By Ramy Eletreby

Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing Holds Town Hall Meetings

Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing is seeking input about what kinds of services are needed in the Social Serves Center, slated to open next spring. Two town hall meetings are scheduled on Sept.13 at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (located at 1125 N. McCadden Pl.) with a reception from 6-6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting; and on Sept.16 at Metropolitan Community Church (located at 8714 Santa Monica Blvd.) in West Hollywood. That reception will be from 5-5:30 p.m. with the town hall meeting from 5:30-7 p.m. For more information call (323) 954-3900 or e-mail info@gleh.org.

Final Man Sentenced in Gwen Araujo Murder

The fourth man involved in the killing of transgender teen Gwen Araujo in 2002 was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Aug. 25. Jaron Nabors, 23, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for testimony against three other men. Nabors admitted to aiding and abetting the murder and showed authorities where the victim’s body was buried. “I know that my words offer nowhere near a sense of consolation. I do not forgive myself. I do not see how I ever can,” Nabors told Sylvia Guerrero, Araujo’s mother, before the sentence was delivered.

Ivy Bottini Turns 80!

About 500 of activist/artist Ivy Bottini’s “closest friends” turned out for a gala celebrating her 80th birthday on Aug. 26 at Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood. The event was to “honor the important work of this woman,” said Marian Jones, founder of the Ivy Theatre, named after Bottini, for which the event was also a fundraiser. Comedienne Robin Tyler served as emcee and a stream of elected officials and community activists lauded Bottini as their mentor and hero.

L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky called Bottini “a treasure of our country.” Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg paraphrased activist Emma Goldman in praising Bottini’s humor, “If I can’t laugh, I don’t want to be in your revolution.”

“My life has a life of its own and it takes me on wonderful adventures,” Bottini said, modestly summing up the history she made or molded as the “consumate grassroots activist.” - Karen Ocamb

League of California Cities Establishes First Municipal LGBT Caucus

After strong advocacy from openly gay West Hollywood City Councilmember Jeffrey Prang, the League of California Cities (with a membership of 500 cities) formed the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Local Officials (GLBTLO) caucus, the first LGBT caucus of a state municipal league. “There are at least 30 openly gay and lesbian municipal officials in California,” said Prang, caucus co-chair. “This new caucus will provide LGBT officials an important means of working together on local and state issues.”

The GLBTLO caucus holds its first official meeting at the 2006 League of California Cities Annual Conference in San Diego on Sept. 7.

California Gays Raise $35,000 for Ohio Democrats

Once again Ohio is riveting the nation’s political attention. Considered a “swing state,” Ohio twice delivered the presidency to George W. Bush and the races there now are viewed as a referendum on the Bush administration.

The gubernatorial race between Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland and Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is of particular interest. Blackwell, an African American, is lauded as a symbol of GOP diversity. But to gays he is homophobic, recently telling the Columbus Dispatch that homosexuality is a "transgression against God’s law" that can be cured.

At an Aug. 24 fundraiser in Los Angeles hosted by attorney Dean Hansell, about 80 people raised $35,000 for Strickland and lieutenant governor candidate Lee Fisher, Hansell’s cousin. According to Hansell, Strickland told the crowd that “he and his wife married late and have no children. Several columnists have raised they question about whether Strickland is gay. Although he said he was a heterosexual male, he refused to deny being gay because he said to do so would imply that there is something wrong with being gay.”

Though polls show Strickland ahead, GOP heavyweights continue to drop into Ohio to raise money for Blackwell. For more visit www.tedstrickland.com.

Event to Help Garamendi’s Lieutenant Governor Campaign

West Hollywood Democratic Club, Stonewall Democratic Club, and Stonewall Young Democrats are among the groups sponsoring an event to help Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi in his race to be California’s next lieutenant governor. His Republican opponent is anti-gay conservative state Sen. Tom McClintock, who is trying to ride the coattails of Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger. The event is being hosted by Laurence Zakson and Dr. Peter Kreysa on Sept. 14 from 6-8 p.m. in West Hollywood. Call Sam Brown at (310) 966-6020 or e-mail samdbrown@gmail.com for more information. Also visit www.garamendi.org for more information about Garamendi’s campaign.

Megan Mullally Featured in AIDS Walk L.A. PSA

Emmy-winning actress and new talk show host Megan Mullally is featured in a public service announcement promoting the 22nd Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles. “Every year, L.A. walkers successfully draw attention to an international health crisis and raise needed money,” says Mullally. “While we’ve made great strides over the years, the only way we stand a chance of ending the AIDS epidemic is if we continue the fight and continue to raise money.”

The Megan Mullally Show premieres Sept. 18 on NBC. The 22nd Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles is slated for Oct. 15.

Tweakers Project Holds Bingo Fundraiser

On Aug. 30, a special Drag Queen Bingo fundraiser was held at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood to benefit The Tweakers Project, a nonprofit documentary outreach film about the gay crystal meth epidemic. Tweakers Project Executive Producers Jimmy Palmieri and Robin Tyler welcomed friends, family, politicians, and nonprofit leaders who filled the popular hangout to the brim, making the night an enormous success. In addition to West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman and Hernan Molina, deputy to City Councilmember John Duran, representatives of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, C.I.T.Y. x1 Youth group, CSW, Wells Fargo, Tom of Finland, the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, and the West Hollywood Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board attended to help ensure filming continues on this vital project. A two-minute teaser of the film was shown to the crowd and received great response. For more information, see www.tweakersproject.org.