FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COALITION THROWS THE ‘LEFT OUT PARTY: A GENDERFUL GAYLA’ ACROSS THE STREET FROM HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN DINNER

ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING FORMER KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND L.A. MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA, BOYCOTT HRC GALA AND SUPPORT INCLUSIVE ENDA

July 26, 2008

Today, a coalition of queer progressive organizations will hold “The Left OUT Party: A Genderful Gayla,” an alternative to the Human Rights Campaign’s annual fundraising dinner in San Francisco. The Left OUT Party will be held outside of the Westin St. Francis hotel on the west side of Union Square, and will feature performers, live bands, speakers, and “Human Rights Heroes” award recipients all showing their support for federal non-discrimination legislation including protections for both gender identity and sexual orientation.

The Examiner wrote a little blurb about the HRC event. They didn’t mention that the HRC is being roundly condemned for its abandonment of rights for transgender folks.

You can comment on the article. I think the Examiner’s readers need to know the story, don’t you?

SIGN THE PETITION: SUPPORT THE HRC SF GALA DINNER BOYCOTT

On Saturday, July 26th, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is hosting its annual San Francisco gala dinner and fund raiser at the Westin St. Francis hotel. They’ll raise money, cheer and applaud their apparent successes in Washington DC, announce a sudden, renewed interest in marriage, and claim that they are advancing the nation’s LGBT agenda.

But we in San Francisco’s LGBT community are preparing our OWN July 26th party in the streets, outside of the Westin St. Francis. We also encourage others in the LGBT community and our allies to boycott HRC’s gala event, due to HRC’s ongoing refusal to advocate for federal legislation that protects all Americans from discrimination based on gender identity and expression.

Published in today’s SF Bay Guardian

HRC’s failed strategy on ENDA has needlessly divided our community at a time when we are poised to make great gains in civil rights

By SF Pride at Work

OPINION On July 26, the Bay Area’s gay and lesbian elite will gather at the posh Westin St. Francis to raise money for the Human Rights Campaign in the name of securing and protecting LGB rights. Despite flip-flopping its position on a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which should include protections for gender identity as well as sexual orientation, HRC will rake in money to further advance a version of human rights in the political world of Washington, DC in which transgender and gender-non-conforming people are apparently less than human.

YOU’RE INVITED!! Queens, Studs, Femmes, Trannies, Twinks, Soft Butches, And all fighters for social justice and fabulousness! COME TO THE ‘Left OUT Party: A Genderful Gayla!’

At Union Square directly across from the Westin St. Francis (where HRC’s gala is happening simultaneously) San Francisco’s LGBT communities will celebrate inclusiveness and the multitude of gender expression and variation in our LGBT communities!

At the Left OUT Party, we will honor the legal team that won the CA Supreme Court marriage decision, hear from politicians and community leaders, and feature a spectrum of genderfabulous performers and Mistress of Ceremonies, Annie Danger.

Supervisor Peskin with SF Labor Council President Mike Casey

Tonight Sup Daly announced that Supervisor Aaron Peskin has 19 votes to be the Chair of the SF Democratic Party. Game over.

Call Off the Dogs, Scott Wiener

Over the past few weeks there has been a great fuss over who will be the next Chair of the Democratic Party. For a little bit of the behind-the-scenes math, there are 24 elected and 10 superdelegates now on the DCCC. Therefore 18 is the magic number to win the Chair vote and 17 guarantees at least a tie. The progressive choice for Chair, Aaron Peskin, has already received 19 commitments.

Great news! Public Defender Jeff Adachi just came in as another endorser of the Left Out Party/HRC Boycott.

State Board of Equalization Member Betty Yee has signed on to the boycott of HRC. She joins a long list of politicians, including State Senator Carole Migden, Assembly Member Mark Leno, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, SF Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano, Board President Aaron Peskin, Supervisor Chris Daly, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi,Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, President of the School Board Mark Sanchez and School Board Members Jane Kim and Eric Mar. One of my personal favorites endorsers is Stuart Milk, a gay nephew of Harvey Milk. Some of the organizations include the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, And Castro for All, The Trans March, The Lou Sullivan Society, FTM International, FTM San Buenaventura Chapter, and the SF Labor Council. The SF Pride at Work chapter and And Castro for All are doing the lead organizing. You can still sign the petition by clicking here.

July 12, 2008

To the Board of the Harvey Milk Club LGBT Democratic Club:

Many of you are aware of H Brown’s “swiftboat” campaign of slander aimed at me and my
candidacy for District 3 Supervisor.

Those of you who attended the recent District 3 forum hosted by the Harvey Milk Club know
that H Brown was so out of control that he was asked to leave the forum.

Great news! City Attorney Dennis Herrera just contacted Pride at Work to say that he will not be attending the HRC Dinner. This is particularly good news since HRC promised to award him for his work on Marriage Equality. Dennis deserves great praise for getting it.
Namaste Dennis.