This year again, the Transgender Law Center organized the California Transgender Advocacy Day (CTAD), and Monday, Aug. 12, approximately 50 trans citizen lobbyists, family members of trans youth and adults and trans allies from across the state lobbied legislators in Sacramento for legislation that positively impacts trans citizens. There were three bills advocated for by…
SACRAMENTO—Today, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the historic School Success and Opportunity Act into law, ensuring transgender youth have the opportunity to fully participate and succeed in schools across the state. Assembly Bill 1266—which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2014—was authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and passed the California State Senate and Assembly earlier this…
WASHINGTON – Following his historic visit to Brazil for World Youth Day, Pope Francis made multiple comments about gay Catholics in the priesthood during a wide-ranging press conference aboard the Papal plane. By all accounts, the Pope was speaking in response to a question about gay priests within the Roman Curia when he said, “Who…
I was enamored during my first San Diego Pride in 2003. I’d began transitioning in early February of that year, then went to my first trans peer support group in late May, and then agreed to staff the trans booth in July. Frankly, I can’t remember whether or not I marched in the trans contingent…
John Stemberger, an Orlando-based litigator come Christian activist, is launching what he hopes will be an alternative scouting organization for young men that explicitly bars gay, bisexual and gender non-conforming youth from participating. The organization, the name of which has yet to be announced, has a Web site, .net, devoted to the promotion and recruitment…
In what LGBT activists are hailing as a major step forward, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued the first revision in nearly a decade including, among other points, a decidedly pro-LGBT message. “Sexual-minority youth should not be considered abnormal,” said its new materials released on Monday entitled “Office-Based Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and…
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has approved a resolution condemning the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) decision to allow openly-gay Scouts, and called for the removal of all pro-equality BSA executives and board leaders. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin, who was raised Southern Baptist, called out the SBC resolution as affirming and promoting…
SACRAMENTO — The Youth Equality Act (SB 323), designed to bring youth group tax exemptions in line with California’s existing non-discrimination laws, has passed the Senate with a vote of 27-9 making this the first LGBT rights bill to pass with a two-thirds majority in California history. The bill, authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long…
(CNN) — Openly gay youths will be allowed to join scouting, delegates to the annual meeting of the Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday. The organization’s 1,400-member national council voted for the historic policy change, which will take effect January 1. The resolution was adopted with more than 60% of the vote. “No youth may…
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) San Diego County Chapter will be holding its second annual Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Awards Night May 31, from 6-9 p.m., at The San Diego LGBT Community Center. “The GSA Awards Night is a night to recognize GSAs for their work in their schools and gives them…
