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Issue 1, Vol. CXXXIII, January 26, 2015
Bear Cubs
Find out what it means to L-G-B-T When President Obama mentioned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in his 2015 State of the Union address, he became the first president to acknowledge the lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of our community at a State of the Union. “As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why I’ve prohibited torture,” he said. “That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.” This is not the first time Obama has made it clear that he is an advocate for equality with h i s
anti-bullying campaign that started back in 2011 and his “It Gets Better” videos with messages for LGBT youth who were affected by bullying. LGBT rights appear to be more controversial than ever. A quick web search will pull up thousands of photos of the president labeled as “Anti-Christian” or praise the president for the support they feel. In California, there are areas like San Francisco’s Castro District where people are welcomed to be who they want to be —where people are encouraged to explore their sexuality and dress as the gender that they identify with. While places like these exist, not every area is so welcoming. There are still areas like Lebanon, Ohio where Leelah Alcorn, a transgender girl, committed suicide on Dec. 28, 2014 because she felt like an outsider. Alcorn, having been biologically born male, belonged to family that did not support her decision to start a gender transition at the age of 17. “Either I live the rest of my life as a lonely man who wishes he were a woman or I live my life as a lonelier woman who hates herself. There’s no winning. There’s no way out,” Alcor n said. Al-
looking for repeat success Matt Rubel Staff Writer
Jarrett Rodriguez/ Oak Leaf
The sign for Bertolini’s gender neutral bathroom.
corn’s struggle raised awareness for other transgender teens across the United States but she wasn’t alone in bringing attention to the LGBT community. In the past year multiple celebrities have come out publicly as members of the LGBT community, among them Ellen Page, the star of “Juno,” and public figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook. “I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered,” Page said during a LGBT conference in Las Vegas. Last year, the low rating from LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index prompted Santa Rosa Junior College to improve the amount of support available on campus. Students in transition, who have not been able to change their names legally, are now allowed to change their roster names on their online cubbies and promised at least three genderneutral bathrooms. Now, with the recent addition of four gender-neutral bathrooms, questions arise: Do these students feel the amount of support they need? Do students feel safe to share their sexual orientation or sex that they identify with? And do other students support this recent movement for equality? Five members of the SRJC community shared their thoughts and experiences with the Oak Leaf to make others aware of their cause. Continued on Page 8.
The defending state champion men’s basketball team struggled early this season but is now firing on all cylinders, winning six of its last eight games. The Bear Cubs overall this year stand at 10-8, 3-1 and most recently held on in a tight 76-72 win against Sacramento City College. The season started in November and Santa Rosa Junior College went a meager 3-3 for the month. The Bear Cubs stumbled in December, losing three of their first four games in that month as well. Early season injuries hindered the team greatly, as it lost starting forward Corey Hammell to injury from a car accident and the tremendous long-range threat of Parker Farris to a broken foot. Since their return to the lineup, the team has seen rapid improvement, winning six of its last eight games. “We as a team are starting to figure out our roles, we’ve all had to adjust, plus we are finally healthy,” Hammell said. Recent games clearly show the Bear Cubs are on the right track, playing as a team, executing offense and showing an incredible ability to hit shots from behind the three-point line. The Bear Cubs have shot a very efficient 42.5 percent from behind the arc in league play and show no signs of slowing down. Entering the second half of league play, all games are very important if the team has any plans on repeating as the state champions. Major upcoming home games include Diablo Valley College, Cosumnes River College, San Joaquin Delta College and Sierra College. “We are learning everyday and will only get better as days continue,” freshman forward Arnold Silva said. Adopting the idea of taking it one day Continued on page 7
Joseph Barkoff / Oak Leaf
Davone Oliver drives the ball low into the key against DVC Jan. 23 at Haehl Pavilion.