Results tagged “gay”

There was no such luck for San Francisco this year, but the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood beat out popular gay spots in Rio, London, Amsterdam, Chicago and Montreal this week in a contest put on by MTV's Logo Channel. Other winners in the TripOutGayTravel awards include New York City (best U.S. destination), the Wynn Las Vegas (best ultimate luxury/hotel resort) and the W Hotels (best hotel chain). Party on, WeHo.

One year ago tonight, thousands of disappointed voters hit the streets to protest the passing of Prop 8 which banned gay marriage in California. Tonight, people will gather again.

When you write lyrics that say, in essence, that "faggots" should "get up and run" because "they have to die," it's fair to say people will get upset. Adding that you will shoot them in the head and "burn them up bad" doesn't help either. But that's part of Buju Banton's “Boom, Bye Bye” song, which has prompted gay rights groups to effectively pressure promoters to cancel 16 concerts across the country.

Foes of gay marriage tried to get a U.S. District Judge to dismiss a case against Proposition 8, a voter-approved initiative that reinstated a ban on gay marriage last November. As expected, Judge Vaughn Walker denied the motion, which means a court case could begin as early as January, according to the LA Weekly.

The fourth hearing over a pending federal court case challenging the legality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, will take place in San Francisco today. Backers of the ban are asking U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker to dismiss the challenge because the law is clearly written and, get this, "there is no constitutional right for gays and lesbians to marry because marriage has long been defined as a union between a man and a woman," according to the LA Times.

Although two major gay rights bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger this weekend, two dealing with transgender issues were vetoed. One would have aided transgender people to revise their birth certificates and the other would have provided protections for transgender people in prison.

As Obama prepared for his big "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" speech last week, government figures released showed that women are more likely to be kicked out of military service under the policy than men. In a story, the Associated Press highlighted Julianne Sohn, who now works for the LAPD.

Among the hundreds of bills signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last night, two gay rights ones were authored by San Francisco's Senator Mark Leno. One names May 22nd as Harvey Milk Day and the other recognizes same-sex marriages from other states by providing "the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state," according to the bill's language. "In short, this measure honors the will of the People in enacting Proposition 8 while providing important protections to those unions legally entered into in other states."

Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, released a pointed statement this afternoon regarding Republican Michael Duvall, the Orange County Assemblyman who today resigned after a local TV station exposed a video of him crudely bragging about his extra-marital affairs, presumably with at least one lobbyist, according to reports. Jean's main point? Despite his family values when it came to opposing gay issues, he had no problem cheating:

As many Americans are preparing to bid adieu to the season with Labor Day weekend, those of us lucky enough to live in this part of the country have several more weeks of warm weather to frolic in. Even so, there are some of you who have thought, “I should go to the beach this summer” and it’s still not too late. With the holiday weekend around the corner, we at LAist figured that you same-sex loving guys out there would appreciate info on where gaze upon gym-toned bods without fear (Lady-loving ladies, we’re open to a similar post just for you).

The next big date in all things Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, will be January 11th, 2010. In this morning's hearing about the case, backers of Prop 8 desired a 2010 summer date, but proponents of striking the ban down wanted it much earlier. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker denied three gay rights group the ability to join the lawsuit, as well as a anti-gay marriage group's request, too. However, he did allow the City of San Francisco to join, but only to assess the impacts to local governments, explained the Associated Press. Expert witnesses will be designated by October 2nd with discovery concluding on November 30th. The pretrial conference will be on December 16th followed by the designation of rebuttal expert witnesses on December 31st, said the Mercury News.

It's just after 10 a.m. and case against the unconstitutionality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, is being heard for the second time in a federal district court in San Francisco. Before the first hearing in July, Judge Vaughn R. Walker said "given that serious questions are raised in these proceedings ... the court is inclined to proceed directly and expeditiously to the merits of plaintiffs' claims. ... The just, speedy and inexpensive determination of these issues would appear to call for proceeding promptly to trial.”

Although Equality California announced putting support a ballot measure to strike down Prop 8, another group, The Courage Campaign, said today they are shooting for 2010 and just raised $135,000 in the last two days--an amazing amount for August fundraising in an off-year during this economy--for research. Chatter among some within the anti-Prop 8 movement has the house divided.

Backers of restoring gay marriage in California announced today that they will focus their energies on a 2012 ballot proposition, based on "information, research and feedback" from analysts, pollsters and the community-at-large. Equality California stepped back from attempting to win a measure on the 2010 ballot, but said in an e-mail that they refuse to wait until there is full confidence of winning, which could be later than the 2012 election.

Sacha Baron Cohen's latest character-star-turn as the "flamboyantly gay Austrian fashionista," Bruno opened on movie screens all around the country yesterday, and now The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has come out in objection to the flick, saying it "reinforces negative stereotypes and decreases the public's comfort with gay people," according to the Huffington Post. While some of the movie's moments "hit the mark," Cohen's cavorting "hit the gay community pretty hard and reinforce some damaging, hurtful stereotypes" GLAAD's president noted. Universal Studios, who released the film, sought input from GLAAD during advance screenings, and insist the film is meant to be seen only as satire. However, one scene that includes "Bruno in a hot tub with his adopted infant son and two naked men involved in a sex act," remained in the film, despite GLAAD's objection. Bruno has also ruffled feathers locally after a series of photos taken at Birmingham High angered LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines.

Remember these people at the Oscars? It's the infamous Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church and they are protesting various locations in Los Angeles tomorrow including Fairfax High School, a Jewish temple, a community center and the Anti-Defamation League's headquarters, according to the LA Times.

As this week marked the bittersweet one-year anniversary of legal gay marriage in California, two political leaders made big moves in the advancement of gay rights. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger on Tuesday decided not to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, in a federal court case. Disappointing traditional marriage advocates, he said it will be up to the courts to decide because the case "presents important constitutional questions that require and warrant judicial determination."

For California's gays and lesbians, today marks the bittersweet one year anniversary of the California Supreme Court's decision to allow LGBT folks to get married in the Sunshine State. Of course, things didn't turn out exactly as planned and in November, Proposition 8 passed, leaving gays and lesbians high and dry at the aisle. Cue the scenes of protesters marching on the Mormon Church, the streets of Silver Lake and Downtown and ultimately, last month's decision by the Supreme Court to uphold Prop. 8 while allowing the approximately 18,000 couples who were hitched to stay that way.

                     

This weekend marked the 39th year for L.A. Pride, which for many was one of the more positive years, considering the climate due to the current status of Prop 8. It may have been one of the largest with more than 100,000 people attending.

                     

The annual Dyke Day L.A. march and celebration took place Saturday, moving from the top of the hill in Barnsdall Art Park to Edgecliff Dr in Silver Lake. "Dyke Day L.A. is a day in the park for all self-identified dykes and allies, including gay families, transgender dykes, and dykes of all ages. The mission of Dyke Day L.A. is to create an inclusive space that brings together the past, present, and future of our east side Los Angeles dyke community," explains their Facebook contingency.

Is New England the new California? New Hampshire became the sixth state, the fifth in New England, to legalize gay marriage today. After months of back and forth revisions, the legislature approved it this morning following by Governor John Lynch approval this afternoon when he signed it into law.

       

About 3,000 people descended upon on Fresno Saturday for the Meet in the Middle 4 Equality to protest Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California and was upheld by the state Supreme Court last week. First, a group marched 14.5-miles from Selma to Fresno's city hall followed by a rally with speakers including Charlize Theron, T.R. Knight, Eric McCormack, Cleve Jones, Rick Jacobs, Robin McGehee and Robin Tyler.

       

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"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," said Sergio Garcia, who beat out girls to be this year's prom queen, in his campaign to become prom queen, something he said was more of a stunt in the first place. "Sure, I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye." At the prom, he'll be wearing a suit.

                     

Last night's large Day of Decision protest and march went peacefully through nearly six and half miles of West Hollywood and Los Angeles streets. There was lots of frustration, but also chants of encouragement, statements written in yellow chalk on the sidewalks and streets and people to meet.

In an e-mail yesterday from Protect Marriage, the official Yes on Prop 8 group, they are not too worried concerned about the 18,000 gay couples whose were marriages untouched in the state Supreme Court's ruling. Why? Cause, apparently, a lot of gays will divorce, they say: "if California goes as Massachusetts did after legalizing gay marriage, a substantial portion of the still-recognized gay marriages will be dissolved by divorce within a few years." Jeeezzz.

Two top attorneys who argued Bush v. Gore on opposite sides have now joined forces to strike down Prop 8 in federal court, filing for a preliminary injunction against same-sex marriage ban until the case is resolved, which would immediately reinstate the right for all Californians to marry. Theodore B. Olson and David will officially announce their case tomorrow morning in downtown, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

              

One of the first protests of many in the Los Angeles area today took place at the East Los Angeles Recorder Office on Cesar Chavez Avenue. Around 100 people, who would have preferred to be celebrating, were prepared with Repeal Prop 8 in 2010 signs. They chanted in front of news cameras while a few couples waited in line to get marriage proposals, an exercise in purposeful futility. After being denied, the couples refused to leave saying they would wait until gay marriage is legal in California. Eventually, they left shortly after 3 p.m.

Speaking from Sacramento today as he works with legislators on our failed state budget (they want to take money away from cities), gay marriage supporter and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa addressed today's Prop 8 ruling in a statement.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a supporter of gay marriage, but his duty is to uphold today's ruling. However, he believes that someday gay couples will get the right to marry in California. Here's what he said in a statement today: "While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage, as governor of California I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court. Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8's passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact. I also want to encourage all those responding to today's court decision to do so peacefully and lawfully.''