BY BRIAN RATTO
SETH WALSH
PHOTO: THE ADVOCATE.
Dan Savage and his husband
has recently been able to
Terry
the
open a Pride Center, and is
internet-based It Gets Better
in the process of starting a
Project. The project has more
Safe zone.
than 220,000 videos on its
There is also a group of
Miller
to
YouTube.com
start
page
and
has a stand-alone website
people from all walks of life and
organizations
working
Friday, September 2, 2011 is
www.itgetsbetter.org.
a great day in LGBT history
Many people, from all walks
County Pride Center up and
of life, have submitted a video
running. San Joaquin County
and
is one of the largest urban
here in California. It was the day
"Seth's
passed
Law"
and
was
sent
to
Governor Jerry Brown's desk awaiting signature. This
law
was
by Assembly
authored
member
Tom
Ammiano. The law is named in memory of Seth Walsh, a 13 year-old gay student from Tehachapi Calif. who took his life after years of anti-gay harassment in school. AB
9
"Seth's
Law"
will
ensure that California schools have
anti-harassment
and
anti-discrimination policies that include actual or perceived sexual
orientation,
identity,
gender
expression,
gender,
race,
ethnicity,
nationality,
gender
disability,
and
religion or association with one or more of these groups. The death of Seth Walsh was one of many LGBT youth suicides
that
happened
in
September 2010, prompting
6
the
project
together to get a San Joaquin
continues
to grow.
areas without a Pride Center.
There have been countless
As part of my personal goal
attacks
of being more active in the
from
on
the
LGBT 1998
students
murder
of
LGBT community I have been
Matthew Shepard to the most
attending
meetings
recent killing of Larry King.
Central
Valley
These events need to stop.
Democrats
Since coming out at age 16, I have
been
slander
and
subjected
to
bashing
but
thankfully, never a physical attack. I cry every time I hear of another LGBT life lost due to someone's ignorance. The lives we live are precious and we have the right to live
it
how
we
see
fit
without persecution. The
local
clubs
and
organizations I am a part of have
been
making
major
strides in the progression of LGBT safety. Delta
Pride,
San
Joaquin
Delta College's LGBT Club,
Club
of
the
Stonewall and
have
been helping out promoting the
San
Joaquin
County
Pride Center. The
chance
to
make
a
difference in the world is very slim and if I can make one LGBT person feel that they are loved I am doing my job as an activist and a gay man. Supporters of Seth’s Law: