Herndon Graddick

NEW YORK – GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced the resignation of President Herndon Graddick.

Under Graddick’s tenure, GLAAD began campaigns including a national call for the Boy Scouts of America to end their ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. The organization also announced a continuation of its commitment to incorporate bisexual and transgender people as well as allies from diverse backgrounds in GLAAD’s work to shape the media narrative and build public support for LGBT people.

“GLAAD is very grateful for Herndon’s work championing LGBT rights, especially his work on behalf of the trans community,” said GLAAD Board of Directors Chair Thom Reilly. “On behalf of the entire organization, I want to wish him the best.”

“I’m proud to leave GLAAD with a stronger, more efficient organization and an incredibly talented and experienced board and staff. I’m happy the role I was able to play in advancing the need for our community to fully support the rights of our transgender brothers and sisters. Our movement is benefited by the leadership not only of heroes like Evan Wolfson, Chad Griffin, Mara Keisling, and Kate Kendell, but of the necessary and vital blogger and grassroots communities. I look forward to returning to a private life and supporting the fight from behind the scenes,” said Graddick.

GLAAD’s Chief of Staff Dave Montez is serving as acting president. In addition to continuing to lead GLAAD’s development team, he will oversee GLAAD’s staff on the ground in Dallas next week throughout the Boy Scouts of America’s vote on whether to end their ban on gay scouts and leaders as part of GLAAD’s Boy Scouts campaign. GLAAD staff members are continuing work to share stories in the media of marriage equality in advance of next month’s Supreme Court decision as well as pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, increased trans visibility in the media, LGBT acceptance in professional sports, and building acceptance of LGBT people.

“GLAAD makes a great impact and the board has complete confidence that Dave’s proven leadership in building coalitions across diverse communities, advocating for lasting change, as well as fundraising for social justice causes will continue to forward the work of GLAAD in his role as acting president,” said Reilly.

The GLAAD board of directors is scheduled to meet later this month in New York City to determine next steps.

(CNN) — France’s top court ruled Friday that a bill permitting same-sex marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt children adheres to the constitution.

President Francois Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law on Saturday.

After the lower house of Parliament, dominated by Hollande’s governing Socialist Party, passed the bill last month, conservative and centrist senators filed a legal challenge with the court, the Constitutional Council.

The legislation admits France to a small but growing club.

Lawmakers in New Zealand this year made it the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage. The law is set to be enacted later this year.

Its move came a week after Uruguayan lawmakers approved a measure allowing same-sex marriage. The measure awaits the signature of Uruguay’s president, who has indicated he supports it.

If and when the laws in New Zealand, Uruguay and France are enacted as expected, the count of nations allowing same-sex marriage will rise to 14.

France would be the ninth country in Europe to allow same sex marriage.

The first same-sex couples walked down the aisle in the Netherlands in 2001, with others following suit in Canada, South Africa, Belgium and Spain. Argentina was the first Latin American nation to legalize such marriages, in 2010. Other countries on the list are Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

Many countries remain split over the issue. A Brazilian court this week issued a directive removing a barrier that had limited same-sex marriage, but no bill has made it through Congress.

Legislators in the United Kingdom are also weighing proposals to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawmakers in Australia voted against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage last September. A poll for the advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality indicated that 64% of those surveyed “support marriage equality.”

In the United States, the question went before the Supreme Court and justices are now deliberating over the matter.

Twelve U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriages. On the other side, many states have specific laws blocking same-sex couples from legally marrying.

In a sign of just how difficult the nascent gay rights movement is in the relatively new, relatively democratic country of Georgia, protesters, led by leaders of the Orthodox Christian Church derailed a gay pride parade shortly after it was scheduled to get under way. Thousands of anti-gay protestors, some with signs reading “We don’t need Sodom and Gomorrah!” threatened to lash the participants with stinging nettles.

A similar rally in the capital of Tbilisi was also cut short last year when police, clearly outnumbered and overwhelmed, were forced to escort members of the LGBT community out of the square where they were set to march.

The reaction from the church was unsurprisingly pointed. Father David, a priest who was one of the organizers of Friday’s anti-gay rally, said the parade “insults people’s traditions and national sentiments.” His views, however, continue to represent the majority in a part of the world that has not nurtured democratic principles for long. President Vladimir Putin of Russia recently stated that he would review his relationship with France regarding adoptions after the nation recently legalized same-sex marriage. He argued that France must respect the “cultural norms” of his country.

These views are not just limited to the country’s elders whom one might expect to hold more traditional, more conservative views. Young people are equally aghast at homosexuality. According to a report on Ames, Iowa’s Channel 5, 21-year-old student Nikolai Kiladze said, “We are against the propaganda of homosexuality. If we need to allow parades like this in order to become a member of the European Union or other Western organizations and blocs, then I’m against joining these organizations.”

Georgia’s authorities had given the green light for the gay parade to take place, saying that all Georgian citizens, irrespective of their sexuality, are entitled to voice their views in public.

Franklin Graham

(CNN) — Franklin Graham, one of the country’s most prominent evangelicals, says the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service included two of his ministries.

“I am bringing this to your attention because I believe that someone in the administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us,” Graham wrote in a letter Tuesday to President Barack Obama. The evangelical leader is the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham.

Graham said the IRS contacted the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a North Carolina-based ministry, after it ran newspaper ads in that state in April encouraging support for an amendment against same-sex marriage. The group also bought newspaper ads in November encouraging Christians to vote for candidates who oppose same-sex marriage, support Israel and “base their decisions on biblical principles.”

Graham said the ads were purchased by funds donated by “friends of our ministry.”

In September, the IRS informed the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, an international aid group, that it would review the groups’ records for the tax year ending in 2010, according to Graham. IRS agents conducted the review in October, Graham said.

The organizations, both of which are run by Graham, later received notice that they remain eligible for federal tax exemptions, he said.

“I do not believe the IRS audits of our two organizations last year is a coincidence — or justifiable,” Graham said in the letter to Obama.

The IRS did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. The agency has acknowledged that it gave extra scrutiny to tea party groups applying for federal tax exemptions. The Treasury Department’s inspector general said in a report that the IRS’ use of “inappropriate criteria” ended in May 2012.

Obama said Tuesday that he has directed Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to hold IRS employees accountable for “these failures.”

“But regardless of how this conduct was allowed to take place, the bottom line is, it was wrong,” Obama said.

Shanghai Pride

June 14 the LGBT community in Shanghai will come together to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The eight-day event will be host to the usual assorted revelry, shirtlessness and tight Lycra short shorts. But amid the festivities, a note of seriousness will underscore what many see as an accomplishment in and of itself. “A week-long string of events has been planned to boost the LGBT’s community position in China and raise awareness around LGBT themes including marriage equality, sexual health and societal acceptance,” note event organizers.

While miniscule by Western standards, the 800 or so people that showed up for both last year’s opening and closing day festivities, demonstrated to the Chinese that a voice was emerging in a country where approval of same-sex marriage now hovers around 30 percent.

“We’re very optimistic that this year will be the biggest and most fun Pride yet, but more importantly it will be the most significant in terms of content,” said Dylan Chen, one of the event organizers. “With a greater focus on equality, advocacy and sexual health we hope that we can bring together people in a more meaningful way than we have done in the past. It’s time to stop being afraid of confronting the issues that seemed daunting to us before, it’s time for us to come together as a community and share our experiences and knowledge for the benefit of our society.”

This year’s Pride plans on showcasing independent queer cinema, too. The goal, event organizers state, is to make the Shanghai Gay and Lesbian Film Festival the largest of its kind in China in several years. This year’s Pride will also feature art and theatre performances.

It’s estimated that there are nearly 30 million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in China many of whom are forced into cooperative marriages (xinghun) because of the intense social pressure to get married. But with each passing year, the growth of Pride events across China shows that change, however slow, will free thousands of young people to live their lives openly.

Being Alive HIV/AIDS Services is going green with the collection of plastic bottles and cans to support Daniel’s Pantry that feeds the clients every month. More than 400 people use the Pantry each month for a collection of canned goods, rice, fresh fruits and vegetables and some frozen meat. There are donation bins at local businesses and recyclables can be dropped off Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Being Alive, 4070 Centre Street, San Diego, 92103. For more information on this program call Harrison at 619-291-1400 ext. 320.

Being Alive is also continuing on the going green by collecting used cell phones, inkjet cartridges, mp3 players, laser cartridges, laptops, iPods, cds, dvds, blue rays, video games and other small electronic devices. This not only helps the environment it also raises needed money for the valuable services at Being Alive. Any items can be dropped off at Being Alive, 4070 Centre Street, San Diego, 92103 or at The Postal Place, 1010 University Ave., Suite C113 in Hillcrest. For more information on the e-waste recycling program call Terry at 619-291-1400 ext. 313.

Being Alive San Diego’s mission is to deliver quality and compassionate services to people affected by HIV/AIDS and to provide education to those in need. Being Alive was formed by 6 HIV + individuals in 1989 to address the need for “peer driven” support and services. Today Being Alive is the longest running AIDS service organization in San Diego, serving more than 10,000 individuals every year.

Last year, a court in Moscow ruled that the Pride celebrations cannot take place for the next 100 years. This means that organizing a Pride event in the city can first be realized in 2112.

Now Stockholm Pride wants to  invites all Russians to instead # GOWEST and celebrate Pride in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. They have devised a campaign that allows you to compose a Tweet-invite that’s automatically translated into Russian. In addition, your location for this particular Tweet will be changed to a location in Russia.

In a statement, Stockholm Pride said, “To celebrate that love, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and gender identity is a democratic right, we have taken this opportunity to, with humor and love, direct a special invitation to all of Russia to celebrate Pride with us. Twitter is one of the fastest tools for advocacy worldwide. The goal of the campaign is to create a trending topic on Twitter with # GOWESTand thus reach out to both the people of Russia and the rest of the world.”

Visit Sweden have announced that their movie Glorious Stockholm, promoting Stockholm as a gay-friendly city has won a total of seven awards, one jury’s choice awards and received one nomination.

The awards are as follows:- Berlin Toura d’Or (2nd place)- Peoples Telly Awards on YouTube (2nd place)- Riga Tour Film (2nd place)- New York Festival – World TV & Films (nominated)- Tourism Film Festival Bulgaria (Jurys award)- Telly Awards (3 categories: Tourism, Music, Non Commercial Marketing Film)- Warsaw FilmArt & Tourism Festival “FilmAT” (3rd place for tourism)

Watch the video!

(CNN) — The Brazilian National Council of Justice, which oversees the nation’s judiciary, passed a resolution Tuesday that denies notaries the right to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.

In Brazil, notaries officiate marriages and civil unions.

Recently, 12 Brazilian states began allowing same-sex couples to marry or convert their civil unions into marriages. However, since the Supreme Court does not carry legislative powers, it was up to each notary to officiate at their discretion, and many refused, citing the lack of law.

Joaquim Barbosa

Joaquim Barbosa, president of the Council of Justice, said in the decision that notaries cannot continue to refuse to “perform a civil wedding or the conversion of a stable civil union into a marriage between persons of the same sex.”

Barbosa, who also presides over the Supreme Court, says the resolution merely follows the transformation of society.

“Our society goes through many changes, and the National Council of Justice cannot be indifferent to them,” he said.

Civil unions between same-sex couples have been recognized in Brazil since 2011, after the Supreme Court ruled that the same rights and rules that apply to “stable unions” of heterosexual couples would apply to same-sex couples, including the right to joint declaration of income tax, pension, inheritance and property sharing. People in same-sex unions are also allowed to extend health benefits to their partners, following the same rules applied to heterosexual couples.

Brazilian lawmakers have debated same-sex marriage, but in most cases, the bills introduced have not progressed through Congress.

Brazilian neighbors Uruguay and Argentina are the only other two countries in Latin America that have laws allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Since the enactment of anti-gay ‘propaganda’ laws that have overwhelmingly passed in some of Russia’s largest cities, the LGBT community is seeing a discernible rise in violent crimes. Recently, a young gay man, Vladislav Tornovoi,

Vladislav Tornovoi

was brutally attacked then killed after he admitted to his drinking buddies that he was gay. In Volgograd, the 23-year-old man was beaten, had a beer bottle forcefully inserted in his anus, was set on fire and then, for good measure, had a stone dropped on his head killing him at once.

With the brutality of his death comes the painful realization that Russian society is on the brink of an all-out war against the LGBT community. Adding fuel to the fire is President Vladimir Putin’s call to allow the ultra-conservative Orthodox Church a larger voice in the moral direction of the country. With passage of a decree to that effect all but certain, gay activists, like Nikolai Alexeyev, worry that it will translate into a license to act. “It essentially gives these people carte blanche to commit such crimes,” Alexeyev warned. “Such crimes are committed around Russia every day. As a rule, all these crimes are categorized as something ordinary – they argued over a bottle of vodka, or there was ‘personal animosity’. The real motive of hate is not mentioned.”

Hate crime statistics are hard to come by in Russia where the concept is fairly new (and tenuous). For example, there were only three attacks reported in 2011 but 12 in 2012.

Gay activists say the government’s conservative policies offer “unspoken support” for violence. This, they say, could even have made the suspects in the Volgograd murder describe their victim as gay to win some sympathy.

That, coupled with Russia’s declining population together with rising HIV rates, make gays easy targets. On a recent trip to the Netherlands, faced with very vocal opposition, Putin clearly made his position, however tortured, known. ““It is imperative to protect the rights of sexual minorities, but let’s agree that same-sex marriage does not produce children,” Putin said.

The outlook for the near future is grim and while activists continue to combat the rising tide of intolerance, Putin, along with the state-sanctioned church make one thing all but certain: crimes against the LGBT community, if reported, will remain far under the radar screen.

David and Jason are a married bi-national couple fighting the Defense of Marriage Act which denies gay Americans more than 1,100 federal rights. This includes preventing gay Americans from gaining green cards for their foreign born spouses.

Since meeting in the Spring of 2007, Jason has returned to L.A. more than a dozen times for expensive lengthy visits but is now being warned he will no longer be allowed to visit as a tourist. Aside from separating the pair on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and countless other occasions DOMA has cost the couple upward of $12,000 on flights alone and forced Jason to put his career on hold.

Anthony (Tony) Serafini

Born June 1, 1967

May 7 we lost our dear friend Tony Serafini.

In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same as well.  It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone; for part of us went with you.  You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide; and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.  Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems to be the same; but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.

Tony was survived by his mother, Lorraine Serafini and his brother Stephen Serafini.  Sadly no mother should ever lose a child.  Our hearts go out to his family.

Tony’s memorial service will be held Sunday May 19 at gay beach in Balboa park between Quince Drive and Balboa Drive, San Diego CA 92103 from 2-4 p.m. Dress casual as Tony would like.  In lieu of cards, gifts or flowers kindly  make a donation to the www.thetrevorproject.org/ in Tony’s name.

(CNN) — A transsexual woman has won on appeal the right to marry her boyfriend, a decision poised to rewrite Hong Kong’s marriage law.

The appellant — known only by the initial “W” — is a post-operative male-to-female transsexual who was refused the right to marry because she did not quality as a “woman” under Hong Kong law.

The Court of Final Appeal ruled 4-1 Monday that the restriction was unconstitutional. The 37-year-old woman — who had a government-subsidized sex change operation — had twice lost her case at lower courts.

“I may have born a man but after transgender surgery at a government hospital more than five years ago, I’ve lived my life as a woman and been treated as a woman in all respects except as regards my right to marry,” W said in a statement to local reporters through her attorney, Michael Vidler, according to the South China Morning Press.

“This decision rights that wrong, and I’m very happy the Court of [Final] Appeal now recognizes my desire to marry my boyfriend one day, and that desire is no different to that of any other woman who seeks the same here in Hong Kong.”

The court decision will not come into effect for 12 months to give the Hong Kong legislature the opportunity to address the portion of the law deemed unconstitutional. “We should make it clear that nothing in this judgment is intended to address the question of same sex marriage,” Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li and Judge Robert Ribeiro wrote in their majority decision.

The majority found the idea that a “woman” is a biological criteria fixed at birth “is particularly hard to justify in the light of significant medical advances in the treatment of transsexualism and important changes in the understanding of and social attitudes towards transsexual persons which have occurred over the last 40 odd years.”

The only dissenting judge — Patrick Chan Siu-Oi — argued “it is difficult and unrealistic to consider marriage to be entirely unconnected with procreation.

“There is no evidence that social attitudes in Hong Kong on the institution of marriage have changed to the extent that this concept of marriage has been abandoned or generally and substantially weakened,” Judge Chan wrote.

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego LGBT Community Center has announced the launch of Project TRANS, its Transgender Services Program. Project TRANS (Transgender Referrals, Assistance, Networking and Services) will serve as an umbrella for the various services The Center has previously offered specifically to the transgender community, including discussion groups, behavioral health services, HIV prevention services, youth services and more.

In addition, the program will also focus on advocacy, referrals, outreach, cultural sensitivity trainings, social activities and events, workshops and networking with community agencies. Through a partnership with the Transgender Law Center, Project TRANS will also provide assistance with legal documents for those who need to change their name and gender marker on their driver’s license or other forms of identification, often a daunting task for transgender individuals.

Connor Maddocks

The new project will be led by program coordinator Connor Maddocks, who has served the community with The Center for seven years.

“The Center has offered discussion groups and behavioral health counseling for a long time, but it is time to branch out to address some of the more specific and emerging needs of the community by having a designated program and program staff dedicated specifically to working on the issues that are really affecting the transgender and gender queer community right now,” Maddocks said.

“I’m hoping we can help build and strengthen the community, and make clear that the transgender and gender queer community are safe, welcomed and celebrated at The Center.”

For more information about Project TRANS and a schedule of the various discussion groups, please visit The Center’s Web site at thecentersd.org or contact Maddocks at 619-692-2077, ext. 109 or via e-mail at trans@thecentersd.org

In a move that are some are calling straight out of the Dark Ages, Illiza Sa’aduddin Djama, deputy mayor of Indonesia’s most western province Banda Aceh, has called for the criminalization of homosexuality and a punishment of 100 public lashing for anyone found guilty of engaging in its conduct, reports England’s Pink News. Calling homosexuality “a social disease that should be eradicated,” Djama’s wish is to align public behavior with Shari’ah law, the code by which many devout Muslims live by.

“There is no law that could be used to charge them,” she lamented. “The existing [regulations] only stipulate about khalwat [being in close proximity] for intimate relations between unmarried males and females.” Furthermore, like in many repressive societies, intimate relations are often carried on in private, far beyond the prying eyes of the morality police.

Hartoyo, a well-known and widely respected gay rights activists in Indonesia, calls the need for such a measure ‘backwards’ and adds that Islam, like all religions, is open to interpretation. ““We’re living in 2013, not in the Middle Ages,” said the secretary-general of Our Voice, an LGBT advocacy group. “It’s sad to have a deputy mayor who could think that way… other countries have started to allow homosexual marriage, why coming up with such idea to punish the LGBT [community]?”

But in a sign that Djama may be an outlier, in March, a judge in Indonesia’s constitutional court issued an apology after making a statement against equal marriage during proceedings at the House of Representatives.

Hartoyo, however, remains undaunted. ““I will probably send her a warning letter [saying] that what she did only publicly showed how stupid she is,” he said. “She’s intellectual and has access to the Internet and other resources. To come up with that way of thinking is embarrassing.”

Kim McBride, League President Russ Mortenson Boyd and Nancy Logerberg

The San Diego Pool League’s (SDPL) Broomstick Tournament concluded April 28 at the Eagle with the team of Anthony Juarez and his team mate Kim McBride (sponsored by Twiggs Coffee House) finishing in first place. Finishing in second place were League President Russ Mortenson Boyd and Nancy Logerberg sponsored by the Leather Foundation. The three-weekend event which began at Kelly Pub in Old town April 14 and then PECS April 21 qualified the top four teams which in addition to the first and second place teams include: Joe Corder and Norma Posy and attorney Timothy Lee Davis and Oscar Castro.

Sunday, April 28 the four teams battled it out, with brooms in hand, until one team was left standing. So far the event has raised about $800 for PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support) with the final tally to be determined following the Leagues Awards Banquet Monday, July 8 at the Sheraton Mission Valley Hotel where raffle tickets will be sold and lots of bar tabs will be up for grabs.

The Broomstick Tournament, which began back in 1985, is one of the oldest LGBT fundraising events and through the years has generated more than $30,000 for local organizations such as the San Diego AIDS Foundation, Special Delivery and the Lambda Archives, to name a few.

Tournament founder and this year’s tournament director, Mike Passante said, “I would like to thank Timothy Lee Davis: attorney at law, Sharon Sherman: attorney at law, Hillcrest Pharmacy, Twiggs Coffee House, Dr. David Shamblaw, The Leather Foundation, #1 Fifth Avenue, Starbucks, Big City Bagel, The Eagle, PECS, Kellys Pub, True North, The Redwing, The Big Kitchen, The Loft and everyone who helped to make this year’s event a success.”

Currently the Pool League is in its final weeks of team play in this its 35th year and 70th season! The first of its several playoff tournaments begins Sunday, May 12, where the Hungry Stick will host the leagues Rising Star Tournament starting at 10 a.m.

The league will be hosting the California 8 Ball championship West Coast Challenge in mid-July with teams from Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego competing in both team and individual events. The Leagues 71st season will begin Monday, July 29. For complete Playoff information and all league history and events check out the Pool League web site at sdpool.org

The Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast is designed to bring together more than 1,000 diverse San Diegans – business, labor, Democrats, Republicans, all communities, all ages, all San Diegans who support equality and justice – to celebrate the memory of this influential civil rights activist.

The 2013 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast will be held Friday, May 24 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel.

This year’s honorees are Milk screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black and former Oregon governor, Barbara Roberts.

Proceeds benefit the social services programs of the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

For more information or tickets contact Sarafina Scapicchio at 619-692-2077 x246 or events@thecentersd.org

A private reception, sponsored by the Harvey Milk Foundation, will take place Thursday, May 23 from 6-8 p.m. at a private residence. For more information call 619-692-1967.

The recycling center at the Albertsons supermarket in North Park has quietly disappeared following a petition drive that was signed by some of the neighbors that blamed scavenging and crime upon people who took their bottles and cans there.

The decision to disband was made by the corporate owner, RePlanet, in late March and not by Albertsons, according to a manager who said in April that he received the notice from RePlanet.

“People in the area are disappointed it left,” said a woman at RePlanet, who added that they received a number of calls after the recycling center was moved.

It officially was closed March 30 and the store at 2235 University Ave. put up a sign that listed the address of the nearest recycling center on 30th Street.

A message was left with the corporate HQ of RePlanet, but the call wasn’t returned.

The campaign began in 2012 after neighbors complained about noise, and people scavenging through trash cans. Literature was stuffed in the mailboxes of surrounding houses and apartments to drum up support. The petition drive obtained 96 signatures.

Earlier, RePlanet told LGBT Weekly they quit crushing glass in the center in response to complaints about noise. They also closed the facility on Sundays and Thursdays. The City’s garbage collectors come into the area on Thursdays.

Nitzan Horowitz

With elections less than five months away, suggestions that Tel Aviv may elect its first openly gay mayor have started to surface. Reporting from 972Mag.com, journalist Noam Sheizaf is reporting that second-term Member of Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and former journalist for Channel 10 News Nitzan Horowitz has launched a serious bid to challenge the current occupant Ron Huldai. Huldai, who has served as the city’s mayor since 1998 is currently expected to win but there are issues that could make a Horowitz within the scope of possibility.

“Horowitz’s challenge will be in the south, where locals are frustrated by what they see as the city’s indifference to pressures the asylum seekers’ presence has put on the municipal infrastructure and the local population. I don’t think that Horowitz can win those votes, but if the south doesn’t break in Huldai’s favor, the elections could be closer than people think,” reports Sheizaf.

In 2008, Huldai faced a challenge from candidate Dov Khenin of the Hadash party who mounted a strong grassroots campaign and walked away with 33% of the vote. But Horowitz is far more mainstream – the Hadash party, which formed in 1977, has its roots in the Jewish communist community – and is expected to run a very different campaign. Moreover, there are no assurances that the same people who voted for Khenin in 2008 would break for Horowitz.

What will be interesting, observes Sheizaf, is how the LGBT community responds to Horowitz’s candidacy. “It will also be interesting to see who receives the support of the Tel Aviv gay community’s leaders, who in the past have been Huldai’s political allies.”

Tel Aviv is one of the most liberal cities in the Middle East and a popular vacation destination for many of the world’s gay travelers so the prospect of having an openly gay mayor is a non-issue. But what may aid Horowitz is a decision by Khenin to pursue larger political ambitions which would all but guarantee a Horowitz victory.

As of now, however, Khenin has given all indications that he plans to lead Tel Aviv well into the new decade.

(CNN) — Zambian police re-arrested two men this week on charges of engaging in homosexual acts “against the order of nature,” a rights group said.

James Mwansa and Philip Mubiana, both 21, were arrested after neighbors reported them to the police, according to Amnesty International.

Authorities subjected them to anal examinations without their consent and forced them to confess, the human rights group said.

“Anal examinations conducted to ‘prove’ same-sex conduct are scientifically invalid, and if they were conducted without the men’s consent, contravene the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment under international law,” said Simeon Mawanza, an Amnesty researcher in Zambia.

It was the second detention for the two men in recent days, the group said. Last month, authorities arrested them, and later released them on bail on May 2.

They were arrested again Monday and have been denied bail, according to Amnesty. Both have pleaded not guilty, and are being held at a jail in Kapiri Mposhi until their trial starts May 22.

“The arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression and privacy,” Mawanza said.

Zambian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Homosexuality is illegal in Zambia and most African countries based on remnants of sodomy laws introduced during the British colonial era and perpetuated by cultural beliefs.

Punishments across the continent range from fines to years in prison.

Last year, a Cameroon appeals court upheld a three-year sentence against a man convicted of homosexuality for texting his male friend to say, “I’m very much in love with you.”

South Africa — one of the more progressive nations in the continent on the issue — was the first African country to impose a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But sexual violence against lesbians has become so common in South Africa, the nation has coined the term “corrective rape” to describe it.

A handful of other nations issue a death penalty for consensual same-sex relations, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

SAN DIEGO– Take a trip back to the psychedelic ‘60s with your groovy hosts from the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus (SDGMC).  It will be a shimmering Summer of Love for everyone at their annual Encore Gala at Point Loma’s Liberty Station Saturday, June 15.  All hippies – and hipsters – are welcome!

There will be live ‘60s music from San Diego’s multi-award-winning band Rockola, themed food from John Little Catering and both live and silent auctions.  The highlight of the evening will be the live auction of an incredible San Francisco Pride Weekend Package with exclusive tickets to the new I Am Harvey Milk world premiere.

“This is going to be a really fun evening!  We hope all our fans, friends and families come out and enjoy themselves while supporting a great arts organization,” said SDGMC Board President Cheri Curtis.

All proceeds from the Encore Gala benefit the chorus and its mission of creating a positive musical experience through exciting performances that engage audiences, build community support and provide a dynamic force for social change.  The SDGMC has entertained San Diego audiences for nearly 30 years. With more than 150 members, it is one of the largest choruses of its type in the world.

Tickets for the Summer of Love event are $75 for general admission at 7 p.m. and $125 for special VIP tickets that includes preview admission at 6 p.m., open bar and other benefits.  It will be held at the McMillin Company Event Center, 2875 Dewey Road, Liberty Station in Point Loma on the grounds of the former Naval Training Center.

Tickets may be purchased at sdgmc.org or by calling 877-296-7664.  To be a special underwriter of the event or to donate an auction item, please contact SDGMC Executive Director Ben Cartwright at executivedirector@sdgmc.org.  SDGMC is a 501c (3) organization.  All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.

Pat Brady

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady resigned Tuesday, citing a handful of reasons including an ongoing struggle with several members of the state GOP over his support for same-sex marriage.

“There were several reasons,” why he decided to step down, Brady said in a telephone interview with CNN. “I’ve been going at it hard for six years, I need to focus on my family, and obviously I had lost the support of the state Central Committee because of my position on gay marriage.”

Brady was elected chair in August 2009. His wife is battling cancer.

Brady is a close confidante of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois. Kirk announced his support for same-sex marriage last month, while Brady did so earlier this year. Brady’s public support of same-sex marriage angered social conservatives because it went against the state GOP platform on the issue. At the time Brady said it was a personal endorsement and reiterated that in the interview Tuesday with CNN.

The Illinois state legislature is considering legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. In speaking about Kirk and same-sex marriage, Brady said, “I agree with him, we need to get on the right side of history.”

Brady also suggested the party is at a crossroads and needs to decide if it can be a party where “people can disagree on some issues” but agree on many others.

The RNC is currently working on a plan to help broaden the GOP’s appeal beyond its traditional political base such as reaching out to minorities and younger voters — voting blocs it lost to Democrats by wide margins in 2012.

Under pressure from social conservatives, the RNC approved two resolutions last month re-affirming its position of only recognizing that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

SAN DIEGO – Instead of the traditional red and black, students at San Diego State University (SDSU) will celebrate in shades of purple at the fourth annual Lavender graduation ceremony May 8. The event honors graduating students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or allies.

“The Lavender graduation ceremony is very celebratory,” said Esther Rothblum, SDSU women’s studies professor and adviser for the university’s LGBT Studies program. “It’s very important to foreground LGBT issues at graduation and for students to be able to be out and open and supported, and to celebrate their lives in the company of their families and friends.”

During the ceremony, which is open to all SDSU students, graduates receive a certificate and a rainbow cord to wear as part of their commencement regalia.

Alyssa Baker is the 2013 outstanding graduate from the LGBT Studies program. Photo: SDSU

“For me, the rainbow cords are the outward representation of my commitment to the LGBT community as an ally, and the diversity that has come along with my education at SDSU,” said Alyssa Baker, the 2013 outstanding graduate from the LGBT studies program.

“I was ecstatic to find out that there was a ceremony put on for the LGBTQIA community at State to recognize the accomplishments of graduates in the community, and make an effort to celebrate graduation on our own terms,” continued Baker, who hopes to one day work in the SDSU Cross Cultural Center’s LGBTQ Resource Area, helping fellow Aztecs in their journey.

The Lavender graduation ceremony is not a replacement for the university’s main commencement ceremony, said Rothblum, but an opportunity for students in the LGBT community— along with their family and friends—to celebrate their accomplishments in a personal and meaningful way.

The ceremony has grown each year beginning with just 18 participants in 2010, to more than 30 this year.

Graduates majoring in everything from international business to religious studies, art, education, economics, and women’s studies to international security and conflict resolution will be participating in this year’s Lavender graduation.

“Lavender Graduation is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diversity of SDSU, as well as the expanding activism and scholarship on LGBT issues around the world,” said Rothblum.

The Lavender graduation is free and open to the public. It will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at SDSU’s Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Refreshments will be served and parking is free on the upper level of Parking Structure 5.

Approximately 9,100 degree candidates will participate in SDSU’s Commencement ceremonies May 17 to 19 at Viejas Arena.  SDSU Imperial Valley campus will also host a commencement ceremony May 16 on their Rollie Carrillo Quad.

Nigel Evans

(CNN) — The deputy speaker of Britain’s House of Commons said Sunday the allegations of rape and sexual assault leveled against him are false.

Nigel Evans also said the incident has left him with “a sense of incredulity” because he considered the two accusers his friends.

“Yesterday I was interviewed by the police concerning two complaints – one of which dates back four years, made by two people who are well-known to each other, and who until yesterday I regarded as friends,” he said in a statement.

“The complaints are completely false and I cannot understand why they have been made, especially as I have continued to socialise with one as recently as last week.”

Evans was arrested Saturday in northwest England.

Lancashire police did not confirm the identity of the man, but they said they had released a 55-year-old man on bail after questioning him Saturday over offenses alleged by two men in their 20s.

One man alleged he was raped and, in a separate incident, another other man alleged he was sexually assaulted, a police spokesperson told CNN by telephone.

The offenses are alleged “to have been committed in Pendleton between July 2009 and March 2013,” according to a statement released by police.

The man was ordered to appear at the police station on June 19, according to the police spokesperson.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has been made aware of the arrest, said another source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Evans, who is 55, has been a conservative member of parliament since 1992. He served as vice chairman of the Tory Party between 1999 and 2001.

He was elected deputy speaker of the House of Commons in 2010.

Evans came out as gay during a newspaper interview in late 2010, and has since made a name for himself as a prominent gay rights activist in England.

In his statement Sunday, Evans said he appreciated the way “the police have handled this in such a sensitive manner.”

He then thanked those who have expressed their support and “like me, a sense of incredulity at these events.”

Ryan Trabuco

SAN DIEGO — Ryan Trabuco, president of the Clairemont Town Council and former president of the Log Cabin Republicans has joined the Democratic Party.

Following Nathan Fletcher’s move to the Democrats Trabuco posted on his Facebook, “ Today is a great morning for @TheDemocrats. Two new members today: @NathanFletcher and myself.”

Ryan Trabuco joined the Clairemont Town Council in 2010. Born and raised in Texas, he moved to California in 2004, and has lived in the San Diego area since 2007. Since 2009, he has served on the County’s Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board where he provides oversight of the County’s treatment and rehabilitation programs, and helps advise the Board of Supervisors on alcohol and drug prevention policy.

Nathan Fletcher

SAN DIEGO — Nathan Fletcher, once thought to be a rising star of the GOP and a former San Diego mayoral candidate who registered as an Independent, has joined the Democratic Party.

In an an email sent out to his supporters and posted on his Facebook page Fletcher stated:

I wanted to share with you an email I sent out to my donors and supporters this morning:

Ralph Waldo Emerson had a famous saying, “Life is a journey not a destination.”

For me, the last couple years have been quite a journey—going to war, serving in the State Assembly, campaigning for Mayor and now teaching and working in the private sector. You were a part of that journey as a friend and supporter. I appreciate your faith in me more than you will ever know. You hung with me when people said we had no chance of winning and then when every campaign was working overtime to make sure we didn’t. And you were patient with me in the aftermath of losing. There are no two ways about it—losing sucks. But time and distance have a remarkable way of providing clarity and perspective.

The last year has provided me a lot of time to reflect and I wanted to share with you a change I recently made. I joined the Democratic Party.

I was reluctant to make this move. It wasn’t due to any doubt about where I belong. It was simple dread over the criticism I would face. I know this is the party that reflects my values and beliefs, but I was reluctant to admit it. No one likes to be criticized. We all want to be liked. After I left the Republican Party, some compared it to me leaving a wounded Marine on the field of battle. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t think about my relatives and friends who died in war or how hard we worked to save soldiers wounded in combat. It is embarrassing, but I still cry when I meet the mother of a solider who was killed. Could people be so jaded to not see the difference between that and the politics of political parties? I think I’ve got pretty thick skin, but to be perfectly candid I didn’t want to go through it again.

Adding to that is the simple fact that life is good right now. I take my son to school, coach tee ball, surf with my friends and feel like I actually have a life. I love my work at Qualcomm and UCSD. I’m not sure I have ever been happier. I don’t know if I will run for office again, but have no plans to do so now. But I knew a change in party registration would immediately trigger a wave of “what is he angling for now”. And frankly, I didn’t want to deal with that either.

So why am I emailing you? Why now?

It is because of a conversation near the 10thAnniversary of the invasion of Iraq with someone who knows me better than almost anyone else, Lou Orozco. Lou and I served together as Marines in Iraq. We lived together, trained together, deployed together, and remain the closest of friends. After reminiscing about 130 degree Iraq heat, a couple funny and one or two sad stories our conversation turned to family, daily life and eventually politics.

Lou asked if I missed the Republican Party. I was honest—I didn’t miss it one bit. Then he asked how independent was working out for me. Again, brutal honesty–it didn’t fit. It felt empty.

I shared with him a conversation I’d had early this year with a Member of Parliament from Myanmar who I was helping train for his new role as a lawmaker. He had “googled” me (the surest sign of an open society) and read about my becoming an independent. His reaction was blunt: “It doesn’t mean anything. It conveys no values.” He is a member of the National League of Democracy, the minority party that is led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. He went on to tell me that parties are imperfect, sometimes frustrating, but they reflect values, organize like-minded people, and help govern societies. In America, our elected officials wear lapel pins signifying membership in Congress or the state legislature. But in Myanmar, they wear a party pin. This gentleman removed his NLD party pin and gave it to me. Until I figured things out, he said, I could be in his party.

Here I was getting advice from a man I had traveled 8,000 miles to advise. His observation seemed obvious—true in any country or language and I knew he was right.

I told Lou that, during my year without any party affiliation, I’d had time to reflect on my values and principles and where they fit best. My votes and positions, candidates I endorsed and voted for had been in line with the Democratic Party. I told him I’d watched President Bill Clinton’s speech at the Democratic National Convention three times trying to find something I disagreed with. I couldn’t. It was clear – at least to me – that I was a Democrat.

I explained to Lou that because I grew up in a working class blue-collar Democratic family I was often asked why I was a Republican. It was because I thought their policies provided the best access to the American Dream. I no longer believe that is true. In my opinion, the GOP today is more focused on protecting those who have already achieved the American Dream than allowing others access to it.

I believe in the amazing opportunity available to us here in America. What unites us is the fundamental belief that there is nothing you can’t accomplish if you work hard, play by the rules, are willing to fail and start all over. That has been the path towards the American Dream for generations. But believing it requires a real commitment to ensuring that opportunity exists for everyone.

That means ensuring all children can access a quality education, afford college, and ensuring a strong middle class that the poor can not only aspire to reach but have a realistic shot at joining. It means working to create and protect the jobs that grow our economy. Access to American Dream means real solutions on issues like immigration and healthcare. It means that all people regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation enjoy equal rights and equal treatment. We should all be working towards a future that is inclusive, safe and free that creates opportunity and prosperity for every citizen. For me, that is the goal of a more perfect union.

Those values and principles haven’t changed, but I believe the Democratic Party will better make them a reality for people.

Lou wasn’t judgmental or surprised. This friend who has known me for years and well before any political career said he never understood why I was a Republican in the first place. He laughed when I told him a lot of local Republicans shared his thoughtsJ

He then nonchalantly said, “So be a Democrat. That’s who you are.” I told him about the criticism I would face. People would question my loyalty and say that I don’t stand for anything. I would feel like I let people down. I just didn’t want to go through it.

He reminded me that the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis doesn’t mean “Always Faithful” to a political party or group of people. It is higher than that. It is always faithful to your country, your faith, your values and convictions. The Marine Corps values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment require you to be true to what you know in your heart is right. Lou finished by telling me if I was a Democrat, then I needed to just acknowledge it, tell people why and move on. He and I had learned together that life is too short and precious to live any other way.

He was right. A few snarky emails and maybe a bad story in the paper are a small price for doing what you know is right. Shortly after this I tracked down a voter registration card and checked the box for the party where I belong.

My decision will make some people happy, like my Mom, a life long Democrat. Ironically it will please both local GOP and Democratic leaders. The Democratic Party Chair and many elected officials have been encouraging me to take this step for a while and the local GOP party chairman has said publicly that I should be a Democrat. Who knew I could unite them? J

Despite my change in partisan affiliation, I have no animosity towards the Republican Party. I know many good people there, including friends, co-workers, and many I hold in high regard. I just owe it to them and myself to admit that I don’t belong anymore.

And I’m certainly not the first one to realize they were in a party where they didn’t belong. Prominent people, who have changed parties in the past, declared that they didn’t leave their party, their party left them. This was the case when Ronald Reagan went from being a FDR Democrat to a Goldwater Republican. It has also been true for Republicans that have changed to Democrat.

It is hard to dispute the Republican Party has changed over the last decade—in many ways the party has left me. But it is also true that during the same time I have changed as well. Our life experiences contribute greatly to how we view the world. In the last decade I went to war, became a father, governed in a period of great economic crisis and am now preparing to put two children in public school. I’ve sat with janitors who can’t afford healthcare, small business owners struggling to make ends meet, attended services for cops killed in the line of duty, met dreamers who are in the only country they have ever known and sat in classrooms with teachers doing the best they could in a tough environment. I learned a lot while confronting new information and a changing world.

That journey Emerson talked about has brought me to the Democratic Party. I’m proud to join the party and comfortable with my decision. I hope you will respect my decision and not fall into the cynicism that so often dominates our political discussions.

Either way, I will take the acceptance or criticism in stride and know that I am doing what I believe in my heart is right. I have found if you do that, you never go wrong.

Semper Fi,

Nathan

 

SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s best brewers, artists and musicians are showing off at the 17^th annual North Park Festival of Arts. Nearly 30,000 visitors are expected to visit the festival, spanning the intersection of University and 30^th Avenues. The festival is free to attend and sponsored by North Park Main Street, a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of North Park. Visit for the variety of artistic expressions, including music, arts and crafts vendors, fine arts exhibitors and hands-on art demonstrations.

The Craft Beer Block is better than ever for 2013. Featuring a vast selection of local breweries including Rough Draft Brewery, Mad Lab Craft Brewing, Stumblefoot Brewing Co., Manzanita Brewing Co. and more, this is a separately ticketed event.

May 18 from 11 a.m until 6 p.m

For more information and tickets for the Craft Beer Block: http://northparkfestivalofarts.com/

SAN DIEGO — Today, Environmental Health & Justice Campaign (EHJC), an organization that fights toxic pollution in disadvantaged communities south of I-8, endorsed candidate Lorena Gonzalez in the race for Assembly District 80. The environmental justice organization says that Gonzalez will work hard to improve the health and economic well-being of the community members for years to come.

“We want to an assemblymember with a proven track record as an effective advocate and community organizer in our neighborhoods,” said Diane Takvorian, executive director of EHJC. “We believe Gonzalez’s dedication and persistence to achieving justice and looking to the community for solutions will translate into meaningful positive change for our communities.”

Takvorian says that Gonzalez has worked passionately for economic and environmental justice for years and is a long-time friend and ally to EHJC. She says that Gonzalez is committed to achieving clean air, middle class green jobs and healthy, safe neighborhoods.

“It is important that we have an elected official in Sacramento who will take a leadership role in achieving a greater quality of life for everyone,” said Takvorian. “We believe Gonzalez representing our voices in Sacramento will restore the community’s hope and optimism for future.”

Jacque Wilke, Dangerfield G. Moore, Lauren King, Maggie Carney, Yolanda Franklin and Daren Scott. Photo: Ken Jacques

SAN DIEGO – Diversionary Theatre have announced complete casting for its production of The Divine Sister written by Charles Busch and directed by Glenn Paris. Performances begin at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd. in San Diego May 23.

The cast includes Maggie Carney as Mrs. Levinson, Yolanda Franklin as Sister Acacius, Lauren King as Agnes, Dangerfield G. Moore as Jeremy, Daren Scott as Mother Superior, and Jacque Wilke as Sister Walburga.

Do nuns really have more fun? The Divine Sister is an inspired homage to every Hollywood film ever centered on the convent. Written by Charles Busch (the comic genius behind such classics as The Tale of the Allergists Wife; Die, Mommie, Die!; Psycho Beach Party; and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom), this is the gleefully twisted tale of an indomitable Mother Superior trying to cope with a young postulant experiencing “visions,” a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from Berlin, and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows. No nun, whether singing or flying, is spared and no Mary is left un-hailed in this loving parody that dares to take a look beneath the habit.

The creative team for Diversionary Theatre’s production of The Divine Sister includes Matt Scott (Scenic Design), Luke Olson (Lighting Design), Blair Nelson (Sound Design), Corey Johnston (Costume Design), David Medina (Prop Master), Bret Young (Producer) and John E. Alexander (Executive Director).

The Divine Sister opened for a successful and critically acclaimed run in September 2012 at the Soho Playhouse where Ben Brantley of  The New York Times called it a “gleefully twisted tale …. Mr. Busch’s freshest, funniest work in years, perhaps decades.” The New York Post calls Busch “as much of a beloved classic as the movie heroines he impersonates in performances that are half loving tribute, half wicked spoof.”

Evoking such films as The Song of Bernadette, The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Singing Nun, and Agnes of God, The Divine Sister tells the story of St. Veronica’s indomitable Mother Superior who is determined to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. Along the way, she has to deal with a young postulant who is experiencing “visions,” sexual hysteria among her nuns, a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from the Mother House in Berlin and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows.

Previews begin May 23 with an official opening of June 1. The production is scheduled to run through June 30. Tickets are now available online at www.diversionary.org,by calling 619-220-0097 or in person by visiting 4545 Park Blvd. in  San Diego. Single ticket prices ranges from $25-51 (Prices are subject to change).

Paul Singer

As the Republican Party continues to find ways out of its electoral grumpy, old white men quagmire, some in the party are bucking the trend by encouraging Republicans to support same-sex marriage. A new PAC formed by some of the party’s wealthier donors called American Unity PAC – including Paul Singer as first among equals – are betting that shifts in the political and demographic landscape are lending new momentum to Republican minority outreach efforts in the hopes that the party can shed its longstanding image as ‘intolerant.’

“What you have is this network of influential Republicans who really want to see the party embrace the freedom to marry, and believe it’s not only the right thing for the country but also good politics,” American Unity Pac spokesman Jeff Cook-McCormac told the Associated Press.

The PAC, and by extension their lobbying arm the American Unity Fund, have already spent more than $250,000 in Minnesota, a state many gay activists consider in play to legalize same-sex marriage.

But while Minnesota has historically remained one of handful of states that elect a moderate brand of Republican to statewide office, the return on American Unity Fund’s investment has been paltry. Currently, only one Republican, Sen. Branden Petersen, of Andover.

“I think there will be some more. There are legislators out there that are struggling with this,” said Carl Kuhl, a former political aide to former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.

But if efforts in the land of a thousand lakes have been less than noteworthy, Singer and his cohorts should be absolutely ebullient over their lobbying efforts in Rhode Island where just last week they voted on a same-sex marriage bill – including the votes of all five Republicans in the Senate – which makes the tiny state on track to become the 11th one to legalize same-sex marriage in America.

“We intend to work on this effort until every American citizen is treated equally under the law,” Cook-McCormac said.

GSDBA Professional Luncheon: May 14

The next GSDBA Professional Luncheon will be at Wang’s North Park, 3029 University Ave., in San Diego  11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The special guest speaker will be Gary John, president of Corporate Alliance of San Diego, a revolutionary company that facilitates the creation and growth of lasting business relationships between owners, executives, administrators and key employees. He also owns the Air Conditioned Lounge.

John will be speaking about small business and entrepreneurship.

Tickets are $25per person (lunch included), $35 at the door.

GSDBA presents ‘Engaging Aging:’ May 14

GSDBA, Scripps Hillcrest and Lifeline present a free community event featuring Gen Silent – a documentary film followed by a panel discussion including expert panelists in the fields of long term care, financial and estate planning, senior medical care, graceful aging, senior housing options and more. There is no need to RSVP, be sure to arrive early as seating is limited. The program is as follows:

Community meet and greet: 5:30 p.m.

Gen Silent Screening: 6 – 7 pm

The Expert Panel 7-7:30 p.m. Includes: Dr. Teresa Shanahan, PhD, Founder & Owner of Lifeline; Sacha Mackels, Financial Advisor, Tax & Financial Group; Kevin T. Kellar, Esq., Principal, Kellar Law Group, Estate Planning Attorney.

The panel discussion will follow the screening of Gen Silent. With special guest moderator, John Brown, executive director of San Diego Human Dignity Foundation

The event will be 6-8 p.m. at West Auditorium Scripps Mercy Hospital, 4077 Fifth Ave., Lower Level in San Diego 92103.

GSDBA presents Speed Marketing: May 16

Are you looking at your marketing efforts and wondering why customers aren’t beating down your door? Then we have the event for you! Get all of your marketing questions answered by professionals in a casual one on one environment.

Members of the GSDBA Marketing Professional Development Group want to help you elevate your marketing campaigns to the next level. You will have a chance to ask questions of professionals specializing in:

* Brand management

* Copy writing

* Graphic design

* Logo creation

* Photography

* Print services, including business cards, postcards, and fliers

* Promotional marketing items

* Public relations

* Search engine optimization (online marketing)

* Social media

* Video production

* Web design and creation

Your admission not only gives you access to professional input, but it also enters you into a raffle for a marketing makeover. This prize is valued at more than $3,000 and will include various services from the list above.

$10 for members

$50 for guests

Hurry, this event is limited to only 25 people!

Thursday, May 16

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Joyce Beers Community Center

3900 Vermont Street in San Diego 92103

SAN DIEGO — Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed  Democrat Lorena Gonzalez’s campaign in the May 21 special election for the 80th Assembly District, her campaign announced today.

Newsom has promoted innovation in public service and civic engagement and has led initiatives to benefit environmental quality, job creation and equal rights in California throughout his career. As Lt. Governor, Newsom serves on the governing boards of the University of California and California State University, the State Lands Commission and the California Commission for Economic Development.

“Lorena’s reputation as an honest, effective advocate for all working families is already well-known across California,” Newsom said. “I know Lorena will be an outspoken champion for middle-class jobs, high environmental standards and a world-class education system that will prepare our students for the careers of the future.  I’m proud to call her my friend and I’ll be even prouder to call her ‘Assemblywoman’.”

Lorena is a candidate to replace state Sen. Ben Hueso in the 80th Assembly District, which includes Chula Vista, National City and the City of San Diego neighborhoods of San Ysidro, City Heights, Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, Otay Mesa, Paradise Hills and Golden Hill. The special election for the 80th Assembly District will be held Tuesday, May 21.

Mariela Castro

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. State Department lifted its travel ban on Mariela Castro and has authorized Ms. Castro to visit Philadelphia to participate in Equality Forum 2013, a national and international LGBT civil rights summit with Cuba as the featured nation.

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, accepted being a panelist on the Cuba: Featured Nation Panel and being the recipient of the International Ally for LGBT Equality Award at the International Equality Dinner at Equality Forum 2013.

“Equality Forum is delighted that the State Department has affirmed democratic values by authorizing Mariela Castro to speak at Equality Forum 2013,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “Equality Forum 2013 is an open forum which will include a discussion of the history, progress and challenges of LGBT Cubans.”

Ms. Castro, Director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), is the leading advocate for LGBT equality in Cuba. Ms. Castro is married and the mother of three children. She serves on international committees involving sexual issues and has published 13 scholarly articles and nine books.

Equality Forum 2013 from May 2 to 5 in Philadelphia has more than 30 programs including panels with national and international leaders.

Equality Forum is a national and international LGBT civil rights organization with an educational focus. Equality Forum coordinates LGBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives and presents the premier annual national and international LGBT civil rights summit.

VIETNAM — What started as a low-budget effort on YouTube about the travails of three perpetually broke 20-something friends living in Ho Chi Minh City, My Best Gay Friends has quickly evolved into one of the most popular shows in Vietnam. Shot on a shoestring budget with three unknown actors – all friends in real life – the comedy, complete with a laugh track and theme music, stands out not for its situational comedy but the fact that all the main characters are gay, lesbian or transsexual.
“I thought it would only interest Vietnam’s gay community – but we’re hearing that parents, grandparents, whole families watch and love the shows and long for new episodes,” noted Huynh Nguyen Dang Khoa, the series’ creator who also stars in the show.
My Best Gay Friends recently got a boost with the appearance of Cindy Thai Tai, a well-known transgender singer who was one of the first Vietnamese celebrities to have sex reassignment surgery.
Khoa created the show after hearing about the extraordinary events that kept on happening to a close friend of his who had recently moved to the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City and the idea for the show was born. “I wanted to show people that homosexuals have ordinary lives, full of emotion, friends, family – very normal lives.”
And the show could not have come at a more opportune time. While same-sex marriage is explicitly banned in culturally conservative Vietnam, shifts in public attitudes toward gay people coupled with a number of political statements – same-sex couples who engage in wedding ceremonies will no longer be fined – have helped fueled a belief that Vietnam is on the verge of endorsing same-sex marriage. (The Minister of Health recently released a statement supporting marriage equality observing that “everyone has a right to love.”)
But whether the show is a product of a fast changing culture or the leading engine of it is hard to discern. Sociologist Le Quang Binh told the press that social attitudes toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community were changing rapidly in Vietnam at the moment but it was hard to know how much My Best Gay Friends had helped.
Currently, there are no plans by Vietnam’s commercial networks to pick up the show which regularly garners almost one million views per episode.

Monica and Morgan Page

SAN DIEGO –  At a special event last Friday night at the 1202 Nightclub, San Diego LGBT Pride’s staff and volunteers were on hand to announce that R&B and hip-hop sensation, Monica, and the wildly popular DJ,  Morgan Page, will be the headliners for the San Diego LGBT Pride Festival July 13 – 14.  Freedom to Love and Marry is the theme of the 2013 celebration.

DJ Morgan Page had this to say about his involvement in the annual celebration, “I’m excited to be a part of this year’s San Diego Pride, as I believe everyone deserves the freedom to love and marry. It’s a pleasure to give back to my fans in the LGBT community who have supported my music over the years.”

“It’s both an honor and pleasure to perform and participate in Pride.  I look forward to sharing the universal language we all call music as we celebrate love, freedom and togetherness! God Bless,” said Monica Denise Brown, professionally known as Monica.

“Morgan Page and Monica are great highlights to Pride’s entertainment lineup,” said San Diego LGBT Pride’s general manager, Stephen Whitburn. “We are incredibly thrilled to announce this year’s headliners and a sampling of our featured entertainers as the Pride team is hard at work to make this the best Pride celebration ever.”

• Morgan Page will perform Saturday evening, July 13, 2013.

• Monica will perform Sunday evening, July 14, 2013.

San Diego LGBT Pride Festival will also feature:

• DJ, Myndset – Saturday, Main Stage
• Dirty Electro Pop Singer, Luciana – Saturday, Main Stage
• Transsexual Sensation, Amanda Lapore – Saturday, Main Stage
• Drag Comedian, Pandora Boxx – Saturday, Main Stage
• Dance Electronic Singer Vassy – Saturday, Garden Dance Party Stage
• Blues Singer Songwriter, Beverly McClellan – Sunday, Main Stage
• Country Singer, Justin Utley, – Sunday, Main Stage

Exact performance times and other featured entertainment announcements to come in the weeks ahead.

Limited-time, early bird tickets are now available on Pride’s website. www.sdpride.org

SAN DIEGO — Join HRC for the annual Her HRC Masquerade in San Diego, at Gossip Grill, 1440 University Ave. in  San Diego, 7-11 p.m. May 30.

DJ Dida will be spinning and there will be drink specials all night long, a raffle with your favorite giveaways and date auction with the opportunity to win a date and limo ride. Masks are encouraged!

General admission tickets are $10 and VIP tickets are $25. General admission includes entrance, drink specials and raffle ticket.
VIP admission includes entrance, drink specials, raffle ticket and access to VIP area. VIP area includes a separate host bar with Castle Rock wines and Three Olives Marilyn Monroe Vodka specials.

Her HRC events are open to all, regardless of gender identity or history.

To purchase tickets click here.

SAN DIEGO – This coming weekend marks the 26^th annual San Diego Women’s Chorus (SDWC) spring concert, Still We Rise with special guests Black Storytellers of San Diego. The powerful, evocative program will be presented twice: Saturday May 4 at 7 p.m. and Sunday May 5 at 5 p.m. at the University Christian Church in Hillcrest. Still We Rise will explore the themes of equality, community, justice and love through the rich musical and oral tradition of the African American community. SDWC is honored to share the stage with special guests, the women of Black Storytellers of San Diego, who bring a dimension of exceptional strength and beauty that harmonizes wonderfully with the chorus’ musical offerings.

Through song and poetry, Still We Rise pays tribute to major players in women’s history and key events in the history of equality, but also acknowledges the daily, mundane struggles and triumphs that comprise a lifetime. “Each and every day, in ways big and small, we sing out for freedom, we speak up for justice, we stand up for love,” explains Heather Robert, SDWC’s vice president and outreach coordinator. “We soothe our babies and we fight for our families. Empowered by the community of sisterhood, we find our courage. We dare to be powerful. We prevail. Buried under bills and barriers, pains and pressures – still we rise.”

Enhanced by the powerful words of the Black Storytellers, SDWC will perform songs that speak to the universal themes of struggle, triumph, hope and love including “What About Love?” from the musical The Color Purple, the African American gospel “Keep Yo’ Lamps,” an homage to Martin Luther King Jr. in “Only Light, Only Love,” the gorgeous classically-inspired Latin piece “Nigra Sum,” and the Latin-American folk song “Duerme Negrito.” Other show-stopping numbers include Rosephannye Powell’s powerful “Still I Rise” and a medley of “Girl on Fire” and “Superwoman” by Alicia Keys.

During intermission concert attendees will have the chance to learn more about local organizations working to make a difference in our community, including Pazzaz, Inc, International Crisis Aid and Mama’s Kitchen. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments and to win prizes from local vendors by bidding in the silent auction or purchasing opportunity-drawing tickets.

Pre-sale tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for Seniors/Military/Children (3-17). Children under 3 will be admitted for free, but may be required to sit on an adult’s lap. Ticket prices at the door are $20 and $15. Tickets available at www.sdwc.org

Jeff Redondo and Brandon Tate

SAN DIEGO —  The San Diego LGBT Center has announced that two new members have joined their development team. Brandon Tate (right) is joining as development director and Jeff Redondo (left) is joining as major gifts officer. You can reach Brandon at btate@thecentersd.org and Jeff at jredondo@thecentersd.org

Kim McBride, League President Russ Mortenson Boyd and Nancy Logerberg

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Pool League’s (SDPL) Broomstick Tournament concluded this past weekend at the Eagle with the team of Anthony Juarez and his team mate Kim McBride (sponsored by Twiggs Coffee House) finishing in first place. Finishing in second place were League President Russ Mortenson Boyd and Nancy Logerberg sponsored by the Leather Foundation. The three-weekend event which began at Kelly Pub in Old town April 14 and then PECS April 21 qualified the top four teams which in addition to our first and second place teams include: Joe Corder and Norma Posy and attorney Timothy Lee Davis and Oscar Castro.

This past Sunday the four teams battled it out, with brooms in hand, until one team was left standing. So far the event has raised about $800 for PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support) with the final tally to be determined following the Leagues Awards Banquet Monday, July 8 at the Sheraton Mission Valley Hotel where raffle tickets will be sold and lots of bar tabs will be up for grabs.

The Broomstick Tournament, which began back in 1985, is one of our oldest LGBT fundraising events and through the years has generated more than $30,000 for local organizations such as the San Diego AIDS Foundation, Special Delivery and the Lambda Archives, to name a few.

Tournament founder and this year’s tournament director, Mike Passante would like to thank Timothy Lee Davis: attorney at law, Sharon Sherman: attorney at law, Hillcrest Pharmacy, Twiggs Coffee House, Dr. David Shamblaw, The Leather Foundation, #1 Fifth Avenue, Starbucks, Big City Bagel, The Eagle, PECS, Kellys Pub, True North, The Redwing, The Big Kitchen, The Loft and everyone who helped to make this year’s event a success.

Currently the Pool League is in its final weeks of team play in this its 35^th year and 70^th season! The first of its several playoff tournaments begins Sunday, May 12, where the Hungry Stick will host the leagues Rising Star Tournament starting at 10 a.m.

The league will be hosting the California 8 Ball championship West Coast Challenge in mid-July with teams from Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego competing in both team and individual events. The Leagues 71^st season will begin Monday, July 29. For complete Playoff information and all league history and events check out the Pool League web site at sdpool.org

In what doctors are hoping will be the second time in recorded medical history that a patient is cured of both leukemia and HIV, specialists at the University of Minnesota’s Amplatz Children’s Hospital are using a highly experimental transplant to rid the young patient of his diseases. A similar procedure, which was tried once before and succeeded on a patient who went to Germany in 2007, involves injecting the boy with blood cells that are genetically resistant to HIV (an occurrence that involves less than one percent of the world’s population) in an effort to rid the immune system of the infectious cells and ward off future recurrences.  The process itself took only ten minutes.

Afterwards, the patient, whose name is being withheld at this time, received well wishes from friends, family, staff and, much to the delight of the basketball-loving boy, Basketball Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving. According to a report on StarTribune.com, the boy shared his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player to which Erving replied, “Let’s take it one day at a time. I’ll be praying for you.” Erving also sent him a personally autographed basketball which the boy held snugly at his side during the transfusion.

The boy’s mother released a statement Tuesday saying, “This is the beginning of a new chance for me to have a healthier kid. I am thankful for the University of Minnesota giving him the chance to live.” The patient, who lives out of state, will remain at the hospital for at least four more weeks as doctors and others monitor him for any signs of infection. Furthermore, he will be unable to return home for another three months, although sources declined to say why.

Timothy Ray Brown, the man who was cured of both his leukemia and HIV (and has remained disease-free since) managed to sneak in a call to the boy to say, “As the first person in the world to be cured of HIV,” Brown, who lives in Las Vegas, told the boy, “I’m hoping that you’ll be the second.”

SAN DIEGO — Selena Diamond, Carlos Silva and friends, along with the Imperial Court de San Diego’s 41st reign, present the 15th annual Cinco de Mayo charity fundraising event featuring the annual Mr., Ms and Miss Cinco de Mayo contest.   This event benefits The Tijuana Aids Fund and fundraising programs of the Imperial Court de San Diego.
Everyone is welcome!  Please join the Imperial Court Saturday, May 4,  for the  Cinco de Mayo celebration and help them elect the 2013/2014 Mr., Ms. and Miss Cinco de Mayo, at Numbers Bar, 3811 Park Blvd. in San Diego.
This year there will be  a traditional Mexican buffet and dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. The menu will include enchiladas, tamales, rice, beans deserts and much more!
The show will begin at 6 p.m. with special emcee’s and entertainment.  Enjoy an evening filled with food, festivities and fiesta with only a suggested $10 donation.

For tickets and more information contact Selena Diamond orm Carlos Silva at 619-540-8727 or email them at grinsil@yahoo.com

SAN DIEGO — Yesterday, thousands of San Diegans dined out, volunteered and donated to Dining out for Life® to support The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s HIV services and prevention programs.

In a message of appreciation The San Diego LGBT Community Center issues the following statement,

“On behalf of the board of directors, staff, volunteers, and clients of The San Diego LGBT Community Center, please accept our heartfelt thanks for making the seventh annual Dining Out for Life® San Diego such a tremendous success!

We are truly grateful to everyone who participated in this amazing, community-wide fundraising event. We also want to extend our most sincere thanks to our participating restaurants and the owners, managers, chefs and servers who worked so hard yesterday. Without them, this event could not happen.

The enthusiasm and generosity of everyone who participated will make a huge difference as The Center continues to do all we can to serve those living with HIV/AIDS and prevent new infections in San Diego.”

 

Thank you, San Diego!

SAN DIEGO — Don’t miss The Center’s seventh annual Dining Out for Life® San Diego.  TODAY more than 100 participating restaurants, bars, coffeehouses and nightclubs in San Diego will donate a minimum of 25% of sales for The Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs.

Grab your family and friends and make plans to Dine Out and Fight AIDS TONIGHT!

FIND RESTAURANT GUIDE HERE

BY NEAL PUTNAM

SAN DIEGO — Bettie Lois Cain is again facing felony charges after she was accused of renting property and buying a motor scooter after writing checks on a defunct business she ran in North Park.

Cain, 68, of Normal Heights, has pleaded not guilty to grand theft, burglary, and writing checks for insufficient funds on a nursery and gardening business. A June 11 preliminary hearing has been set in San Diego Superior Court.

Cain has a history in North Park with starting coffeehouses or other businesses and not paying some of her employees. She has been sued 35 times in the last 12 years and served several prison terms for forgery and fraud.

Cain’s girlfriend was never implicated in any of the schemes and she is believed to have acted alone. Cain has a record for grand larceny in 1988, forgery in 1997, grand theft in 1998, fraud in 2003, and auto theft in 2007, according to court records.

The recent charges allege she rented a vacation property for three weeks for $1,533 and wrote a business check with a closed bank account. She has been sued for unlawful detainer in this case.

She is also charged with writing a check for $4,058.66 to buy a motor scooter from Vespa Motorsport and using another business check that bounced.

She opened Just A Cuppa Coffee in 2000 on 30^th Street, but workers complained she didn’t pay them before the business abruptly closed. A review on Yelp makes the same accusation about workers not being paid in the nursery and gardening business in 2011.

A warrant was issued for her arrest on Feb. 22. Cain posted $85,000 bond and was allowed to remain free at her April 8 arraignment.

North Park Family Health Center

With the death last week of Angeleno Brett Shaad, 33, from meningitis and a particularly deadly strain of the meningococcal disease appearing in gay men in New York City, health activists and others are cautioning against a wave of panic in a community familiar with the ravages of disease.

San Diego LGBT Weekly spoke with Dr. Delores Jacobs, the CEO of The San Diego LGBT Community Center, and Dr. Christian B. Ramers, MD, MPH, and the assistant medical director for Special Populations at Family Health Centers of San Diego to try and gain a better understanding of the disease, how to prevent becoming infected and what to do if you do become infected.

First and foremost, Dr. Jacobs illuminated, “This is not a sexually transmitted disease.” Meningitis starts as inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain. It is why, many health specialists will tell you, that some of the chief symptoms to first appear are intense headaches and stiff necks. But because the inflammation is in such close proximity to the brain, it can turn deadly quite quickly if left untreated.

Other symptoms, explains Dr. Ramers, include “fever, confusion or loss of consciousness, lethargy, or a red or purple rash that does not turn white when you press your finger on it.” As with any unusual health signs, both Jacobs and Ramers urge you to seek out the attention of a health care professional immediately.

Meningitis is spread, adds Dr. Ramers, through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions or through close contact with a person infected with meningitis. This includes kissing, hugging, or sharing food and drinks (and, of course, sex).

When asked what one of the biggest myths about the disease was, both agreed that, although there is a vaccination against meningitis, vaccination is not the best choice for everyone. There are two different vaccines available that can protect against meningitis. Routine adult vaccination is not recommended at this time, even among the MSM community, or for those infected with HIV. It is normally recommended for teenagers and those who live in communal living situations like a college dorm or military barracks.

However, like many health issues, it’s important to be aware of any symptoms you may have and talk to your provider about what’s best for you. Vaccination can be considered based on a thorough assessment of your individual risk factors.

And although a report issued on Wednesday by the County News Center initially claimed that only two cases of the meningococcal disease had been confirmed so far this year, now public health authorities confirm there have been five cases diagnosed in San Diego County in 2013. These cases do not appear to be related to each other, and this is still a relatively low number of cases considering our population of three million people.

It is also important to know that while symptoms may occur anywhere from two to ten days upon infection, most infected people begin to see signs in about five days.

The fear, of course, is that the public will once again perceive the meningitis outbreak as a ‘gay thing’ despite the fact that it is an equal-opportunity infection. And while the particularly virulent strain being seen in New York has some alarmed, statistics point to a very different picture.

In 1913, according to a report on TheAtlantic.com, “bacterial meningitis was nearly 100 percent fatal. Now that rate is around 16 percent in the U.S. Not more than a few hundred people in the country are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis every year, and most who die from it are older.”

Family Health Centers of San Diego’s mission is to provide caring, affordable, high quality health care to everyone, with a special commitment to people who are low income, uninsured, and medically underserved. They are the largest provider of HIV/AIDS outreach, prevention, testing and treatment services in San Diego County. Visit fhcsd.org

The San Diego City Council voted 7-0 April 16 to donate $77,000 in funds from councilmembers’ district budgets to The LGBT Community Center in support of its many core programs.

Council President Todd Gloria thanked all the councilmembers for the donations and said The Center has “touched the lives of thousands.”

The funds will go toward HIV services programs that include mental health services, prevention, testing, counseling, information and referral. The donation also helps the Sunburst Youth Housing project for homeless transition age youth, and also for the Hillcrest Youth Center.

Gloria donated $16,000 from his district budget. Councilmembers Mark Kersey and David Alvarez gave $15,000 each. Councilmembers Sherri Lightner, Lorie Zapf and Kevin Faulconer donated $10,000, and 7th District Councilmember Scott Sherman gave $1,000.

Kersey, who represents the 5th District, said he got to see some of the programs and suicide prevention work The Center performed. “It was eye opening to me to see what good work they are doing,” said Kersey.

Kersey made the motion to donate the funds, which was seconded by Sherman, who added, “I wish I had more money to give.”

The Center’s application says $62,000 of the funds will go for non-personnel needs such as equipment purchases, building improvements, supplies, permits and client services. The remaining $15,000 will go to salaries and wages.

No funds came from District Four because the seat is still vacant.

Dave Roberts

The North County LGBTQ Resource Center’s 2013 annual gala is being held May 18 at the Oceanside Museum of Art. This year’s theme is Hearts in the Community, Eyes on Equality and the event is billed as an evening of entertainment, inspirational speeches, good food and fun for sponsors, friends and members. The event is the North County Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year and keynote speaker for the night is San Diego Supervisor Dave Roberts, while Executive Director Max Disposti will introduce the gala.

The North County LGBTQ Resource Center opened its doors in January of 2012 thanks to the support of people and businesses who realized the tremendous need for such a resource. The North County Center serves more than 800 people per month between support groups, services and activities, and this year they have plans to offer even more.

Their programs reach people throughout North San Diego County from college, high school students and their families to Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Tickets are $50 each or $90 for two and are available at ncresourcecenter/gala.org or call 760-994-1690.

After a nine year hiatus the San Diego American Flag Football League’s (SDAFFL) Surf & Turf Tournament is back April 27- 28. The only tournament of its kind on the West Coast, the Surf & Turf Tournament is expected to bring in some of the best LGBT flag football teams for what is being seen as a possible foreshadowing of things to come at this year’s National Tournament to be held in October.

Last held in 2004, Surf & Turf’s return adds to the circuit of tournaments such as Florida’s Sunshine Cup, and Chicago’s Pride Bowl leading up to National Championships to be held in Phoenix, Ariz. With 12 teams registered, translating to approximately 300 participants, this sold out event will be bringing visitors from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver as well as six teams from San Diego County.

Mike Paganelli, SDAFFL commissioner said, “The Surf & Turf is a great way to give our players some tournament experience so that they can feel that excitement and rush you get from playing under these conditions and it gets them excited for the Nationals in October.”

Tournament co-director and SDAFFL founder, Ivan Solis said, “San Diego has long since been a favorite location for a tournament. We are pleased and excited to be able to bring the Surf & Turf back and at a level that most of these players are accustomed to. The Surf & Turf Tournament board, crew and sponsors have all worked really hard to host a top-notch event.”

Games start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with round robin to determine tournament seeding; Sunday it is single elimination. Games are played at Nobel Athletic Fields located at 8820 Judicial Drive, San Diego, 92122.

For more information about the SDAFFL Surf & Turf, visit sdaffl.com and select “Tournament” or contact Russ Edra, PR/Media, SDAFFL, russ@sdaffl.com 310-709-3116.