Steve Lee, Editor

Cole elected city council president over Alvarez

Fourth District Councilmember Myrtle Cole made history Monday as she became the first African American woman to become city council president. Cole was elected in a 6-3 vote edging out Eighth District Councilmember David Alvarez. The vote came after numerous speakers sought to persuade councilmembers to vote for Cole or Alvarez, who are both Democrats….

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New group launches to stop LGBTQ conversion therapy

WASHINGTON — A new grassroots group, 50 Bills 50 States, launched this week seeking to protect LGBT youth from the practice of conversion therapy. The discredited therapy seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity using what many consider torturous techniques. Samuel Brinton, a survivor of conversion therapy and one of the group’s…

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‘Girls Lost’ — Swedish director Alexandra-Therese Keining explores transgenderism in this affecting, gender-bender flick from the acclaimed novel ‘Pojkarna’

Gender-bending as a cinematic device offers a fertile pasture upon which to graze. Many successful films over the years have explored the idea that we inherently embody both male and female identifies. To what extent they manifest themselves in our actual lives is really the luck of a DNA crap shoot. But it presents both…

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Discrimination affects minority groups’ financial decisions says University of Miami study

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — African Americans, women, and LGBTQ individuals – those more likely to experience social discrimination in their lifetime – are less likely to participate in the stock market and also allocate less of their wealth to equities, says new research from the University of Miami School of Business Administration. The findings, presented…

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Trial begins in civil rights case against San Francisco police officers for police brutality

SAN FRANCISCO — Queer Arab-American public interest attorney and musician Nyla Moujaes is no stranger to the courtroom. But today (Dec. 12), she will pursue social justice in a new role – as a plaintiff in a civil rights and police misconduct trial in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California – Oakland Division. A lawyer…

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Mississippians unite in Jackson, march on governor’s mansion, rally for equality for LGBTQ community

JACKSON, Miss. –  Saturday, LGBTQ advocates and opponents of House Bill 1523 (HB 1523) – the so-called “Religious Freedom” bill that gives special rights to opponents of marriage equality and encourages discrimination against the LGBTQ community – rallied to raise their voices for equality and acceptance. Although HB 1523 was blocked by a federal court,…

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LGBT groups call on authorities and media to honor the names and genders of transgender Ghost Ship fire victims

OAKLAND — In the aftermath of the tragic fire at the Ghost Ship artist community Dec. 2 that claimed the lives of more than 35 people, local authorities and media have continued to disrespect transgender victims by not honoring their correct names and gender identities. The following joint statement was issued by Equality California, National…

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