Hateful Group Asks Parents To Keep Kids Home on Harvey Milk Day

This Wednesday is Harvey Milk Day in California; a day which is intended to celebrate this important gay rights activist. One conservative anti-gay organization, SaveCalifornia.com, is using radio ads airing in Sacramento and Los Angeles to urge parents to keep their kids home from school that day. Randy Thomasson, the president of the group explains his reasoning behind the illogical boycott:

According to the Sacramento Bee, the group's president, Randy Thomasson, says: "This is harmful to children...This is not academic, it's brainwashing." Thomasson also explained his feelings on the holiday to CBS13: “Children belong to the parents, not to the state, and to force a sexual agenda and a political agenda upon children, that’s highly inappropriate.”

What is highly inappropriate is the all of the information as well as a video posted on on the group's website which is full of hateful lies and anti-gay propaganda. The alarmist image above is from the group's website.

Watch a CBS13 news segment about the anti-gay campaign, AFTER THE JUMP.

Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Representative Jim Costa (D-CA), who was one of seven House Democrats who have not taken a position on same-sex marriage, has stated he is in support of it in a message quietly posted on the HRC website:

"In the San Joaquin Valley, family always comes first but what that family looks like is not always the same. While I respect the opinion of those who might disagree, I support marriage for all couples who wish to make this life-long commitment.”

The six House Democrats who have note yet taken a position are Cedric Richmond (LA), Kurt Schrader (OR), David Scott (GA), Terry Sewell (AL), Bennie Thompson (MS), and freshman Filemon Vela (TX).

Two Additional Meningitis Deaths Identified in Southern California

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said yesterday it had identified two previous deaths it attributed to a deadly form of meningitis, NBC Los Angeles reports:

Rjay Spoon, 30, of downtown Los Angeles died on Dec. 16; and an unidentified 30-year-old San Diego State University student who lived in Chula Vista died on Dec. 10.

Casey Hayden, who was Rjay Spoon's partner, said he woke up one night to find Spoon vomiting. Spoon's symptoms puzzled doctors until it was too late, he said.

"We went to the hospital and the first thing they said it was was a drug overdose," Hayden told reporters Tuesday. "Then they said it was extremely advanced HIV, which was not the case. He was negative."

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation told the L.A. Times it gave hundreds of vaccinations on Monday to people who showed up at its facilities:

The organization, which initially ordered about 1,000 doses and plans to acquire more, said it would continue providing the shots as needed.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has provided an FAQ about bacterial meningitis on its site for those of you with questions about the disease and where you can get vaccinated.

California Senate Panel Advances Bill That Could Strip the Boy Scouts of Tax Exempt Status Over Gay Ban

Back in February I posted about a bill introduced by openly gay California state senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) that would strip the Boy Scouts' tax exempt status for discriminating against members and leaders on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Today that bill passed its first legislative hurdle, the AP reports:

The Senate Governance and Finance Committee voted 5 to 2 to move the first-of-its-kind bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee for review.

The Youth Equality Act, sponsored by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, would deny tax-exempt status to youth groups that discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or religious affiliation.

Should the bill pass the BSA would be required to pay corporate taxes on donations, memberships, and all other sources of income.

Said Lara in February:

“Our state values the important role that youth groups play in the empowerment of our next generation; this is demonstrated by rewarding organizations with tax exemptions supported financially by all Californians. SB 323 seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups by revoking their tax exemption privilege should they not comply with our non-discrimination laws.”

Michelle Shocked Stages Masked, Gagged Sit-In at Santa Cruz Venue That Canceled Her Show: VIDEO

Michelle Shocked showed up to Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, which canceled her show over her anti-gay rant. She wore a mask over her head, tape over her mouth, and taped several hastily scrawled signs to the wall before sitting down on the cement and strumming her guitar.

Watch a video shot by someone at Shocked's impromptu protest, AFTER THE JUMP...

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports:

The tape across her mouth said "Silenced By Fear." When asked a question, Shocked shook her head vigorously and strummed her guitar while seated on the ground outside popular music venue Moe's Alley. She pointed to a sign inviting people to pick up a Sharpie marker and write on the white disposable safety suit she was wearing.

Earlier in the day, she had tweeted her plans: "Moe's in S Cruz tonight ok? Its an art project 'My Summer Vacation' I want your autograph. Bring Sharpie."

Moe's Alley owner Bill Welch, who talked with Shocked as she strummed her guitar outside his club, had replaced her with bands Beaver Fever and Frootie Flavors.

Watch a video shot by someone at Shocked's impromptu protest, AFTER THE JUMP...

(image santacruz.com)

BTW, this is what she said about Prop 8:

"When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back...You can go on Twitter and say, 'Michelle Shocked says God hates fags.'"

Right-Winger Says California Dept. of Education is 'Raping Innocence of Children' with New LGBT-Inclusive Books List

Go to the California Department of Education's updated 'Recommended Literature List' and search for "lgbt, gay, lesbian, homosexual, queer, bisexual, transgender, "sexual minority", "marriage equality" in the box titled "annotation" and dozens of LGBT-inclusive titles appear, many of them new to the list. The list is recommended reading for K-12 students.

The Mercury News reports:

While the state list has addressed controversial topics before, this is the first time it included works that were honored by the Stonewall Book Awards, which have been given out since 1971 to recognize contributions to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender literature.

"We have titles in the list for the LGBT community for multiple recommended grade levels," said Roxane Fidler, the CDE's education programs consultant. "There are books from the Stonewall Book Awards, which has not previously been on the list," Fidler said.

The online catalog, Recommended Literature: Pre-Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, contains more than 7,800 books meant to prepare students for college, a career and the changing world, Fidler said. Because the newest titles were published in 2012, some of the included books embrace today's cultural and civil rights challenges. It was last revised in 2008.

The list includes the first-ever recommended title with a transgender theme:

The book is titled “I Am J.” It’s a young adult novel about a teen, Jennifer, who identifies and sees herself as a boy.

In one passage, her father, Manny, lovingly tells J — as she begins calling herself—  that she doesn’t have to take a traditional path in life. But it’s clear he’s talking about professions, not gender identity.
 
Manny stood up and pulled J into a hug. “You’re still my baby girl,” he said into J’s baseball cap. His voice was sweet and crooning. “You’ll always be my baby girl."

Some right-wingers are freaking out:

Sandy Rios, host of a morning radio show on American Family Radio or AFR Talk, called this list of titles "appalling. "

"It's a frightening trend," Rios said in an interview. "The reading lists are very overtly propagating a point of view that is at odds with most American parents. Leftist educators are advocates of everything from socialism to sexual anarchy. It's very base; it's raping the innocence of our children."

But Fidler said the works are not mandatory reading and they are chosen based on quality not ideology.

There are "no controversial books," Fidler said. The teachers, librarians, administrators, curriculum planners and college professors who curated the list rarely had trouble deciding whether a well-written book should not be included because of its topic, she added.