SACRAMENTO – Sen. Mark Leno announced today the introduction of legislation modernizing California’s HIV confidentiality and data sharing laws. Co-sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, AIDS Legal Referral Panel and Conference of California Bar Associations, SB 249 protects the privacy of HIV and AIDS patients while allowing the…
Today, gay and lesbian couples gathered in five communities across Virginia to Witness for Marriage. In Arlington, Charlottesville, Hampton, Richmond and Winchester, these couples were joined by affirming faith leaders and applied for marriage licenses. Marriage between gay and lesbian couples is currently not legal in Virginia and relationships are not recognized because of the…
Most comedians will tell you the material they use comes from everyday life happenings and things most of us actually read in the papers and see on the news. These days, comedians pull from whatever source they can to show the humor and absurdity of our everyday lives. Comedian Jason Stuart, who will be bringing…
Officially it’s the Academy Award of Merit. But we all know it as “Oscar,” though the origin of that name has long been debated and disputed. One thing that can’t be argued is that we love Oscar! Maybe not everyone, but ditching the stereotypes, the truth is that a big segment of the LGBT community…
February is African American History Month, also known as Black History Month. It is as much a celebration of accomplishments within the African American community as it is recognition of a journey of struggles to overcome in pursuit of basic civil rights. It is an unfinished journey though, that encompasses Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which…
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, San Diego LGBT Pride has announced today that Freedom to Love and Marry is the theme for the 39th annual Pride celebration weekend, July 12 – 14. Announcing the theme, Fernando Lopez, administrative and public affairs director wrote in an email, “We are standing at a critical moment in…
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53) once again signed on as a cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 519), formerly know as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act. The UAFA would allow U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor a permanent partner for immigration purposes. Under current law only married heterosexuals can be…
WASHINGTON – Thirty-seven United States senators, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley, have today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Because of a lack of federal protections, it remains legal to fire or…
(CNN) — There are about 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) each year in the United States, costing some $16 billion in direct medical costs, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young people are disproportionately affected, the agency said, with half of all new infections occurring in…
LOS ANGELES – Gay rights activists pledged a boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel today, citing the hotel owner’s state-sponsored homophobia. The hotel is owned by the nation of Brunei, a country in South East Asia where male homosexuality is a crime. A video made by the group calls on supporters to “break up” with…
