Supervisors OK LGBTQ commissioners

by Cynthia Laird

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a gay man for a seat on the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force July 25.

The board, at its last meeting before its August recess, also reappointed a lesbian to the city’s Entertainment Commission.

Saul Sugarman, 38, was approved 7-4 by the supervisors to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force one day after the board’s rules committee forwarded his name with a positive 3-0 vote.

Sugarman is currently the editor of the Bold Italic, an online site run by GrowSF, which describes itself as a nonpartisan group of volunteers who want the city to be safe, clean, affordable, and vibrant.

Seat 3 is specified for a member of the media. Sugarman fills an unexpired term that ends April 27, 2024.

During his remarks to the committee, Sugarman said he has previous media experience at the now-defunct SF Weekly, the San Francisco Examiner, and the Daily Journal.

“I’ve been interested in this task force for awhile,” he said, explaining that he had applied before but deferred to another candidate and was urged to apply again in the future.

In his application, Sugarman notes that he is HIV-positive and active in the LGBTQ community. He stated that he has written for nearly a dozen San Francisco-based news outlets in his 12 years of living in the city. He stated that he is Jewish and has an active relationship with local Jewish media.

Voters approved the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force 25 years ago. Its purpose is to protect the public’s inter-

From page 7 fielded requests from other Iranians, either LGBTQ themselves or friends of those who are, seeking assistance in helping them to immigrate to the U.S. and has connected them with agencies that do such work.

“Fuck the Iranian regime and their anti-LGBT policies,” said Shyne, who took part in local protests

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EQCA called out Shaw’s rhetoric and behavior. Hoang stated that she and fellow members “referred to LGBTQ+ students as being mentally ill – a harmful and wildly false statement to make in front of students attending the meeting.”

Assemblymember Bill Essayli (RRiverside) attended the meeting. He’s the lawmaker who attempted to pass a bill that would have implemented forced outing policies statewide, est in open government. It also provides information to city departments on appropriate ways to implement the Sunshine Ordinance.

The supervisors also approved David Pilpel on the same 7-4 vote to the task force’s seat 9, which requires experience in the issues of citizen access and participation in local government. That position also fills an unexpired last fall after Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of Iran’s notorious “morality police” after being apprehended for not wearing her headscarf properly.

While Shyne’s sister still lives in Southern California, her mom lives in Los Gatos and her three brothers continue to call the Bay Area home.

Shyne is planning to come up to San Francisco for an LGBTQ-focused fundraiser sometime in August or

EQCA noted. Thankfully, the bill died in April after the chair of the Assembly Education Committee opted not to schedule it for a hearing.

At the time, Essayli tried to argue that his bill actually benefited trans minors, which is magical thinking.

“My bill is aimed at supporting trans minors, not hurting them. The notification requirement is only triggered when a minor is already publicly identifying by a different gender at school,” he wrote on X back then. That, of course, was the problem with his bill – it would have forced outing trans students who may have wanted their term that ends April 27, 2024. Pilpel is a former member of the task force, but drew criticism from some public commenters during the committee meeting. (https://www.ebar.com/story. php?ch=news&sc=news&id=327143)

There was no comment during the supervisors’ meeting. Board President Aaron Peskin (District 3) voted no, along with Supervisors Dean Preston early September.

“I am very grateful I am able to serve as mayor in the city of West Hollywood and I am grateful I am able to run for this seat and bring representation to all, not just some,” said Shyne.

To learn more about her candidacy, visit her campaign website at https://www.sepishyne.com/ t teachers and peers to call them by a different name and pronoun.

The existence of LGBTQ youth should not be a partisan issue, yet that’s exactly what it has become in our current political climate. We’re extremely grateful that Thurmond went to that Chino school board meeting and stood up for queer youth, and, in the process, showed everyone exactly what we’re facing from transphobic school board members. With the new school year starting soon, it’s imperative that all students get the support they need on campus.

The Chino district might want to

(D5), Hillary Ronen (D9), and Shamann Walton (D10).

As a member of the rules committee, Walton had voted yes on July 24 to forward the men’s names to the full board.

Entertainment Commission

On the Entertainment Commission, the board unanimously ap- see what happened regarding the Chico school district in Northern California. There, a parent sued the district and the superintendent because they believed the district permits school personnel to socially transition students and prohibits the district from informing parents. But a federal judge recently dismissed the parent’s lawsuit, which challenged the state’s policy of allowing students to be their authentic selves at school without fear of being outed at school or at home.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of profiles of out 2024 congressional candidates in California.

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http://www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on the race for a Palm Springs U.S. House seat heating up.

United States District Judge John

A. Mendez held that parents do not have a constitutional right to force proved the mayoral reappointments of Cynthia Wang and Ben Bleiman. The board also approved the reappointment of Dori Caminong. The terms are all until July 1, 2027.

Wang is the urban planning representative on the panel.

Wang and her spouse, Tessa Chavez, were in the news last December when they renewed their vows in front of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (DCalifornia), who was in San Francisco to promote the Respect for Marriage Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law shortly afterward.

The Respect for Marriage Act repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act that was passed in 1996 but had key provisions struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 (Section 3, U.S. v. Windsor) and 2015 (Section 2, Obergefell v. Hodges). Not only does it require federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide but also mandates states must recognize such unions performed in other states.

Wang was also in the news earlier this year when the San Francisco Democratic Party initially balked at recognizing her new Westside Family Democratic Club, claiming it was a front for Republicans. The club later got its charter and an influx of members, after a San Francisco Chronicle story about the dustup.

Bleiman is an industry representative on the commission. He currently owns five bars/restaurants in the city, according to the commission’s website. Caminong was reappointed by the supervisors to the neighborhood seat on the commission. She works for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families. t schools to out students who use different names and pronouns at school than those they were assigned at birth, noted the American Civil Liberties Union. The judge also made clear that schools have an interest in protecting students’ privacy and ensuring they aren’t bullied or harassed.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads. net/@matthewbajko.

Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ ebar.com.

Based on this ruling, Chino is likely on the losing side of the argument should it be subject to litigation. The Chino district should rescind its hurtful and dubious policy. t