SACRAMENTO – The Office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta acknowledged to reporters that a second chartered plane full of migrants arrived in Sacramento on Monday morning. Officials say the transportation was again arranged by the state of Florida.

This latest prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to escalate his war of words with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, threatening to charge his fellow governor with a crime.

“.@RonDeSantis you small, pathetic man. This isn’t Martha’s Vineyard. Kidnapping charges? Read the following. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=207.&lawCode=PEN” Newsom tweeted.

.@RonDeSantis you small, pathetic man.

This isn't Martha's Vineyard.

Kidnapping charges?

Read the following. https://t.co/kvuxe8Fb6F pic.twitter.com/KyE1lJiIYo

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 5, 2023

Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Attorney General Bonta, told reporters the migrants’ paperwork indicated they were transported through a program run by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management and carried out by contractor Vertol Systems Co.

This is the same firm paid $1.56 million by Florida officials last year to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and for a possible second flight to Delaware that never took place, which Governor Newsom referenced when he tweeted about it earlier on Monday.

The Associated Press noted that neither Vertol Systems nor DeSantis’ office responded to requests for comment. Alecia Collins, a spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees Florida’s migrant flights program, said in an email Monday that she couldn’t immediately confirm whether the agency was involved in this latest instance.

A statement from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg showed the frustration and anger with DeSantis’ tactics: Whoever is behind this must answer the following: Is there anything more cruel than using scared human beings to score cheap political points?”

Migrants dumped at Calif. church after charted jet flight from Texas

LOS ANGELES – A new mural was unveiled in Pico-Robertson honoring the Jewish community, presented by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations’ initiative LA vs Hate, in partnership with the Los Angeles chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

The mural, titled “The Common Thread,” was designed by Cloe Hakakian, an Iranian-Jewish muralist and native Angeleno, and weaves a vision of Jewish history and tradition together with the collective memories of Jews in Los Angeles.

In 2022 there were 3,697 antisemitic incidents throughout the United States according to a recent report by the ADL, indicating a 36% increase from 2021 and the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. Los Angeles saw notable antisemitic incidents occur in the last year, including the separate shootings of two Jewish men in Pico-Robertson, as well as banners over a highway overpass that read “Kanye is right about the jews [sic],” referencing Kanye West’s widely-publicized antisemitic rants that created a ripple of hate acts towards the Jewish community across the country.

The mural unveiling was celebrated with an event at The Mark, with speakers such as LA County Third District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, President of the LA County Commission on Human Relations Ilan Davidson, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations Robin Toma, LA City District 5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Regional Director of ADL Los Angeles Jeff Abrams, and President & CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Rabbi Noah Farkas. They shared remarks on the significance of the Jewish community in Los Angeles and celebrated art’s unique power to unite communities and share experiences across diverse cultures. Following the unveiling and opening remarks, the community enjoyed live performances, food and more.

The mural is part of LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity, a summer-long celebration of the County’s cultural and community diversity. The series of events includes monthly art-led and community-centered events in each of the County’s five Supervisorial districts. Through partnerships with community-based organizations, the festivities will uplift and celebrate cultural moments and traditions – all to showcase that unity is stronger than hate. The Summer of Solidarity also seeks to remind residents of the County’s hate reporting system, where anyone can report an act of hate and receive free and confidential support by calling 2-1-1, or by filing a report online at www.LAvsHate.org.

“The vibrant neighborhood of Pico-Robertson is known for being a beacon of light and connection to the Jewish community in Los Angeles that we are celebrating today,” said Supervisor Horvath. “We’re honored to have this talented artist create a piece that articulates a beautiful expression of love, family, and heritage.”

“Public art like this beautiful Jewish community mural has the power to share experiences, create human connections and uplift solidarity within and between communities,” said Robin Toma, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations.

“LA vs Hate’s Summer of Solidarity will continue to create art and community-led events to bring people of all walks of life together and to promote dialogue, understanding, and compassion needed to build unity against hate,” added Ilan Davidson, LA County Commission on Human Relations President.

“At a time when we see antisemitism and hateful messaging on the rise, it’s more important now than ever to highlight the experience and contributions of Jews and other marginalized communities in our city,” said Jeffrey I. Abrams, Regional Director of ADL Los Angeles. “We know that exposure to other cultures and experiences can reduce bias and hate and that is exactly what we hope this mural will accomplish.”

“We are proud to help lead this unifying collaboration, which heightens our sense of awareness of the uniqueness of communities across Los Angeles,” said Joanna Mendelson, SVP Community Engagement, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. ”The Summer of Solidarity initiative provides an opportunity to reflect the diversity of our Jewish community, and provides a moment to capture the cultural, historical, and spiritual influences that embody the Jewish Angeleno experience. We are prioritizing efforts to build bridges with our neighbors across Los Angeles, and recognize art, such as this mural, is a powerful vehicle to unite.”

“The mural depicts a mother lighting Shabbat candles, with their flames illuminating the Hebrew script for L’dor V’dor, from generation to generation,” explained muralist Cloe Hakakian. “The folds of her headscarf become vignettes that celebrate the diversity of Jews within our community and the cultural experiences shared across time and place. There is a young child held in the arms of her mother as older generations stand behind her, each figure wearing a pattern from the diverse cultural diasporas in Los Angeles county. Footprints move through the desert toward a bright horizon, a metaphor for migration, healing, and resilience within the Jewish community. Silhouettes of culturally significant Los Angeles county landmarks sit on the horizon, reminding the viewer of the greater community within which the Jewish community thrives.”

Throughout the Summer of Solidarity, LA vs Hate will continue to commission and reveal new murals celebrating different communities and cultures across the County through partnering with community organizations. The next mural unveiling will take place in South LA in partnership with the Brotherhood Crusade and LA Commons to bring to life a mural that articulates the experience of the black community with its long history battling racism in Los Angeles. During Long Beach Pride, a mural that honors the LGBTQ+ community will be unveiled in Bixby Park, in partnership with the Long Beach LGBT Center, Long Beach Human Relations Commission and Long Beach Parks Department.

For more information, visit LAvsHate.org, and for the LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity calendar of events, visit lavshate.org/community-events-calendar.

DES MOINES – Veteran CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper moderated a wide ranging live CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley on Sunday in Iowa’s capital city.

Tapper had asked about her feelings on “woke” when the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations suddenly pivoted to an attack on transgender teens. “How are we supposed to get our girls used to the fact that biological boys are in their locker rooms?” Haley asked. “And then we wonder why a third of our teenage girls seriously contemplated suicide last year.”

“I want everybody to live the way they want to live,” she continued. “But stop pushing your views on everybody else, that’s the problem.”

Conflating the two separate issues according to Washington, D.C. based Rotimi Adeoye, a spokesperson for the ACLU is wrong. “There is zero evidence that this is remotely true in any sense and it’s horrific that Nikki Haley is espousing this view. This furthers dangerous anti-trans ideologies that could hurt people.”

There is zero evidence that this is remotely true in any sense and it’s horrific that Nikki Haley is espousing this view. This furthers dangerous anti-trans ideologies that could hurt people. https://t.co/4X0qo0Ymi1

— Rotimi Adeoye (@_rotimia) June 5, 2023

In a recent study released on April 28, 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one third of female students in 2021 reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months before the survey. Researchers also found that in addition, prevalence was significantly higher among LGBQ+ female students, lesbian or gay; 2.60 bisexual; 1.80 questioning; 2.40 trans or other) compared with heterosexual students

However there was zero correlation or facts to substantiate Haley’s claims.

The Republican hopeful was one of the declared presidential candidates to make appearances over the weekend with the exception of former President Donald Trump.

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The ACLU of Arkansas, joined by several Arkansas public libraries, and advocacy groups including the Freedom to Read Foundation, filed suit Friday challenging a new law designed to amend current state law regarding obscene library materials to prevent distribution to minors.

The plaintiffs allege that the law violate the First and 14th constitutional amendments regarding freedom of speech and equal protection and amounts to a form of censorship that endangers librarians.

In the court documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the plaintiffs claim:

Section 1 of Act 372 makes it a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment for
up to a year, to make available, provide, or show to a minor an item that meets the definition of “harmful to minors” (the “Availability Provision”). This will necessarily force libraries and
bookstores to confine to a secure “adults only” area—and so to segregate from their general
patrons and customers—any item that might be deemed harmful to the youngest minor, even if there is no constitutional basis for limiting its availability to older minors or adults.

Where libraries and booksellers lack the space or resources to construct “adults only” areas, their only choice will be to remove all materials which might be deemed harmful to their youngest, least developed patrons or customers”

Hayden Kirby, a 17-year-old high school student plaintiff in the case also states in the legal filings that Act 372 limits her access to information. “By joining this lawsuit, I hope to make a difference in preserving the rights of youth like me across the state,” she said.

“To restrict the spaces I’ve accessed freely throughout my life is outrageous to me. I want to fight for our rights to intellectual freedom and ensure that libraries remain spaces where young Arkansans can explore diverse perspectives,” Kirby added.

Three Crawford County parents filed their own lawsuit May 26 against the county quorum court, the library system board and interim library director, alleging that the “unlawful censorship of materials” in the libraries’ “social sections” violates the First Amendment.

Some of the books in question include a children’s guide to LGBTQ+ Pride flags and a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale with gay characters, according to the parents’ complaint.

“None of these books could fathomably be accused of ‘grooming,’ ‘pornography,’ or ‘exposing children to explicit sexual ideas or imagery,’” as opponents have said they are, the complaint states.

The Arkansas Advocate reported all five Crawford County library branches moved children’s books with LGBTQ+ topics to a segregated “social section” in December after community members objected to their availability at multiple quorum court meetings. Former system director Deidre Grzymala said this was “a compromise.” She later resigned in February.

Some of the books in question include a children’s guide to LGBTQ+ Pride flags and a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale with gay characters, according to the parents’ complaint.

“None of these books could fathomably be accused of ‘grooming,’ ‘pornography,’ or ‘exposing children to explicit sexual ideas or imagery,’” as opponents have said they are, the complaint states.

Progressive political groups charge that the rush to have Act 372 passed and signed into law was purely a part of the war being waged across the United States by so-called parental rights groups, such as Florida based ‘Moms for Liberty,’ objecting to materials that contain LGBTQ+ materials or themes.

Today, a broad coalition of authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and readers filed suit challenging AR Act 372, a law that would restrict access to books in bookstores & libraries, and in the process violate the First & Fourteenth Amendment rights of our reading public. https://t.co/IVURTCefxZ

— Arkansas Library Association (@ArLALibrary) June 2, 2023

The bill was signed into law by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on March 31 and is due to go into effect on August 1.

Related:

Moms for Liberty hiding behind front groups targeting schools

BANGKOK, Thailand – Pita Limjaroenrat, a member of Parliament and Leader of Move Forward Party, is assembling a coalition to govern this Southeast Asian country after winning the most seats in a May 14 general election. Limjaroenrat, his progressive party and its co-partners are promising to deliver on pledges to pass laws protecting the country’s LGBTQ+ people.

Limjaroenrat is expected to be named as Prime Minister, however, the Election Commission has 60 days to certify the results of the May General Election. The process for selection of a prime minister is complicated, under the 2017 Thai constitution prime ministers may only be chosen from a pre-declared list of candidates. Each party may submit up to three names and must have at least 25 members in the House of Representatives to receive eligibility.

Parliament’s vote for Prime Minister will take place in a joint session with the 250-seat Senate appointed by the junta, according to the constitution’s provisional terms later this summer.

Limjaroenrat has vowed to get the Marriage Equality Act through the parliament after the early drafts of the law and related legislation was stalled in the last parliamentary session under the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha i, who has served as the Prime Minister of Thailand since he seized power in a military coup in 2014.

Limjaroenrat took part in the second annual LGBTQ Pride parade in Bangkok, June 4, 2023. “Once the government is formed we will support Marriage Equality (Act), Gender Identity (Act) and several others, including welfare,” Limjaroenrat told reporters at the parade.

In a Facebook post he noted: (Translated)

Our country is driven by ‘love’, not ‘fear’.
.
‘Diversity’ is not a ‘weakness’, but a ‘strength’ of this country.
.
love is love and love must win
.
So #bangkokpride2023 It’s not just a month we come to celebrate. Not just a parade It’s about telling the world about the values we share.
.
I want to tell everyone that When can we form a government? Law #Equality Marriage Passed immediately in 100 days because it was a common agenda that was already recorded in the MOU of the coalition government.
.
But there are other policies that we will continue to push forward as management in various ministries. and as a legislative branch in the House of Representatives To create gender equality in Thai society.
.
all based on “The way forward” is to see that “people are equal” no matter who you are. We all have equal human dignity. equality before the law and must receive public services from the state fairly and equally not being discriminated against just because of differences in race, color, creed, education level poor status Physical status, disability, age, and if someone is weak and falls down, the society is ready to help and support each other. That was the society I dreamed of.
.
Even the journey of gender equality We have traveled a long way. But it’s just a small starting point. There is still a long way to go to reach everyone’s ideals, so don’t be discouraged, don’t be discouraged. Don’t think that this society can’t change anything. when everyone has contributed to make the change happen
.
This journey, if you look at it with your eyes, you may see that it is still a long way to go, but at least we can see the destination clearly in everyone’s heart.

Thailand is a popular destination in Asia for LGBTQ+ travelers as the Thai people are extremely welcoming people and have been embracing LGBTQ+ tourists for decades. However, LGBTQ+ rights groups say that the LGBTQ+ community still experience some forms of widespread stigma and discrimination. There is no legal recognition of transgender people and the law does not recognize marriage equality, although homosexuality is legal under Thai law.

Related:

Thailand Pride celebrations kick off in Bangkok – BBC News:

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom expressed outrage after a group of 16 migrants were transported by a private chartered jet from Texas via New Mexico and were left at the doorstep of the offices of the Sacramento Catholic Diocese on Friday.

“Today Attorney General Rob Bonta and I met with over a dozen migrants in Sacramento, Governor Newsom said in a news release. “These individuals were transported from Texas to New Mexico before being flown by private chartered jet to Sacramento and dumped on the doorstep of a local church without any advance warning.”

“We are working closely with the Mayor’s office, along with local and nonprofit partners to ensure the people who have arrived are treated with respect and dignity, and get to their intended destination as they pursue their immigration cases. My Administration is also working with the California Department of Justice to investigate the circumstances around who paid for the group’s travel and whether the individuals orchestrating this trip misled anyone with false promises or have violated any criminal laws, including kidnapping,” the Governor said.

The Attorney General said in a separate statement:

“Today I met with over a dozen migrants who were brought to Sacramento by private plane, with no prior arrangement or care in place,” said Bonta. “We are investigating the circumstances by which these individuals were brought to California. We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants. While this is still under investigation, we can confirm these individuals were in possession of documentation purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida.

“While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting. We are a nation built by immigrants and we must condemn the cruelty and hateful rhetoric of those, whether they are state leaders or private parties, who refuse to recognize humanity and who turn their backs on extending dignity and care to fellow human beings. California and the Sacramento community will welcome these individuals with open arms and provide them with the respect, compassion, and care they will need after such a harrowing experience,” Bonta added.

Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento noted: “Within each of the 16 migrants transported to Sacramento on Friday we recognize the humble presence of Jesus, and we hear His call to stand by them. The urgency to respond was heard by Catholics and people of good will. We are thankful to our partner organizations who took up the holy work of hospitality, dedicating their time and resources to ensure that every migrant did not feel alone and abandoned.”

According to Diocese officials, the migrants arrived with everything they own stuffed in their backpacks. Migrant rights advocates say that the sixteen Venezuelan and Colombian nationals were lied to and intentionally deceived.

Eddie Carmona, campaign director at PICO California, a faith-based community organizing group that has been assisting the migrants told the Associated Press that the migrants had already been processed by U.S. immigration officials and given court dates for their asylum cases when “individuals representing a private contractor” approached them outside a migrant center in El Paso, Texas, Carmona said. They offered to help the migrants get jobs and get them to their final destination, he said.

“They were lied to and intentionally deceived,” Carmona said, adding that the migrants had no idea where they were after being dropped off in Sacramento.

Late Sunday the Los Angeles Times reported the documents appear to show that the flights were arranged through the Florida Division of Emergency Management and that it was part of the state’s migrant transportation program, according to a spokesperson with the attorney general’s office who did not want to be identified.

FAIRFAX CITY – Fairfax City Council declared June as LGBTQ Pride Month, with a celebration planned at Old Town Hall on Saturday, June 3, to include a drag queen performance. Outside of the event in front of the building roughly two dozen people gathered in protest of the city’s Pride event.

According to the local conservative right publication the Washington Examiner, the protest was coordinated by Stacy Langton, a Fairfax County resident, who gained notoriety for leading a group of parents protesting two controversial LGBTQ-themed books available in high school libraries in September of 2021, that Langton falsely claimed promoted pedophilia. The Fairfax County School Board, and officials with Fairfax County Public Schools announced they had removed the books from the school libraries to reassess their suitability for high school students.

At the time The Washington Blade reported: “I’m not one of those activist moms or disgruntled moms,” Langton stated in an interview with Fox News. “This is not about being anti-gay, anti-trans or whatever. I would have been there and said every single word I said if this had been the depiction of a heterosexual couple with heterosexual acts – pornography is pornography and I don’t care what the gender is,” she told Fox News.

Langton also appeared in several ads for then candidate, now Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, during the 2021 gubernatorial election.

Also appearing at the protest were members of the Southern Poverty Law Center listed hate group, Public Advocate of the United States, and its leader, Eugene Delgaudio.

The Examiner reported that Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read, who was attending the event, told the tabloid that the city is paying for the event. Other sponsors of the event include George Mason University and Fairfax Ace Hardware.

The announcement from the city published online stated:

FAIRFAX PRIDE

Saturday, June 3rd
5PM – 10PM
Old Town Hall
3999 University Dr., Fairfax

The City of Fairfax and Mason are thrilled to host its inaugural “Fairfax Pride” event on June 3^rd, 2023!

While Pride is celebrated 365 days of the year, it’s most recognized during the month of June. Pride Month evolved out of the 1969 Stonewall Riots and has since become a time to reflect and celebrate both the progress and the people of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This collaborative event will kick off In Old Town Hall with informational vendors from both Mason campus and the NOVA area, as well as children’s activities, such as face-painting, Fairy Hair, crafts and more! Later in the evening, a warm welcome will be given by representatives from both the City of Fairfax and Mason, to commemorate this exciting new event. The event will conclude with a dance party featuring several drag queen performances throughout the evening.

All are invited and welcome to attend! 

By Peter White | SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases this month that could prohibit consideration of race in college admissions, undoing a 45-year history of Affirmative Action dating back to 1978.

Last October, conservative activist Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, filed a lawsuit against Harvard claiming it discriminated against Asian-American applicants. Lower courts found no evidence of that claim, and no students testified against the current race-based policies at Harvard or in a separate suit involving the University of North Carolina.

Still, given the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, many expect an end to the policy, which supporters say has helped boost enrollment in colleges and universities for historically underrepresented groups.

“Progressives, patriots, and free thinkers of all colors and creeds and sexual orientations need to unite in the struggle to preserve the core American principles of inclusivity and multicultural democracy,” said civil rights lawyer Lisa Holder, president of the Equal Justice Society (EJS) in Oakland, California.

Holder spoke with reporters last week during a news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services. She noted Affirmative Action is the best way to undo the historical legacy of inequality and discrimination in higher education, adding that California schools would become more segregated without it.

“We’re looking at apartheid schools where children of color are not getting access to opportunity. That is un-American,” she said. Holder noted the consensus among social scientists that diverse educational environments are 35% more productive than those that are more homogeneous.

Students who testified before the high court in both the Harvard case as well as a separate case involving the University of North Carolina – also filed by Blum’s group – stressed the advantages of being part of a more diverse student body.

Echoes of Roe v. Wade

In its 1978 Regents of University of California v. Bakke decision, the Supreme Court ruled that schools’ use of Affirmative Action policies to enhance student diversity is constitutional.

Tomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education – where he served for two decades – worries this current court is poised to overturn that longstanding precedent.

“We don’t know when it will come down,” Saenz said. But given the court’s stated views on race-conscious Affirmative Action policies, he expects the justices will overturn it just as they did with the Dobbs ruling last year overturning Roe v. Wade.

“I consider that to be the likely outcome,” he said, noting the Supreme Court revisited the issue of race conscious Affirmative Action in higher education on three separate occasions. Each time the court majority reasserted that the Bakke precedent continued to be the law.

“So, overturning that precedent would be extraordinary and on a par with the Dobbs decision of last year,” Saenz said.

He also predicted that opponents of Affirmative Action would seek to expand the court’s rationale. “This case will have nothing whatsoever to say about Affirmative Action in employment or contracting. And anyone who asserts otherwise, is misleading you,” Saenz said.

“You will hear folks from the right assert that somehow this Supreme Court decision also means that ethnic studies, even critical race theory, must be eliminated from schools.”  On the contrary, Saenz says the decision will say nothing about curriculum.

Impacts on campus diversity

\John C. Yang, president and CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) reiterated that lower courts found no evidence of discrimination against Asian-Americans in Harvard’s admissions process, which is the basis of the lawsuit.

“An admissions process considering race… remains necessary to ensure that equally qualified students from communities of color have the same access as privileged white students,” Yang said.

He noted 28% of the incoming Harvard class are Asian-Americans and their numbers have quadrupled since 1978 when the Bakke decision was issued.

“Any suggestion that somehow Asian-Americans are being discriminated against is just belied by these simple facts,” Yang continued. If Affirmative Action is overturned, he anticipated campus diversity at Harvard would decrease from 14% to 6% for Blacks and from 14% to 9% for Latinos.

“At the end of the day, we have to recognize that we are not in a race-blind society. Our lived experiences should not be up for debate,” Yang said.

What about legacy admissions?

Michele Siqueiros has been supporting greater college access for students of color since 2004, and says it hasn’t been that long since women, Black, Latino, Indigenous and Asian-American students were even permitted to attend universities.

“Affirmative Action alone was never intended to be the panacea,” said Siqueiros, president of The Campaign for College Opportunity, a California-based non-profit.

“We must do everything in our power to provide all students an equal opportunity to pursue a college education,” she stressed, adding that with the anticipated SCOTUS ruling more will need to be done to ensure universities do not discriminate against students of color.

Siqueiros also pointed out that conservative opponents of Affirmative Action have nothing to say about legacy admissions – which can account for a quarter or more of all admissions at Ivy League schools like Harvard – or about recruiters exclusively visiting rich, wealthy, and predominantly white high schools.

“There are a lot of practices in higher education that should be challenged and removed,” said Siqueiros. “It’s really unfortunate that Affirmative Action is the one that’s being attacked today.”

******************************************************************************************

The preceding article was published as part of an ongoing partnership between Ethnic Media Services and the Los Angeles Blade. For additional information or to learn more about Ethnic Media Services click on the link embedded in the logo above.

WDG is the Washington Blade’s media partner in Israel. WDG originally published this article on Friday.

JERUSALEM — Upwards of 30,000 people on Thursday marched in the Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade, which marked the beginning of Pride month in Israel.

The parade, organized by the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, began with the traditional gathering at Gan Happamon. Many politicians also came to support and encourage the marchers.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who chairs the Yesh Atid party, in his speech referred to the counterprotest the Lahava movement organized near the parade’s starting point. Several dozen LGBTQ+ and intersex rights opponents participated in the protest.

“Outside are standing, like every year, the wretched thugs of Lahava movement, demonstrating against us,” said Lapid. “Only this year these people are no longer just a ridiculous bunch of dark extremists — they are part of the government. Bezalel Smotrich, (Internal Security Minister) Itamar Ben-Gvir [and] Avi Maoz, are trying to push us all back into the closet, to the dark closet of their foreknowledge. In Israel there is not one fight for democracy and a separate fight for LGBT rights. It’s the same struggle against those enemies. in the name of those values. Those who attack Israeli democracy attack the LGBTs, those who attack the LGBTs attack democracy.”

Benny Gantz, chair of the National Unity Party, referred to the need to hold parades in the capital. 

“We won’t have to march when in this parade we won’t need security, we won’t need snipers and undercover policemen. We won’t have to walk when each and every one can walk in any neighborhood they want, holding hands like any couple. We will not have to march when gay will not be a curse in school but simply self-determination, when each and every one can fill out any government form according to what he is,” he said. “We will not have to march when a prime minister in Israel would not think of giving the keys to the education system to a dark racist and allocating hundreds of millions to oversee liberal education programs. I am ashamed of this and I tell you that even at the most difficult political price, I will never do such a thing. We will not have to march when there are no racists in the government. Such people would be denounced and would not be elected, not because of the law — but because no one would want to elect them. We won’t have to step when simple love won’t be complicated or will be as complicated as any simple love.”

At the end of the gathering, the marchers began marching towards Independence Park where Ran Danker, Ivri Lider, Roni Duani, Rinat Bar and others were performing.

More than 2,000 police officers and soldiers, visible and hidden, secured parade participants with the assistance of reinforcements and volunteers. 

As with every year, the police commissioner and the Minister of internal Security came to the parade area to examine the work of the police in the field. But unlike previous years, Ben-Gvir was received with shouts of “shame.” Ben-Gvir came to supervise the parade, despite a prior demand from the parade organizers that he refrain from doing so.

“In my position as a minister, I do and will do everything so that there is no crazy case, as was the case with the murder of Shira Banki,” said Ben-Gvir, “My policy is to give freedom of speech to those who oppose the parade, even to those who speak against the parade, that is their right. They are not breaking the law yet. Our job on this day is to allow the parade and protest, this is democracy, this is the beautiful mosaic in the state of Israel and this is how I act as minister of national security.”

Several serious incidents of violence against the LGBTQ+ community took place after the parade ended and marchers dispersed. In one of them, boys and young men were seen setting Pride flags on fire, and in the second, a group of young people attacked a number of LGBTQ+ people near Jerusalem’s Central Station. They shouted at them to “go back to Tel Aviv, you son of a bitch.”

“This is a resounding slap in the face that reminds us that no matter how much we spread light, the struggle is not over yet, and the hatred towards us exists and understands,” Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance said in response to the violence. “In Jerusalem those who walk around the city tonight, are asked to be alert and take care of themselves. Don’t worry, we will win.”

“The Jerusalem parade is the strongest expression of our opposition to hatred, and to the plans of the hate lobby to fight in our community,” Hevruta, an LGBTQ+ religious organization, said. “Even hundreds of millions of shekels, the authority and standards of Avi Maoz and the Noam party will not be able to extinguish our love for God, for who we are and for our families.”

MEMPHIS – U. S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee declared Tennessee’s anti-drag Adult Entertainment Act to be unconstitutional.

Parker’s ruling comes after a two-day trial last month. A Shelby County-Memphis based LGBTQ theatre company, Friends of George’s, had sued the state of Tennessee, claiming the law unconstitutional under the First Amendment.

In April Judge Parker ordered a temporary injunction halting the just enacted Tennessee law that criminalizes some drag performances, hours before it was set to take effect Saturday, April 1. In his 15 page ruling ordering the temporary injunction Parker wrote:

“If Tennessee wishes to exercise its police power in restricting speech it considers obscene, it must do so within the constraints and framework of the United States Constitution. […] The Court finds that, as it stands, the record here suggests that when the legislature passed this Statute, it missed the mark.”

Attorneys for the theatre company had argued that drag performances were an artform and protected speech under the first amendment.

In his 70 page ruling Friday, June 2, 2023, Parker wrote:

“After considering the briefs and evidence presented at trial, the Court finds that—despite
Tennessee’s compelling interest in protecting the psychological and physical wellbeing of
children—the Adult Entertainment Act (“AEA”) is an UNCONSTITUTIONAL restriction on
the freedom of speech.”

“The Court concludes that the AEA is both unconstitutionally vague and substantially
overbroad. The AEA’s “harmful to minors” standard applies to minors of all ages, so it fails to
provide fair notice of what is prohibited, and it encourages discriminatory enforcement. The
AEA is substantially overbroad because it applies to public property or “anywhere” a minor
could be present.”

Read the entire ruling:

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Federal Judge stops drag ban in Tennessee, cites First Amendment