Dim financial picture at SF Pride
Dance-Along Nutcracker
Board of directors decides to furlough staff for a month; new co-chair resigns.
SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band sets sail with gala ‘At Sea!’
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see Arts
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BAYAREAREPORTER
Vol. 40
. No. 49 . 9 December 2010
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Appellate court hears Prop 8 case
Rich Nichols and Harvey Milk outside Castro Camera in February 1977.
by Matthew S. Bajko three-judge federal appellate panel indicated this week it is likely to allow the lawsuit challenging California’s ban against same-sex marriage to proceed but would narrowly tailor its decision about the anti-gay policy. In August a federal district court judge struck down the law, known as Proposition 8, as being unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection and freedom of assembly rights of gays and lesbians. He stayed his ruling while the lawsuit, known as Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, is heard on appeal. The backers of Prop 8 are seeking a reversal of the lower court decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They have argued that voters had a right to pass the anti-gay initiative in November 2008, which reversed the California Supreme Court’s decision to allow same-sex couples to wed, in order to protect the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. Lawyers for the two same-sex couples and an advocacy group that brought forward the federal lawsuit have challenged whether the group behind Prop 8, known as Protectmarriage.com, has standing to appeal the district judge’s ruling. They contend that only the governor or the attorney general can appeal the decision, and
by Matthew S. Bajko he Human Rights Campaign’s decision to move its Castro store into the former camera shop of the late Supervisor Harvey Milk has infuriated friends of the gay political leader and the
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Matt Baume
Milk’s friends aghast at HRC store plans
Plaintiffs’ attorney David Boies greets a marriage equality supporter as he heads into court for oral arguments Monday.
because they have refused to do so, the appeal should be denied. In court this week, they also argued that if the group is given standing, then their request to overturn U.S. Chief District Court Judge
Vaughn Walker’s decision should be denied because they have failed to show what harm will come from allowing LGBT people to marry. A deputy clerk from Imperial County in
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Dan Nicoletta
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Budget woes greet new lawmakers HIV advocates A optimistic on Brown eople in California’s HIV/AIDS community appear hopeful that Governor-elect Jerry Brown, a Democrat, will work to maintain funding for the epidemic after enduring care Governor-elect and prevention Jerry Brown cuts from outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But they are also well aware the state is still in a difficult financial situation.
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Rick Gerharter
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Lydia Gonzales
by Seth Hemmelgarn
s California’s LGBT legislators were sworn in for a new term, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special session to deal with the state’s $25.4 billion deficit projected through the next 18 months. Cuts that have been proposed by the governor include large reductions in social services and other areas. Those sworn in Monday, December 6 included several LGBT lawmakers, bringing the number to seven, a new record for the LGBT caucus. In the Assembly, three new out lawmakers – all Democrats – took the oath. They are Rich Gordon (San Mateo), Toni Atkins (San Diego), and Ricardo Lara (Los Angeles). They join out re-elected legislators Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) and Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles). Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) and Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) will again serve in the state Senate. Perez was praised for his leadership Monday, and he was elected by acclimation to remain speaker. Perez is the first out LGBT person to fill the powerful post. As he nominated Perez, Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) said Perez “has focused
Freshman Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) speaks at the Capitol on Monday as new lawmakers are sworn in.
like a laser on jobs and economic recovery.” Atkins said she was honored to make seconding Perez’s nomination her first act as a state legislator. Like Eng, she praised Perez for his work on the economy. Atkins also said Perez had provided “a voice for fairness and equality for all people in our state,” and she referred to the oral arguments in
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the federal Proposition 8 case that were under way in San Francisco. There, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals was hearing arguments in the federal lawsuit over California’s same-sex marriage ban, which the state’s voters passed in November 2008. Atkins noted that she and her spouse Jennifer
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by Seth Hemmelgarn