by Peter DelVecchio

George Takei to host Frontrunners Pride Run

Actor and LGBT activist George Takei, Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series, will host the Los Angeles Frontrunners 27th annual Pride Run, a fundraising event to be held June 8 in West Hollywood. Proceeds will go to Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing, which operates the Triangle Square affordable housing project in Hollywood. Takei is also a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign’s “Coming Out Project,” and, in April 2006, began a nationwide speaking tour, “Equality Trek,” to speak about his experiences as a gay Japanese-American.

Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, presented Takei with HRC’s Equality Award in San Francisco last July. Days after the California Supreme Court’s May 15 ruling striking down California’s same-sex marriage bar, Takei announced that he would marry Brad Altman, his partner of 21 years and business manager.

California to send most diverse delegation to Democratic Convention

California will send the most diverse state delegation to the Democratic National Convention August 25-28 in Denver, Colo., states a May 18 California Democratic Party release. “Our campaigns and the party united to ensure the delegation represents the rich diversity of California and that Democrats from all communities across the state will have a voice in Denver,” said Shannon Gilson, spokeswoman for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. “There is no question that California Democrats will go into the fall strong and unified,” said John Emerson, an official of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign. California’s delegation will be 11.8 percent LGBT, 11.1 percent under 30, 25.9 percent Latino, 17.5 percent African-American, 8.6 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 2.5 percent Native American and 8.2 percent disabled, meeting the party’s affirmative action goals in almost all categories. Sen. Dianne Feinstein was elected delegation chair at the delegates’ meeting on May 18 in Sacramento.

“Our party will march united into the general election, and the California delegation will lead the way,” Feinstein said. “We will work together to ensure that Democrats win back the White House and build on our majorities in the House and Senate.”

Sacramento gay bashing possibly linked to marriage decision

Three men were arrested in Sacramento in what police describe as a “gay bashing” the evening of May 15, hours after the California Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling striking down California’s same-sex marriage ban, The Associated Press reports. It is unclear whether the crime was related to the ruling, according to Sacramento Police Officer Michelle Lazark.

The 23-year-old victim was sitting in a car with another man at a Sacramento gas station when the three suspects allegedly approached and asked him if he was a homosexual, Lazark said. When the man answered affirmatively and got out of the car, the suspects allegedly beat him. “It’s a gay bashing,” Lazark said. “Gay slurs were used before they commenced to beating him. I don’t know if these guys were looking for someone or are just ignorant.” The victim, whom police refused to name, did not require medical treatment. The state attorney general’s office, the FBI and LGBT groups say they are unaware of any other incidents related to the marriage decision.

According to the California attorney general’s office, hate crimes based on sexual orientation declined to 246 in 2006 from 255 in 2005.

Bass takes reins as Assembly speaker

On May 13, Karen Bass, one of the most pro-gay members of the state Legislature, became California’s first female African-American speaker of the Assembly.

In her acceptance speech, Bass urged Assemblymembers to transcend partisanship and “harness the power of our common humanity … Members, we have to respond to the current economic crisis the same way we would a natural disaster. We have to toss aside the boxes we put ourselves in, and the labels we place on others, and come together to get the job done.”

Bass tapped Assemblymember Noreen Evans as the next chair of the Budget Committee and Assemblyman Kevin de León as the next chair of the Appropriations Committee. Current chairs, openly gay Assemblymembers John Laird (Budget) and Mark Leno (Appropriations) will continue “with their full duties” until December, when they term out.
—Karen Ocamb

AIDS/LifeCycle makes history

The rumble of a city on wheels will pulsate into the City of Angels on Saturday, June 7, as a record-setting 2,500 cyclists pedal their way from San Francisco to Los Angeles in AIDS/LifeCycle 7, the largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event in the world.

The seven-day, 545-mile bike ride will come to a close at the Wadsworth Theatre on the Veterans Administration grounds. The 2,500 riders and 500 volunteer roadies are expected to raise more than $11 million to benefit the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, two of the largest AIDS services providers in the country. Since its inception, AIDS/LifeCycle has raised more than $40 million for HIV/AIDS services. No other annual event raises more money in the fight against AIDS.

“We’ve made many advances in the struggle against HIV and AIDS, but the fight is far from over,” said Lorri L. Jean, chief executive officer of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. “During the time it will take us to reach L.A., more than 1,000 Americans will become newly infected with HIV.”

The emotional closing ceremony will take place at 4 p.m., once all the riders have arrived. To volunteer, contact the AIDS/LifeCycle office at (323) 860-7376.

The Wadsworth Theatre is located at 11301 Wilshire Blvd., in Westwood.
—Imelda Aguirre

State budget revision retains HIV/AIDS cuts

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s May budget revision “maintains cuts to important programs serving Californians with HIV/AIDS that were first proposed in January,” states a May 16 AIDS Project Los Angeles release. The revision increases AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding to cover new clients, but eliminates anti-psychotics, hematological agents and anti-wasting drugs from funded medications, according to the release, which also states that 60,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County. “The governor had the opportunity to move us forward, but this is a giant step back,” said Craig Thompson, executive director of APLA.

Center celebrates 10th anniversary of the Village at Ed Gould Plaza

History’s first educational/cultural/social center created specifically for the LGBT community and its friends kicked off its year-long 10th anniversary celebration in May.

Once an abandoned post-production studio, the Village, gutted and redesigned from the ground up, was transformed into an LGBT oasis in the middle of Hollywood. Now a state-of-the-art facility, the Village houses two theater stages, the Renberg and David/Valentini Theatres; two art galleries, the Advocate and Gochis Galleries; the David Bohnett Cyber Center, a hi-tech computer learning center; several meeting rooms for community groups and self-enrichment courses; and one of the most beautiful, relaxing courtyards in town.

The Village was named for the late Edward S. Gould, a Center board member and tireless activist, particularly for LGBT youth, who lead the capital campaign to find and build the facility.

“We envisioned a home that would welcome people in an environment that felt safe,” Gould said during the process. “We wanted young people coming to terms with being gay or lesbian to walk through the doors and see a place that was comfortable—that would encourage them to be who they were. … Most importantly, we wanted to send a clear message that gay and lesbian people deserve a proper place in society.”

With its events commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Village, the Center intends to reconnect LGBT people to the vision that inspired it.
—I.A.

Pets hard hit by foreclosures

Pets are increasingly suffering as a result of the tsunami of mortgage foreclosures sweeping the nation, the Los Angeles Daily News reported May 20. More and more people are losing their homes, and being forced to give up their pets.

“People are always relinquishing their animals,” said Sheryl Perez, animal care supervisor at Van Nuys’ East Valley Animal Shelter. “But I’ve never seen it as much as nowadays, when the economy has affected pet owners and pets.” While statistics regarding the number of pets that are being given up because of foreclosures are unavailable, shelters in Los Angeles have seen a 21 percent spike in numbers of people citing “moving” or “landlord” as the reason for surrendering their animals. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the situation nationwide is similar to that in Los Angeles, and pet euthanasias have likely increased. Additionally, “more families are coming to [shelters] saying, ‘We don’t have the money to feed our pets,’” said Humane Society spokeswoman Stephanie Shain. The Humane Society has established a fund offering grants from $500-$2,000 to help shelters assist people whose mortgages have been foreclosed in caring for their pets.