News & Commentary

Twenty years ago, I attended my first gay Pride celebration in my hometown of Nashville, Tenn. It marked the beginning of my advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community -- and has informed all that I have done since. This is the work that drives me.

The fate of AB 1266 (the School Success and Opportunity Act) is currently in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown, after passing both chambers of the California legislature. The bill would ensure that transgender students have equal access to facilities and activities – such as gym class – that match their gender identity.

Today, the Ninth Circuit lifted the stay preventing California from marrying same-sex couples. The ruling comes two days after the U.S. Supreme Court restored marriage for same-sex couples in California, nearly five years after California voters, through Proposition 8, stripped same-sex couples of their freedom to marry.

By James Gilliam Two years ago, my best friend asked me to officiate at her wedding. It was an honor to play that special role in her life, and I loved doing it. But standing before the crowd, I was struck by the unfortunate

On June 28, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay preventing California from marrying same-sex couples. See our updated FAQ for Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in CA.

Two years ago, my best friend asked me to officiate at her wedding. It was an honor to play that special role in her life, and I loved doing it. But standing before the crowd, I was struck by the unfortunate irony of the situation: Even as I married my friend and her husband, I could not marry my own partner. I decided that hers would be the last wedding I attended until I had the freedom to have my own.

LOS ANGELES - Transgender students in California are one step closer to just treatment. Today, the California Senate Education Committee voted 5-2 to pass AB 1266 (the School Success and Opportunity Act), which would ensure that transgender students have equal access to facilities and activities like sports teams that match their gender identity. The bill passed the California Assembly in May, and now moves to the full Senate.

WEST HOLLYWOOD—Risqué costumes, boisterous after-parties and general debauchery usually dominate reportage on LA PRIDE festivities. To newcomers, the celebration’s essential mission is overshadowed by the pomp and circumstance.

by Joey Hernandez, LGBTQ Student Rights Advocate Over the years, the north steps of the State Capitol have seen some fierce advocacy by queer youth from across the state of California. The ACLU of California is keeping that legacy alive in the 2013 legislative cycle.