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Vicki Marlane exhibit opens
Castro gets local cafe
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Kunst-Stoff's finale
The
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Schools support burned student
Repeal vote likely for trans law by Seth Hemmelgarn
B
ackers of a new California law meant to protect transgender students are preparing to fight for the legislation as anti-trans activists announced they’ve submitted more than Jane Philomen Cleland 600,000 signatures to Frank Schubert place a referendum on next year’s ballot. The Privacy for All Students coalition had had until Sunday, November 10 to gather 504,760 valid signatures to put a referendum against Assembly Bill 1266 on the November 2014 ballot. AB 1266, which Governor Jerry Brown signed into law in August, aims to make sure that transgender youth can fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs, and facilities that match their gender identity. In a news release Sunday, Privacy for All Students said it had submitted more than 620,000 signatures to election officials. It could take several weeks to determine whether the coalition submitted enough valid signatures. In an email to the Bay Area Reporter, Frank Schubert, the anti-trans campaign’s manager, said the high signature count “does not guarantee we are going to be on the ballot. ... [I]t will all depend on how many of the signatures are verified as being valid and I expect it to come down to the wire.” The coalition indicated volunteers collected about 400,000 of the signatures, while paid signature gatherers collected “just over” 220,000. In the news release, Schubert, the mastermind of California’s now-defunct Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban, stated, “The validity rate of volunteer signatures is considerably higher than those for a paid signature drive. Historically, elections officials invalidate a significant percentage of signatures but many of our volunteer petitions have a validity rate of over 90 percent. We will be completing our internal validity checks over the next few days, but we believe the referendum has a good chance of qualifying.” Gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), who authored AB 1266, said in a statement, “It’s a sadly familiar story that goes back to Proposition 8” and previous anti-LGBT efforts over the years. “The people who oppose my bill for transgender rights mistakenly think that they can overturn a movement with their petitions,” he added. Ammiano said even if the referendum sucSee page 9 >>
Vol. 43 • No. 46 • November 14-20, 2013
by Seth Hemmelgarn
A Veterans honored in SF
Jane Philomen Cleland
V
eterans rode and marched in this year’s annual Veterans Day Parade Sunday, November 10 in San Francisco. Among those participating was World War II veteran Paul Georky, who rode in the American Legion Alexander Hamil-
ton Post 448 contingent. The American Legion post is made up of mostly LGBT veterans. Parade organizers also paid tribute to veterans of the Korean War, which is marking its 60th anniversary this year.
g e n d e r- n o n conforming high school student from Oakland is recovering from burns suffered after another high schooler set their skirt on fire on an AC Transit bus. The youth being charged in the attack, which has received Luke Sasha heavy media attention, is Fleischman expected to enter a plea this week, while officials at both youths’ schools are expressing sympathy for the victim. According to Oakland Police Department spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson, officers responded at 5:20 p.m. Monday, November 4 to “a report of a person who was intentionally set See page 8 >>
Pride members fail to remove Currie by James Patterson
A
t a planning meeting of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee this week, members were unsuccessful in removing treasurer David Currie from the organization’s board of directors. The vote from the 36 members present was 6-29. Some members were upset with what they see as his role to declare “no winners” following the chaotic 11-hour annual election in September and his silence during the Chelsea Manning controversy earlier this year. The meeting, held November 12 at Metropolitan Community Church-San Francisco in the Castro, was attended by approximately 45 people and turned chaotic at times as many voiced lingering concerns and frustrations over the conduct of board members at the September 15 annual meeting. Board member John Caldera, who arrived late, distributed a letter to members calling for them to support a motion to remove Currie from the board “without cause.” Caldera took his seat close to Currie but the treasurer stared in the opposite direction. Vocal member support for Currie’s removal was based on the belief he supported former board member Lou Fischer’s claim of no winners at the election. Board secretary Justin Taylor said that former board member Pam Grey, voted off in September, took minutes at the annual meet-
ing that show Currie had Pride press release, signed by not supported the no Williams, that rescinded the winners decision. Taylor organization’s grand marshal said Currie supported honor to Manning, the Army the newly elected board private who was convicted of members. leaking classified government This was an unusual documents to WikiLeaks. declaration as Taylor adManning is now serving a 30mitted Grey’s minutes year prison sentence. had not been approved “I would have said ‘hell no’ by the board and he had to that statement,” Haines only recently received said, voice shaking. He said he them. Still, the board was disappointed San Franwas silent as to the accucisco Pride had let that occur. racy of the unapproved Haines endorsed the Pride Rick Gerharter minutes. Neither Taylor Committee’s second press renor interim Executive SF Pride treasurer David Currie lease stating Manning’s nomiDirector Lisa Williams nation was improper as she would offer the Bay Area was not local. Reporter contact information for Grey for her “It was based on policies and procedure,” he confirmation of the contents of the minutes. said, but the community paid no attention to Members asked Currie to explain why he it. Haines, who is black, said it was the comsupported fewer board seats in the election. munity’s anger over Manning that “wiped out He revived criticisms of the past board when African American members” from the board. he reminded members they had not known Williams was up and down, standing and how many board seats were open for the elecsitting, during the long debate on the Mantion. His support of fewer seats was “because ning controversy with which she was so deeply big changes would be difficult to manage” and involved. he felt it better to “grow the board in a more Currie spoke for 10 minutes on why he logical way.” should continue as treasurer. Virginia, Taylor, Former board member Shaun Haines, seekand Joey Cain temporarily left their seats. Curing a new board appointment after he lost rie said he brought better financial managere-election, took the floor to deny any involvement to San Francisco Pride and “pushed hard ment in the incendiary April 26 San Francisco See page 9 >>
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