By Dennis McMillan
Nation’s First LGBTQ Shelter Opens in the Mission
Jazzie’s Place, the first shelter in the country for the adult LGBTQ community, opened in the Mission District, 1050 South Van Ness Avenue. Operated by Dolores Street Community Services, and funded by both the City and private donations, Jazzie’s Place seeks to be a safe haven from the fear and violence that the City’s LGBTQ homeless population routinely experiences. According to SF’s most recent homeless statistics, 29% of the City’s homeless identify as LGBTQ. camposstaff@sfgov.org
Gay Cholo Mural Gets Defaced After Online Threats
The latest mural in the Mission at Bryant and 24th Streets, which depicts gay, lesbian, and transgender “cholos,” has the gallery behind the mural fearing for the safety of the artist and his supporters. The mural was officially unveiled last Saturday. So far it has been defaced with spray paint in three different attacks. The murals are supposed to spark discussion, but this one has led to online threats against the artist Manuel Paul—who belongs to a queer DJ and artist group known as the Maricón Collective—as well as supporters of the artist. fusion.net
National Park Service Highlights Places, Events Fundamental to LGBT Community
As part of its centennial campaign, Find Your Park, The National Park Service is celebrating places and events that are fundamental to the history of the LGBT community. Most people, for example, don’t know that national parks are more than just the sprawling landscapes of Yosemite and Yellowstone. Places like Waaay off Broadway, a historical venue for cabaret entertainers, drag queens and musicians; the Bisexual Resource Center in Boston, MA; and the famous Stonewall Inn are amongst landmarks the initiative is seeking to preserve. http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageinitiatives/LGBThistory/GetInvolved2.pdf
Weekend Devoted to ACT UP 25th Anniversary of AIDS Conference
Last weekend, on the 25th anniversary of the 6th International AIDS Conference held in San Francisco in June 1990, activists gathered at a series of events to commemorate, debate and dissect how activism changed the agenda at the conference and shaped responses to the pandemic. Art, performance and dialogue addressed how queers and activists who struggled through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s are surviving, dealing with or getting by in a present that is haunted by that past. The closing ceremony remembered and honored ACT UP members lost to the epidemic and other causes, with music, poetry, photographs, and personal tributes.
Annual Trans March Will Meet on Dolores Street, Not in Dolores Park
The 12th annual Trans March is on June 26, meeting on Dolores Street between 18th and 19th Streets at 6pm. This year’s theme is “Power Through Visibility.” Trans March is SF’s premiere trans pride event, and it’s one of the largest trans events in the entire world. transmarch.org
San Francisco Rally to Follow Supreme Court Decision on Marriage Equality
The LGBTQ community and allies are to gather at Castro and 18th Streets at 6pm as part of the nationwide movement by national equality organizations on the day that the U.S. Supreme Court announces their decision on marriage equality. The decision will be announced at approximately 7am Pacific Time. Organizers are a coalition of equality advocacy groups and aligned citizens, in collaboration with national groups advocating for equality, including Marriage Equality USA, GLAAD, Freedom to Marry, Family Equality Council and National LGBTQ Task Force. uniteformarriage.org
Annual Dyke March to Start Earlier This Year
The Dyke March is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at the intersection of 18th and Dolores Streets, but not in Dolores Park. This year, the March will be starting earlier—3:30pm. Please note, Dyke March is a women’s space. While support is appreciated from male allies, they ask that men support the March from the sidelines. thedykemarch.org
Judge Deals SFPD Disciplinary Setback over Homophobic, Racist Texts
San Francisco officials failed to restart internal disciplinary cases against police officers accused of exchanging homophobic and racist text messages, with a Superior Court judge setting a hearing on whether the City botched the cases by violating the statute of limitations. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr has called the text messages “reprehensible” and has moved to fire eight of 14 officers implicated in sending and receiving them. The text messages, which came to light during a federal corruption probe, have raised questions about homophobic and racial bias in the City force. sfgate.com
United Nations to Celebrate 70th Anniversary in San Francisco
On Friday June 26, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mayor Edwin M. Lee, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and LGBTQ leaders will join the Bay Area in marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter with commemorative events in San Francisco, including City Hall and the Fairmont Hotel. The Harvey Milk Foundation will be presenting a Harvey Milk Medal to Ban Ki-moon for creation of the Free & Equal Campaign for LGBTQ equality. The anniversary commemorates events of June 26, 1945. With World War II still raging in the Pacific, representatives of 50 nations then gathered in San Francisco to sign the United Nations Charter. unfe.org
Cheer San Francisco Named SF’s Official Cheerleaders
With SF LGBT Pride Weekend just around the corner, Cheer San Francisco was proud to be named the Official Cheerleading Team of the City and County of San Francisco. Dignitaries from SF’s City Hall presented an official designation to Cheer SF and to its philanthropic Cheer For Life Foundation in its 11th year at the organization’s 35th Anniversary Banquet Gala in Downtown San Francisco. Additionally, the Banquet celebrated the athletic and acrobatic group’s 35 years of charitable giving. cheersf.org
Supervisors Wiener & Cohen Introduce Resolution for Increased Police Staffing
While San Francisco’s population has grown significantly, as have crime rates, police staffing has gone down, so Supervisors Scott Wiener and Malia Cohen introduced a resolution calling for significantly increased police staffing levels to reflect San Francisco’s significant population growth, including adjusting the definition of “minimum staffing” upward by several hundred officers. The resolution was heard at the Land Use and Transportation Committee, where the Controller’s Office presented a report on San Francisco police staffing that was requested earlier this year by Supervisors Wiener and Cohen. The Police Department was also present on crime trends and staffing needs. sfgov.org
Openly Gay Pitcher Sean Conroy Gets Pro Baseball Start
Sean Conroy, an openly gay professional baseball pitcher, will get his first start this Thursday, June 25, for the Sonoma Stompers. The Sonoma Stompers are an independent professional baseball team located in Sonoma, California, who play in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs. Conroy has been coming out of the bullpen for the team since graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earlier this year. outsports.com
This Pride, NCAVP Stands in Solidarity & Celebration with LGBTQ Communities
During Pride season, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) encourages LGBTQ communities “to celebrate who we are, take care of ourselves and others in our communities, stay connected, and report any anti-LGBTQ actions to local anti-violence programs.” According to NCAVP’s most recent report, “Hate Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the United States,” there were 1,359 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence. Additionally, NCAVP’s 2014 report, “Intimate Partner Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and HIV Communities,” documented 2,697 reports of LGBTQ intimate partner violence in 2013. Reports show an 11% increase in anti-LGBTQ homicides in 2014. ncavp.org
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