Senior Outreach Program. He is currently a consultant on LGBT aging and can be reached at GaryDHermes@comcast.net or (707) 227-6935.
Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina, and Lambda Legal announced they have taken steps to expand the federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s sweeping anti-LGBT law HB 2 to include a challenge to its discriminatory replacement, HB 142, which left many of the harms caused by HB 2 in place. The advocacy groups also added two LGBT North Carolinians to the case.
HB 142 – the anti-transgender replacement for HB 2 – bars the “regulation” of access to restrooms and other facilities in schools and other state or local government buildings in North Carolina, leaving transgender people vulnerable to discrimination and even possible arrest. It also prevents cities from passing any protections against discrimination in private employment or places of public accommodation — for LGBT people or anyone — until 2020.
“LGBT North Carolinians deserve to feel secure in knowing that when they go about their daily lives and interact with businesses open to the public, any discrimination they encounter is illegal, but HB 142 robs of them of that security,” said Chris Brook, legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina. “This law continues to invite discrimination against LGBT people, particularly transgender people, and sends a daily message that LGBT people across the state are not worthy of equal dignity and respect.”
“After publicly vilifying transgender people for more than a year, legislators can’t just abandon transgender people to fend for themselves in the toxic environment of fear and animosity that the legislature itself created. HB 142 doubles down on many of the worst harms of HB 2 and leaves transgender people in a legal limbo where they remain uniquely vulnerable to discrimination,” said Tara Borelli, counsel with Lambda Legal. “Transgender people face an impossible situation where no door leads to safety. Anyone would find that intolerable.”
Madeline “Maddy” Goss, 41, is a woman who lives in Raleigh. She is transgender and was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2006. Like other women, she uses women’s restrooms in all aspects of her life and all her identity documents reflect her female gender. A native-born North Carolinian, Goss is parent to an 11-year-old daughter and she enjoys teaching Tae Kwon Do. As an LGBT advocate, Goss frequently visits the General Assembly in Raleigh to lobby the legislature with ACLU of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina. Even though her license says female, Goss worries about her safety when using the restrooms at the General Assembly. The passage of HB 2 felt like an invitation to discriminate against people like Goss, and HB 142 has perpetuated that harm because the law has created significant uncertainty about her right to use women’s restrooms.
“I don’t have the option to use the men’s restroom, and I don’t have the luxury to not think about my safety every time I use the women’s restroom,” said Goss. “I know all too well what can happen to a transgender person in the restroom because a stranger won’t just let you be. It’s even scarier now that there is so much confusion about which restrooms I can use and I worry that I am not safe to use any restroom in North Carolina because of this discrimination.”
Quinton Harper, 32, is a bisexual cisgender black man who works as a community organizer and lives in Carrboro, North Carolina. A longtime advocate for people living with HIV, Harper is a national leader in the fight against the epidemic. He is politically active and he has served on administrative boards for the city of Carrboro and Orange County, two governments that have considered passing nondiscrimination policies. Because of HB 142, Harper and the many LGBT people he works with in his community are without the protections that a nondiscrimination policy could provide.
“Under HB 142, North Carolina is sending a message to LGBT people like me that we are not welcome here, that we are not deserving of protection from discrimination, and that we are not equally valued members of our communities,” Harper said. “North Carolina should be taking steps to protect and support these members of our community, but HB 142 does the opposite: it puts people like me at greater risk of harm.”
The ACLU, ACLU of North Carolina, and Lambda Legal have worked on Carcaño v. McCrory (now known as Carcaño v. Cooper), a federal court challenge to HB 2, for more than a year on behalf of four LGBT North Carolinians and members of the ACLU of North Carolina. The organizations will continue to defend the right of transgender people to use restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity, as federal law requires. The proposed amended lawsuit, filed today, adds two more LGBT North Carolinians and includes claims to address the harms inflicted by both HB 2 and HB 142.
The other plaintiffs in this case are: Joaquín Carcaño, 28, a UNC-Chapel Hill employee from Durham; Payton McGarry, 20, a UNC-Greensboro student who was born and raised in Wilson; Hunter Schafer, 18, a transgender woman who recently graduated from UNC School of the Arts high school in Winston-Salem; and Angela Gilmore, 54, a North Carolina Central University law professor. Also named plaintiff in the lawsuit is the ACLU of North Carolina and its members.
GLAAD today released a list of 25 ways President Donald Trump and his administration have attacked the LGBTQ community since taking office Jan. 20. The list stems from GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project, which tracks the Administration’s anti-LGBTQ movements and calls on media to expose them. From erasing any mention of the LGBTQ community from the White House website minutes after being sworn into office to just recently hosting at the White House a slew of anti-LGBTQ activists who repeatedly use so-called “religious exemptions” to harm LGBTQ Americans, the Trump Administration has been working tirelessly to systematically erase the hard-fought progress of the community.
From Day One of the Trump Presidency, GLAAD has been dedicated to hold this administration accountable, expose anti-LGBTQ policies, and stand together with every marginalized community to resist the attacks made by the most anti-LGBTQ administration in recent memory. Learn more of the anti-LGBTQ record of the entire Trump Administration by visiting GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: 25 Ways President Trump has Attacked the LGBTQ Community
1. 1.20.17 – Minutes after Donald Trump was sworn into office, any mention of the LGBTQ community was erased from White House, Department of State, and Department of Labor websites.
2. 1.27.17 – President Donald Trump issued an executive order to indefinitely ban Syrian refugees from entering the United States. This ban includes LGBTQ refugees fleeing the nation in fear of discrimination.
3. 2.02.17 – ABC News reports that after previously committing to protecting LGBTQ Americans from discrimination, President Trump and his administration had drafted a “License to Discriminate” executive order which would usher in across-the-board discrimination against the LGBTQ community.
4. 2.22.17 – With help of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, President Trump rescinded Title IX protections for transgender students in our nation’s schools.
5. 3.20.17 – Trump Administration erases the LGBTQ community from The National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants and the Annual Program Performance Report for Centers for Independent Living, key surveys that are used to help provide care to American seniors – including disability, transportation, and caregiver support needs.
6. 3.24.17 – President Trump appointed anti-LGBTQ activist and former Heritage Foundation employee Roger Severino to lead the Health and Human Services Civil Rights Office, putting the LGBTQ community at risk of losing access to critical and affordable health care.
7. 3.28.17 – Under his proposed budget for the U.S. Congress, The Trump Administration offered to cut HIV and AIDS research funding under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
8. 3.28.17 – The Trump Administration cancels plans to add the LGBTQ community to its upcoming 2020 U.S. Census, a survey conducted every decade by the federal government to help collect data about living Americans and the United States of America.
9. 4.10.17 – A ProPublica investigation reveals the Trump Administration appointed James Renne, a key staffer involved in the Bush-era anti-LGBTQ purge of gay government employees, to a senior role at the Department of Agriculture.
10. 4.14.17 – The Trump Administration files to dismiss a lawsuit accusing North Carolina of discriminating against the LGBTQ community in response to HB2, despite the similarities of the HB142 replacement.
11. 5.4.17 – President Trump signs a “religious liberty” executive order. Although this EO does not target LGBTQ Americans, it is the first step in what could be a broader permission slip for discrimination against the overall LGBTQ community.
12. 5.8.17 – Department of Agriculture issues new so-called “religious freedom” policy statement, a move praised by the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council.
13. 5.22.17 – The Trump Administration grants White House press credentials to a “reporter” from Infowars, a conspiracy outlet that regularly peddles dangerous, offensive, and anti-LGBTQ content.
14. 5.23.17 – The Trump Administration reveals their budget which includes proposed slashes to programs and departments critical to the LGBTQ community, including Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Disease Control’s HIV and AIDS programs.
15. 6.1.17– President Trump declines to issue a presidential proclamation designating June as LGBTQ Pride Month, breaking with an eight-year precedent set by President Barack Obama to honor and support LGBTQ Americans during Pride Month.
16. 6.15.17– The Department of Education rolls back the Office for Civil Rights’ expansive approach to investigating civil rights complaints that protect LGBTQ studentsand other marginalized communities from discrimination at school.
17. 6.15.17 – The Department of Education invites Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, two anti-LGBTQ organizations, to be speakers for a day-long conference on engaging fathers in their children’s education and welfare.
18. 6.15.17 – Department of Commerce removes sexual orientation and gender identity from the agency’s Equal Employment Policy. Only after fierce opposition did Department of Commerce Secretary Ross change it back.
19. 6.16.17 – An obtained internal memo from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights reveals guidelines to dismiss complaints about bathroom access filed by transgender students.
20. 6.17.17 – Six members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resigned saying that President Trump “simply does not care” about combating the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
21. 6.27.17 – The Trump Administration failed to mention the LGBTQ community in their National HIV Testing Day statement.
22. 6.28.17 – The Department of Justice rejected reporters from covering a DOJ Pride event hosted by LGBTQ affinity groups for federal workers.
23. 6.29.17 – Reports revealed President Trump hired anti-transgender activist, Bethany Kozma, to the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Rights at the US Agency for International Development.
24. 7.10.17 – In a closed-door and unannounced opportunity, President Trump poses for a photograph with notorious anti-LGBTQ activists who wish to promote so-called “religious exemptions” that would harm LGBTQ Americans across the nation.
25. 7.12.17 – President Trump grants a one-on-one interview with Pat Robertson, a longtime anti-LGBTQ activist and Televangelist.
Dallas businessman Jeffery Payne on Friday, July 14, announced that he is running for governor of Texas, challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who he characterizes as a “disaster for Texans” and a governor who “offers nothing in the way of new ideas.”
“Texas needs a governor who believes in real Texas values, like integrity, honesty, freedom and independence,” Payne said in a statement announcing his candidacy. “It’s time we stopped wasting our time and money on silly legislation and start investing our time finding ways to help Texans, their families and businesses prosper.”
Payne pointed to his history of success as a businessman — from his respected court reporting firm, to his real estate dealings and his thriving nightclub, The Dallas Eagle. The candidate said he makes no secret of his active involvement in the Dallas LGBT community or his history as a former International Mr. Leather, a title that gave him a platform to promote many charity events.
He also said that his philanthropic work reflects his commitment to helping others not just in the LGBT community, but the greater Texas community, as well. He founded the Sharon St. Cyr Fund, an organization that assists people in obtaining hearing aids and provides grants for sign language interpreters at public events.
Payne, born in Maine, lost his mother when he was 3, and he spent much of his childhood in an orphanage before entering foster care at age 15. From that point on, he said, he was driven to succeed no matter what the circumstances. By age 23 he owned Payne’s Fine Jewelry, which marked the beginning of a series of successful ventures — ventures that were interrupted suddenly when Hurricane Katrina whipped out everything he had built up in New Orleans, where he lived.
Undeterred, Payne relocated to Dallas and started over again.
Payne said Texas has been good to him, and he believes it’s time he returned that good fortune. He has chosen to run for the governor’s office because he holds a strong commitment to real Texas values and truly believes he can make a positive difference in Texas politics as usual.
“It’s time we stopped letting the Republican Party run unopposed in this state,” Payne declared. “We need a governor who is not a career bureaucrat, but one with real world experience and dedication to making Texas a better, safer and healthier place for all Texans.”
When you think of a gay vacation in Illinois you immediately think of Chicago, which has an incredibly vibrant community and a city that embraces it. But, if you need a little R&R and want to get out of the big city, head about three hours from Chicago to the quaint historic town of Galena in Northwest Illinois about a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River.
Gay-friendly Galena is perfect for a romantic getaway where you can get lost in each other as you meander down Main Street by well-preserved buildings — some dating back to the Civil War. Here you can enjoy microbrews and locally made spirits, go antiquing, play a few rounds of golf, hit the slopes in winter and so much more to bring you and your significant other closer together.
When you get hungry or need a drink …
One Eleven Main – Romance is in the air at One Eleven Main, one of the more upscale yet very approachable Galena restaurants. With a farm-to-table menu featuring locally sourced ingredients from farmers, artisans and purveyors, the delicious options include poutine with homemade fries and cheese curds; almond-encrusted walleye with seasonal veggies and sour-cream mashed potatoes; and braised pork cavatappi pasta with bacon, spinach and onions. And many of the cocktails, beer and wine all come from places in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Otto’s Place – With the look and feel of an old country inn set inside a classic red building dating back to 1899 adjacent to the circa 1857 Train Depot, Otto’s is a great spot for breakfast and lunch. Come for butternut squash, kale and smoked gouda frittata; bread pudding French toast; and corned beef hash — and of course a Bloody Mary with homemade mix.
Fried Green Tomatoes – With a name like Fried Green Tomatoes, you’d think it’d be a country diner, but this Italian-inspired restaurant set inside a building once owned by Ulysses S. Grant’s father, offers hearty steaks, great seafood and a Wine Spectator-recognized wine list.
Little Tokyo – Yes, it may seem a little strange to get sushi in Northwest Illinois, but Little Tokyo has super-fresh fish for their sushi and sashimi. And they have other Japanese dishes like teriyaki chicken, shrimp tempura and a range of hibachi dinners including filet mignon, lobster tail and scallops.
Galena Brewing Company – When you want award-winning beers like IPA, hefeweizen and amber ale — all handcrafted on site — to go along with baked chicken wings; hefe lime nachos; and slow-roasted hand-pulled pork while listening to live music, you definitely want to be here.
Get active in Galena
Galena Wine Cellars Tour – What’s better than seeing a gorgeous country vineyard up close? Getting to taste through a bunch of their delicious wines! Take an approximately hour-long tour that first covers the history of the winery before you visit the vineyard to see the 22 grape varietals they grow. You’ll then tour the cellars before returning to the tasting room to get six half-ounce wine pours chosen from the 40 wines they make on site. Public tours cost $10 per person with an additional $7.50 admission fee.
Breakfast Diva Cooking Class at Farmers Guest House – You don’t have to book a room at Farmer’s Guest House to take advantage of the cooking prowess of Susan Steffan, a.k.a. the Breakfast Diva. The 90-minute classes cost $35 and Steffan will teach you how to make a multi-course meal with dishes like chicken piccata, barbecue ribs or some of her renowned breakfast desserts.
Blaum Brothers Distilling Co. Tour – Blaum Brothers is growing acclaim within the craft spirits world with its bourbon, gin, moonshine and other spirits and you can see how everything is made. The $10, 45-minute tours take place daily and you’ll learn about the entire process and end with a guided tasting.
Chestnut Mountain – Whether you want to check out the Alpine slide or go zip lining in summer or hit the slopes to ski or snowboard in winter, this year-round resort offers plenty of things to keep you moving.
Golf and Spa at Eagle Ridge Resort – The Galena area has 10 top golf courses, and you’ll definitely want to play some rounds at the award-winning Eagle Ridge. The property has four championship courses set among natural beauty. And when you’re done on the links, hit the Zen ambiance of the 6,000-square-foot Stonedrift Spa for facials, body work, couples massage and more luxurious indulgences.
Galena on the Fly– What better way to see the full scope of the countryside than from the basket of a soaring hot air balloon? Each balloon can hold up to 14 people and you can book a sunrise or sunset cruise and even get married at 3,000 feet up!
When you want to get your shop on
A Bushel & a Peck – About 25 minutes from downtown Galena, this country store is an antiquer’s treasure chest. Find vintage and reclaimed furniture, house wares and locally crafted foodstuffs including honey, maple syrup, cheese and eggs.
Galena Clay Works – If you love handcrafted functional objects like bowls, dishes and other beautiful pottery, you must make a stop at Kent Henderson’s adorable studio in Galena’s “Old Town” district. You’ll likely end up leaving with a bunch of goods.
Galena Canning Company – Discover a bounty of delicious sauces, jams, jellies, dressings, olive oils, barbecue sauce, seasonings, rubs, relishes, pickles, bloody mary mixes and even more to stock up your kitchen back home.
All That’s Vintage – For antiques right on Main Street, you can’t go wrong with All That’s Vintage. You’ll snag house wares, bake ware, vintage cameras, fancy hats and so much more.
And when you want to sleep
Aldrich Guest House – This gay owned, five-bedroom B&B about five minutes from Main Street dates back to a time when both President Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant roamed the halls. It has a very lovely, country feel with plush brass beds and rooms with sitting areas, free Wifi throughout, Beekman 1802 bath products, full hot breakfast and wine and snacks daily at 5 p.m.
Jail Hill Inn – The nicest thing about the Jail Hill Inn is that, unlike when it was a real prison, you actually get to leave when you want. But seriously, this charming inn set inside a 135-year-old building atop a hill overlooking the Galena countryside underwent a complete renovation in 2015. Today, the six-suite, four-story inn features rooms each boasting king size beds with luxe linens, Aveda products, fireplaces and Kohler bathrooms with steam showers or massage tubs. Guests are welcomed to their room with chocolates and Champagne upon arrival and enjoy three-course breakfasts each morning.
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa — In addition to golf and spa services, Eagle Ridge is the area’s premier resort set over 6,800 acres. You’ll find well-appointed rooms and villas, award-winning restaurants, hiking and biking trails, fishing, kayaking and a host of other activities.
A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday refused to reinstate President Donald Trump’s executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.
The U.S. Department of Justice had asked U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick to reverse his own injunction in April against Trump’s executive order. The injunction was issued in response to lawsuits by San Francisco and Santa Clara County.
Judge will reconsider ruling blocking sanctuary cities order
Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a memo in May saying the executive order should be applied narrowly to a small number of grants and to very specific violations of immigration law. The memo said cities that “willfully refuse to comply” with federal law could lose grants from the Justice and Homeland Security departments, but not other federal funding.
The Justice Department said the memo negated the need for Orrick’s injunction.
Orrick said he found this unconvincing because Sessions could reverse himself at any moment.
The judge’s injunction stops enforcement across the country of the executive order, and allows the lawsuits to go forward.
And Orrick’s refusal to reverse it strikes another blow at Trump’s attempt to punish cities that give safe haven to those in the country illegally.
A lawsuit has been filed against Rep. Susan Davis, (D-San Diego) and three of her colleagues for displaying rainbow flags outside of their offices.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., by Chris Sevier, who describes himself as a lobbyist and Iraq War veteran reports the CW San Diego.
The other defendants name are Alan Lowenthal, (D-Long Beach), Donald Beyer, (D-Virginia), and Earl Blumenauer, (D-Oregon). In his complaint, Sevier said he was offended by Davis and the other defendants displaying the banner, a symbol of gay and lesbian pride, outside their offices.
Commenting on the lawsuit Davis said, “As the proud representative of the heart of LGBTQ San Diego, the rainbow flag in front of my DC office is a source of pride for me and my constituents. It is a symbol of our commitment to full equality.
“It is especially offensive to see this type of hateful behavior right after our city celebrated Pride with a record high turnout. It’s disheartening that in this day and age this is still an issue. Be assured that hateful lawsuits are not going to stop me from celebrating our nation’s diversity. If anything, this lawsuit is a reminder of the need for us to work even harder for full equality for all Americans.”
