NewsLink in format

Transcription

NewsLink in format

News & happenings for, by, about
and affecting the GLBT Valley
Stockton
Modesto
Merced
Fresno
Visalia
Bakersfield
FREE monthly GLBT publication
First published in September 1995
Issue VII, Volume XX, Number 235
March 20, 2015
Project of Community Link, Inc.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Community Service Organization
O
www.CommunityLinkFresno.com
WTF
California ballot initiative:
Sodomite Suppression Act,
proposes “bullets to the
head” for gays, lesbians
By John Hrabe
Here's a headline you'd expect to
read in The Onion: a proposed ballot
initiative in California would outlaw
sodomy and punish offenders with
“death by bullets to the head.”
On February 26, Orange County
attorney Matthew McLaughlin paid his
$200 filing fee and submitted the necessary paperwork to circulate the initiative, “The Sodomite Suppression Act.”
“The People of California wisely
command, in the fear of God, that any
person who willingly touches another
person of the same gender for purposes
of sexual gratification be put to death by
bullets to the head or by any other convenient method,” the proposed initiative
reads.
In addition to the death penalty for
gays and lesbians, McLaughlin wants to
ban anyone “who espouses sodomistic
propaganda” from holding public office,
receiving government benefits or being
employed by the state. Anyone caught
disseminating “sodomistic propaganda”
to minors would be fined “$1 million
per occurrence, and/or imprisoned up to
10 years, and/or expelled from the
boundaries of the state of California for
up to life.”
Dear Pride Partners,
It is that time again in which
Community Link is reaching out to you
as the “Backbone” of Fresno Rainbow
Pride Parade and Festival. Your financial support of the Central Valley's only
LGBT Parade & Festival is indispensible.
I hope you continue to feel deep satisfaction of being one of our Pride
Partners and that you will continue to be
closely associated with us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary of LGBT
Pride here in Fresno.
Your undertaking of being a Pride
Partner and joining with other civicminded individuals, couples and families ensures that Fresno Rainbow Pride
is an accessible and awareness-raising
celebration. A celebration of who we are
as a community, and where we still need
to go to achieve all of our human rights.
You share with us and enable us - as
the full Pride Team - to bring our LGBT
culture, achievements and, yes, even our
struggles to the forefront of the greater
Fresno/Central Valley society on this
one day of the year, in the month of
June, known internationally as Gay
Pride month. A month during which we
honor those in our community who had
the courage to say: “Enough is enough”
at the Stonewall Inn and demanded that
we would not stand being treated as
criminals and second class citizens any
longer.
We will be “Remembering… Riots!
Rebellion! Revolution!” of the 1969
Summer of Love on Saturday, June 6,
2015 in Fresno's historic Tower District.
We will also be honoring our own rebellion of 1990, when Fresno stood up and
hosted our first ever LGBT Pride Parade
& Festival, and stood toe to toe with the
Ku Klux Klan, clearly stating that we
were here, we were queer and everyone
had to get used to it.
Here is where you can once again
stand for what is right by making a huge
impact - join our community of the
Pride Partners to help underwrite this
important but costly day of celebration
and defiance.
Last year, the Pride Partners were our
biggest and most important source of
financial assistance. The Pride Partners
gave over $7,000 to Pride and we will
need to secure at least that amount again
this year.
Our expenses always seem to grow
and our estimated costs this year will
approach $50,000.
Here is a general estimate of the 2015
Pride event. It is only a particle itemization hitting the biggest ticket items that
we know for sure will be included in
this year's event.
City Permit Fee ...$378, Fresno Police
Depart
Services...$1,500-$2,000,
Insurance...$1,652,
Traffic
control...$1,000, Children's activities...$800,
Staging,
canopies,
tables,
chairs…$4,500.
Equipment
Transport…$900, Dance canopy...$400,
Equipment Storage...$1,400, Parade
T r a n s p o r t / Ve h i c l e s . . . $ 5 5 0 ,
Security...$1,000,
Entertainment
Dressing
room...$500,
Sound
Equipment...$2,000, Fencing...$2,500,
Port-a-potties…$600
Trash
Disposal…$250,
Electrical
Generators...$700
Entertainment
…$2,000-$5,000, Street Banner installation (putting up/taking down) ..$2,000,
Promotional/Advertising...$3,000 , For
these items alone $31, 130.00
There are numerous smaller budget
items and there are always unexpected
costs associated with being business
with the city and county.
All said and done we need you our
Pride Partners. Those of you who will
undertake becoming a Pride Partner
will guarantee that we have a successful
celebration of 25 years of Pride in the
Valley.
Community Link is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit community service organization
and your donation is tax deducible.
Send your check made payable to
Community Link to Fresno Rainbow
Pride, P.O. Box 4959, Fresno, Ca. 93744
or you may make a PayPal donation
directly on our website at fresnorainbowpride.com
Thank you,
Jeffery Robinson - Fresno Rainbow
Pride Coordinator
Community Link, Inc., P.O. Box
4959, Fresno, CA 93744, (559) 4863464, [email protected],
www.FresnoRainbowPride.com
Call for artists - 'Color Our World With Pride'
and 'One Heart' and art shows, see page 15
WEEKLY GLBT /FRIENDLY EVENTS IN FRESNO
* Mondays 4p - 5:30p: Fresno Gay Men's Chorus - Practice @ Big Red
Church, 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd
* Mondays 10pm: Club Circus, 18+ GLBT night @ Aldo's, 617 W.
Belmont Ave, facebook.com/club.circus.9
* Tuesdays - Community Link’s Gray Alliance - $5 Movie Tuesday, (559)
269-7479, communitylinkfresno.com
* Tuesdays 7-8pm: LGBT Alcoholics Anonymous meeting @ Community
Congregational United Church of Christ, Hayden Hall, 5550 N. Fresno
Street, contact [email protected]
* Wednesdays 6:30pm: Sexual Compulsives Anonymous @ Fresno LGBT
Center, 1067 N Fulton St, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
* Wednesdays 6:30pm: United Student Pride @ CSUFresno, meets in
USU 309, listserv.csufresno.edu/archives/usp.html
* Wednesdays & Thursdays 8:30am-11am, 1pm-3:30pm: Confidential
HIV testing; Wednesdays 8:30am-11am: Anonymous HIV testing @ Fresno
Co. Dept. of Community Health, 1221 Fulton Mall,1st floor specialty clinic,
(559) 445-3434
* Thursdays 1pm HIV Support Group @ The Living Room at WestCare,
901 E Belmont Ave, (559) 486-1469
* Thursdays 6:30pm: Queer VolleyBall @ Vinland Park, 4695 E. Gettysburg
(east of Maple), Juan (559) 486-3464, communitylinkfresno.com (AprilOctober only)
* Thursdays 7pm (Wednesdays between September-March; Thursdays
between May-August): Community Link's Rainbow Bowling League @
AMF Sierra Lanes, 6450 N Blackstone Ave; Rich (559) 824-1417, www.
communitylinkfresno.com
* Fridays 7p - 8:30p: LGBTQI Youth Alliance @ Big Red Church, 2131
N. Van Ness Blvd, www.communitylinkfresno.com
* Saturdays: Fresbians coffee meet up at various coffee houses, facebook.
com/fresbians
* TBA: Diversity - Fresno City College GLBT group, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fresno-City-College-Diversity-Club/184646471583389
* Fresno LGBT Community Center open Tue - Sun 12-5pm @1067 N.
Fulton St., (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
Send updates to [email protected]
NewsLink
20 Fri 8p 20 Fri 5p 20 Fri 6p 20 Fri 9p 20 Fri 10p 21 Sat 7p 21 Sat 8p 22 Sun 2p 22 Sun 8p 2
MARCH 2015
“Doubt, A Parable” play @ College Community Church
Mennonite Brethren, 2529 Willow Ave, Clovis,
www.fresno.edu/department/theater/current_productions
“IT'S A QUEER THANG” Radio Show - KFCF 88.1 FM
www.communitylinkfresno.com and www.kfcf.org
Professional Men's Mixer @ Score Sports Café & Lounge
737 E Olive Ave, facebook.com/groups/mensmixer/
Culture Shock Friday - Disco Inferno! @ Club Legends
3075 N Maroa Ave, fresnoclublegends.com
Fetish Friday @ The Phoenix
4538 E Belmont Ave, fresnophoenix.com
Casino Night @ Fresno LGBT Community Center
1067 N Fulton Ave, fresnolgbtcenter.org
Kween P!'s Spring Mixx @ the Red Lantern
4618 E Belmont Ave, www.facebook.com/red.lantern.96
MARCH 2015
25 Wed 5:30p HIV+/HIV- Partners' Group @ The Living Room
901 E Belmont Ave, (559) 486-1469
25 Wed 6p FRESNO RAINBOW PRIDE 2015 - Fundraising Meet @ Tacos
Marquitos, 1772 E Barstow Av, FresnoRainbowPride.com
25 Wed 8p Danny's 23rd Birthday Show @ the Red Lantern
4618 E Belmont Ave, facebook.com/events/1534259496848914/
25 Wed Military / Uniform Night Men's Play Party @ The Bunker
2592 S Railroad Ave, thebunkerfresno.com
26 Thu 6p Fresno Pride Lions - Meeting @ Café Via
6640 N Blackstone Ave, facebook.com/fresnopridelionsclub
26 Thu 6p Golden State Bears - Coffee Night @ Starbucks
5347 N Blackstone Ave #101, www.goldenstatebears.org
26 Thu 10p Xotica - 11 Year Anniversary Show @ Club Legends
3075 N Maroa Ave, xotica.net, fresnoclublegends.com
26 Thu 7p The Group In Fresno - Munch
find us on Fetlife.com
26 Thu 8p “Doubt, A Parable” play @ College Community Church
27 Fri 6p PROFESSIONAL OUT WOMEN - mixHER @ Idle Hour Winery
41139 Highway 41, Oakhurst, facebook.com/POWmixHer
27 Fri 6p Fresno Pink Panthers - Meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center,
1067 N Fulton St.
facebook.com/TheLgbtPinkPanthersMovementFresnoCaChapter
27 Fri 7p FRESNO YOUTH ALLIANCE - Potluck @ Big Red Church
Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, communitylinkfresno.com
27 Fri 8p “Doubt, A Parable” play @ College Community Church
27 Fri 9p Club Metro @ the Red Lantern
27 Fri Fresno Movie Night Social Group @ UA Clovis Towne Center 8,
2301 Villa Ave, Clovis,facebook.com/groups/movienightfresno/
27 Fri FRESNO RAINBOW PRIDE 2015 - Dining Out For Pride
@ Tacos Marquitos, 1772 E Barstow, FresnoRainbowPride.com
28 Sat 2:30p RAINBOW BOWLING LEAGUE - Winter Season End Party
@ private residence, communitylinkfresno.com
28 Sat 5p Family Film Night hosted by Leilani Price
@ Fresno LGBT Center, 1067 N Fulton St., fresnolgbtcenter.org
28 Sat 8p Beverage Bust for Fresno LGBT Center @ The Phoenix
28 Sun 8p “Doubt, A Parable” play @ College Community Church
29 Sun 2p COMMUNITY LINK'S GRAY ALLIANCE - LGBT-only
Social & Potluck @ Big Red Church, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd,
APRIL 2015
1 Wed 9-11a Free HIV Testing @ WestCare
611 E Belmont Ave, westcare.com
1 Wed Bear Night Men's Play Party @ The Bunker
2 Thu 7p Another Voice Bible Study @ Big Red Church,
Fireside Room, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, bigredchurch.org
2 Thu 10p Xotica - Battle of the Selena @ Club Legends
3075 N Maroa Ave, xotica.net, fresnoclublegends.com
3 Fri 6p Professional Men's Mixer @ Richard's
1609 E Belmont Ave, facebook.com/groups/mensmixer/
3 Fri 7p Trans-e-motion - Social Meeting @ Ming's, 1414 N Van Ness Ave,
(559) 646-5806, facebook.com/Transemotion
3 Fri 9p Club Metro @ the Red Lantern
4 Sat 5:30p Trans-e-motion - Support Meeting @ call for location
(559) 646-5806, facebook.com/Transemotion
5 Sun 12p MAsT (Masters And slaves Together) Fresno - Meeting
find us on fetlife.com
5 Sun 5p Central Valley Alliance of Atheists & Skeptics - Business Meeting
www.meetup.com/Fresno-cvaas/
5 Sun 6p Wesley Celebration GLBTQ service @ Wesley UMC,
John Wesley Hall, 1343 E. Barstow Ave, wesleyfresno.org
5 Sun 6:30p Central Valley Alliance of Atheists & Skeptics - Drinking
Skeptically @ Peeve's Public House, 1243 Fulton Mall
5 Sun 9p The Dollhouse Show - Search for the Next Doll @ Club Legends,
3075 N Maroa Ave, facebook.com/thedollhouseshow
6 Mon 7p Imperial Dove Court - Meeting @ the Red Lantern
4618 E Belmont Ave, idcfresno.org
8 Wed 6p COMMUNITY LINK'S GRAY ALLIANCE - Dinner Night
@ Good Eats, communitylinkfresno.com
8 Wed 6p FRESNO RAINBOW PRIDE 2015 - Organizational Meeting
8 Wed Leather Night Men's Play Party @ The Bunker
10 Fri 12-4p Free HIV / Hepatitis C testing @ Fresno LGBT Center,
1067 N Fulton St, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
10 Fri 5:30p LGBT+ Social Support Group @ Holistic Cultural and Education
Wellness Center, 4879 E Kings Canyon Rd, www.hcewc.org
How to reach us by mail:
News Link c/o Community Link, Inc. P.O. Box 4959, Fresno, Ca. 93744
News Link's E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Community Link's E-Mail Address:[email protected]
By phone: (559) 486-3464
Advertising Submission Information
Submission deadline:
1st day of the month
All submissions are to be sent via E-mail at
[email protected] All Ads must be sized to fit
our format.
Articles and Calendar infomation
All submissions should be Emailed to
[email protected] by the 1st day of the month
Letters to the Editor
Please keep letters brief and to the point; we
reserve the right to edit all letters as deemed nec
essary. Letters must include name and phone
number of the writer.
Advertising Rates
Once (One Month)
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$15.
1/8 page Ad..........................$30.
1/4 page Ad..........................$60.
1/2 page Ad........................$120.
Full page Ad.......................$240.
Staff
Editor........................................Jeff Robinson
Assistant Editor ..........................Kirk Caldwell
Proofreader..................................Kirk Caldwell
Research Editor...................Juan Bustamante
Accounts Receivable.................. Kirk Caldwell
Advertising Coordinator.............Jeff Robinson
Calendar Coordinator..................Kirk Caldwell
Distribution....Lorraine Wing, Kevin Caldwell,
Damon G, Tony O, Whitney W, Don, Bob M
The rate for ad work is $25
Quarterly (Three Months)
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$13.
1/8 page Ad..........................$25.
1/4 page Ad..........................$50.
1/2 page Ad........................$110.
Full page Ad......................$215.
APRIL 2015
Six Months
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$10.
1/8 page Ad..........................$20.
1/4 page Ad..........................$40.
1/2 page Ad..........................$80.
Full page Ad......................$175.
Color advertising now available at an addition $100. to the above rates
Advertising Dimensions
Business card
Horizontal.......................31/2”w x 2”h
1/8 page Ad
Horizontal.......................9 3/4”w x 1 15/16”h
Vertical.......................... 2 5/16”w x 7 7/8” h
Box.............................. 4 7/8”w x 3 7/8”h
1/4 page Ad
Horizontal.......................9 3/4”w x 3 7/8”h
Vertical.......................... 2 5/16”w x 16”h
Box.............................. 4 7/8”w x 7 7/8”h
1/2 page Ad
x 7 7/8”h
x 16”h
Full page Ad
................................... 10 1/4”w x 16”h
Horizontal.......................9 3/4”w
Vertical.......................... 4 7/8”w
MEDIA SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
Community Link will consider media sponsorships of nonprofit events that are
open and free to the community or at reduced rate for advertising for fundraising
events that include a donation/addmission charge when a writen request has been
submitted to [email protected] no less then six weeks prior to the event.
Community Link must be listed on all promotional materials including digital and
electronic media sources as a MEDIA SPONSOR. Other terms and conditions to be
negoiated on an individaul basis. For further information go to www.comunitylinkfresno.com
Content and
Advertising Policy
The News Link reserves the
right to refuse any written content and graphics that are explicitly sexual in nature. Including
logos and advertisements. No
portrayal of genitalia or real or
simulated sexual activities are
appropriate for publication in
the News Link, Pink Pages,
Pride Program or any other
Community Link publication.
We reserve the right to edit
content and ads without notification.
Board of Directors
Jeff Robinson
Male-Cochair & CEO
Lorraine Wing
Female-Cochair
Kevin Caldwell
Secretary
Juan Bustamante
Treasurer
Renee Potik, Kay Taus
Senior Representatives
Rachel Wilson
Youth Representatives
Rich Howard
David McGee
At-Large Members of the Board of Directors
Subscribe to News Link today!
Get your News Link delivered directly to your address.
The News Link comes in a
plain envelope, respecting
your privacy. We never sell
or trade our subscription
lists.
A subscription is
$25.00 per year.
12 issues per year
plus any
special editions
Yes, I would like to become
a subscriber of
News Link
___Individual - $25.
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Telephone#:
E-Mail Address:
Send your subscription application to:
Community Link
P. O. Box 4959,
Fresno, CA. 93744
NewsLink
10 Fri 9p Culture Shock Friday @ Club Legends
11 Sat 10a The Lavender Convention 2015 @ Wesley UMC
1343 E Barstow Ave, www.thelavenderconvention.com
11 Sat 10a & 2p “And Then Came Tango” play @ Woods Theatre,
Speech Arts Building, CSU Fresno. (559) 278-2216
11 Sat 8p Imperial Dove Court - Beer Bust @ The Phoenix
4538 E Belmont Ave, idcfresno.org, fresnophoenix.com
12 Sun 10:30a Skeptics Without A Cause - Coffee & Brunch
@ Panera Bread, 3590 W Shaw Ave, facebook.com/pages/Skeptics
Without-A-Cause-Fresno-Chapter/145938948799834
12 Sun 2p PFLAG - Meeting @ Wesley UMC,
1343 E. Barstow Ave, www.pflagfresno.org, (559) 434-6540
12 Sun 5:30p Feminist Book Club @ Fresno LGBT Center,
12 Sun 8p Imperial Dove Court - Second Sunday Show
@ the Red Lantern, 4618 E Belmont, www.idcfresno.org
14 Tue 7p Fresno Stonewall Democrats - Dinner & Meeting @ Carrows
4280 N. Blackstone Ave, fresnostonewalldemocrats.org
15 Wed 3:30p & 6p Fresno AIDS Walk 2015 Meeting @ The Living Room
901 E Belmont Ave, (559) 486-1469, fresnoaidswalk.org
15 Wed Underwear Night Men's Play Party @ The Bunker
16 Thu 6:30p Central Valley Alliance of Atheists & Skeptics - Bookclub Meeting
16 Thu 6:30p QUEER VOLLEY BALL -2015 Season Starts @ Vinland Park,
4695 E Gettysburg Ave, communitylinkfresno.com
16 Thu 7p Another Voice Bible Study @ Big Red Church,
Fireside Room, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, bigredchurch.org
17 Fri 5p “IT'S A QUEER THANG” Radio Show - KFCF 88.1 FM
www.communitylinkfresno.com and www.kfcf.org
17 Fri 6p Professional Men's Mixer @ Campagnia
1185 E Champlain Dr, facebook.com/groups/mensmixer/
17 Fri 10p Fetish Friday @ The Phoenix
18 Sat 10:30a RAINBOW BOWLING LEAGUE - Day Trip to Magic Mountain
18 Sat 11a 4th Annual Spring Fling @ Fresno LGBT Center,
18 Sat 5p Imperial Dove Court - ICP Ball: Happier Ever After
@ Club Legends, 3075 N Maroa Ave
facebook.com/events/1556936451222567/, www.idcfresno.org
18-19 Sat - Sun Central Valley Alliance of Atheists & Skeptics - Camping Trip
19 Sun 11a Humanist Group @ Fresno LGBT Center,
19 Sun 6p Wesley Celebration GLBTQ service @ Wesley UMC,
John Wesley Hall, 1343 E. Barstow Ave, wesleyfresno.org
20 Mon 6:30p Yosemite Knights - Meeting & Dinner @ Tacos Marquitos
1772 E Barstow Ave, www.kofmfresno.com
21 Tue 6:30p Positive Life - Support Group
@ Fresno LGBT Center, 1067 N Fulton St., poslife.org
22 Wed 5:30p HIV+/HIV- Partners' Group @ The Living Room
901 E Belmont Ave, (559) 486-1469
22 Wed Military / Uniform Night Men's Play Party @ The Bunker
23 Thu 6p Golden State Bears - Coffee Night @ Starbucks
5347 N Blackstone Ave #101, www.goldenstatebears.org
24 Fri 6p PROFESSIONAL OUT WOMEN - mixHER @ TBA
facebook.com/POWmixHer
24 Fri 6p Fresno Pink Panthers - Meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center,
1067 N Fulton St.
facebook.com/TheLgbtPinkPanthersMovementFresnoCaChapter
24 Fri 7p FRESNO YOUTH ALLIANCE - Potluck @ Big Red Church
Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, communitylinkfresno.com
24 Fri 9p Culture Shock Friday @ Club Legends
25 Sat 5p Family Film Night hosted by Leilani Price
@ Fresno LGBT Center, 1067 N Fulton St., fresnolgbtcenter.org
25 Sat 8p Beverage Bust for Fresno LGBT Center @ The Phoenix
26 Sun 2p COMMUNITY LINK'S GRAY ALLIANCE - LGBT-only
Social & Potluck @ Big Red Church, 2131 N Van Ness
Blvd,communitylinkfresno.com
30 Thu 7p The Group In Fresno - Munch
find us on Fetlife.com
30 Thu 8p Janis Ian live in concert @ the Tower Theatre
815 E Olive Ave, www.janisian.com, www.towertheatrefresno.com
Next issue's calendar will cover events between April 17th
and May 30th, 2015. Send submissions to: [email protected]
3
All Community Link’s projects can be
found at www.communitylinkfresno.com
Youth Group News
By David McGee
March came in like a lamb this year.
Did anyone even notice? But our youth
continue to roar like lions. What a rowdy
bunch we have right now. Everyone is full
of opinions and sometimes they're just full
of themselves! But that makes for an interesting evening, for sure.
At one of our recent Friday evening
meetings, we discussed the subject of lying
to our friends and family. We were asked
to whom we might tell a lie, under what
circumstances we might lie, and why we
would even feel the need to lie. It seems
we have a bunch of liars in our bunch.
Maybe that's just the wave of the future.
As most readers know, the last Friday of
the month is saved for a potluck, where
everyone brings food and we just chat.
Normally on those nights, we don't ask a lot
of questions. We just have a fun social
night. But the last Friday of February, we
did something completely different! Peter
Robinson, the Director of Engagement and
Marketing for the Fresno State Alumni
Association, invited us to attend a play that
was being presented to the community as a
fundraiser for the Bulldog Pride Fund. So
we did! In all, 18 of our youth and three
adult group leaders attended the play-and it
was magnificent!
First, Peter arranged for us to meet early
for our Youth Group meeting in the lobby
of the Tower Theater! That was fun! Then,
we carried our chairs next door to the
Painted Table, and joined fundraising
attendees for the play, titled, “And Then
Came Tango.”
The play was written by Emily Freeman
and directed by Fresno State's J. Daniel
Herring. According to Herring, it was
based on the real-life story about a couple
of male penguins who raised a chick in the
New York Central Park Zoo a few years
ago. The play was touching! There wasn't
a dry eye in the crowd! The theater group
made their own costumes and created the
backgrounds for the stage. They were
amazing! We're thankful to Peter Robinson
for allowing us to be a part of the evening!
The Fresno GLBTQ Youth Alliance
meets on Friday nights, at 7 PM, in the
Fireside Room of the Big Red Church,
located on Van Ness Avenue and Fern, just
down the street from Fresno High School.
The group is open to all GLBTQ youth and
their allies, ages 14 to 25. Come join us and
have some fun on Friday nights! We have
a Facebook page! Check us out and keep
in touch!
GRAY ALLIANCE continues to
grow person by person. Although not
an especially large group, we have
created a team of friends. Although 20
- 30 members is no small group either
We are better for meeting one another.
We are welcoming of any LGBTQ
people nearing 50 and older. If this is
you, please come visit to see if you
would like to join us.
Each month we have three events.
One is on the second Wednesday of
each month we meet for dinner at
6pm. The second is on the last Sunday
of each month we meet for a pot-luck
social between 2-4pm. We ask that
each person contribute towards the
pot-luck so we are assured of enough
food to feed each attendee. Third we
have $5 Movie Day.
In February James Landra offered
apresentation on the topic of
'Discrimination'. This certainly
opened the door to remembering past
discrimination, and realizing it's not
completely in our past even today.
Thank you James for a well prepared
speech.
On March 29th, at Big Red Church
Social, we have Nora sharing how she
appeared on the front page ofthe San
Francisco Chronicle Newspaper in
1995. If your interested in what/
where/how this wonderful lesbian
feminist could manage this deed,
please come join us as we find out.
For our March dinner we went to
AJ's at Shaw & Moroa. This was an
evening of limited parking since
another large party was there at the
same time. But once thru the door we
received the same exemplary service
we are use to. Wonderful service and
wonderful food. This is a popular
favorite restaurant we enjoy returning
to.
On Tuesdays we have started our
$5 movie day. Linda & Shirley &
Audrey have been enjoying movies
together for awhile. We recently
added Emma. If you’re a movie buff
too, just let Shirley know.
To recapture our monthly agenda;
Second Wednesday of every month
at 6pm, we meet for our Dinner Social
at a TBA Location.
The Last Sunday of every month
we meet between 2-4pm at the Big
Red Church (BRC) for out Pot Luck
Social.
Every Tuesday we meet for $5
Tuesday Movie's.
In April our dinner social will be at
GOOD EATS. The address is 7724 N
First St; phone 559 261-0238.
This is 5-star Chinese food. As we
try to geographically move our dinner
locations, North Fresno has revolved
to the top of the list.
We will discuss our May dinner
location at the social on Sunday,
March 29 at 2pm.
Please contact Shirley at 559 2697479 if there are questions.
Professional
OUT
Women
Professional OUT Women's March
mixHER is set for Friday, 3/27 from 6pmuntil ? at the Queen's Inn by the River,
located only 30 minutes up the hill in the
adorable community of Oakhurst.
We're taking a trip up the hill to where
we'll be able to enjoy an evening under the
stars at the Queen's Inn by the River & Idle
Hour Winery of Professional Out Women,
Anna Marie Dos Remedios and Deb
Payne. This event is sponsored by long
time community and political leaders, Pat
Barr and Janet Sangster. We'll have a dinner buffet prepared by Crab Cakes
Restaurant & Yosemite Catering and room
packages for those who want to stay the
night.
The dinner buffet is $25 per person and
must be reserved by Monday, March 23 at
5pm. If you'd like to make a reservation for
dinner, please visit -https://www.wineweb.com/scripts/
secure/eventReservation.
cfm?w=42514&seq=313
SHE'S BAAAAAACK!!
KWEEN P! PRESENTS
SPRING MIXX
A DANCE PARTY OF SOUL,
FUNK AND DISCO
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015
FOOD AT 7 PM
SHOW & CONTEST AT 8 PM
CLUB METRO RETURNS
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 &
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015
WITH DJ MICHAEL AT 9 PM
NewsLink
SUNDAY BAR-B-Q IS BACK
STARTING SUNDAY, MARCH 22
AT 5 PM WITH YOUR HOSTESS
JOHN JOHN
4
NEW AT THE RED !!!
$1.00 SUNDAY DRAFT BEER
- $4.00 BUY IN
- 8 OZ GLASS
4 PM TO 8 PM
OR OUR REGULAR BEER BASH
$2.50 - 16 OZ DRAFT
2 PM TO 2 AM
EVERY SUNDAY
PRIDE
PARADE & FESTIVAL
Fresno's Annual Pride Parade and
Festival is intended to help bring
diversity to Fresno's community while
also celebrating the culture and creativity of the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
Bodies and Minds Needed YOURS!
No this not an episode of A&E’s
Walking Dead. Fresno Rainbow pride
needs people to come help plan and
stage this year’s Pride Celebration.
This is a working group and not just
brainstroming sessions. Please join us
to make Pride into the LGBT celebration of the year. Something fitting for
a 25th pride birthday partyfor Fresno
and The Central Valley.
Our meetings are held on
Wednesday eveings at 6:30pm at
Tacos Marquitos, 1772 E Barstow
Ave, at Cedar and Barstow. Upcoming
dates are: March 25th, April 8th, and
then weekly: April 15th, 22nd, and
29th, May 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th,
and our last meeting before Pride is
June 3rd.
Big Fundraising Meeting
March 25th
The regular Wednesday night Pride
meeting will be devoted to
FUNDRAISING PLANNING. If you
can help us raise the $15,000 that
Fresno Rainbow Pride needs through
fundraising activities such as shows,
car washes, dining out fundraisers,
and anything else. We ask anyone who
can help us to attend this meeting so
we can get a calender togthare and
venues scheduled.
New Location
QVB is starting a new season with
a new location!
QVB is a fun, recreation, weekly
Volley Ball group with a slight hint of
competition. Open to all adults
(including High school youth), all
genders, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Gays,
Transgender, and our allies (Straights).
Our first weekly game of the season
starts Thursday, April 16th at 6:30pm
and will continue through September
27th at a NEW LOCATION: Vinland
Park, 4695 E. Gettysburg, Fresno
(east of Maple on Gettysburg)
“Like” us on Facebook at facebook.
com/groups/CLinkVB/, email us at
[email protected].
and transgender (LGBT+) community.
This event is family-friendly and
intended to increase the level of inclusiveness and acceptance of LGBT+
individuals in our community. This
annual parade and festival brings over
3,000 people from all over the Central
Valley together to enjoy festivities
while being their authentic selves.
This event will include a parade of
over 40 contingents, various informational booths and food vendors, speakers, music, live performers, and an
award ceremony to honor individuals
who have made a positive difference
in Fresno's community.
Hosted by Fresno Rainbow Pride, a
project of Community Link, which is
a community benefit organization that
works to promote the social wellbeing of individuals within the LGBT
community through education and
entertainment.
Saturday, June 6th , 2015
Parade 10am to 11am: in the Tower
District along Olive Ave., from Palm
Ave to Maroa Ave.
Festival 11am to 3pm: along N.
Fulton St. and Alhambra, entrance off
of Olive and N. Fulton.
It's important that every community
in Fresno feel support from others.
Fresno Pride Parade and Festival is an
opportunity show communal acceptance and increase LGBT+ awareness.
Applications are now available at
www.fresnorainbowpride.com or may
be picked up at any location that carries the News Link newspaper.
Pride Sponsorship
Opportunities Available
Becoming a Pride Sponsor is simple and are very rewading. Becoming
a sponsor is time sentisteve and as the
clock ticks some advantages can slip
away. Get your pride on and show you
support the LGBT communiy and the
LGBT community will show their
support of your business and services.
Go to fresnorainbowpride.com and
download a PDF copy of our Pride
Sponsorship Packet.
Don’t delay, be our Superhero
today!
Bowl into Summer
Rainbow Bowling League is looking for teams of 4 bowlers, individual
bowlers and subsitute bowlers for
anothe season of fun! We’ll be bowling on Thursdays, starting on May
14th at AMF Sierra Lanes, 6450
N Blackstone Ave.
The dues are $15/week and cover
the cost of games and shoe rentals.
We’ll be playing through August or
September, so commitment is needed!
Call Rich Howard (559) 824-1417
for more information.
NewsLink
Queen's Inn by the River, located at
the Idle Hour Winery has rooms available at a rate of $79/nt, but they will
go quick. (209) 617.5095 to reserve.
The other option is Comfort Inn in
Oakhurst, 559-683-8282 - they will
honor a rate of $69/nt for two people,
additional people are $10/person.
Make plans now to enjoy a full evening of drinks, dinner and socializing!
Share this event in your networks!
Professional OUT Women (POW) is a
community of women that gather at
monthly events, happening at rotating
locations, for networking and socializing. Our goal is to be inclusive without gender boundaries and accepting
of women who self identify on a wide
continuum of sexual expression.
If you have any questions, would
like to join our email list or would like
to be more involved, please email
[email protected] or carol.
[email protected]
5
NewsLink
"Doubt, A Parable"
6
“And Then Came
Tango” Raises $10,000
The “AND THEN CAME
TANGO” fundraiser hosted at The
Painted Table on Feb. 27 and 28,
2015, which benefited the Bulldog
Pride Club and Bulldog Pride Fund at
Fresno State raised more than $10,000.
Special thanks to The California
Endowment for its generous support.
The Bulldog Pride Club is the
booster or fundraising club, while the
Bulldog Pride Fund (BPF) is the
endowed scholarship fund. The BPF
was established in 2006 under the auspices of the Fresno State Alumni
Association with one simple mission:
“To support students at Fresno State.”
By this fall, its $360,000+ endowment
will have provided 41 scholarships
valued at $75,000.
Please “like” our BPF Facebook
page - facebook.com/bulldogprideorg
- where we've posted more than 25
photos in an “AND THEN CAME
TANGO” photo album. Comments are
welcome, too.
A sincere thank you to all of the
sponsors, donors and attendees for
their support of and investment in our
scholars. All are successfully assisting
in making Fresno State students' educational dreams become a reality.
The Theatre for Young Audiences
will present two FREE performances
of “AND THEN CAME TANGO” on
April 11, 2015 at 10am and 2pm.
Performances will take place in the
Woods Theatre located in the Speech
Arts Building on the Fresno State
campus. Details: 559.278.2216.
Fresno Pacific University's Visual
and Performing Arts Division presents
"Doubt, A Parable" written by John
Patrick Shanley, directed by Bethany
Rader.
The head nun and a young priest
come into conflict over one of the
schoolboys at a Catholic school in 1960s
Bronx. Based upon a few circumstantial
details and a lot of intuition, the ultrastern nun, Sister Aloysius Beauvier
believes that one of the priests at the St.
Nicholas Catholic Church and School
has been molesting a 12-year-old boy
named Donald Muller, the school's only
African American student. Sister
Aloysius recruits a young, naive nun
(Sister James) to assist her in monitoring the suspicious yet charismatic Father
Flynn. She also addresses her concerns
to Donald's mother, who surprisingly is
not horrified or even shocked by the
allegations. (Mrs. Muller is more concerned about her son getting into high
school and avoiding a beating from his
dad.) The play concludes with a one-onone confrontation between Sister
Aloysius and Father Flynn as she
attempts to get the truth out of the priest.
Tickets: General $12, Students/
Seniors $10, FPU $5. Special Benefit
Performance and Reception ($20) on
Sunday, March 22 at 2pm, featuring the
University String Quartet and the display Creative Journeys: A Retrospective
of Art at FPU.
March 19-21, 26-28 (ThursdaysSaturdays) at 8pm at The New Sanctuary
at
College Community Church
Mennonite Brethren, 2529 Willow Ave,
Clovis.
Tickets available at:
www.fresno.edu/department/theater/
current_productions
Reel Pride Announces
2015 Board of Directors
Fresno Reel Pride is pleased to
announce the 2015 Board of Directors
for its 26th Annual Film Festival,
including:
Peter Robertson - Director Emeritus
/ Endowment
Jon Carroll - Director Emeritus/
Programming
Kathleen L. Reyna - President /
Board Chairperson
Augie G. Blancas - Vice President /
Communications & Media
Michael S. Reyna - Vice President /
Sponsorships
Brian F. Carnes - Treasurer
Chris Dodd - Festival Passes &
Memberships
Tiana Perez - Volunteers &
Programming
Board Members of Fresno Reel
Pride are proud to volunteer their time
toward this community organization
and thank you for your continued support.
The 26th Annual Fresno Reel Pride
Gay & Lesbian Film Festival begins
September 16, 2015 in Fresno's historic Tower District.
For more information, contact
Augie G. Blancas at media@reelpride.
com.
And Then Came Tango
A play for young audiences
Spring 2015 Tour
By Emily Freeman, directed by J.
Daniel Herring
“There is no remedy for love but to
love more.” - Henry David Thoreau
And Then Came Tango tells a story
about love, family, perseverance, and
standing up for your beliefs. The play
is inspired by the true story of Roy and
Silo, two male penguins living at the
Central Park Zoo who built a nest, and
were so determined to be parents that
they incubated a rock. When given an
orphaned egg that would have perished otherwise, the pair successfully
raised a baby fledgling. The play takes
audiences on a journey to the penguin
exhibit where Lily, a young visitor to
the zoo, learns to understand the consequences of doing what she believes
is right when faced with a public outcry about Roy and Silo's parenting.
This original work for young audiences weaves movement, storytelling,
and music through a story that celebrates families of all shapes and sizes.
Free on-campus performances on
Saturday, April 11th at 10am and 2pm.
First come, first served availability. At
Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre at
Fresno State.
fresnostate.edu/artshum/theatrearts/performances/young-audienc-
The Lavender Convention
The Lavender Convention is a positive response to the historical exclusion of LGBT people from religious
institutions.
A forum for LGBT-affirming communities of faith, to come together for
fellowship, learning and worship. It is
designed to touch the spiritual nature
of LGBT individuals and create a
vision of a community and society
that includes everyone who seeks a
spiritual pathway.
Keynote speaker: Karen Adell
Scot. Award-winning teacher, transgender advocate, public and motivational speaker, feature film producer,
screenwriter, military officer, awardwinning law enforcement officer,
To the editor:
Casino Night Fundraiser
Win Great Prizes! Appetizers and
Wine! Tickets: Presale $10 or $15 at
the door. More info: 559-325-4429
Saturday, March 21st, 7pm at
Fresno LGBT Community Center,
1067 Fulton St.
www.gaycentralvalley.org
Spring Fling
The 4th Annual Spring Fling presented by Gay Centarl Valley is a free
family-friendly outdoor event.
Featuring:
Professional Photos by “Read My
Lips”, Food andf Drinks, Music &
Entertainment, Vendors, HIV Testing,
Clothing Closet, Games & Giveaways
To table/participate call 559-3254429 or email: [email protected]
Saturday, April 18th, 11am-3pm at
Fresno LGBT Community Center,
1067 Fulton St
www.gaycentralvalley.org
As a member of the Community
Alliance Editorial Board, I was surprised by Dan Waterhouse's casual
swipe at our paper in his column last
month, saying “…the newspaper
(which has become an arm of
Aztlanistas) and local anti-police protesters simply want anarchy and a
license to sell drugs and commit
crime…” Waterhouse purports to be
an investigative reporter, and I've
often admired his writing, but he certainly failed to do his homework on
this one. Yes, the new editor is of
Mexican descent, and we do have 2-4
pages each month in Spanish (mostly
translations of articles also in the
English section.) But of the eight
other members of the Board, only one
is Hispanic. And while we often feature stories about immigration issues
and police violence, these hardly predominate our news coverage.I urge
readers to pick up an issue of the
Alliance and see for yourselves.
Waterhouse used to write for the
Alliance, but disagreed with some of
our editorial positions, especially
about the police, and left. Fair enough,
but name calling? Dan, if you want to
stoop that low, save it for limbo.
Richard Stone
Not the most popular. Not the richest. Simply the greats. Ask any student of the form, and Janis Ian will be
counted among them. The writer of
"Jesse" a song recorded by so many
others that few remember Ian wrote it;
"Stars," possibly the best song ever
written about the life of a performer,
recorded by artists as diverse as Mel
Torme and Cher; and the seminal "At
Seventeen", a song that brought her
five Grammy nominations in 1975,
and which is now reaching its third
generation of listeners.
In her fifth decade of writing songs
and performing, Janis Ian won her
second Grammy Award of 9 total
nominations in 8 categories over
the years!
Her 2013 Grammy, presented at the
55th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, is for Best Spoken Word Album
for her audio book "Society's Child”
(Audible.com). She had stiff competition - President Bill Clinton, First
Lady Michelle Obama, Rachel
Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres. Like
most everything she does, “We did the
entire thing live, including the singing
human rights activist, founder of
TransCare, transgender woman.
Seating is limited to 175 people.
$20 registration fee, lunch is included.
Saturday, April 11th, 10am-4pm at
Wesley United Methodist Church,
1343 E Barstow Ave.
Call (559) 478-5456 or visit: www.
thelavenderconvention.com
NewsLink
Janis Ian in concert
and playing. No edits, no overdubs,
no recording studio.” When she won,
she sincerely considered it to be a
“stunning upset.”
With her inimitable sense of humor,
she went on to say "There must be a
joke in here somewhere. An
ex-¬president, a First Lady and three
lesbians go into a bar..."
Always one to follow her heart and
her beliefs, Janis was one of the first
celebrities to come out publicly. She
and her partner of 25 years were formally married in Canada in 2003, the
only place where gay marriage was
legal at the time. Her roller coaster
ride has taken her to Nashville, her
home this past quarter-¬century,
where she thrives with new product
on her own Rude Girl Records label,
ongoing touring, and perpetual and
prolific songwriting.
Tickets: $32.50 - $42.50.
Thursday, April 30th at 8pm at the
Tower Theatre, 815 E Olive Ave.
www.towertheatrefresno.com
7
ICP Ball - Happier Ever
After
The Imperial Dove Court de Fresno
and the Court of Integrity, Devotion,
and Commitment cordially invites
everyone near and far to celebrate the
successful year of Imperial Crown
Prince John Bagwell and Imperial
Crown Princess Jennie Blancas at this
year's ICP Ball - Happier EverAfter on
April 18, 2015 at Club Legends, 3075
N Maroa Ave. Cocktails at 5:00
Dinner at 5:30 Show at 6:00. PreSale tickets $15 Door tickets $20.
Candidatesfor Emperor and Empress
XLII will beannounced.
f a c e b o o k . c o m /
events/1556936451222567/
Simply diVine
LA
NewsLink
The Los Angeles LGBT Center is
hosting its 10th annual fundraiser,
Simply diVine, on Saturday, March
8
28, from 6 to 9 PM, at The Village at
Ed Gould Plaza, in Los Angeles.
Attendees will nibble samples of food
from Los Angeles' favorite restaurants
and sip on samples from wineries, distilleries, breweries, juicers, and roasters. The event will include music and
dancing, provided by local DJs and
Los Angeles entertainers. Tickets for
the event start at $100, and this event
is expected to sell out!
The event will be held in the parking lot and courtyard of The Village at
Ed Gould Plaza, located at 1125 N.
McCadden Place, Los Angeles, 90038.
http://www.simplydivinela.org
D'FunQT
LA
The Los Angeles LGBT Center's
Lily Tomlin /Jane Wagner Cultural
Arts Center will present D'FunQT
(pronounced “Defunct”), a brilliant
new solo show by D'Lo, the acclaimed
queer transgender Sri LankanAmerican, political theater artist and
writer, director, comedian, and music
producer, throughout the month of
April, in Los Angeles.
D'FunQT is a stand-up storytelling
show that shares hilarious and poignant snapshots of the experiences
that have shaped the artist, D'Lo. The
show is written and performed in a
John Leguizamo-style. D'FunQT celebrates the survival experience in an
often intolerant world. As a queer/
boy/stud/trans person, D'Lo unapologetically uses his fluidly morphing
form and spot-on timing to bring the
fierce with the funny!
Tickets for general admission are
$20. The shows will be presented on
Friday and Saturday nights at 8 PM
and on Sundays at 7 PM. The Theater
is located at the Village at Ed Gould
Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los
Angeles, 990038. http://www.lalgbtcenter.org
Lea DeLaria
SF
The San Francisco LGBT Center
and the California Institute of Integral
Studies, in San Francisco, will present
a lecture by comedian, Lea DeLaria,
on March 25, at 7:00 PM. The lecture
is titled, “Why Butch Still Matters:
Identity, Gender, and the Media.”
DeLaria is widely known for her
portrayal of Big Boo in the Netflix
original series, “Orange is the New
Black.” DeLaria is a multi-faceted talent across a variety of mediums. She
has performed stand-up comedy for
more than 25 years and claims to be
the first openly gay comic to break the
late-night-show barrier with her performance on The Arsenio Hall Show
in 1993. DeLaria is also a musician
focusing on traditional and modern
be-bop jazz. She's release several
albums and her newest, “House of
David,” features her interpretations of
David Bowie Songs.
The lecture will be held at the
Norse Theater, 275 Hayes Street, San
Francisco, CA 94102. Tickets start at
$27. http://www.sfcenter.org/events
A Night of Variety
SF
The Endeavor Foundation for the
Arts will hold a fundraiser, titled, “A
Night of Variety,” on Thursday, April
2, starting at 7:00 PM, in San Francisco.
The event will be hosted by San
Francisco celebrity BeBe Sweetbriar.
Attendees will be provided a night of
music, comedy, and other performances. Performers will include Billboard
Recording Artist Brian Kent, Connie
Champagne, Kippy Marks, Keith
Lawrence, Tim Wagner, Simone
Campbell, and others. The Endeavor
Foundation for the Arts is an organization dedicated to supporting artists and
art students from the LGBTQ community through grants, scholarships, and
funding programs.
Tickets for the event start at $20.
The event will be held at the Balancoire
Theater, 2565 Mission Street, San
Francisco, CA. http://sanfrancisco.
gaycities.com/events
Vintage Days
Fresno
Vintage Days will be held on the
CSU, Fresno campus, on April 17-19.
This event is Fresno State's largest
student-planned celebration. It attracts
over 50,000 people from Fresno and
the surrounding communities to campus for three days of entertainment
and excitement! This is a great event
for families with kids! Vintage Days
includes food and game booths, live
entertainment, and a huge crafts fair!
Entrance to Vintage Days is free, and
parking in student parking areas is free
for the celebration! Check out the
Facebook page!
http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs
I have heard it said that the acronym, F.E.A.R. stands for False
Evidence Appearing Real. This is, in
part, because we do not have all the
facts, and, therefore focus our attention on the worst case scenario.
However, the worst case scenario
rarely comes true. Typically when we
are feeling afraid, we are usually concerned for only ourselves which
makes fear a rather narcissistic emotion-at least in most cases.
Ironically, hope is another emotion
that tends to focus on the self. Yes,
there are times that we are hoping for
someone else. But, more often than
not we are focused on ourselves.
However, what if we took a different
approach? What if we did not focus so
much on only ourselves, and instead,
focused on the community at large-or
even on humanity as a whole? If we
see ourselves as part of the greater
whole and not as individuals, then we
have less to fear because we are not
alone.
as a manifestation of fear? It was
obvious enough to me.
Protecting the children from gay
marriages is an excuse at the ready.
The concern for the children may be
real, but it is secondary. The actual
root of anti-gay attitudes stem from
prejudice.
Her protective parent routine was
just a noble cover up to make her look
good. After all, who could argue with
the notion of a mother wanting to
guard her young? Why, it is heroic.
Or, so it would seem.
Instead of wasting mental energy
worrying about children being picked
on in school for having gay parents,
perhaps our time and energy would be
better spent focusing on teaching tolerance-and not just in the schools to
the children, to the adults at home as
well.
Home is where most children learn
intolerance and prejudice. It is not
only taught in what the parents say
around the children, rather it is also
taught through modeling behavior.
What kind of role model are you to
your children? How are you teaching
tolerance? If you are not actively
teaching tolerance, then intolerance is
automatically inferred. They will
notice that you do not have any gay or
lesbian friends, and the message they
will pick up on is that members of that
minority group are unacceptable.
Today's Loving Suggestion: Where
is the love? When you speak or act, do
so from a place of love, not fear.
Remember, everyone is a member of
your universal family, so teach tolerance.
By Mark Langlrgrld
Wouldn't it be better to use some of
that money to grow food?
Fear often causes us to lock up and
be inflexible. If two stubborn people
are in a power struggle, the real issue
is about fear-fear of losing. However,
in the long run, the person who is flexible will ultimately win that power
struggle by not struggling. When it
comes to dealing with a fearful person
with a heart made of stone, kindness
and love will outlast fear.
I think a classic example of how
fear can show false evidence that
appears real is the public's homophobic reaction to the topic of gay marriage. Recently, I was in attendance at
a public meeting discussing the topic
of gay marriages. A mother stood up
and shared her concerns. She said she
did not hate gays; she just hated their
lifestyle. (What is the difference? If
you hate someone for the way they
live, you hate them for who they are.)
She also stated (with strong emotions) that she wanted to deny people
the right to same sex marriages
because she was trying to protect her
children. (As a side note, it is interesting to point out her non-verbal behavior. When she was speaking those
words, she literally put her arms out to
her sides blocking her two children
sitting in their seats. The unconscious
gesture reminded me of the way a
school crossing guard holds out her
arms to stop traffic as the children trot
across the intersection.)
In the auditorium, however, it
appeared as though this mother was
trying to protect her children from
some unseen evil flying around the
room like an angry ghost out to get her
kids. Can you recognize her behavior
NewsLink
F.E.A.R. = False Evidence
Appearing Real
If your heart is open as the heavens, you can think of all humans as
your universal family. Your self-concept can include the acknowledgement that you are spiritually and emotionally connected to the entire world.
Therefore, you can love all living
beings.
Look beyond your fears. Safety
comes from being able to see past fear.
When you do this, understand that
most fears are illusions. Therefore,
you do not need to be so defensive. It
is counterproductive to create illusionary enemies where none exist. Chasing
these ghosts can interrupt your flow of
energy, and take away your emotional
fortitude and empathy for others. If
that happens, you become your own
enemy.
How often has the media used fear
to manipulate our emotions? They terrorize us with everything from fear of
toxins in our food to sex offenders
waiting in the bushes to abduct our
children. You can't turn on the news
without hearing some kind of horrible
new threat that “could” affect you and
your family. The problem is that they
never really explain what “could”
means in terms of your actual chances
of befalling this new terror.
I believe weapons are symbols of
fear. If a woman if afraid to go outside
at night, she may decide to carry a
handgun-out of fear. Carrying ten
guns will not make her any safer.
Locking your door with twenty deadbolts will not make you any safer than
one lock.
Likewise, stockpiling nuclear warheads to an amount that can destroy
the world several times over is
obscene. It doesn't make us any safer.
9
∏
∏
∏
∏
IDC 4M PHOTOS BY JUAN BUSTAMANTE
∏
Interview with Assigned
Male creator: Sophie Labelle
Kayleia Southard GayCentralValleyBlog.com
Assigned Male is a web comic that
follows the life of a Transgender child
named Stephie as she navigates ciscentered culture and fights for her rights.
Through a tongue in cheek approach
Stephie tackles tough issues about gender norms and privilege with her group
of varied gender non-conforming
friends. Stephie is surrounded by her
supportive mother and father whom is
finally coming around to view the happiness of his child. The comic is updated weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays. You can read it online on
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/
assignedmale or follow on tumblr at:
www.assignedmale.tumblr.com
Assigned Male is a great introductory
guide to those trying to understand
transgender issues on a accessible level.
The first section of comics are available
on Sophie's etsy page www.assignedmale.etsy.com , in both french and
English versions.
We were lucky enough to have
Sophie squeeze some time in the busy
schedule of being an artist to answer a
few questions about the web comic and
other work. You can support Sophie's
work here to help bring stories about
Stephie for many years to come: www.
patreon.com/sophielabelle
First, tell us a bit about yourself.
Who is this artist behind the comics?
I was born in a rural town, in a french
region of Canada. I'm passionate about
books, education, drawing, sewing and
bicycling. I teach at an alternative elementary school in Montreal and my
walls are covered in children's drawings.
What got you started with art?
I was good at it! (laugh) Seriously, I
always had very low self-esteem, and
art has always been, since I was in kindergarten, a way to gain recognition
from my peers. That's what gave me
strength when I was in high school.
I started drawing comics in 2nd
grade, to imitate my older brother. I
never stopped since!
Where did the idea come from for
your current web comic series: Assigned
Male?
I've been working a lot with trans
children, and I've noticed how negative
everything we tell them about their own
body is, so I wanted to create a character that could respond to all those horrible things trans kids hear all the time.
That's how I created Stephie!
On average, how long does it take to
make a comic?
About 5 hours. That includes drafting
the storyboard, inking, coloring and
correcting both the french and english
versions! English isn't my primary language, so my boyfriend always corrects
everything before it gets published (love
him!).
What has been the reactions you have
received for your comic?
You mean besides from TERFs,
MRAs and truscums? (I learned so
much about those people, I didn't even
know they existed before they started
hating my comic!)
So besides them, the reaction has
been really positive. I receive messages
almost everyday from parents, trans
youth and adults, allies or educators
telling me how they appreciate my
comic. So it's been mostly positive!
What is the experience like now that
you've started getting fan art for your
comic?
I'm getting so much love for this
comic, it's indecent. I have the best supporters in the world!
As well as your comics, you have
educational guides. How did the educational guides with the characters start?
As I stated previously, I am a teacher,
and I work towards making spaces safer
for trans youth. So it seems natural to
me to make those efforts available to as
many people as possible!
Besides Assigned Male, do you have
any other projects we should check out?
I have another art project, called
Uncommon Girlhood - Stories I need to
tell (storiesineedtotell.tumblr.com)
about my own experience of growing
up while trans. I update it less regularly
than Assigned Male, but it's still alive!
Do you take part in any advocacy
work?
I do! I facilitate workshops in Quebec
and give conferences about transfeminism and trans history in Quebec. I'm
also active in our trans rights movement, which gained many things lately
- the possibility to change sex markers
without surgeries being necessary, some
surgeries' costs being covered by our
health care system... but there is still
work to do!
11
NewsLink
By Matt Ponder, via GayFresno.com
In our brave new world, we have
devices and programs that even
Aldous Huxley never dreamed of:
phones that can tell us everything but
our blood type, cars that do everything
but drive for us as we sleep and internet sites and iPhone apps that can do
all of our socializing right up to the
point of sexual contact. We embrace
this technology because it makes our
life easier. We know how to get to the
party, what kind of food is nearby, the
constellations above us and even the
name of the hot guy who's starring in
Kingsman all at the touch of a screen.
Information at your fingertips is never
a bad thing, but when it comes to
human interaction, it seems that social
networking is actually preventing people from being, well, social.
The all-encompassing Facebook is
as much a part of everyday life as eating breakfast or bmshing your teeth. It
links us to our friends and taps into
current events and issues that need to
be brought to the forefront. But there
is a darker, more muddled side to
Facebook and the whole interactive
web experience which never seems to
come into question.
The difference between true socializing and social networking is when
you are interacting with people oneon-one there are basic rules of behavior. You talk politely and ask questions, piecing together who the person
is by their answers and interests, slowly unwrapping the individual in front
of you to reveal the gift inside. But it's
different on Facebook.
When you log onto someone's
Facebook page, everything you need
to know is laid bare: what they like,
who their friends are and even how
they feel right this moment. There's no
need to ask if Milo is happy about his
new job or what Sydney is having for
lunch. Its there in front of you. Not
only that, but it also holds a vital part
of someone's information: their relaMFC37347
tionship status. You meet someone at a
party, you find out their name, and the
next thing you know you've pulled up
that familiar blue and white page to
find out if you have a chance at
romance or even a trip to Poundtown.
But is their current relationship status a roadblock? I don't know how
many times I've heard people say:
“Facebook says he's in a relationship
but I never see him with anyone” or:
“Facebook says he's single, but I
always see him with the same guy so
maybe he hasn't changed his status
yet.”
Do you see the conundrum here?
Even when those words say In A
Relationship or Single, we doubt it
anyway. Why? Because the only true
way to know the real answer is to ask
someone. Which brings us to another
important point about this information. When do you change what your
relationship status is?
In the last century, a ring was the
statement of exclusivity. In our new
and wired- in world, the true testament of your devotion is changing
your status to In A Relationship or
even the coveted In A Relationship
With whoever the lucky guy happens
to be. But is it that important? Is it
really a symbol of your affection for
someone because it says so on computer screens across the world? Of
course not. And if and when the time
comes for you to change it back to
Single, be prepared for the onslaught
of commentary that follows, along
with the vultures circling the carcass
of your heart.
Now let's examine your Likes and
your Photos. Can you really piece
together who someone is through what
they like? Maybe, but it can be confusing. For example I like the UFC,
but I also like Bianca Del Rio. Those
are polar opposites, so can you tell me
who I am? And do you really think
you can bring any of these interests up
on an actual date without looking like
a cyber-stalker?
What about the person you are in
your photos? Dressed in drag? Drunk
at a fraternity party? Half-naked in the
Miami surf? What do these things tell
1451 W Shaw Ave.
Fresno, CA 93711
Ph: (559) 243-1809
Fax: (559) 243-1807
Gina Keller PsyD, LMFT
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
Psychotherapy for all ages
a new Facebook friend? Are you sure?
What about all of those pictures of
you and your ex-boyfriend that you
haven't taken off your page? Is it sending out the wrong message to a new
suitor you just met?
On that note, we come to the sticky
situation of unfriending. Unfriending
- or defriending, if you prefer - is right
up there with caller ID as one of the
more passive- aggressive moves in
our society. It's a way of telling someone you don't want to be friends with
them without actually telling them
you don't want to be friends, but once
again avoiding actual contact.
Unfriending people you barely know
and who never communicate with you
on Facebook is one thing. Maybe you
should wonder why they were on your
page in the first place, right?
Then there is unfriending someone
you actually were friends with - usually after some over-the-top melodrama. And this process usually causes
even more drama. Then there's the
unfriending of your ex. The line here
is razor sharp: do you unfriend them
to show your complete separation? Or
do you keep them so you can display
your new life, new achievements and
most importantly, your new boyfriend
to them? And let's be honest: by keeping them as a friend you can always
check and see how good or bad they
are doing, right?
This brings to mind the whole question of who your friends are on
Facebook. Some people send out
friend requests to everyone they see,
grasping at the straws of shared friendships. But even in the six degrees of
separation, there is unfamiliarity.
When I get a friend request from
someone who has 70 friends in common with me I can't help but wonder:
why don't I know you already?
Maybe the answer is on the flip
side of this coin: that people out there
who accept everybody's friend
requests like they're collecting baseball cards have somehow linked me to
a complete stranger. So why would we
be “friends” with someone we don't
even know? Is it because deep down
all of us are lonely? Lost in the fast-
Carol Dela Torre
L.C.S.W.
Individual, Couples, Group, LGBTQ
Therapist
647 W. Shaw Ste. H Fresno Ca. 93704
559 664-3534
[email protected]
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
NewsLink
PI LICENSE #26938
BRYAN PINTO
PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
6165 N. FIGARDEN DRIVE #204
FRESNO, CA 93722
NOTARY PUBLIC COMM. #1896852
559-355-7467
[email protected]
Quality Pet Care in Your Home
Cynthia Callaghan
12
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATIONS
ALL BREED PET SITTING
Counseling
Associates
3134 Willow, Suite # 103
Clovis, CA 93612
forward blur of our everyday lives,
maybe we believe the more Facebook
friends we have listed on our pages
makes us less alone in a world that's
growing smaller every day. But is it
truly indicative of our popularity?
The real question here is what we
consider to be the definition of a
friend. Friendship, you see, is like the
layers of the Earth. The people closest
to you make up the white-hot core
while the people who know you well,
but may not know everything about
you, make up the outer core. The network of friends that you have in the
world of work, school and social life
make up the mantle, while the friends
you enjoy seeing out and about but
have never really socialized with on
any other level make up the crust. As
anyone can tell you, the majority of
the Earth's size is the crust and in the
world of friendship, especially someone who is very socially active has a
crust of friends that is staggering. The
heat and the energy, however, come
from that blazing core of love and
trust that come from the people closest
to your heart. It just goes to show you
that life is partly what we make it and
partly how it's made by the friends we
choose.
Sometimes, when we're feeling
elated or feeling down, we tell the
world in our Status Updates, hoping
someone will comment and will notice
how we are feeling right at that
moment. We hope the people who
truly are our friends will give us some
sort of sign that they hear us, that they
understand us, that they are truly
linked to us by what they say in a tiny
light-gray box. We hope that it's a true
testament if anyone cares, especially
after posting something sad, by how
they respond. Some people use their
Status Updates for mere play-byplays, while others use them to rant, to
grieve, to entertain and even to exact
revenge. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's amusing, and sometimes it's
wholly inappropriate, but we always
know exactly what we think is going
on in someone's life merely by how
they feel in that white rectangle of real
and manufactured emotion.
Continued on page 18
Cell: 559/930-9327
E-mail: [email protected]
Caring For Your Pets Since 1988
Pet Care
• Feeding
• Exercising
• Medication
Home Care
• Plant Care
• Mail Pick-up
• Light Changes
Gail Gaston
Bus. 559-275-5092 Res. 559-325-0540
Bonded
Insured
As a child, Patricia Velasquez
watched her mother struggle to make
ends meet and put food on the table
for their large family. In her unprivileged community in Venezuela, food
and water were scarce. It pained her to
see her mother work so hard, often
denying herself food or clothing for
the sake of her six children, and
Patricia was determined to escape this
impoverished life. Straight Walk is the
story of how this courageous young
girl found a way to earn money for her
family-and ultimately became a supermodel and Hollywood actress.
When Patricia was in her late teens,
a friend groomed her to enter the Miss
Venezuela pageant, which opened the
door to the modeling world. From
there, her story weaves its way onto
the runways of Milan, Paris, London
and New York working for designers
like Isaac Mizrahi, Karl Lagerfeld,
and Carolina Herrera. By some people's estimation, she was the first
Latina Supermodel, living life in the
Glamazon era. Patricia landed on the
cover of most every major fashion
magazine in the world and posed for
the Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit
Edition and Victoria's Secret.
For many years, Patricia used her
professional success to compensate
The following LGBT-themed
movies are now out on DVD!
“Love
is
Strange”
directed by Ira
Sachs, released
January
2015,
Sony
Pictures
Home Ent.
After 39 years
together, Ben and
George (John Lithgow and Alfred
Molina) take advantage of the new
marriage laws and tie the knot in a
City Hall wedding in lower Manhattan.
On the return from their honeymoon,
however, and on account of their
vows, Ben gets fired from his longtime job as a choir director for a co-ed
Sexual Outsiders: Understanding
BDSM Sexualities and Communities
delves into the unique experiences of
individuals in BDSM communities.
While misunderstandings surrounding
these communities prevail, BDSM
sexuality cuts across race, gender,
nationality, and sexual orientation.
BDSM describes forms of sexuality
that incorporate restraint, pressure,
sensation, training, and elements of
both erotic and non-erotic power
exchange between the engaged parties. Some BDSM “scenes” include
role-playing, spanking, blindfolds,
ropes, and erotic costuming.
Sexual Outsiders is designed as a
guide for BDSM community members who must wade through the
quagmire of unique problems they
face: coming out to family, friends
and partners; distinguishing abusive
relationships from healthy consensual
ones; finding and developing community; overcoming shame and denial;
exploring whether BDSM sexuality
can be a healing tool; gaining access
to quality, culturally competent psychotherapy; and finding strategies to
develop a healthy sexual self-esteem
in the face of current medical and
social standards that view them as sick
or pathological. The book also serves
as an educational primer for those
Catholic school. Suddenly, with no
real savings to count on, the couple
finds that they can't afford the rent on
their small Chelsea apartment. Only
days after they have gathered to celebrate the nuptials, this tight-knit community of family and friends now has
to come together again to help figure
out how to help their two friends.
Rated R. Cast: John Lithgow,
Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren
E. Burrows, Cheyenne Jackson,
Charlie Tahan, Christian Coulson,
Harriet Sansom Harris.
“Life Partners”
directed
by
Susanna
Fogel,
released
March
2015,
Magnolia
Home Ent.
Straight Paige
and lesbian Sasha
are codependent
best friends in their
late 20s who have
spent the last ten
years acting more like wives than
friends: they talk to each other on the
toilet; they drive each other to the
doctor. And as with any good marriage, they're a perfect yin and yang.
“My AvantGarde
Education: A
Memoir”
by Bernard
Cooper; published by W. W.
Norton
&
Company,
February 2015,
256 pages.
A wry and beautifully observed
memoir about coming of age in the era
of conceptual art.
Growing up in the suburbs-confused about his sexuality, about his
consumer-oriented world, about the
death of his older brother-Bernard
Cooper falls in love with Pop art and
sets off for the California Institute of
the Arts, the center of the burgeoning
field of conceptual art, in this beguiling memoir. The most famous, and
infamous, artists of the time drift
through the place, including Allan
Kaprow and John Baldessari, not to
mention the student who phones the
Identi-Kit division of the Los Angeles
Police Department and has them make
Until the night Paige meets Tim.
Despite some superficial drawbacks
(questionable facial hair, a penchant
for quoting the movies everyone
quotes), he's the kind of guy you
marry.
As Paige and Tim's relationship
grows, the bond between Paige and
Sasha inevitably shifts. Suddenly
without a “partner,” Sasha is left to
examine her own shortcomings and
panic about her impending 30th birthday. Passive-aggressive conflict brews
in their friendship until the girls must
finally confront the question they've
been avoiding: can their friendship
survive growing up?
Rated R. Starring: Gabourey
Sidibe, Mark Feuerstein, Abby Elliott,
Adam Brody, Gillian Jacobs, Leighton
Meester
“ T h e
Circle”
directed by
Stefan Haupt,
released March
2015, Wolfe
Video,
in
German with
English subtitles.
a composite drawing of the Mona
Lisa.
My Avant-Garde Education is at
once an artist's coming-of-age story
and a personal chronicle of the era of
conceptual art, from a writer "of
uncommon subtlety and nuance"
(David Ulin, Los Angeles Times). It is
a record of the wonders and follies of
a certain era in art history, always
aware that awakening to art is, for a
young person, inseparable from awakening to the ever-shifting nature of the
self.
“Lyudmila
and Natasha:
Russian
Lives”
by Misha
Friedman; published by The
New
Press,
February 2015,
144 pages.
“Straight
Walk: A
Supermodel's
Journey to
Finding Her
Truth” by
Patricia
Velasquez; published by Post
Hill Press,
February 2015,
196 pages.
“Sexual
Outsiders:
Understanding
BDSM
Sexualities and
Communities”
by David M.
Ortmann; published
by
Rowman
&
Littlefield
Publishers,
February 2015,
184 pages.
whose partners, friends, and family
members are involved in BDSM.
In terms of challenges faced by
BDSM communities, the most significant is living with a stigmatized sexuality shame, prejudice, discrimination,
isolation, depression, and a lack of
adequate, competent mental health
care. Issues such as coming out as a
sexual minority, finding community
and partners, and dealing with scenes
and relationships that go wrong are
some the common experiences shared
by members of BDSM communities.
Sexual Outsiders employs common
sense, good humor, and vivid anecdotes while incorporating basic ideas
about human behavior, psychology,
philosophy, interviews, history, and
clinical case studies to illustrate the
real lives and experiences of men and
women in BDSM communities.
Anyone wanting to learn more about
this unique, and more-common-thanyou-think expression of sexuality, will
find in these pages insight into the
various challenges BDSM practitioners face, and the many strengths that
people in the BDSM communities
have developed in the face of social
stigma and prejudice.
∏
The
photojournalist
Misha
Friedman is renowned for his efforts
to capture life in contemporary Russia,
documenting subjects as varied as
political corruption, the dangers of
coal mining, the tuberculosis epidemic, and the Bolshoi Ballet. In publications ranging from the New York
Times, the Washington Post, Time,
and the New Yorker, Friedman's grimly evocative black-and-white images“intimate, behind-the-scenes photos”
(Time)-have been credited with capturing moments of intense pathos,
bleak existence, and human dignity.
He has received multiple international
awards for his “unflinching” lens and
his intrepid reporting.
For his new collection of photographs, Lyudmila and Natasha,
Friedman trains his lens on a gay
couple living on Saint Petersburg,
offering a series of intimate snapshots
of their relationship as it unfolds over
the course of a year. Faced with a hostile political climate, financial difficulties, and often unstable living
arrangements, the subjects of this
stunning book reveal the possibilities
for love in the most uncertain of
times. With the fabled city of Saint
Petersburg as its backdrop, Lyudmila
and Natasha powerfully evokes both a
vital place and the people who call it
home.
A gorgeous dramatization of gay
lovers Ernst and Robi who meet in
Zurich in 1958 against the backdrop
of “The Circle” (the pioneering gay
organization and internationally
renowned underground club), this
award-winning drama also showcases
the true story of Ernst and Robi, featuring interviews with the men (now
in their 80s) along with stunning
archival images and fascinating
research into this incredible era in gay
history.
Starring
Matthias
Hungerbuhler and Sven Schelker as
Ernst and Robi.
Switzerland's official submission
for Foreign Language Film at the 87th
Academy Awards, official Foreign
Language submission for the 72nd
Golden Globes.
Not rated. Starring: Sven Schelker,
Anatole
Taubman,
Marianne
Sägebrecht, Matthias Hungerbühler,
Antoine Monot Jr
NewsLink
Following are some of the many
new, interesting GLBT-themed
books. They are not reviews - they’re
book descriptions provided by the
publishers.
for a secret she hid from her family.
She convinced herself that her family's happiness was more important
than her own, and she spent years
feeling achingly alone. Worse, she
didn't know the price she'd pay for
keeping a secret and living a lie, preventing not only herself from walking
her journey, but those she loved most.
Now she shares her story to empower
others to live authentic lives and find
their truth.
13
∏
Road.
facebook.com/PFLAGBakersfield
Rocky Horror Picture
Show
BAKERSFIELD
Venus D Lite
Sasha & Casablanca Nightclub
Present: Sparkle drag show with
RuPaul Drag Race Season 3's Venus
D Lite! A show you don't want to
miss, featuring Sasha, Nikki and
Diamond. Venus D Lite (real name
Adam Guerra) is known for his
Madonna impersonations and spending $75,000 on plastic surgeries to
transform his appearance to look more
like her.
Gerardo Oritz and more, with music
by DJ Xtraordinair and drink specials.
21+ only, no cover before 10pm.
Sundays at Cielo 9 Bar & Nightclub,
4208 Rosedale Hwy.
facebook.com/cielo9bar
Majesty's School of Drag Performance
Class is for all people under 20
years old; all genders welcome. Drag
kings, queens and boy drag... or bring
your own style! Let's have fun while
we learn!
Everyone will get made up, and the
best one will give a performance!
Everyone needs to bring one song on
CD, in case you win.
Free of charge.
Friday, March 27th, 6-8pm at Larry
Reider Superintendent of Schools
Building, 2000 K St. The room is up
the elevator. Follow the signs.
meetup.com/Bakersfield-LGBTQ/
Poster Making Party
21+ only. No cover before 10pm.
Friday, March 20th at Casablanca
Nightclub, 1825 N St.
facebook.com/pages/CasablancaNight-Club/110329695724460
“Match Game” Night
Come join Bakersfield LGBTQ for
a few rounds of the old TV game
show Match Game. Fun for the whole
family! We'll draw names for the 'contestants' and our "celebrity" panel will
be Mike Niemann - Director of PR for
Bakersfield LGBTQ, Robert Peterson
- Vice-President of PFLAG, Belinda
Lopez Rickett - CEO of Bakersfield
Burrito Project, Dustin Marquez Admin Assistant with Bakersfield
LGBTQ, Ian Equality - President of
BC GSA and Nancy Burnside Director of Advocacy with Bakersfield
LGBTQ. Everyone will have a chance
to play!
As always, this will also be a fundraiser. When placing your order at the
counter, be sure to tell them you are
with Bakersfield LGBTQ. They will
have a dedicated register for us.
We'll be in the back room, through
the glass doors. All are welcome! This
is dutch treat - everyone buys their
own food and drink.
Friday, March 20th, 6:30 - 9pm at
Rusty's Pizza, 1410 Wible Rd.
meetup.com/Bakersfield-LGBTQ/
NewsLink
New LGBTQ Night
14
Cielo 9 Bar announced they've
started a new weekly LGBTQ night.
If you're looking for a great place to
mingle, socialize, drink and have a
good time, check out Circus Sundays.
The first event on February 22nd featured Hollywood divas performing
live: Jenni Rivera, Gloria Trevi,
Come down to the Gay & Lesbian
Center of Bakersfield and decorate a
wonderful poster in celebration for
Transgender Visibility day (see article
below)!
What do I need to bring you ask?
Nothing! We will have all the paint,
brushes, sharpies and poster boards to
please your creativity.
So please join us from 1-3pm on
Sunday, March 29th at the Gay and
Lesbian Center, 902 18th St., to show
your support of the Bakersfield
Transgender community, and all the
rest of the world that you know they
are people and are not INVISIBLE!
events/1411392695833563/
International Transgender
Day of Visibility
Join your local transgender community members on the corners of
Truxtun and Mohawk with your newly
created posters and show the people
of Bakersfield that we are not
INVISIBLE!
Get loud! Show your PRIDE!
Bring your family, friends and partners! And if you don't know any transfolk, use this time to introduce yourself.
Then afterwards head over to the
Gay & Lesbian Center of Bakersfield
for some social gathering and a
yummy BBQ!
Tuesday, March 31st, 4:30pm at
Truxton Ave & Mohawk St.
events/1542860115980019/
PFLAG Speaker
PFLAG Bakersfield's guest speaker in April will be Nancy Bailey, one
of the original pioneers of the LGBTQ
political movement in Bakersfield.
Thursday, April 2nd, 7pm at the
First Congregational Church, 5 Real
The Velvet Darkness is a Rocky
Horror Picture Show mimic cast
which performs quarterly at The
Empty Space. The next Rocky Horror
Picture Show will take place on
Friday, April 3rd and Saturday, April
4th, both at 11pm (doors open). Games
at 11:30pm, lipsyncing at midnight.
$10 tickets, $3 prop bags, prizes provided by Déjà Vu Love Boutique.
At the Empty Space, 706 Oak St.
www.esonline.org
Supply Drive for Camp
Jessie Lee
Bakersfield's AIDS Project, Ricky's
Retreat is hosting our annual Camp
Jessie Lee and we need YOUR help to
make it happen! This camp is FREE
to Kern County children with AIDS.
Truly, this is one of the FUNNEST
days for the kids and we LOVE that
YOU make it happen every year! This
year's theme is “The Cat in the Hat”.
Our supply drive ends on March
29th, 2015! Please let us know on our
FB event page what you are able to
help with and I will update it so we
know what needs remain.
Remember:
1. Tell me what we can count on
you for.
2. Bring it labeled with your name
and number to Martin's Meat Market
Deli and Catering, 801-21st Street.
3. Take a photo of you with your
donation and post it on FB to my page
Audrey Chavez.
4. Keep an eye out for photos of the
kids having the most FUN at Camp
Jessie Lee because of YOU!
Here are the ways to help. Be sure
and be SPECIFIC with what you can
do and how much. This way we do not
have too much of one thing and not
enough of another.
50-Easter Baskets; 50- bottles of
bubbles; Coloring books; Crayons;
50- Decorated cupcakes; 50- Folders
to decorate; 50 -Sugar Cookies for the
kids to decorate; Frosting, sprinkles,
and such to decorate with; 50- La
Rosa Fruit Bars;
4-Liquid Hand Soaps; 6 - Boxes of
hand wipes; Water Balloons; 160
-small bottles of water; 10- cases of
juice drinks; 5- potato sacks; 1-Lunch
Sponsor; 10- Punch Balls; Fun
Stickers; 5- BIG Beach Balls. Are you
a Graphic Artist? 2- Banners for Camp
Jessie Lee (1-Welcome to Camp Jessie
Lee, 1-Camp Jessie Lee); 50 -T-shirts
2 color print. Monetary contributions
also welcome!
Visit the page below or text Audrey
at 661-742-3611.
events/950320161654426/
Bakersfield LGBTQ
Board Meeting
For this month only, our meeting
will be on April 20th, still at 7pm.
This is the board meeting where we
organize everything about Bakersfield
LGBTQ. Committees will have
reports on Advocacy, Education,
Events, Finance, Membership, Pride
and Public Relations. It is a typical
organizational Board Meeting. This is
not a social meetup; it is a working
meeting.
Everyone is welcome to attend our
Board Meetings, and all voices are
heard, even if they are not voting
directors. If you have an item you'd
like to have placed on the agenda,
please email [email protected] prior to the first of each
month.
This event is open to anyone who
supports the rights of LGBTQ persons, regardless of race, age, ethnicity,
gender, religion, sexual orientation or
gender identity. All are welcome!
Monday, April 20th at 7pm at Larry
Reider Superintendent of Schools
Building, 2000 K St. Follow the signs
in the lobby, to find what room we are
in. Most likely upstairs, 2nd floor.
meetup.com/bakersfield-lgbtq
LODI
Imperial San Joaquin Delta
Empire's Coronation XLI
Please join Emperor 41 Matthew
St. James, Empress 41 Krystal Archer
Michaels, The Court of Victory, Valor
& Voodoo, and the Imperial San
Joaquin Delta Empire for Coronation
XLI: A Night of Voodoo Magic in The
Dark Temple.
Event schedule:
Friday, March 27 - 6pm-12am "Out
of Town" Show at Holiday Inn Express
(see Host hotel) in the Main Meeting
Room. $10.00 at the door.
Saturday, March 28 - 11am-2pm
"Hospitality" and Protocol at the host
hotel in the Great Room.
Saturday, March 28 - 5pm
"Coronation 41" at Hutchins
StreetSquare, Kirst Hall, 125 S.
Hutchins St. Doors open at 5pm,
Coronation starts at 5:59pm. $50.00 at
the door.
Sunday, March 29 - 11am-2pm
"Victory Brunch" at the host hotel.
$10.00 at the door.
VIP Tables at Coronation available
for advance purchase: $400 (includes
front row seating for 10 guests and
hors d'oeuvres). Weekend Package
Deal also available: $60 for all events.
Mail all pre-order payments to:
ISJDE, P.O. Box 690333, Stockton,
CA 95269/
Host hotel: Holiday Inn Express,
1377 E Kettleman Lane. Rooms nust
be boked by March 10th by calling
(209) 201-0150. Room rates: $109.00
+ tax for a king studio suite or a twoqueen studio suite. Rates may be honored after cutoff date based on availability. Use the group code “SJD”.
More information: Emperor 41
Matthew (209) 405-1617, Voodoo
Goddess Krystal (714) 873-3269,
President of the Board Cymone (209)
271-6246.
groups/159187330895819
The monthly dinner for this longest-running lesbian social organization in the San Joaquin County will
take place on Thursday, April 16th at
6:30pm at Red Robin, 873 Lifestyle
St. in Manteca. RSVP via website:
www.deltawomen.net
MERCED
Merced Full Spectrum Art
Expression Night
A night to display different mediums of art such as painting, photos,
sculpting, drawing, mixed media, spoken word, singing and writing. The
theme is "This is Love..."
Submissions can be turned into
Merced Full Spectrum at Merced
LGBT Community Center by Sunday,
March 22nd.
The art show (a free event) will
take place on Saturday, April 4th,
6:30-9:30pm at the Center, 1744 G St.
suite #H.
For more info contact nayellerios@
yahoo.com or find Merced Full
Spectrum on Facebook.
“Milk” Viewing &
Discussion
Come join us as we watch the
movie about Harvey Milk and his
story. It addresses the movement for
Gay Civil Rights and tells the story of
how Milk impacted the culture and
community.
From Wikipedia: “Milk is a 2008
American biographical film based on
the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first
openly gay person to be elected to
public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors. Directed by Gus Van
Sant and written by Dustin Lance
Black, the film stars Sean Penn as
Community Heart Circle
for Everyone
Nature is full of circles: the moon,
the sun, the earth, the planetary
motions, the back-and-forth of sharing
and friendship and loving, even the
laws of karma. Honoring the sacred
tradition of holding space for heartcentered listening and sharing, we will
draw upon the wisdom of the ancients
as we call another Heart Circle for
everyone.
The heart circle is an ancient tool
for honest and effective communication in a team or community. We will
also bring out the sage, feathers, and a
magical talisman that will be our talking stick for the ceremony. Everyone
gets an equal chance to share or just
listen without judgment or cross-talk.
We'll begin with a potluck, we
encourage you to bring a healthy dish
to share...after all, this is a ritual of
community nourishment--let's feed
our spirits & our bodies. The calling
of the directions and invocation of the
Heart Circle will begin around
7:15pm, and weather permitting, we
will move outside for our ceremony.
We will also hold space after the
circle for community building or meditations. For more information on the
Talking/healing/heart circle, talking
sticks, and other details, check out this
great article:
www.dancingtoeaglespiritsociety.
org/circles.php
Sunday, April 5th, 6:30pm at
Merced LGBT Community Center,
1744 G St. suite #H.
events/1561919177389841/
MODESTO
Cazwell at Climax
Friday, March 20th, 9pm - Cazwell's
Spring Break Tour live performance!
Cazwell, a Massachusetts native, is a
product of the Internet age. He became
a YouTube sensation after a million
people in a single week viewed his
'Ice Cream Truck' music video. He
has since earned hipster credibility
with a steady flow of danceable hip
hop tracks _ including 'Rice & Beans'
and 'I Seen Beyoncé At Burger King'
Å| that impressively showcase his
hypomanic take on pop culture.
Cazwell has been described as “what
would have happened if Eminem had
grown up on Madonna's front lawn.”
“No Selfie Control” is the fourth single release from Cazwell's soon-to-bereleased Hard 2 B Fresh album. It
follows this past summer's top 15
Billboard Club/Play hit “Guess
What?”, Cazwell's gnarly, horn-ridden
electro collaboration with British pop
star Luciana. More info: www.cazwell.com
Saturday, March 21st - St. Patrick's
LezParty! Who wants to get lucky?
Featuring sounds by DJ Niki C & DJ
Def Jeff (97.7 & 98.3 KWIN)! Dress
to impress, doors open at 9pm.
21+ only at Climax Bar &
Nightclub, 607 7th St.
facebook.com/ClimaxModesto
At the Brave Bull
Sunday, March 22nd - Viviana Fox
is celebrating her birthday! The BullEttes show hosted by Katalina
Zambrano and friends. Natasha
Towers, Donnatella Peru-St James,
Azula Rose, Dixie Normouse &
Guests will perform at 11pm!
Everyone welcome, no cover, doors
open at 8:00pm.
Sunday, March 29th - There Was a
Land Named Oz… A twisted Dorothy
tale birthday party for Katalina
Zambrano! Birthday cake, no cover,
doors open at 8pn, The Bull-Ettes
show at 11pm.
Sunday, April 5th - Come out for
our annual Egg Hunt! Music & Food,
The Bull-Ettes Drag Show at 11pm.
Doors open at 8pm, all Beers & Well
Cocktails $3 before 11pm, no cover.
21+ only. All events at the Brave
Bull, 701 S 9th St.
facebook.com/TheBraveBull/
Wanda Sykes Live
Wanda Sykes has been called "one
of the funniest stand-up comics" by
her peers and ranks among
Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest
People in America. Her witty stand up
has sent her career in many different
areas. In addition to very popular specials on HBO and Comedy Central,
Sykes has appeared on such television
series as “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and
“New Adventures of Old Christine,”
and currently stars in “Alpha House”
on Amazon Prime. Her films include
“Evan Almighty,” “Monster-in-Law,”
“Ice Age” and numerous others.
Her first HBO comedy special
“Wanda Sykes; Sick and Tired”
debuted in October 2006 and was
nominated for a 2007 Primetime
Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music
or Comedy Special. It was taped in
Seattle Washington and covered
everything from racial profiling to gay
marriage. In 2010 she won a GLAAD
award for promoting a good image of
equal rights for gays and lesbians.
In order to prevent scalpers from
acquiring tickets ($49-$99) to this
performance, there is a 6 ticket limit
on individual purchases.
Saturday, March 28th at 8pm at
Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, Gallo
Center for the Arts, 1000 I St.
www.galloarts.org
Delta Women's Dinner
Milk and Josh Brolin as Dan White, a
city supervisor who assassinated Milk.
The film was released to much acclaim
and earned numerous accolades from
film critics and guilds. Ultimately, it
received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, winning two for Best Actor in a Leading
Role for Penn and Best Original
Screenplay for Black.”
This is a free event.
Saturday, March 21st, 6pm at
Merced LGBT Community Center,
1744 G St. suite #H.
events/1551589415129251/
∏
Post-Secondary-School
Scholarships Available
The GLEE Foundation of
California, a 501(c)3 charitable organization in Modesto, announces its
2015 scholarship application season,
ending April 30, 2015, with decisions
made by May 1, 2015. The awards
program is open to 2015 graduating
high school seniors who will be pursuing a post-secondary course of study
for the 2015-16 academic year. The
purposes of the program are to recognize and support outstanding Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and
Straight Ally students who will be
first-year undergraduates and to
enhance their stature in the community.
All decisions of the GLEE scholarship selection committee are final.
Two scholarships of at least
$1,000.00 each will be awarded.
Scholarship monies are sent directly
to the educational institution which
the applicant will be attending and can
only be used for direct educational
expenses (tuition, fees, campus housing, text books & classroom supplies).
Funds are not given directly to the
student. An award is for one year only.
To acquire a copy of the application, please send an email to: manuel.
[email protected].
facebook.com/pages/GLEEF o u n d a t i o n - o f California/262938467058068
NewsLink
MANTECA
15
∏
∏
California High School
Elects Trans Homecoming
Princess, Gay King
By Mitch Kellaway, The Advocate
Pride on Tour “From White Plains”
New Conservatory Theatre's “From
White Plains” travels from San
Francisco to Modesto! When a young
director receives international acclaim
for a film based on his experience of
bullying in high school, he uses his
Oscar speech to out the real-life bully
from his past. The lives of these two
men become quickly tangled in the
public eye as they see if revenge is
really so sweet.
“Bristles with suspense... playing
out in arenas both painfully intimate
and glaringly public” - The New York
Times
Written by Michael Perlman, in
collaboration with Craig Wesley
Divino, Karl Gregory, Jimmy King
and Aaron Rossini, directed by Sara
Staley.
Tickets: $20 Adults, $10 Students
(buy at www.galloarts.org).
Friday, May 1st at 8pm at Gallo
Center for the Arts, 1000 I St.
w w w . n c t c s f . o r g /
PrideonTourFromWhitePlains
Pride in the Park 2015
∏
NewsLink
MoPRIDE, Inc. is gearing up for
Modesto's Premiere Pride Event!
Mark your calendar for Saturday,
September 12th, at Graceada Park.
This year's event for LGBT individuals and their friends, families and
allies will be bigger, better-looking
and even more fun than last year's -
16
guaranteed. Look for a host of LGBT
and LGBT-friendly vendors, a better
variety of food and drink, an amazing
Beer Garden, a Teen area, and a plethora of games and entertainment!
This year, for the first time ever,
Modesto's Pride will take over ALL of
Graceada Park. It will be amazing!
Plan on coming out and having a
great time. Meet friends (and make
new ones) from Modesto, Stockton,
Merced, Fresno and all the surrounding cities of Stanislaus, Tuolumne,
Merced and San Joaquin counties. No
matter who you are -- MoPRIDE loves
you!
Event hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p
.m., with some games and tournaments starting even earlier.
What's the theme? We have a clean
slate, Motown! We are looking for
Pride In The Park 2015's theme and
logo. Do you have any ideas ? Maybe
someone you know does? Send submissions to [email protected], deadline: midnight March 31st, 2015.
Like us on Facebook for alerts,
messages and information about our
greater LGBT community.
If you would like to be a Pride in
the Park Volunteer, are a non-profit or
for-profit Vendor, are a Food Vendor
or have a food truck and would like to
participate, or if your company or
organization would like to help
Sponsor this event, please visit:
www.mopride.org/pride_in_the_
park_2015
Times are changing for LGBT
youth in exciting ways, say the newly
crowned royalty at Enochs High
School in Modesto.
Another homecoming season is fast
approaching, and with it come the
uplifting stories of LGBT hopefuls
reaching one of the pinnacles of their
school year: being elected homecoming royalty.
While the number of queer and
trans homecoming kings, queens,
princesses, and princes rises each year,
perhaps the most striking element of
this trend is its continued presence in
more conservative U.S. cities.
It's partly why LGBT rights supporters in California's Modesto
County, a generally conservative area
in the state's central valley, are cheering the election of two students to
Enochs High School's homecoming
court in February.
Nathan Hailey, 18, and Isaac
Salazar, 15, told The Modesto Bee
Friday that they're both overjoyed to
have recently become Enochs High
royalty. But Hailey, a gay senior who
was elected homecoming king in
October, and Salazar, a trans sophomore who was elected princess for the
second consecutive year last month,
both say their wins are bigger than
them, showing how far their school
has come in terms of LGBT acceptance.
"I think the general opinion is
evolving as a whole not just here, but
everywhere," Hailey told the Bee. "I
think it's less socially acceptable to be
homophobic now. If you are, you'll
definitely get crap from a lot of people
around you."
"If they can vote for me as princess,
anyone can do it. Everyone has a
chance," Salazar added. "It meant a lot
to me being transgender [to be homecoming princess]. It's such a personal
thing. Some days I worry, 'Do I look
feminine enough today?' Being a princess, it's like, maybe people accept me
for who I am."
Staff at Enochs agreed that the
school climate continues to get better
each year for LGBT students, though
there is always room for progress.
School officials and members of the
the school's gay-straight alliance said
LGBT students have been named to
homecoming court for the past several
years.
But areas for improvement appear
to be bathroom and locker room situations, which have increasingly become
sticking points in particular for trans
students nationwide, as evidenced by
recent debates in both Minnesota and
Kentucky.
Salazar, who has been out since
middle school, tells the Bee that she
faced some questioning from peers in
the girls' bathroom, and subsequently
changed for gym in the nurse's office
throughout the past school year, as did
a gay male student who was harassed
in the locker room. GSA adviser
Debbie Adair noted that some students
questioned Salazar's gender identity
after the young woman was elected to
the homecoming court the first time.
Still, Salazar is happy with her
school experience and hopeful about
the future. Ed Plata, codirector of
Modesto LGBT youth support group
The Place, echoed her optimism about
today's youth - a group who, in a
recent millennial poll conducted by
Fusion, showed that half no longer
consider gender strictly binary.
"The change is in the kids, it's not
the adults by any means. The adults
have the same attitudes and same
issues. It's the kids who don't have the
same attidues and issues the adults do
anymore," Plata concluded to the Bee.
"Having these students [on homecoming court] is a good thing. It's a sign of
the times and the fact that things are
changing."
STOCKTON
LGBT Youth
Blackout Prom
This year our Prom Committee is
encouraging everyone to wear black!
Dinner and fun provided with DJ J
Rock spinning the beats and keeping
the party going all night. So join us for
the party of the year. It's gonna be on!
$5 suggested donation at the door.
Note: This party is for LGBT youth
(high school/middle school age) and
their allies and will be chaperoned. No
one over 20 years of age allowed
unless it's your parent/guardian.
Saturday, March 28th, 8pm - 11pm
at Fathers & Families of San Joaquin,
338 E Market St.
www.sjpridecenter.org
Central Valley Stonewall news
TULARE COUNTY
Mental Health First Aid is an in-person training
that teaches you how to help people developing a
mental illness or in a crisis. Mental Health First Aid
teaches you: Signs of addictions and mental illnesses; 5-step action plan to assess a situation and
help; Impact of mental and substance use disorders;
Local resources and where to turn for help.
Training takes place at the San Joaquin Pride
Center, 109 N. Sutter St. Registration is required.
Attendance both days is mandatory in order to
receive your certification.
Schedule: Saturday, March 28th Noon to 4 pm,
Sunday, March 29th 2 pm to 6 pm. Refreshments
and snacks provided. This is a free training class
made courtesy of San Joaquin Pride Center and San
Joaquin County Behavioral Health.
Women's Group April Potluck
Over the last couple weeks, members of our
Executive Board and Lavender Committee have
been mapping out a strategy to strengthen our organization. Please make plans to join us at or next two
membership meetings because we need your input
to make our club the best it can be.
In other news, due to an increase in local antiLGBT hate speech, at last month's meeting the
Central Valley Stonewall Democratic Club joined a
local LGBT coalition calling on the end of such
rhetoric. Here is the letter that was sent out to our
local Democratic Party.
“RE: LGBT Hate Speech Used During Public
Debate By DCC Members & Democrat Activist
Dear Members of the Democratic Central
Committee of San Joaquin County:
Bigotry against the LGBT community is still
enshrined in the law in most of the United States.
Elected officials and politically active, engaged
citizens may be able to shrug off the effects of hate
speech, but it is nevertheless unacceptable, and contributes to an atmosphere of intolerance that at best
discourages political participation, and at worst can
be deadly. It is unacceptable to use slurs against the
LGBT community; to deride non-cissexual orientation; to deliberately confuse the genders of LGBT
people in order to mock them. If any of the above
were directed towards any other group of minority
they would be considered so outrageous as to
demand immediate refutation.
Due to bullying and non- acceptance, our LGBT
New Stonewall Democrats Club
local party through engagement via neighborhoods,
communities and concerns,” said Ruben Macareno.
Among the items of business was the first reading of the Club's proposed bylaws, discussion of
networking and working with other political entities
for an equality agenda.
Visit the FB page below for information on
upcoming meetings.
facebook.com/TCStonewallDems
VISALIA
TEDG
This weekly LGBT+ dinner group (Tuesday
Evening Dining Group) meets every Tuesday at
6pm in Visalia, unless otherwise noted. Upcoming
dinners are:
March 24th @ Tachibana Japanese Restaurant,
120 W. Main St.;
March 31st @ Main Street Cafe, 233 W. Main
St.
April 7th @ The Lunch Box, 112 N Court
April 14th @ Figaro's, 3000 N Dinuba (followed
by a dessert get-together at a private residence)
April 21st @ Zen Asian Dinner, 3233 W Noble
April 28th @ Thai Kitchen, 951 W Henderson,
Porterville, 6:30pm
www.tedg.org
Join our rejuvenated Women's Group and give
back to the community. Bring a dish! April is Easter.
It is hard to keep food warm, so how about deli
sliced ham and turkey and fixings to make sammies
and lots of sides. Bring your own drinks (alcoholic
or otherwise) and a capacity to have fun.
There was a challenge to invite one new person
to our group. Last month we had eighteen in attendance. We got a visit this month from a new couple
in town looking to meet others and become integrated into our community. Join our Women's
Group and be the welcoming committee!
Thursday, April 2nd, 6pm at the San Joaquin
Pride Center, 109 N. Sutter St.
youth are our most at-risk demographic. They are in
danger from others, whose hatred proceeds from
hate speech to actual violence, and, sadly, from
themselves, having absorbed the prejudice around
them without the emotional resilience to resist. A
recent survey conducted by the San Joaquin Pride
Center found that 83% of LGBT youth in San
Joaquin County have heard anti-LGBT slurs. These
same proportions have contemplated suicide. It is
not only important that as adults we choose our
words carefully, but also that we not be bigots, and
that when see it, we reject it.
Recently, it has become more common to see this
kind of language used against others when they are
perceived to be in the speaker's political opposition.
We will no longer tolerate it. This is not normal
expression of opposition; this is naked bigotry, not
only beneath the Democratic Party, but contra its
most fundamental principles.
We call on the removal from office of any elected
(or appointed) public figure who has engaged in
hate speech, and ask that any and all others refrain
from such heated rhetoric in the future.
Sincerely,
Imperial San Joaquin Delta Empire Court
San Joaquin Pride Center
Stockton Transgender Alliance
Central Valley Stonewall Democratic Club”.
So join us on third Sundays and make sure your
voice is heard. As usual, bring a snack and your
beverage of choice and get ready to continue our
local LGBT political revolution.
Third Sundays at 4pm at the San Joaquin Pride
Center, 109 N. Sutter St.
www.cvstonewall.org
∏
PFLAG: ACT for Women
PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a volunteer
group of parents, family and friends of people who
are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT).
We welcome members of the GLBT community to
our meetings and membership. We meet on the third
Sunday of each month.
On April 20th, from 3-5pm our guests will be
ACT for Women. ACT is a non-profit organization
that provides leadership opportunity to women of
all ages.
At Educational and Cultural Center, Congregation
B'nai David, 1039 S. Chinowth St.
www.pflag-tulare-kings.org
Student Scholarships Available
Tulare County Stonewall Democrats is a chartered organization of the Tulare County Democratic
Central Committee and affiliated with the CaDem
LGBT Caucus
The Stonewall Democrats of Tulare County
nominated its four officers at its first general meeting on Monday, February 23 in Visalia. John Coffee
was nominated president followed by Brock Neeley,
Joan Givan and Austin Slater who were nominated
vice president, secretary and treasurer respectively.
SDTC also had community organizing partners
in attendance; Jose Sigala of SEIU, Ruben Macareno
of the Tulare County Democratic Party and Raul
Gonzalez and Fidel Banuelos of the California
Teachers Association.
“We welcome the Stonewall Democrats to the
local Democratic Party. It is important that everyone's voice and concerns are heard in a collective
way. They come at a time that we are rebuilding our
Every May, the Visalia Pride Lions offer LGBT
student scholarships to our local graduating HS
seniors and college students who are continuing on
with their education. To see if you or your student
qualifies, visit our club website and click on the
"scholarships" tab.
We are proud to announce our scholarship fund
has been increased this year, thanks to our generous
community that supports these programs. Don't
miss out on assistance to continue your education!
Submit your application by May 1, 2015.
www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/
Tuesday - Friday: 7:00 to 11:30 a.m.
1:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
1067 N FULTON ST.
NewsLink
LGBTQ Mental Health Training
17
∏
∏
Your Intellectual Whore
“An effervescently gay
advice columnist”
Disclaimer: Although the author of
this syndicated column holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, the
tongue-in-cheek advice given is for
entertainment only and is not a substitute for therapy. Barbie responds to
all emails…whether you deserve it or
not. Send your questions to Uncle
Barbie at: [email protected]
Say That Again
Dear Uncle Barbie,
I need clarification about my confusion regarding my sexual orientation. I'm just not sure who I should be.
Do you think people choose their
sexual orientation?
Signed, Need Info.
Hello N.I.,
Allow me to clarify. Put simply, I
believe people choose their attitude,
Pecs in the City
Continued from page 12
In David Fincher's brilliant film
The Social Network, the slippery,
scheming Sean Parker played by
Justin Timberlake has a line that resonates throughout the movie: “private
behavior is a relic of time gone by.”
This sentence sums up the entire
social network experience whether it's
Facebook, Instagram or even the
sexed-up talk bubbles of Scruff and
Grindr.
We use these tools to connect: tell-
Same location
for your vitamin
& food supplement needs
since 1955
237-8479
possible as well. We all know of
someone who seems to only see the
downside to everything. They criticize absolutely everything!-their food,
co-workers, friends, government,
household products, road conditions,
and, of course, the weather. (Don't
freak out. I am not talking about you
personally.) These are the people who
are never satisfied. Never! That is a
negative attitude that they developed
over their lifetime, and it can change
too. It will take a hell of a lot of work,
but it can change.
Basically, if someone wants to
change his or her attitude/character,
the first and most important thing to
tackle is to make personality adjustments. Yes, this can be done. I do not
believe that your personality is written in stone forever. Let's look at what
actually constitutes personality. I
think personality comes down to a
marriage of two elements: cognitive
patterns and behavioral patterns.
The cognitive pattern is where attitude lies. Over time, you form a certain way of viewing things-positively
or negatively. Much of this you learn
from your environment via behavioral
modeling. Your parents play a major
role in modeling attitudinal behaviors
while you are growing up. However,
if you are an adult, do not place all the
blame on them because now you are
responsible for your own attitude and
world view. In order to develop a
more positive thought process, make
a conscious effort to find something
you respect in everyone you meet.
(Yes, I do this myself. It would be
very difficult for me to be a therapist
if I did not constantly look for the
positive side to humanity.)
Now, for the behavior pattern side
to the equation, this involves turning
your words/thoughts into action.
Everyone has formed behavioral patterns; let's call them habits. These
habits are supposed to serve us-at
least they did originally. However,
throughout your lifetime, many of
them have become dysfunctional and
become stumbling blocks. To determine if your behavioral patterns are
dysfunctional, ask your self one simple question, "Does this behavior promote personal growth?" If it does not,
replace that behavior with something
that does serve you. You know how to
do this already I'm sure. Most of us
have done this time of self-improvement work on the first of each year
when we make our New Year's resolutions. The only difference here is that
I expect you to follow through.
So, to reiterate, you choose your
behavior, not your feelings. You can
change your attitude, not your sexual
orientation. If you have any more
questions, please feel free to email
me.
ing everyone everything there is to
know about ourselves and erasing all
the vicarious thrill of the chase or the
amazing revelation of a kindred spirit.
The days of flirtatious wordplay,
love letters and engaging conversation are fading fast. Now wherever
you go, there are faces lit from below
in the blue light of conversation.
If people would just pause and
gaze around in the here and now,
instead of talking to someone across
town or in another state, maybe we
could all really, actually socialize. If
you're wondering who wants to get
laid or who is searching for a new
friend, look up from your phone, open
your eyes and turn around in a circle.
They are all right there in front of you.
So whether or not our Facebook
friends are really our friends or merely people we've collected like charms
on a bracelet is something each of us
has to decide for ourselves, but the
fact of the matter is when we truly
realize we are alone is when we need
each other the most. And these days
we don't ever have to experience
being alone because at the mere touch
of a button, your friends will scroll
down in front of you, telling you
where they are, what they are doing
and even checking in on you.
Friendships and relationships can
bloom from social networking, but
the fact remains that there's no substitution for true human contact - and
there's even a certain kind of joy to
not being connected to the world at
every moment. Orson Welles, who
played a man on top of the world who
ended up a friendless recluse in the
seminal film Citizen Kane, said:
“We're born alone, we live alone, we
die alone. Only through our love and
friendship can we create the illusion
for the moment that we're not alone."
18
Just Be, Barbie
Tower Health
& Diet Foods
1130 N. Fulton at Olive
In the Tower District
21
NewsLink
∏
not their sexual orientation. By that, I
mean that although people may
choose a positive or negative view of
life, they do not choose who turns
them on sexually. Nobody can just
simply pick and choose who is going
to sexually aroused them. You cannot
just turn your feelings on and off like
that. You cannot wake up one morning and say, "Today, I am going to be
attracted to members of the same
sex." That would be unreasonable.
However, you do make a choice
when it comes to sexual behavior.
That should be blazingly obvious
because if people did not have any
choice regarding their sexual behavior, then they would be having sex as
soon as they first felt the urge--in the
isle of the supermarket, in restaurants,
etc. You would literally be stepping
over copulating couples as you walked
down the sidewalk. (Hmmm, that
makes for an interesting fantasy.)
Anyway, you need to be more concerned with building your character,
not picking a sexual orientation. When
you stated that you were not sure who
you should be, I wondered what kind
of character do you want to develop?
That is a choice. In fact, it is a culmination of a lifetime of choices. If, for
example, everyday you look for the
good in people and emphasis the
positive qualities in your fellow
human beings, then you will, over
time, foster an attitude of gratitude.
Of course, the opposite situation is
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5:30 Sat 9-5 Sun 11-4 Closed Major Hoildays
By Ron Blake
The latest and greatest of health
news shall command your attention
in my award winning fitness column.
Yes, I am excited to inform you that I
was nominated and selected for the
Society of Journalists Ann Landers
Award for my contributions to the
great field of health and fitness. I
thank you for your support my loyal
readers. Now let's get on with the
show. The Journal of the American
Medical Association has just released
its most amazing new health discoveries. I am a member of their society
and have a sneak peek for you about
all this excitement.
After a twenty year study, it
appears the cigarette companies were
correct all along. There is such a thing
as a healthy cigarette. Researchers
have found a cigarette that actually
can make you healthier. When
inhaled, smoke clings to the alveoli in
your lungs and pulls away any impurities that were already present from
regular air pollution. The type of
smoke is such that it will not adhere
to any portion of your lungs, but it
will actually act as a cleansing agent
while attacking the bad boys. The
FDA should be granting approval
within five years. My college smoking days will be back!
You will be able to gorge on all the
chocolate your little heart desires. A
new drug will be required to be taken
once per week for your ride on a
chocolate high without the worry of
weight gain. This little pill will have
you dreaming of Willy Wonka's chocolate river and the Oompa Loompas.
Bristol Myers Squibb has the early
patent rights to this. Imagine M&Ms
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There
is only one major downside. For
This wellness article is brought to
you by that guy who wants to have a
running with scissors contest sponsored by lawyers. This guy of liability
is Ron Blake and he can be found at
[email protected].
HOROSCOPES by Eric Biglione
Aries
(Mar 21 - Apr 19)
If it is attention
you want, you got it.
You have control and
you are loving it.
Good time to start new projects,
improve your appearance overall a
new you. Enjoy this.
Taurus
(Apr 20 - May 20)
Don't know where
you are? Well you
will figure it out and act in a more
comfortable manner for you. You
have some unfinished business to take
care of so be truly honest here.
Gemini
(May 21 - June 20)
A lot of social
activity with friends
going on. In your zest try not to step
on any toes here verbally. This can be
a time to figure out what you want in
life and let others know this.
Cancer
(June 21 - July 22)
You may be taking
on to much here in
your life. Meditate to a higher power
for the answers. Busy month but ends
up with enjoying your friend.
Leo
(July 23 - Aug 22)
End of March goes
smoothly then April
brings in people who just want to
antagonize you. Don't be engaged
here. Just go and do your own thing.
This will give you the upper hand to
deal with problems.
Virgo
(Aug 23 - Sep 22)
Pat yourself on
the back for job well
done. Best to keep this to yourself as
others may not agree. You have to
deal with a lot of other people right
now. Watch your spending habits now.
Libra
(Sep 23 - Oct 22)
You are feeling
the after affect of
some opposition. You easily handle
this and it clears in April. You are in
control and control sometimes means
doing nothing.
Scorpio
(Oct 23 - Nov 21)
The trick here is to
be helpful to others
even if you feel
wronged. There is a bigger picture
here you will come to understand. You
are facing some oppositions. Look at
it as a minor setback.
Sagittarius
UNBELIEVABLE!
some, it could cause the toenails and
fingernails to turn green. For chocoholics, this can be overcome with
clear fingernail polish. Point me in
the direction of the nearest Maybelline
counter.
What are your feelings towards
goat cheese, bananas, and bacon. An
eclectic mix for certain, but this trio is
capable of halting your aches, pains,
and those throbbing headaches. For
this to occur, you need to first eat a
slice of goat cheese at the outset of
the pain. Then you must wait about
five minutes before the banana and
bacon combination is eaten. Voila!
The problems will disappear within
ten minutes. The effects are as strong
as the prescription Vicodin and have
none of the addictive side effects
according to all the modern research
from the UCLA Medical Center.
Kraft Foods, Chiquita, and OscarMeyer are dancing in the streets over
this discovery.
Finally, there is hope for all you
big boys and big girls out there. From
the makers of Viagra comes the tablet
that will cut that cellulite while you
sleep. The medication when taken
properly can trick the brain's hippocampus into extended REM, or deep
sleep sessions. This is when your
brain is causing rapid eye movement
and the dreams that lull you into
Fantasyland. When these sessions are
extended, the body burns significantly more calories and the result is
weight loss. Some study subjects lost
as much as seven pounds in a week.
Of course there's an ugly side.
Subjects have woken up with wet bed
sheets. Not the wet dreams you funny
guys are thinking about. These damp
dreams are from excessive sweat
from the body's increased metabolism. Rubber sheets and your own
bed should remind you of those
incontinent days of watching Sesame
Street.
If you believe in all this, I've got
proof that George W. can actually
spell Obama. I am just being a practical joker. April Fool's Day, my good
friends!
∏
(Nov 22 - Dec 21)
Lots of activity
around the home with
young people. You are out of sorts
here or just being neutral. Observe
and try to see the human nature of this
activity. Interesting time.
Capricorn
(Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Well you have
your hands full. Try
not to do everything yourself but enlist
the cooperation of others. Good time
to improve your home environment to
be more comfortable.
Aquarius
(Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Spend
money,
communicate with
friends and work around the house.
Slow down and keep your focus on
what you want. Others may try to
change your mind but stick to what
you want.
Pisces
(Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Your focus is on
you and what you
want. Your mind is very creative here
and this just lifts you up. Others seek
you out for attention. Enjoyable time.
J. STANLEY TEIXEIRA
ATTORNEY AT LAW
3204 N. Van Ness Blvd, Fresno CA
559-222-ROSE
Fax 559-222-7693
NewsLink
1233 W. SHAW AVENUE, SUITE 100
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93711
TELEPHONE (559) 225-2510
FACSIMILE (559) 225-2389
19
∏∏

NewsLink in format

Transcription

Similar documents

fresno`s biggest job fair fresno`s biggest job fair fresno`s biggest job fair

Fresno Association of REALTORS

HALL OF FAME--$2500+ - CLOVIS BABE RUTH LEAGUE

DUF 2014 Showcase flyer

View Property Brochure

Get your girls together for a night of fun Ticket Package

55th Reunion - Fresno High School Alumni Association

shred day - First California Federal Credit Union

File

Fresno native on `The Island`