News

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Exclusive Interview with Sonoman Mariah Hanson, Producer of the Worlds Biggest Woman’s Event The Dinah

Mariah Hanson has always loved throwing parties to create a feel-good environment that was easy for people to meet new friends, celebrate their lives and go home with a few extra awesome memories.  Under the Club Skirts Marquis, Mariah created the world famous Dinah Shore Weekend in 1991 with just that intention in mind – to create an exciting, community building, life affirming, unimaginably stellar experience for her customers. She choose the world-renowned Palm Springs Modern Art Museum to host her first Dinah. Mariah knew an event inside this spectacular museum, surrounded by priceless artwork, was just the kind of statement […]

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Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime reports explode across UK, damning police figures confirm

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Anti-LGBTQ+ violence in the UK is rising at a record-breaking rate, alarming police figures have shown. Reports of homophobic hate crimes more than doubled in five years, shooting from 10,003 in 2016-17 to 26,824 in 2021-22. In the past year the figure soared by 32 per cent – the biggest yearly rise since record-keeping began. Transphobic hate crimes similarly swelled by 240 per cent, from 1,292 reports in 2016-17 to 4,399 five years later, in what is also believed to be the largest increase ever seen by the authorities. Across the UK’s 45 territorial police forces, just five reported a decrease in […]

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Rightwingers attacked school librarian who defended books. She’s suing them for defamation.

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A school librarian in Louisiana is suing two conservative activists for defamation after they falsely accused her of putting “pornographic” material in local libraries. “I’ve had enough for everybody,” Amanda Jones, a librarian at a middle school in Denham Springs, Louisiana and president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, told NBC News. “Nobody stands up to these people. They just say what they want and there are no repercussions and they ruin people’s reputations and there’s no consequences.” Jones’s suit, filed last week, argues that Facebook pages run by Michael Lunsford and Ryan Thames falsely labeled her a pedophile after […]

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Get Back-to-School Ready with Your Library

It’s back-to-school time! Did you know that Sonoma County Library has educational resources for everyone, no matter your age?  Whether you’re a parent of a school-age child or a student yourself, we’ve got you covered. See below to find out how the library can support you during the school year—and beyond! All you need is your library card. For Kids Immerse yourself in science. Dive into environmental issues and discover how things work with our science databases. From hundreds of 3D interactive models to in-depth research on scientific topics, there is a whole world of digital science to explore.  Explore the globe. CultureGramsprovides country reports on […]

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The number of LGBTQ AAPIs running for office has doubled in the past few years

Janani Ramachandran, 30, says she’s always lived at the intersection of two isolations.  As an openly gay South Asian woman growing up post-9/11, she felt that few people could understand her specific experience — and that representation was nonexistent. “I think it definitely is difficult for LGBTQ South Asians to feel their full selves in different spaces,” she told NBC Asian America. “I can feel uncomfortable in predominantly LGBTQ spaces, because I see very few people that look like me. In predominantly South Asian spaces, I also sometimes feel uncomfortable in not being reflected.” Running for Oakland City Council this […]

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Trans candidate Leigh Finke wins Minnesota state House primary setting up historic candidacy

Leigh Finke has won Tuesday’s Democratic primary election for Minnesota’s state House district 66A. The journalist, advocate, and filmmaker will now advance to November’s general election, where she will face off against Republican nominee Trace Johnson. A win in November would make Finke the first out transgender state legislator ever elected in Minnesota. On Tuesday morning, Finke posted a photo of herself and her team on Twitter, along with a simple celebratory message: “We did it. We won.” Endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund, Finke was named one of the organization’s “Spotlight Candidates.” “From safeguarding abortion rights to addressing economic […]

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Becca Balint is likely to be Vermont’s first female and openly gay member of Congress

Becca Balint, Vermont’s state Senate president, has won the Democratic nomination for the state’s at-large congressional seat, NBC News projects. The victory makes her likely to become the first woman to represent the heavily Democratic state in Congress. Vermont is the only state that has never had a female member of its congressional delegation. Balint, a state senator since 2014 who rose to Senate president two years ago, would also be the first openly gay lawmaker to represent the state on Capitol Hill should she win in November. Balint, 54, a progressive Democrat backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and the Vermont icons Ben […]

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Federal judge blasts gay Capitol rioter for lying about plea deal

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A federal judge rebuked gay Trumper and January 6 defendant Brandon Straka for comments he has made in the media about his plea agreement. In October, Straka pleaded guilty to participating in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building. He was sentenced to 90 days of home confinement and three years’ probation. “Though I do view Mr. Straka’s criminal conduct as very serious, it’s been mitigated somewhat by his early plea and by his willingness to assist the government by providing complete and truthful information,” District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich said in January. Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported […]

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Man jailed for chilling homophobic letters telling activists to ‘get AIDs and just f**king die’

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A 74-year-old man who owned multiple firearms and ammunition has been sentenced to 30 months in jail after sending bomb threat letters to pro-LGBTQ+ campaigners. Robert Fehring was sentenced on Wednesday (3 August) after pleading guilty in February to one count of mailing threatening communications, according to Buzzfeed News. The retired USA high school teacher had reportedly been arrested in December 2021 after sending at least 60 anonymous threats to Pride Month organisers, government officials, and other pro-LGBTQ+ individuals over the course of eight years. He began his campaign of hatred in 2013 when he targeted New York’s Long Island and […]

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Sonoma County Department of Health Services issues letter to community to increase awareness about monkeypox

Dear Sonoma County residents, We are facing a public health emergency. On August 1, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to combat the spread of monkeypox. Three days later, the administration of President Joe Biden declared a public health emergency at the federal level as well. The emergency declarations will help ensure we obtain the critical resources needed to combat the spread of this virus. While this outbreak is very different from the coronavirus pandemic, we have learned many lessons over the past two years to help us battle the spread of infectious diseases. To date, we […]

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