There were 127 brave World War II American female war correspondents, who went above and beyond to capture the events of the war to inform the people on the home front. These women fought against condemnation and hostility from male officers in order to perform their jobs, and proved time and again that they were equal to male reporters.
Highlights of the slides include women war correspondents who were:
Hit by Junker planes in a B-17 Flying Fortress
Almost hit by Japanese snipers photographing on the top of Mt. Suribachi in Iwo Jima
Documenting the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp
Immediately following the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, photographing “Disease X”
Documenting the refugees for the Quakers after the war
WHERE AND WHEN: THURSDAY, MARCH 5 AT 6:30 PM, St. Helena Public Library, 1492 Library Lane, St. Helena, 707-963-5244
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 AT 2:00 PM, CLOVERDALE LIBRARY, 401 N. Cloverdale Blvd, 894-5271
SUNDAY, MARCH 22 at 3:00 pm, CENTRAL LIBRARY, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, 545-0831
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 at 6:00 pm, HEALDSBURG LIBRARY, 139 Piper St. Healdsburg, 433-3772
Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced the endorsement of three pro-equality candidates for the California legislature and six openly LGBTQ+ champions for local offices.
Equality California endorsed the following candidates:
Senate District 31: Richard Roth
Assembly District 37: Steve Bennett and Cathy Murillo (dual endorsement)
Alameda County Judge: Elena Condes
Yolo County Supervisor: Linda Deos
Corona City Council District 3: Meg E’amato
Monterey Park City Council District 4: Henry Lo
Huntington Park City Council: Eddie Martinez
Loma Linda City Council: Gabriel Uribe
Names shown in bold indicate an openly LGBTQ+ candidate.
Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Rick Zbur:
“Today, we are proud to endorse Richard Roth, a strong pro-equality ally, for his reelection to the California Senate. Voters in Assembly District 37 have two qualified, pro-equality champions to choose from, which is why we are excited to dual-endorse Steve Bennett and Cathy Murillo.
“One of Equality California’s highest priorities is to build a bench of LGBTQ+ leaders across the Golden State. Over the past few years in particular, it has been incredible to see so many openly LGBTQ+ champions run for — and win elections to — public office, up and down the ballot. That’s why we are proud to endorse Elena Condes, Linda Deos, Meg E’amato, Henry Lo, Eddie Martinez and Gabriel Uribe in their respective races this year. They represent some of the best emerging LGBTQ+ leaders in our state.”
For a full list of Equality California’s 2020 endorsements to date, visit eqca.org/elections.
Seven current candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination were the among the respondents to an LGBTQ survey the nation’s leading LGBTQ group unveiled on Monday, but Tulsi Gabbard — who has been criticized for having an anti-LGBTQ past — wasn’t among them.
The seven current candidates who responded — Joseph Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren — responded affirmatively to each of HRC’s questions on LGBTQ issues, including whether they support the Equality Act, oppose President Trump’s transgender military ban and will commit to tackling anti-trans violence.
The lack of response from Gabbard sticks out, especially because she faced heavy criticism during the start of her presidential campaign for her opposition to LGBTQ rights as a Hawaii state legislator.
At the time in the early 2000s, Gabbard denounced LGBTQ rights supporters seeking to legalize civil unions as “homosexual extremists” and touted working for her father’s anti-gay organization, which fought marriage equality and promoted widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy.
“I’m deeply sorry for having said that,” Gabbard says. “My views have changed significantly since then and my record in Congress over the last six years and reflect what is in my years.”
Gabbard since her election to Congress has endorsed marriage equality and became a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, legislation that would bar anti-LGBTQ discrimination under federal law.
But her record on LGBTQ issues isn’t spotless. The Hawaii Democrat was among a handful of congressional Democrats last year who didn’t sign a friend-of-the-court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, therefore illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In a news statement, the Human Rights Campaign says it will update its website with Gabbard’s responses should she provide them. The Washington Blade has placed a request in with the Gabbard campaign seeking comment on why it didn’t provide an LGBTQ survey response.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Andrew Yang and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick also responded to the survey, but the organization didn’t make those results public because neither are still in the race.
Also not among the respondents is Trump, who has been criticized for building an anti-LGBTQ record over the course of his administration. Asked by Blade whether the Trump campaign received a questionnaire, an HRC spokesperson replied, “HRC sent questionnaires to all Democratic presidential candidates earlier this year.”
HRC hasn’t made an endorsement in the 2020 presidential race. Asked by the Blade how the survey results will factor into the endorsement decision and whether the endorsement during the primary, the HRC spokesperson was vague in response.
“These answers, alongside our town hall, will be crucial to our endorsement process and decision,“ the HRC spokesperson said.
HRC has a varied history on presidential endorsements, although it always endorsed Democratic candidates for the White House. In 2016, HRC endorsed Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary. In 2008, the organization waited until the conclusion of the primary between Clinton and Barack Obama before endorsing the latter candidate, who went on to win the presidency.
The Blade has placed a follow-up inquiry in with the Human Rights Campaign on whether the Gabbard campaign provided any explanation for not providing an LGBTQ survey response by deadline.
An investigation by Responsible Statecraft has found that President Trump’s newly installed acting Director of National Intelligence, Richard Grenell, knowingly provided public relations services directed at U.S. media on behalf of a project funded by Hungary’s far-right government. Grenell didn’t register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), which is a requirement applying to individuals and entities operating inside the U.S. as an “agent” of a “foreign principal.”
Craig Engle, Grenell’s attorney, told Responsible Statecraft that Grenell “knew that the Hungarian government was the sponsor” of work he undertook, but claimed that Grenell’s activities did not require him to file under FARA. According to the Justice Department, activities requiring registration as an “agent” to a “foreign principal” includes engaging in “acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal.”
This latest revelation follows a similar ProPublica reportpublished on Friday:
President Donald Trump’s new acting intelligence director, Richard Grenell, used to do consulting work on behalf of an Eastern European oligarch who is now a fugitive and was recently barred from entering the U.S. under anti-corruption sanctions imposed last month by the State Department.
In 2016, Grenell wrote several articles defending the oligarch, a Moldovan politician named Vladimir Plahotniuc, but did not disclose that he was being paid, according to records and interviews. Grenell also did not register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which generally requires people to disclose work in the U.S. on behalf of foreign politicians.
FARA is the same law that Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates were convicted of violating. (Manafort went to trial. Gates pleaded guilty.)
The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a dispute over a Philadelphia Catholic agency that won’t place foster children with same-sex couples.
The justices will review an appeals court ruling that upheld the city’s decision to stop placing children with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s agency because it would not permit same-sex couples to serve as foster parents.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled the city did not target the agency because of its religious beliefs but acted only to enforce its own nondiscrimination policy in the face of what seemed to be a clear violation.
UPDATE: From the ACLU.
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case about whether or not taxpayer-funded foster care agencies have a constitutional right to discriminate based on the agency’s religious requirements.
Catholic Social Services (CSS) sued Philadelphia for the right to discriminate against prospective foster families headed by same-sex couples. The Support Center for Child Advocates and Philadelphia Family Pride, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania, intervened in the lawsuit.
Both the district court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected CSS’ claims, saying instead that Philadelphia can require agencies that accept tax dollars to provide foster care services for children to accept all qualified families.
Taxpayer-funded foster care agencies in a number of states, such as South Carolina, have asserted a religious objection to accepting families of different faiths, families that do not attend church, same-sex couples, or unmarried people.
A new Pride festival is coming to the Los Angeles area this May.
This year, for the first time, City of Glendale, California, also known as the ‘Jewel City,’ is offering a fully immersive Pride held on Saturday, May 30, 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Glendale’s Central Park, 216 South Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91203.
Pride is the grassroots effort of several Glendale-based organizations and volunteers including glendaleOUT, Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS), Equality Armenia, The Blunt Post, and with media sponsorship by Revry. The festival is strategically located in Downtown Glendale’s shopping and nightlife district, adjacent to the library, the Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria.
The Pride festival and its programming will raise awareness and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community as well as individuality, empowerment, and inclusivity within Glendale. With a focus on family-friendly art, events and community connection, the event will include storytelling time for kids and more to celebrate love in every color.
The festival will feature diverse music and entertainment by a local DJ and emcee and wrap-up with a dance party at sundown.
“Silverlake, West Hollywood … why do I have to export my gay? Why can’t I be gay where I live? So, I set about doing that. With Gary Freeman and Nick Macierz, with ace/121 gallery and Roslin Art Gallery, with Arno Yeretzian at Abril Books. Soon it was with Gay Straight Alliance chapters in the Glendale Unified School District and Alicia Harris,” said Grey James, Founder of Glendale Pride.
“The dots started connecting quickly. People are showing up. Like everyone’s been waiting for this moment. I look at the group that is working on this and I am so amazed and grateful. It’s very satisfying to witness this momentum and all the individuals driving it so kindly,” he added.
The festival will be a free community event, without an entrance fee, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. A Kids’ Village will create a special space for Rainbow Families with unique programming such as “Drag Story Telling.”
For more information about Glendale Pride, please visit GlendalePride.org
Pete Buttigieg was accused of “contradicting God’s word” by pastor Rhyan Glezman, the older brother of his husband Chasten.
Glezman spoke out after Buttigieg questioned how Christians could support Donald Trump.
“Well, I’m not going to tell other Christians how to be Christians, he said during a CNN town hall event on Tuesday, February 18.
“But I will say I cannot find any compatibility between the way this president conducts himself and anything that I find in Scripture.”
The Democrat’s brother-in-law said that it was the “the height of intellectual dishonesty for Pete to make claims that there’s no compatibility with being a Christian and voting for Trump”.
“Just everything that Pete is pushing is, it’s anti-God. I’m just gonna be honest with you,” he told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight.
He’s the one that is openly contradicting God’s word over and over.
Glezman has previously spoken out against the Buttigiegs, telling The Washington Post that “while he wants the best” for his brother, he doesn’t “support the gay lifestyle”.
The pastor was interviewed for a profile of Chasten, in which the would-be first gentleman said he had been forced to leave home after coming out because his brothers rejected him.
Glezman rejected this version of events, and accused the Buttigeigs of making up the story for political clout.
“A mayor from a small city and his husband, a child who grew up with nothing and his parents kicked him out … it makes a perfect political story for the campaign,” he told The Washington Examiner.
“To me that’s very sad. If that’s all you have to stand on, you’re not fit to be president of the United States.”
Pete Buttigieg goes into Nevada caucuses after trying week.
Buttigieg’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination will be tested on Saturday, February 22 at the Nevada caucuses.
The former South Bend, Indiana mayor has spent much of the week defending himself after right-wing commentator Rush Limbaugh questioned his suitability for the White House as a gay man.
Buttigieg fired barbs at both Limbaugh and Trump at the CNN town hall event, laughing at “the idea that the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump [could be] lecturing anybody on family values”.
“One thing about my marriage is it’s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star,” he added.
A man has detailed the alleged sexual abuse he suffered 50 years ago at the hands of a now-deceased university doctor who treated “all the gay men”.
Robert E Anderson was formerly a director of the health service at the University of Michigan, and worked at the university from 1968 until 2003. He passed away in 2008.
According to The Detroit News, University of Michigan officials announced on Wednesday, February 19, that since July 2018 they had been investigating multiple reports of “sexual misconduct and unnecessary medical exams” by Anderson’s former patients.
Most of the alleged incidents took place in the 1970s, but at least one former patient said they were abused in the 1990s.
University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel said in a statement: “The allegations that were reported are disturbing and very serious. We promptly began a police investigation and cooperated fully with the prosecutor’s office.”
One of Anderson’s alleged victims, Robert Julian Stone, has spoken out about his experience of being one of the doctor’s patients in 1970.
According to All About Ann Arbor, when Stone was a 20-year-old student at the university he was fearful of visiting his family doctor because he was gay.
He said: “I called a friend of mine, a gay friend in Ann Arbor. I said: ‘Look, I don’t know. Who do I go to? Who do I see?’
“He said go to Dr Anderson. Dr Anderson treats all the gay men in Ann Arbor.”
Stone said that during the appointment Anderson began undressing and placed the student’s hand on his genitals.
He continued: “After this happened, I was horrified. I was absolutely enraged and disgusted. It makes me want to cry.
“Homosexuality was still considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association in the 1970s. I felt completely disempowered to report this.”
Stone, who now lives in Palm Springs with his husband, wrote an essay in the summer of 2019 about the alleged sexual abuse and sent it to the university, which triggered the investigation.
According to The Detroit News, Stone said: “When I first wrote to the university, I thought: ‘Well, Dr Anderson was a closeted gay man’, and I had some compassion for a man at that time in that position.
“Now I realise he wasn’t a closeted gay man. He was a sexual predator, and that’s … a criminal thing.”
But Washtenaw County prosecutor Steven Hiller has said that no charges can be filed because so much time had passed, and Anderson was deceased.
The University of Michigan has, however, set up a hotline for other people to come forward. According to All About Ann Arbor, there have been 22 reports to the hotline since Wednesday.
Gov. Andy Beshear spoke against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and supported a ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth during a historic appearance at a gay-rights rally Wednesday at Kentucky’s Capitol.
Beshear became Kentucky’s first sitting governor to attend a rally staged by the Fairness Campaign in the Capitol Rotunda, a few steps from the governor’s office. The rallies by gay-rights supporters date back to the 1990s, activists said.
The Democratic governor received loud cheers from the crowd. “Diversity and inclusion, they aren’t buzz words,” Beshear said. “They are values. And they are keys to making Kentucky stronger. Kentucky cannot reach its full potential if all of our people don’t feel supported to be themselves.”
A Polish court has dismissed a lawsuit against the organisers of an anti-LGBT+ campaign that linked homosexuality with paedophilia, ruling that it was “informative and educational”.
The campaign was run by ultra-conservative NGO Fundacja Pro, which drove around Poland in vans with loudspeakers and banners bearing the slogan: “Paedophilia is 20 times more common in homosexuals. They want to teach your children. Stop them!”
The group also publicises various claims regarding the alleged prevalence of child abuse among LGBT+ people, based on controversial and contested research by American scholars Mark Regnerus and Paul Cameron.
Last year lawyer Bartłomiej Ciążyński filed a civil suit against Fundacja Pro, arguing that its campaign “insulted, slandered and violated the dignity” of LGBT+ people.
Yesterday the case was dismissed by a district court in Wrocław, western Poland. In his ruling, Judge Adam Maciński said the campaign “should be considered as having an informative and social dimension” as it helped raise awareness of paedophilia.
“It illustrates the issue of paedophilia to the public, as well as differences in the way sex education is implemented among minors…while [also] addressing the problem of extreme sexual education,” he said.
“The campaign did not take the form of aggressive criticism, let alone stigmatising or harassing the plaintiff.”
As Poland’s hate crime laws do not cover sexuality or gender orientation, Maciński ruled that the campaign “is an expression of the defendant’s constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and of belief”.
The ruling was announced as a picket formed outside the courtroom, with angry protesters holding signs reading: “Stop pedophilia: homosexuals often molest children” and “What does the LGBT lobby want to teach children?”
Homophobia rises in Poland
Poland is experiencing an upswing in anti-LGBT+ sentiment, largely driven by the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS). Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczyński recently secured an election victory with a campaign that was centred on hardline homophobic views.
In August Kaczyński hit out at Pride parades, telling voters: “The hard offensive, this travelling theatre that is showing up in different cities to provoke and then cry… we are the ones who are harmed by this, it must be unmasked and discarded.”
He also promised to fully enforce the law to “regulate these matters”, but did not explain what he meant by this.
This rhetoric has resulted in more than 80 municipal or local governments proclaiming themselves to be “free from LGBTI ideology”, a move strongly condemned by the European Parliament.
Local authorities in the LGBT-free zones pledge to refrain from acts that encourage tolerance and must avoid providing financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights.
