California
LA Pride embraces call for protest march
Inspired by Women’s March, LA Pride organizers embrace protest movement
Rev. Troy Perry was one of the founders of Christopher Street West. (Photo by Jonathunder; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Resistance is the stuff LGBT Pride was once made of.
Los Angeles in the late 1960s, like much of America, was a hotbed of resistance of every kind: the women’s movement, the hippie movement, the antiwar movement and, yes, even a nascent movement for LGBT rights, all combined here to fuel the winds of change. The LGBT community in Los Angeles, as in New York and around the country, lived under constant threat of official violence and the oppression of pervasive hostility.
In 1966 Los Angeles, affection between men was officially condemned as a mental illness and viewed as a moral disorder. Sexual relations between people of the same sex — even hand holding — was a crime. Careers were destroyed by whisper or innuendo and extortion was rampant. There were precious few safe social spaces for LGBT people other than a dozen or so nightclubs in close proximity to one another near Silver Lake — Black Cat, Ram’s Head and Stage Door — and a couple, like The Patch near Long Beach.
And so when routine police raids on these establishments escalated and turned violent, the community was deeply traumatized. Finally, a breaking point came on New Year’s Eve 1967 when a celebration at Black Cat turned into a bloodbath; at five minutes past midnight, plainclothes police officers began tackling patrons, swinging billy clubs and pool sticks, dragging people into the streets, pulling bartenders facedown over broken glass across the bar, chasing patrons down the streets, breaking bones and doing severe bodily injury to some, arresting 16 people who were charged with lewd conduct for simply kissing, according to witnesses of the time and published accounts.
A community that had long hidden in the shadows suddenly found itself seeking intersectional allies. Police violence against civilians was attracting more attention than ever and activist groups, like Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) distributed fliers that read, “PRIDE DEMONSTRATION: join Negroes, Mexicans, hippies” and demonstrate against “the Establishment war on minorities.” The Southern California Council on Religion and the Homophile urged action by activating a phone-tree with the message that “Homosexuals, who have always been dependably meek, are fighting back.”
An unprecedented number of people turned out — one of the first mass gatherings in the United States protesting police harassment of LGBT people — protesting at the corner of Sunset and Hyperion.
Until recently, the action, groundbreaking though it was, has rarely been hailed as such. It has been almost buried in LA’s psyche. Even Troy Perry, one of the founders of Christopher Street West, says he “never viewed the Black Cat as a demonstration for LGBTQ rights but as an action against police brutality at that time in LA.”
Two and a half years later, in June 1969, a police raid on New York’s Stonewall Inn captured the attention of the world, however.
Six powerful days of resistance in 1969 between young gay, lesbian, and transgender people and the New York Police Department continue to define who we are as a people, a movement and a community. After an intense escalation of brutal police raids on gay bars in New York City, patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a Christopher Street bar in Manhattan’s West Village, fought back and won.
Though police turned fire hoses on the crowd, it swelled to thousands; chorus lines of drag queens and lesbian and gay youth overtook barricades, taunting police with campy chants and performing a Rockette-like show for the jaw-dropped police. “Occupy — take over, take over” they shouted. “Fag power!” “Liberate the bar! We’re the pink panthers!” They pulled cobblestones from the streets, smashed windows, threw bottles, even uprooting parking meters and cornering terrified policemen while singing a campy version of “We Shall Overcome.”
While news of the riots spread quickly around the world, Angelenos Rev. Troy Perry, Rev. Bob Humphries and Morris Kight, formed Christopher Street West (CSW) to honor the uprising in New York and to tap into a burgeoning sense of “gay power” by launching the world’s first Gay Pride Parade.
On June 28, 1970, thousands of jubilant people celebrated and danced their way west along Hollywood Boulevard, some chanting “two, four, six, eight, gay is just as good as straight” and hoisting placards calling for equality and justice.
“At the time we had no idea what we were creating, we just wanted to acknowledge a courageous group that stood up to being bullied by police. It was a microcosm of what was taking place throughout the country and we thought, what better way to make noise, get attention and excite our community than by dressing up and putting on a parade,” said Perry.
Over the years the event evolved along with the community.
It moved to West Hollywood and became a fee-based, three-day festival to help pay the growing expense of the event. It was never without controversy, but fast-forward to 2016 and both the festival and the parade had nearly collapsed in the heat of withering criticism over the direction of the event and whether history or LGBT identity even matters.
From its founding in 1970 to 2016, the parade reflected the concerns of a community fighting for basic dignity, political rights, against violence and for government recognition of a health crisis that killed hundreds of thousands of gay men. In recent years, as the community enjoyed civil rights victories and gained social, cultural and political power, the Parade’s identity began to blur.
Last year, when CSW attempted to rebrand the three-day festival into a Music Festival, critics derided the group for attempting to turn LA Pride into “Gay Coachella.” CSW, they said, was hell-bent on ignoring the event’s legacy and on edging out more senior members of the community. CSW President Chris Classen, perhaps unintentionally, reinforced that notion while addressing the controversy to the West Hollywood City Council, saying that by “adding the word ‘music’ to the title of L.A. Pride is a subtle welcome to a younger generation who does not inherently understand the historical context of the event.”
Indeed, his plan, by rearranging or removing sacred elements of the festival, seemed to minimize the visibility of lesbians, transgender, Latino and leather community members and paid no homage to seniors or to history. Even country-western people felt they’d been given the boot in favor of a post-gay Music Festival.
Groups formed to protest CSW and critics blasted the organization at the group’s open board meetings and City Council meetings. Ivy Bottini, a 90-year-old lesbian resident of West Hollywood demanded change: “I consider the board a lame duck board…It doesn’t feel like CSW understands what Pride is.”
CSW corrected most of its mistakes and issued a mea culpa. Last May, CSW issued a statement saying it had “made a few missteps along the way that have left valued members of our community feeling left out or underappreciated. This was never our intention. We’ve heard your concerns and objections and we sincerely apologize.” It seemed to work.
But events conspired to remind everyone about the historical context of the event — a response to violent oppression — that gave rise to Christopher Street West’s existence.
Mourning for Orlando
Los Angeles, like everyone in America, was stunned to wake up on the morning of June 12, 2016, to the news that a madman had opened fire on the dance floor of a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people and wounding dozens more. That morning, Santa Monica Police Department arrested 20-year-old James Wessley Howell, an Indiana man, who was found with an arsenal of assault rifles, ammunition and explosives in his car; he told police he ‘wanted to harm’ people at the Los Angeles Pride festival.
A pall was cast over the annual LA Pride Parade but in a defiant move, Christopher Street West chose to continue with the Parade and it quickly became a march honoring of the victims in Orlando.
But questions about CSW just wouldn’t go away.
In late 2016, it was revealed the organization had lost several hundred thousand dollars, renewing outrage and provoking allegations of mismanagement. West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister, concerned about city involvement with potentially troubled non-profit organizations, required financial disclosure from subsidized organizers. LA Pride has for years been partially subsidized by West Hollywood because it is estimated to generate more than $5,000,000 in tax revenues.
Complicating matters for CSW, in January 2017, several senior board members resigned and complained publicly that the top-down management style of the board resulted in making their service useless. Chief among their complaints was the requirement of non-disclosure agreements that prevented board members from discussing organizational matters outside the board. The board members who resigned were representative of the issues that sparked the most concern in 2016; a prominent transgender woman, a senior man, a documentarian of LGBT history, a legacy CSW president and a Latino man and chairman of LA Leather Pride Week.
The resignations resurrected community frustrations about CSW’s direction yet the organization appeared to be singularly focused on the impact the closure of West Hollywood Park had on its Music Festival plans. But the election of Donald Trump and his anti-LGBT vice president, along with the installation of an almost uniformly anti-LGBT cabinet was top of mind for the community at large.
#resistmarch
LA-based philanthropist, activist and entrepreneur Brian Pendleton called for a protest march.
Enter LA-based philanthropist, activist and entrepreneur Brian Pendleton, inspired by the women’s march (which attracted several hundred thousand people to downtown LA) seized on what he saw as pent-up demand for action that he, perhaps incidentally, felt could give LA Pride revitalized mission. He posted a frustrated comment on Facebook, “before my first cup of coffee,” declaring that the parade should be turned into a protest march.
A Facebook page and other social media using #resistmarch was created along with a website and the idea went viral. More than 33,000 people have joined.
Pendleton found himself on the board of CSW.
“There was a hesitation to have me join the board,” he said. “CSW has policies and procedures about how to add board members and in order for me to join, I understand, the board had to waive those procedures. But once the groundswell of grassroots support became so strong it was clear that it made the most sense for CSW to add me as an exception.”
He refused to sign the controversial non-disclosure agreement.
The idea has been adopted by Christopher Street West, sending the parade off into a whole new direction that more closely resembles the intentions of its founders.
The march will even begin at the 1970 founding location at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland to La Brea before continuing onto Santa Monica Boulevard and into West Hollywood.
Over the past 40 years, local merchants have grown to rely on the event’s ability to attract more than 100,000 people and generate millions of dollars in income, according to studies by the City of West Hollywood. Organizers are hoping to at least double the participation this year.
Significantly, the Resist March idea requires outreach to allied communities and that work is in full swing. Among the growing number of signees: Equality California, Los Angeles LGBT Center, APLA Health, Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, Family Equality Council, Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, City of West Hollywood, Women Against Gun Violence, IBEW Local 11, UNITE HERE! Local 11, CA NOW, National Council of Jewish Women NARAL Pro-Choice California, Hollywood N.O.W., California Women’s Law Center, Victory Institute, The Next Family, LASC, Project Angel Food, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Trans Can Work, West Hollywood City Council members Heilman, Duran and Horvath, Christopher Street West, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor, Los Angeles City Attorney, and Gina Belafonte.
Pendleton told City Watch, “This year, because of the political winds and forces, we’re sort of wrapping the iconic rainbow flag of LGBTQ around women fighting for reproductive rights, the dreamers who want to stay in this country and recent immigrants who want to come here, anyone who feels impacted by the forces against human rights.
“We’ve been fighting for our rights for decades now but the last eight years, we’ve had wind in our sails and seen tremendous progress. Not wanting to have any of our rights rolled back, we stand up with our trans brothers and sisters whose fates are being decided by state governments. In South Dakota, LGBTQ people can no longer adopt. We want our rights restored.”
The idea has spread around the country.
In New York City, Matt Foreman, the former executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, has also been advocating for a Resistance March there. On Facebook he wrote: “WTF Heritage of Pride?! Why do people have to plead with you for the Resistance to be front and center in this year’s pride march?! YOU should be taking the lead and embracing the legacy of Stonewall. Aren’t you humiliated that LA Pride is ahead of HOP on this? Why court controversy and retreat into the dank well of “process”? Come on folks, you’re better than this!”
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., a National March is taking shape, planned for Sunday, June 11, that was instigated by a New York activist who also took to social media to call for a march.
David Bruinooge, 42, a Brooklyn, N.Y., resident, said he was inspired to create a Facebook page announcing the march on Jan. 21 while he was watching the Women’s March on Washington at home on television.
“I was watching the events unfold on TV and I was very proud and inspired by all the women, the strong women in our country who were kind of taking this to the street and getting their voices heard,” he told the Blade. “And in the back of my mind as an openly gay man I thought the gay community should be doing something like this to follow up on the momentum,” he said.
He said he intentionally chose June 11 for the march because it’s the same day that D.C.’s Capital Pride Festival is scheduled to be held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the U.S. Capitol. Bruinooge said his thought was the march would start in the morning and end at the site of the Pride festival.
Rev. Perry said in a statement to the Los Angeles Blade, “As the co-founder of Christopher Street West, I am thrilled to see them change the 2017 pride parade to a human rights march. For me it’s always been about humanizing our community, standing up for those who need us most, and giving a voice to those who are sometimes invisible. Marching for human rights fits squarely within the principles of CSW’s founding. I’ll see you all on June 11th!”
The last LGBT march on Washington was the National Equality March on Oct. 11, 2009. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Lou Chibbaro Jr. contributed to this report.
West Hollywood
WeHo’s The Abbey Nightclub was sold for $27 Million
The 14,200-square-foot properties at 686 and 692 North Robertson Boulevard in WeHo traded hands for $27 million
By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – When news broke that the Abbey Food & Bar and its sister location the Chapel at The Abbey sold to hotel entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft this past November, the big question on everyone’s mind was, for how much? According to a report by Commercial Observer, the 14,200-square-foot properties at 686 and 692 North Robertson Boulevard traded hands for $27 million.
The listing of both spaces was described as “a generational purchase opportunity to acquire one of the world’s most iconic nightclubs and restaurants, The Abbey and The Chapel at the Abbey, including its tangible and intangible assets with all branding and branding rights to the businesses, and trophy West Hollywood real estate. ‘The Abbey’ business, a fee simple interest of 686 N Robertson Blvd, and ‘The Chapel at The Abbey’ business with its interest in the lease at 694 N Robertson Blvd.”
In other words, David Cooley owned the Abbey property, but he was leasing The Chapel. Rumors alleged Cooley was asking for $60M for the entire package and he settled for $40M. Other sources say the $27M is a closer ballpark for The Abbey property with the final price tag for the bulk of the business after fees at $35M. These numbers have have not yet been confirmed.
According to Commercial Observer, Tristan also bought the business assets. it is not yet known how much he paid for the entire Abbey assets. Real Estate brokers Matthew Luchs and Brandon Micheals of Marcus & Millichap handled the transaction.
David Cooley sold a majority of his stake of The Abbey to hospitality and entertainment company SBE Group in 2006. According to reports SBE paid close to $10 million for a 75 percent stake. Cooley stayed on as President. SBE Group planned to open additional Abbey bars in popular gay destinations across the country, but those plans never panned out. Cooley bought the Abbey back in 2015, a year shy of the Abbey’s 25-year-anniversary. The Abbey recently celebrated 33 years.
Cooley also listed his home for sale in L.A.’s historic Hancock Park neighborhood back in March. Cooley purchased the brick structure designed by architect Henry F Withey for $1.9 million in 2001. The home sold for $6,786,400. His asking price was $7,695,000. The home is widely known for hosting several fundraisers throughout the past four decades.
Cooley made a tearful exit on his last day as owner of two of West Hollywood’s most iconic nightclubs on Thursday, April 11. He officially turned over the reins to new owner Schukraft.
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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist. Murillo began his professional writing career as the author of “Love Ya, Mean It,” an irreverent and sometimes controversial West Hollywood lifestyle column for FAB! newspaper. His work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, which include the “Hot Topic” column in Frontiers magazine, where he covered breaking news and local events in West Hollywood. He can be reached at [email protected]
The preceding article was previously published at WeHo Times and is republished with permission.
California
Judge & AG Bonta: Ballot measure attacks rights of trans youth
“California should be a safe and welcoming place for everyone, which is why we have longstanding laws to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ youth”
By John Ferrannini, Assistant Editor | SACRAMENTO – A judge has sided with the state of California in the matter of a conservative group that sued over the title and summary Attorney General Rob Bonta assigned to its ballot measure that would strip rights from transgender minors.
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Protect Kids California is gathering signatures for a ballot measure that would ban trans minors from receiving gender-affirming care; ban trans girls from female competitive sports, locker rooms and bathrooms; and require public schools to disclose students’ gender identities to parents if they say they are different than their sex at birth.
Protect Kids California has until May 28 to collect some 550,000 valid signatures in order to place the measure before state voters on the November 5 ballot. Most LGBTQ leaders doubt it will be successful in reaching that threshold.
In preparing a ballot title and summary for the measure, Bonta titled it “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth.” It prompted the Liberty Justice Center to file a lawsuit February 13 in Sacramento County Superior Court on behalf of Protect Kids California that alleged Bonta’s personal beliefs led to a biased title and summary. Therefore, the center contended the ballot measure proponents should be given 180 additional days for signature gathering without discounting signatures already collected.
“Respondent [Bonta] has demonstrated that he personally, and in his official capacity, is opposed to any kind of notification by a public school to a parent or guardian that his or her child is exhibiting signs of gender dysphoria when the child asks the school to publicly treat him or her as the opposite sex with a new name or pronouns, and to allow the child to use the sex-segregated facilities of the opposite sex,” claimed the groups in their lawsuit.
But a Sacramento Superior Court judge sided with Bonta in a ruling that was first issued tentatively April 19 and was made final April 22. Judge Stephen Acquisto ruled that Bonta’s title and summary are accurate.
“Under current law, minor students have express statutory rights with respect to their gender identity,” Acquisto stated. “A substantial portion of the proposed measure is dedicated to eliminating or restricting these statutory rights. … The proposed measure would eliminate express statutory rights and place a condition of parental consent on accommodations that are currently available without such condition.
“The proposed measure objectively ‘restricts rights’ of transgender youth by preventing the exercise of their existing rights. ‘Restricts rights of transgender youth’ is an accurate and impartial description of the proposed measure,” Acquisto added.
The attorney general’s office has some leeway when it comes to determining ballot titles, the judge noted.
Bonta is “afforded ‘considerable latitude’ in preparing a title and summary,” Acquisto ruled.
He found, “The court’s task is not to decide what language best captures the essence of the proposed measure, but to decide whether the language chosen by the Attorney General is ‘untrue, misleading, or argumentative.’ The Court finds that the Attorney General’s use of the term ‘restricts rights’ does not render the title and summary untrue, misleading, or argumentative.”
A spokesperson for Bonta stated April 23, “We are pleased with the court’s decision to uphold the Attorney General’s fair and accurate title and summary for this measure.”
In an April 19 statement posted to its Facebook page, the Liberty Justice Center said it was “evaluating next steps” in light of the judge’s decision.
“While we are disappointed that the court precluded evidence establishing AG Bonta’s bias, we appreciate that the matter has been taken under submission by the judge,” stated center officials.
In a statement provided to the B.A.R. on April 24, after news that the decision had been made permanent, Protect Kids California attorney Nicole Pearson stated, “The mental gymnastics used to justify this prejudicial title and summary are not only an egregious abuse of discretion that entitles our clients to an appeal, but a chilling interpretation of law that jeopardizes the very foundation of our constitutional republic. We are reviewing our options for an appeal of these clear errors and will announce a decision shortly.”
Tony Hoang, a gay man who is the executive director of statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California, stated to the B.A.R. that “we are pleased with the judge’s ruling.”
“California should be a safe and welcoming place for everyone, which is why we have longstanding laws in effect that protect and preserve the rights of LGBTQ+ youth and their families,” Hoang stated. “This proposed initiative seeks to undo these critical protections and make our schools and communities less safe for all youth.”
Politico’s California Playbook newsletter reported last month that the Protect Kids California measure is struggling. “The campaign has so far collected less than a fifth of what it would need to qualify for the ballot,” Politico reported. “It does not appear on track to meet a May 28 deadline.”
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The preceding article was previously published by the Bay Area Reporter and is republished with permission.
Los Angeles County
New on the LA County Channel
You can watch on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here
New on the County Channel
Welcome to Budget Quest: the game where billions of dollars and services for millions of people are at stake! Watch this video as Buddy the Budget Wiz navigates the County’s complex budget process to build and fund a new program.
To learn more about the County’s $45.4 billion 2024-25 recommended budget, visit ceo.lacounty.gov/budget.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
In Case You Missed It
April is “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in Los Angeles County
In L.A. County, there are more sleep-related deaths than all other accidental child deaths. These deaths are completely preventable. Accidental suffocation is the greatest risk for babies under age 1. These deaths are silent and quick. It just takes seconds for a baby to suffocate.
Below are some resources for parents and caregivers to learn more about safe sleeping practices:
- Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect: Infant Safe Sleep
- LA County Department of Public Health: Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Safe to Sleep®
At Your Service
DEO Small Business Summits
Get ready, LA County! Join the LA County Department of Economic Opportunities and partners for the ultimate small business boost at the upcoming LA Region Small Business Summit series, kicking off Small Business Month on April 29th at the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum with the City of Los Angeles. Five power-packed FREE Summits throughout May, celebrating all small businesses, entrepreneurs, and County residents in style!
Discover a trove of FREE resources, services, and programs aimed at helping your business grow and thrive. From expert panel discussions to a bustling resource expo and beyond – we’ve got everything you need to elevate your business — all under one roof! Ready to supercharge your small business journey? Don’t miss out! Register now for a Summit near you by visiting here.
Out and About
The LA County Fair is Back May 3!
This year the LA County Fair celebrates the medley of communities that comprise Los Angeles County with its theme Stars, Stripes & Fun. LA County is one of the most diverse counties in the nation, brimming with a mix of cultures and communities, and the LA County Fair celebrates them all!
Join us at the Fair as we celebrate all things LA County on Saturday, May 4! Enjoy the LA County Expo showcasing all the great things the county is doing in our neighborhoods and take advantage of this discount offer. Admission is just $8 through May 3 at 11:59 p.m. Admission is $10 the day-of, May 4, 2024.
Get your tickets today and be sure to use the password “LACOUNTY” at check out for the discount price!
Photo Finish
(Photo: Los Angeles County/Mayra Beltran Vasquez)
Click here to access more photos of LA County in action.
Northern California
West Hollywood Poetry Team brings home Poetry Slam Trophy
“The West Hollywood team brought brilliance to the Chill List stage,” said Chill List founder and host Sam Pierstorff
By Paulo Murillo | MODESTO, Calif. – The West Hollywood Poetry Team brought home the winning trophy after competing at the Chill List Poetry Slam Invitational in Modesto on Saturday, April 20. Amongst a competitive field, the West Hollywood poets emerged triumphant, claiming the top prize in a dynamic display of original verse.
The event, renowned for spotlighting the nation’s premier slam poetry collectives, saw teams vying for a $2000 award through a series of group and solo performances. Five judges from the audience awarded points to teams based on the strength of their poems and the quality of their performance. West Hollywood won with a cumulative score of 113.4, beating our competing teams from Oakland (111.4), Salt Lake City (110.1), and Visalia (108.7).
“The West Hollywood team brought brilliance to the Chill List stage,” said Chill List founder and host Sam Pierstorff. “Our Modesto audience loved their range from the humorous to the deeply emotional, intellectual, and inspirational.”
The genesis of the West Hollywood Slam Team dates back to July 2023, initiated by former West Hollywood Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace and poet/coach Nate Lovell, the architects behind The Mic @ Micky’s WeHo. Comprising both founders and five standout poets from Micky’s, including Meliza “Missy Fuego” Bañales, Dan “Pastiche Queen” Lovato, Tee Gardiner, and Raul Herrera, the team embodies the vibrant spirit of its locale.
According to Pastiche Queen, a team member, the collective mirrors the essence of West Hollywood itself, fostering a sense of community and mutual support. “The team operates as a microcosm of West Hollywood itself; nobody is gonna take care of us like we take care of us.”
Missy Fuego, a seasoned slam veteran and team member, underscored the historic significance of their ensemble. “The West Hollywood team is not only the first slam team in WeHo, it’s the first all Queer/Non-Binary/Non-Labeled Slam Team in North America,” they said. “For years, slam has typically been dominated by heterosexual and cis narratives, with one or two members representing the LGBTQ community. The West Hollywood Slam Team steps forth, proudly, as the first all-inclusive team to prioritize LGBTQ issues and culture as well as regularly center sexual orientation and gender.”
The West Hollywood Slam Team is currently creating a showcase performance with revolving guest poets, and is available for Pride performance bookings through rentpoet.com.
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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist. Murillo began his professional writing career as the author of “Love Ya, Mean It,” an irreverent and sometimes controversial West Hollywood lifestyle column for FAB! newspaper. His work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, which include the “Hot Topic” column in Frontiers magazine, where he covered breaking news and local events in West Hollywood. He can be reached at [email protected]
The preceding article was previously published at WeHo Times and is republished with permission.
Southern California
Bonta files for permanent ban of Chino school’s forced outing policy
Bonta noted that the policy was detrimental to the physical, emotional safety, well-being, & privacy of trans students
OAKLAND, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a motion for final judgment in Bonta v. Chino Valley Unified School District seeking injunctive and declaratory relief to ensure that the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education (Board) does not reenact or implement their recently-rescinded forced outing policy.
In a press release, the Attorney General noted that the policy – Policy 5020.1 – was detrimental to the physical and emotional safety, well-being, and privacy of transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
In August 2023, Attorney General Bonta sued to challenge the policy on the basis that it violated students’ civil and constitutional rights under California law, and in October 2023, obtained a preliminary injunction enjoining the facially discriminatory provisions of the forced outing policy. While the District voted to rescind the forced outing policy on March 7, 2024, in response to the San Bernardino County Superior Court’s preliminary injunction order, the District’s Board continues to stand “proudly” by Policy 5020.1, the District’s counsel continues to maintain that it was “common sense and constitutional,” and the District continues to make comments echoing the anti-trans comments they made publicly before enacting the policy.
As a result, Attorney General Bonta is seeking a permanent injunction and declaratory relief to protect students’ civil rights and ensure that the Board does not reenact or implement its original, discriminatory policy.
“Chino Valley Unified has an obligation to protect the safety and well-being of the students it is charged to serve, especially our most vulnerable student communities who are susceptible to violence and harassment,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It took a lawsuit and court order to get Chino Valley to rescind their discriminatory forced outing policy, but even now, the Board has continued to assert that it was lawful, and board members continue to echo the anti-trans rhetoric they relied upon when passing it. Today’s motion seeks to ensure no child becomes a target again by blocking Chino Valley Unified from ever adopting another forced outing policy. As we continue to defend the rights of transgender and gender-nonconforming students, I urge all school districts to take note and ensure every student can enjoy their right to learn and thrive in a school environment that promotes safety, privacy, and inclusivity.”
Even though Attorney General Bonta issued a letter to the Board on July 20, 2023 stressing the potential harms and infringements on students’ civil rights from the adoption of Board Policy 5020.1, the Board enacted the policy nonetheless. The forced outing policy required schools to inform parents, with minimal exceptions, whenever a student requested to use a name or pronoun different from that on their birth certificate or official records, even without the student’s permission and even when disclosure would cause physical or mental harm to the student.
The policy also required notification if a student requested to use facilities or participate in programs that did not align with their sex on official records. In August 2023, Attorney General Bonta announced a lawsuit challenging the enforcement of Policy 5020.1, asserting it violated several state protections safeguarding students’ civil and constitutional rights.
Shortly after securing a temporary restraining order, the San Bernardino Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction against the Board’s forced outing policy in October 2023. The Court held that several provisions violated California’s equal protection clause and discriminated against transgender and gender-nonconforming students, causing them irreparable harm.
In today’s motion seeking a permanent injunction and declaratory relief against the forced outing policy, Attorney General Bonta underscores the importance of the Court’s issuance of final adjudication to guarantee the safety and well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming students from future identical or similar forced outing policies, and declare that the forced outing policy violates students’ constitutional and statutory rights to be free from unequal and discriminatory treatment on the basis of sex, gender, and gender identity.
As part of today’s motion, Attorney General Bonta urges the Court to issue a final judgment because a live controversy exists, as the District’s conduct signals that it could re-adopt the discriminatory policy absent a final ruling by the Court, the discriminatory message communicated by the enactment of a discriminatory policy must still be redressed, and the case presents clear issues of public interest broadly affecting students, parents, school officials, and teachers that are likely to recur.
The Attorney General underscores the importance of securing final injunctive and declaratory relief against Policy 5020.1 to:
- Prevent the Board from re-enacting the discriminatory forced outing policy in the absence of a final injunction.
- Provide relief against the stigmatic harms inflicted by the Board’s adoption of the forced outing policy.
- Declare that the Board’s forced outing policy violates California’s equal protection and antidiscrimination laws.
Today’s motion also asserts the Board’s plain motivations in adopting Policy 5020.1 were to create and harbor animosity, discrimination, and prejudice towards transgender and gender-nonconforming students, without any compelling reason to do so, as evidenced by statements made during the Board’s hearing.
In discussing the policy before its passage, board members made a number of statements describing students who are transgender or gender-nonconforming as suffering from a “mental illness” or “perversion”, or as being a threat to the integrity of the nation and the family. The Board President went so far as to state that transgender and gender nonconforming individuals needed “non-affirming” parental actions so that they could “get better.”
The Attorney General has a substantial interest in protecting the legal rights, physical safety, and mental health of children in California schools, and in protecting them from trauma, harassment, bullying, and exposure to violence and threats of violence. Research shows that protecting a transgender student’s ability to make choices about how and when to inform others is critical to their well-being, as transgender students are exposed to high levels of harassment and mistreatment at school and in their communities when those environments are not supportive of their gender identity.
- One-in-10 respondents in a 2015 national survey said that an immediate family member had been violent toward them because they were transgender, and 15% ran away from home or were kicked out of their home because they were transgender. Fewer than one-in-three transgender and gender nonbinary youth found their home to be gender-affirming.
- Nearly 46% of transgender students reported missing at least one day of school in the preceding month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable there and 17% of transgender students reported that they left a K-12 school due to the severity of the harassment they experienced at school.
- Seventy-seven percent of students known or perceived as transgender reported negative experiences such as harassment and assault, and over half of transgender and nonbinary youth reported seriously considering suicide in the past year.
A copy of the motion seeking declaratory and injunctive relief is available here.
Ventura County
“Queers in the Valley” Ojai launches & is ready to celebrate Pride
Queers in the Valley are fundraising for Ojai’s first ever Pride Picnic & Celebration following the 33rd annual Pride Walk on June 30th, 2024
OJAI, Calif. – JoEllen Depakakibo, founder of Pinhole Coffee in San Francisco’s charming Bernal Heights has resettled in northeastern Ventura County with a new mission, a Pride Picnic & Celebration in Ojai.
Depakakibo along with her wife and child now call Ojai home and when not running a Pinhole Coffee EV-van have gathered with other LGBTQ+ community members launching the effort to raise funds for Ojai’s first Pride Picnic & Celebration.
The Pride Picnic & Celebration following the 33rd annual Pride Walk on Sunday, June 30th, 2024. According to a Facebook Post by Depakakibo, organizers enlisted the help of Rachel Lang the first out LGBTQ+ Ojai City Councilmember and support from Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix.
In a GoFundMe page and on the group’s ‘Queers in the Valley’ website the group is soliciting assistance to fund their efforts:
We are Queers in the Valley, and are fundraising for Ojai’s first ever Pride Picnic & Celebration following the 33rd annual Pride Walk on Sunday, June 30th, 2024!
Our mission is to find, build, strengthen, support and inspire the Queer Community in Ojai Valley. Our intention is to make it as Ojai as possible, and lay a foundation of safety and inclusion for our Trans, BIPOC, Disabled, and Low-Income Queer Family.
Help us raise $3000 to:
– pay our Queer Entertainers
– pay our Queer Graphic Designer and build out our website
– print signs and flyers
– rent Libbey Park
– make the event as accessible as possible for BIPOC, Disabled, and Low Income folx through things like ASL interpretation, non-police security, free covid testing, discounts for food options, etc.
– purchase 1-day event insurance
– pay for materials for such things as a kids crafting corner
Send us a message if you want to get involved!
The group noted:
If you are a local Queer artist, vendor or organization that wants to be featured on our website/want to volunteer/have any suggestions or questions…reach out to us (contact info on website).
This group was started with the yearning of mentioned intentions above from many people. Representation matters
Southern California
Equality California decries recall of elected Calexico trans official
During her tenure, Mayor Ureña championed numerous initiatives aimed at improving local infrastructure and public services
CALEXICO, Calif. – Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, has publicly denounced the recent recall of Calexico Councilmember and former Mayor Raúl Ureña, the first out transgender mayor in the city’s history.
The organization’s response underscores significant concern over what it views as a politically motivated attack leveraging anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
Tony Hoang, Executive Director of Equality California, expressed profound disappointment over the outcome of the recall effort, criticizing the focus of the recall on Ureña’s transgender identity rather than his accomplishments in office.
“We are deeply disappointed that a group of far-right extremists succeeded in recalling Calexico’s first out transgender Mayor Raúl Ureña, who has a proven track record of delivering for the people of Calexico,” Hoang said.
“This recall campaign was spearheaded by a group of disgruntled former politicians and littered with misinformation and transphobic rhetoric, focusing on Ureña’s identity and not the successful tangible results she has generated for her city. This was a calculated, anti-LGBTQ+ attack against Ureña that has sadly resulted in her recall and will no doubt lead to backsliding for a community already at a crossroads.
We were proud to support Mayor Ureña throughout this ordeal, and will continue to speak out against any and all anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.”
During her tenure, Ureña championed numerous initiatives aimed at improving local infrastructure and public services while fostering a community environment that valued diversity and inclusion.
The recall campaign, however, argued that new leadership was necessary to fulfill unmet promises such as reducing water costs, revitalizing public spaces, and addressing homelessness and housing shortages.
Ureña posted a Facebook video addressing the recall along with the following caption:
“The recall made a lot of promises. The clock of new administration begins. From now on my decisions will not affect the municipality.
My message to the youth: DON’T QUIT!
My message to the recall: Keep your promises between now and November. We want a standing Calexico:
- All the poles fixed
- All parks to perfection
- Streets and new benches
- Let the cost of water go down
- Downtown Clean
- Zero Homeless
- More Housing
- Police and Fire Department complete
- City Wide Transport
- More recreation for the seniors.
- Line to Mexicali and traffic solved
I wish them luck for the good of Calexico.”
Following the recall’s success, statements from the new administration promised to focus on various infrastructure projects, enhancements to public safety, and improved social services for seniors, pledging to transform campaign promises into tangible outcomes.
The decision to recall Ureña has polarized Calexico, with many residents and advocates worried about the potential regression in civil rights gains. Equality California has pledged ongoing support for Ureña and reaffirmed its commitment to fighting anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.
For further details on Equality California’s initiatives and stance on this matter, please visit eqca.org.
Related:
Riverside County
Murrieta Valley School Board votes to defy state over trans policy
The policy includes requests by students to use a name that “differs from their legal name or pronouns that don’t align with their birth sex”
MURRIETA, Calif. – The Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board on Thursday voted 3-2 to defy the California Department of Education’s written order and keep its anti-trans parent-notification policy.
The California Department of Education found that it violated the state’s education codes and warned MVUSD that the policy “provided no educational or administrative purpose that could justify the discrimination of LGBT+ students.” The Department of Education stated the policy “singles out and is directed exclusively toward one group of students based on that group’s legally protected characteristics of identifying with or expressing a gender other than that identified at birth.”
The Board essentially countermanded Superintendent Dr. Ward Andrus’ order to his staff reversing the policy after the April 10 DOE order was received. In an emailed notice sent out last Friday to parents, faculty, and staff members, school district administrators stated that the policy was reversed.
The policy, which was originally proposed by school board President Paul Diffley and trustee Nick Pardue and passed states:
[…] any member of a school’s staff “shall notify the parent(s)/guardian(s), in writing, within three days from the date any District employee, administrator, or certificated staff, becomes aware that a student is: a. Requesting to be identified or treated, as a gender (as defined in Education Code Section 210.7) other than the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or any other official records.”
The policy includes requests by students to use a name that “differs from their legal name (other than a commonly recognized diminutive of the child’s legal name) or to use pronouns that do not align with the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or other official records.”
Last month the MVUSD school board voted 3-2 to keep the forced outing policy on the books even though, according to a Press-Enterprise report, MVUSD Board President Paul Diffley was warned by the district’s law firm, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (AALRR), that “‘going ahead (with the policy) in such an environment’ could cost the district $500,000 in legal expenses.”
After the board vote, two district educators, Jamie Goebel and Karen Poznanski, filed a complaint with the California Department of Education about the policy due to its “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.”
“This policy not only violated the privacy and dignity of our students but also perpetuated harm and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals and their families,” Poznanski told the Press Enterprise once the California Department of Education sided with the teachers last week.
Reacting to the board vote, Tony Hoang, the Executive Director of Equality California told the Blade:
“Yet again, the extremist majority on the Murietta Valley School Board put politics over the safety and well-being of students. These politicians ignored the experts at the California Department of Education and their district staff and doubled down on a policy that is unnecessary, cruel, and opens students up to harm and discrimination.
The school board’s own student member Isabella Dadalt said it best – “if you’re a parent, and you feel threatened by the fact that your student is going to a teacher instead of you, I think you need to rethink your parenting.”
The members of the Murrietta Valley School Board should take note of what happened last month when extremist school board members in Orange Unified and Woodland Unified were successfully recalled after they attacked LGBTQ+ students.
Equality California will continue to for the rights of all students to have safe and supportive learning environments in Murietta Valley, and across the state.”
The Blade has reached out to the California Department of Education and the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board for comment.
West Hollywood
Bouncer at Heart WeHo arrested in brutal beating of gay stylist
Anyone with questions or information about this incident is encouraged to contact the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s West Hollywood Station
By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – An arrest has been made in the brutal beating of gay hair stylist Albert Vasquez, 54. According to a statement by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, a security guard at Heart WeHo was identified, arrested, and charged with battery causing great bodily harm.
The statement by LASD reads as follows:
On Friday, April 05, 2024, at approximately 10:40PM, the victim attempted to enter a nightclub in West Hollywood. The suspect, who was working as a security guard, did not allow the victim entry due to the victim not having proper identification. Both the suspect and the victim engaged in a verbal and physical altercation, in which the suspect punched the victim once in the face. The victim fell to the ground and was transported to a nearby hospital.
The suspect was identified and arrested for battery causing great bodily injury.
Vasquez’s sister, Gloria Jimenez, tells WEHO TIMES that a detective at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station reached out to the family earlier today, and she can confirm that the beating happened in front of Heart WeHo. She also said one of their bouncers was arrested.
The family will be allowed to view the surveillance footage to see exactly what happened on Friday night, April 5, 2024, when Vasquez was found in a pool of his blood with two head fractures, bruises to his lungs, a black eye, and scrapes and bruising to his arms and legs.
“They reached out to me and said an arrest has been made,” said Jimenez. “We kept saying it was Heart WeHo and it happened at Heart WeHo and it was one of their bouncers. We want to see the footage, and we’ll be able to see it because we are family, so we can determine exactly where to go from there. We’re glad an arrest was made, and we’re going to take the next step necessary. We don’t know what that step is. He’s still recovering. We don’t know how long his recovery will take. We don’t know.”
Family, friends, and supporters of Albert Vasquez were relentless in getting the story out to the media, and they pressured the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station to step up the investigation. They also demanded that Heart WeHo release video footage from that night.
Heart WeHo complied and released the following statement:
“Heart WeHo remains deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community. We are aware of the incident that occurred on April 5th and have been actively collaborating with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department to assist in their investigation since the beginning. We have provided the authorities with unrestricted access to our security footage,” reads the statement by Heart WeHo. “We urge anyone with additional information pertaining to this incident to come forward and assist the West Hollywood Department in their efforts to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhood.”
According to authorities, Heart WeHo was asked not to release the footage to family until authorities were able to investigate the footage first.
Jimenez’s sister points out that Heart WeHo turned over surveillance footage to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station on Monday, ten days after the incident occurred.
Doctors discovered a second skull fracture on the other side of Vasquez’s head ten days after he landed in the hospital, according to his family. They also discovered that his lungs had bruising after the fact, which went unnoticed throughout his stay at the hospital.
However, despite his newly discovered injuries, Albert seems to be on the mend. He was in a coma for one day when he was brought to the hospital but is currently awake and seems to be aware of his surroundings. He starts therapy this week and is expected to be in the hospital for another week and a half. He has not spoken about what happened to him that Friday night, mainly because he’s heavily medicated, and nurses feel it’s too soon to pressure him to relive the trauma.
Jimenez thanks the community for their support and for being relentless in holding investigators accountable and demanding they get answers. She’s also grateful for the public’s generosity to help cover medical expenses.
Anyone with questions or information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s West Hollywood Station Detective Lombera at (310).
358-4028.
The link to GoFundMe campaign is here: (Link)
Related:
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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist. Murillo began his professional writing career as the author of “Love Ya, Mean It,” an irreverent and sometimes controversial West Hollywood lifestyle column for FAB! newspaper. His work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, which include the “Hot Topic” column in Frontiers magazine, where he covered breaking news and local events in West Hollywood. He can be reached at [email protected]
The preceding article was previously published at WeHo Times and is republished with permission.
Los Angeles County
New on the LA County Channel
You can watch on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here
New on the County Channel
L.A. County is investing millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funds for paid early education apprenticeships. The Early Care and Education Assistant Teacher Apprenticeship Program aims to bolster the education career pipeline and bring relief to those hoping to avoid financial debt.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
In Case You Missed It
April is “Sexual Assault Awareness Month”
This April marks the 23rd observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a chance for each of us to think about the role we can play in preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
Violence is preventable. Stopping sexual abuse, assault, and harassment before they happen requires us to work together to support healthy, safe, and respectful behaviors and environments. To build truly connected communities, we must start with community accessible services and support and expand the network of service providers. When it comes to sexual violence, everyone has a role to play to help build a community that is safer, inclusive, and equitable. Below are some resources and ways for you to get involved:
- Raise Awareness: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- Participate in Denim Day | April 24, 2024: 5 Ways to Participate in Denim Day and Denim Day Rally & Press Conference
- Learn More: Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services and The Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network (24/7 Confidential Support Hotline)
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673.
Learn more at lacounty.gov/sexual-assault-awareness-month/.
At Your Service
Commercial Acquisition Fund Program
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity recently launched the Commercial Acquisition Fund to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to support the acquisition of vacant or abandoned land and buildings in designated communities that were most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commercial Acquisition Fundis funded by the County, with $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and will be awarded as recoverable grants, ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000. Acquisitions and funding must occur before December 1, 2024.
To learn more, apply, or sign-up to attend a community webinar, visit lacaf.info.
Out and About
April 21 – April 27th is “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week”
Join District Attorney George Gascón, the LA District Attorney’s Bureau of Victim Services and the LA District Attorney Crime Victims Advisory Board for this special National Crime Victims’ Rights Week panel discussion: “Pathways to Healing: Supporting LA’s Crime Survivors.”
This hybrid event will be on Thursday, April 25 at 6 PM, with doors opening at 5:30 PM. Click here to register to attend.
Photo Finish
Celebrate the 4th year of SOAR at the South Coast Botanic Garden when butterflies return May 1!
Click here to access more photos of LA County in action.
Colorado’s high court okays anti-trans ballot initiative effort
DA: Teen charged in fatal anti-LGBTQ Minneapolis mass shooting
Four states to ignore new Title IX rules protecting trans students
WeHo’s The Abbey Nightclub was sold for $27 Million
Judge & AG Bonta: Ballot measure attacks rights of trans youth
Tennessee: Anti-LGBTQ parents can now foster, adopt LGBTQ kids
Texas Governor Abbott: “We Want To End” trans teachers
Raleigh N.C. Moms for Liberty panel touts anti-LGBTQ+ agenda
“Queers in the Valley” Ojai launches & is ready to celebrate Pride
90 percent of trans youth live in states restricting their rights
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Tennessee1 day agoTennessee: Anti-LGBTQ parents can now foster, adopt LGBTQ kids
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Texas4 days agoTexas Governor Abbott: “We Want To End” trans teachers
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North Carolina4 days agoRaleigh N.C. Moms for Liberty panel touts anti-LGBTQ+ agenda
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Ventura County2 days ago“Queers in the Valley” Ojai launches & is ready to celebrate Pride
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Research/Study2 days ago90 percent of trans youth live in states restricting their rights
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