california
A photo by Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune:
As a rainbow appears in the background Jeff Key, of Salt Lake City, proudly holds the flag as advocates for gay marriage rally on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City after a federal court judge overturned California’s same-sex marriage ban Wednesday. Key asked his husband to remarry him during the rally.
(via sadax on Reddit)
BREAKING: Proposition 8 ruled unconstitutional
In a landmark victory, a federal judge declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional.
Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that California’s Proposition 8 should be overturned in a 136-page ruling.
According to the Dallas Voice:
The defense has said it will appeal Walker’s decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the case is expected to eventually wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The defense has also requested a stay of Walker’s ruling pending appeal, but Walker has not yet ruled on that request. If the stay is granted as expected, same-sex couples could not begin marrying in California right away.
The conclusion of the ruling:
“Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite- sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.”
And an excerpt from the ruling:
A private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-se couples is not a proper basis for legislation.
(Photo: New York Times, hat tip to Queerty)
Everything you need to know about Prop 8
Matt Baume of Stop8.org has created a video recap of Proposition 8 within the past few years.
Watch and learn! :)
Breaking: Three shot outside gay nightclub in San Francisco
Four people were injured during the gay pride weekend in The Castro District of San Francisco, California, according to a report by California Beat.
The shooting occurred sometime after 11:30pm during Pink Saturday, a street party held the night before San Francisco Pride. FOX40 reports that the shooting was at a gay nightclub called “The Cafe” at the intersection of Market and Castro Streets.
The conditions of the people who were injured are unknown at this time.
According to @GAinSF, the photo above shows a Muni Metro station at the Market and Castro intersection. The photographer reports that all roads closed and the riot police have been called in.
(Above photo: sharayray, main photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin)
(EDIT: California Beat reports that the San Francisco Police Department is now reporting that only three people were shot instead of four, which was previously reported.)
8: The Mormon Proposition Trailer
Last week, Equalitopia gave away free tickets to a special screening with the filmmakers of 8: The Mormon Proposition in select cities.
8: The Mormon Proposition is a film by Reed Cowan narrated by Dustin Lance Black about the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8.
8: The Mormon Proposition exposes the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8 and the religion’s secretive, decades-long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophet’s call to action, wage spiritual warfare with money and misinformation against gay citizens, doing everything they can to deny them of marriage and the rights that come with it. 8: The Mormon Proposition opens in theaters on June 18th, 2010, two years after the first gay marriages took place in California (June 17th, 2008).
Reblog to win tickets to a special screening of 8: The Mormon Proposition
Equalitopia is giving away tickets for you and a guest to special screenings of 8: The Mormon Proposition in select cities.
8: The Mormon Proposition is a film by Reed Cowan narrated by Dustin Lance Black about the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8.
How To Win
If you can make it to one of the screenings listed, simply reblog this post for a chance to win! You can also tweet for another chance to win!
If your contact information (email, IM, Twitter or Facebook) is not found on your Tumblr blog, please simply include one of those pieces of information so we can contact you.
Screenings
Los Angeles (Tuesday, June 8th, 7:30pm)
American Cinematheque at the Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
San Diego (Wednesday, June 9th, 7:30pm)
Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, 701 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
Chicago (Sunday, June 13th, 7:00pm)
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State Street, Chicago IL 60601
New York (Monday, June 14th, 7:30pm)
Chelsea 9 Cinemas, 260 W 23rd St., New York, NY 10011
Washington DC (Tu esday, June 15th, 7:30pm)
Landmark E-Street, 555 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
About the film
8: The Mormon Proposition exposes the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8 and the religion’s secretive, decades-long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophet’s call to action, wage spiritual warfare with money and misinformation against gay citizens, doing everything they can to deny them of marriage and the rights that come with it. 8: The Mormon Proposition opens in theaters on June 18th, 2010, two years after the first gay marriages took place in California (June 17th, 2008). Read more at the official website.
Lady Gaga flash mob protests boycotted hotels
LGBT activists found a creative way to warn other LGBT people to stay out of boycotted hotels during San Francisco Pride. The boycott was called by the workers of the hotels. They are fighting to win a fair contract and affordable healthcare.
A flashmob infiltrates the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco and performs an adaptation of Lady Gaga’s song “Bad Romance.” The event was organized to draw attention to a boycott called by the workers of the hotel who are fighting to win a fair contract and affordable healthcare. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer activists put the song and dance together as a creative way to tell the hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ people from all over the country coming to San Francsico in June for Pride to stay out of the boycotted hotels.
Learn more:
![Transgender student attacked in campus restroom, “it” carved into chest
A transgender student was attacked in a campus bathroom on the California State University, Long Beach campus. The attacked reportedly carved the word “it” into his chest with a knife.
On April 15, 2010, a 27-year old transgendered CSULB student reported that he was attacked in a restroom on the college campus, according to the LA Times.
The suspect addressed the transgendered student by his name. He pulled his shirt over his head and pushed him into a stall. He then used a knife to slashed the victim’s chest.
LBPOST.com obtained a Facebook posting about the incident:
“A [transgendered] student left class [Thursday] night to go to the bathroom and on the way there was assaulted by someone who knew him by name but whom he didn’t know. He beat him and threw him against a wall then carved “It” on his chest with a knife.”
The attacker fled and the student was taken to a hospital.
Police were able to sketch the suspect based on the information given by the victim (pictured above). Earlier reports claim the police have not said whether the attack was a hate crime.
UPDATE: According to existing reports, police have not confirmed that the incident was a hate crime. These earlier reports do not reference the information about “it” being carved into the victim’s chest.
(Image: CSULB Police)](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l1i3cffp1Z1qacar6o1_500.jpg)
Transgender student attacked in campus restroom, “it” carved into chest
A transgender student was attacked in a campus bathroom on the California State University, Long Beach campus. The attacked reportedly carved the word “it” into his chest with a knife.
On April 15, 2010, a 27-year old transgendered CSULB student reported that he was attacked in a restroom on the college campus, according to the LA Times.
The suspect addressed the transgendered student by his name. He pulled his shirt over his head and pushed him into a stall. He then used a knife to slashed the victim’s chest.
LBPOST.com obtained a Facebook posting about the incident:
“A [transgendered] student left class [Thursday] night to go to the bathroom and on the way there was assaulted by someone who knew him by name but whom he didn’t know. He beat him and threw him against a wall then carved “It” on his chest with a knife.”
The attacker fled and the student was taken to a hospital.
Police were able to sketch the suspect based on the information given by the victim (pictured above). Earlier reports claim the police have not said whether the attack was a hate crime.
UPDATE: According to existing reports, police have not confirmed that the incident was a hate crime. These earlier reports do not reference the information about “it” being carved into the victim’s chest.
(Image: CSULB Police)
50 Percent of Californians Now Support Marriage Equality
The Advocate is reporting that a new poll in California shows that 50 percent of residents now support marriage equality, versus 45 percent opposed. According to the pollster, this is the highest support recorded in California for gay marriage.
(photo by Flickr user ProComKelly)
