Check out these cook kids from the Porterville Pride Club! We added the link to their FB page on our Visalia page of links. It takes a lot of courage to be out and proud in a small farming community in the Central Valley of California. There is no greater form of activism than leading an open and honest life in front of your family, friends, classmates, or coworkers. Truth!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged central california, Central Valley, college, gay-lesbian-and-bisexual, leadership, porterville, Pride Club, Queer, transgender, Visalia
Another first for Tulare County, California. Acting on the last-minute offer of space at the annual County Fair, local LGBTQ activists and organizations pulled together a display highlighting local and national resources and events.
This is a momentous occasion for the LGBTQ community here. Tulare County, in the heart of California’s vast Central Valley, is firmly in the “red” portion of the state. Proposition 8 (California’s initiative on the 2008 ballot to overturn the State Supreme Court ruling granting marriage equality) passed here with 75% of the vote.
This booth represents the second major advancement of LGBTQ recognition in Tulare County this year.
SPECIAL UPDATE: 9/12/12 0530 hrs Pacific
The LGBTQ Booth won first place! Pictures soon!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged LGBT booth at county fair, LGBTQ activism, Tulare County, Tulare County Fair, Visalia
California, to much of the rest of the nation and world, is the epitome of liberalism and the home of acceptance for the LGBT community.
Home to world class Pride events such as THE Pride Parade, San Francisco, and huge affairs in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Palm Springs, and even Fresno (it’s the home to one of the nation’s oldest and largest LGBT film festivals), California is often thought of as the heaven of the gay world.
There’s a part of California, however, where that mindset is as foreign to the residents there as might be the Klingon home world. There are really two Californias.
The one most people think about when they think “California”, is the politically liberal, social progressive place the conservatives love to rant about. “Hollywood values”, or “San Francisco values” are epithets spat out like some horrid evil that’s ready to consume the unwary. The California that has Governors, Mayors, and City Council members vying for spots in convertible Corvettes and Jaguars as they wave to the crowds lining the streets for Pride Parades.
I live in the “other” California, and history was made here yesterday.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Amy Shuklian, Bob Link, gay pride, Greg Colllins, LGBT Pride Proclamation, Steven Nelsen, Visalia, Warren Gubler
Located in California’s vast Central Valley, just about exactly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Visalia is a community of 125,000, and is the county seat of Tulare County. The region is conservative, both politically and socially, being a strong “red” area on maps during elections. With a 3 to 1 ratio of Republican to Democratic voters, change sometimes comes slowly.
This Monday, June 18, 2012, however, will mark a historic day in the local LGBT community. On that date, the city council will proclaim June as LGBT Pride Month in Visalia.
Ten years ago, a high school student in VIsalia had to sue the school district over harassment he underwent at the hands of other students, and even teachers. Over the years, change has been slow. Lately, however, with the change in public attitudes towards LGBT people’s rights, even Visalia has been affected.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged City of Visalia, gay rights, LGBT, LGBT Pride month in Visalia, Visalia
Gay couples around the country went to their county clerk’s offices in the annual Freedom to Marry Valentine’s Day action today, to once again demonstrate the inequality faced by same sex couples. Here’s some pictures from my neck of the woods, a particularly conservative area (3 to 1 registered Republican to Democratic party voters, and voted 75% for Proposition 8, the California Constitutional ballot initiative that took away the right to marry, and was recently overruled, twice, but is still in effect).
This action was held at the Tulare County Superior Court, in Visalia, California.
Eight couples attempted to get marriage licenses, but were turned away.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged GetEQUAL, lgbtq marriage, marriage equality, Same-sex marriage, Tulare County, Visalia
“Think about it as this swirling circus of originality and creativity that magically appears once a year to tickle, inspire and fire the imagination … unabashedly celebrating and stretching the wonders of the possible.”
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Arts and Entertainment, California, Central Valley, Festivals, Fresno, Merced, Modesto, Rogue Festival, Tower District, Visalia
Suspect Alvarez
The proliferation of social media provides a multitude of ways for people to make connections, allowing everything from random chats, friendships, hook ups, even long term relationships. Between the various web sites and smart phone apps, there’s something for everyone. As with every shiny new toy for the boys (and girls), however, there’s a dark side as well. One California man found out the hard way that there is a risk to meeting others at the new ‘watering hole’.
Christopher Alvarez, 23, was arrested December 5 by Visalia, California, police after he assaulted a man he met through an unspecified “social network application”. (update: 6:30 am- it’s now reported that the method of contact was through Grindr)
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged christopher alvarez, hook up apps, social networking, Visalia, visalia man raped
