News

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September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) uses this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention. NAMI is here to help. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among U.S. teenagers, and members of the LGBTQ community are […]

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California Assembly Adopts Resolution to Prevent Discrimination Against Transgender Servicemembers

The California State Assembly adopted Assembly Joint Resolution 22 Thursday condemning President Trump’s announcement that he will ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, directing the California military to not discriminate against transgender service members, and urging Defense Secretary James Mattis to allow trans service members to serve their country. The resolution is co-authored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including members of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus. “Trump’s decision to ban transgender people from serving our country is bigotry, plain and simple. It is counterproductive and does nothing to keep us safe,” said Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), […]

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Civil Rights Groups Ask for Comprehensive Review of Law Enforcement Efforts on Hate Crimes

Citing escalating hate crimes by both organized hate groups and individuals, Equality California joined eight other major civil rights organizations to call on the California Legislature to order a comprehensive evaluation of law enforcement agencies’ efforts to protect Californians from hate crimes. The civil rights groups support a request by Assemblymember Kansen Chu (D-San José), the chair of the new Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes. “Hate crimes against LGBTQ people were already rising even before the hostile rhetoric of the 2016 election campaign and Trump’s presidency,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “It’s more important now than […]

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Lambda Legal and 50 Other LGBT Organizations Oppose Eric Dreiband’s Nomination to Lead DOJ’S Civil Rights Division

Eric Dreiband Lambda Legal and 46 other national, state, and local LGBT groups from across the country strongly opposed the confirmation of Eric S. Dreiband to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Dept. of Justice, citing his “overwhelmingly anti-civil rights record” and his efforts to “diminish the rights of LGBT people and other vulnerable communities.” In a letter organized by Lambda Legal and sent to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee – who are expected to hear testimony from Dreiband at a confirmation hearing on Wednesday morning – LGBT groups said that in light […]

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Democratic California Lawmakers Vow to Help DACA Recipients

Democrats in the California Legislature slammed President Donald Trump’s Tuesday decision to end a program protecting immigrants illegally brought into the country as children. More than 30 lawmakers vowed to pass bills to help people currently shielded under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, including legislation to limit immigration enforcement on college campuses and to make California a so-called “sanctuary state.” They spoke out in forceful terms against the president. PD Editorial: In rescinding DACA, Trump builds a wall of fear — and makes young people pay for it “President Trump and his advisers are nothing but cold, compassionless […]

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Bill to Track Sexual Assault Evidence Kits Clears Senate Appropriations Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee Friday passed a bill authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Alameda District Attorney Nancy O’Malley that would help reduce the number of untested sexual assault evidence kits throughout California. AB 41 will for first time require law enforcement agencies to report to the California Department of Justice annual data on sexual assault evidence kit collection and testing, providing greater transparency for survivors, policy makers and the criminal justice system. “Survivors of sexual assault deserve to know what happened to the sexual assault evidence kits they submitted,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “To get at […]

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EQCA Applauds Rocklin School for Supporting Transgender Student

Equality California has sent a letter to Rocklin Academy officials applauding the school for its support of a transgender kindergarten student following the reading of a book geared toward that age group by transgender teen and reality TV star Jazz Jennings. As a result of activities by right-wing advocacy groups, a number of parents complained after a transgender student brought the book “I am Jazz” to share with students in her kindergarten class. The book discusses Jennings’ childhood, what it is to be transgender and a message of respect and inclusion for everyone. “’I am Jazz’ above all teaches children […]

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Pulse Nightclub to Re-open in Orlando After Mass Murder

Orlando’s gay night club Pulse at the center of last years terror attack could re-open in a new location. It’s the site where 49 people tragically lost their lives in one of the worst gun massacres in American history. It was the worst mass murder in the USA since 911. Now, the club’s owner Barbara Poma has been speaking to WFTV about the future of the venue. She says the attack was financially crippling because of the loss of the club’s income. However, she added ‘Pulse is going to reopen [in a new location].’ ‘By reopening it, same name, the same format […]

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San Diego AIDS Memorial to be Built in Olive Street Park

After 30 years of discussions, proposals and two AIDS Memorial Task Forces, San Diego will join other cities across the country and all over the world and finally have an AIDS Memorial to remember the over 8,000 men, women and children who have died of AIDS in San Diego County. A public meeting was held Monday night at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral to discuss the process of selecting a design, which is open for anyone to submit. About 60 San Diegans attended the meeting and approximately 10 people spoke during the public comment section. City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez (the […]

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Support Face to Face at Art For Life September 16

Art for Life is the longest-running art auction to end HIV! The 30th annual event is less than three weeks away on Saturday, September 16, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. We hope you can join us! More than 150 local and generous Sonoma County artists have donated inspired works of art. The highest bidder will take home their pieces that night knowing their purchase provides essential resources for life-changing services for people living with HIV in Sonoma County. Go to www.f2f.org for tickets.

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