By Ramy Eletreby

County Officials Speak at Community Meeting on Meth

The idea was to have a community “dialogue” about the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ report on the state of crystal meth use and what to do about it. Organized by the Act Now Against Meth coalition and its leader, Richard Zaldivar, president and founder of The Wall-Las Memorias, the April 17 “Community Convening” moderated by KCET’s Val Zavala at SEIU Local 721 headquarters was long on presentations and wishes, but short on communication.

Indeed, many of the meth-affected Latino audience required simultaneous translation and appeared to have difficulty keeping up with the county officials who, for the most part, spoke as if they were addressing a group of like-minded bureaucrats. The disconnection was particularly striking after Donnalyn Anton, who works for the L.A. Unified School District, talked about how her son Evan committed suicide three years ago. “I put that at the feet of meth,” she said. “There is serious underreporting in L.A. County. But each statistic has a face to it.”

When audience members asked questions at the end of the three-plus-hour meeting, the panel often seemed stumped. A woman from Antelope Valley asked how to handle a meth-using pregnant woman. Long silence. Finally Dr. Marvin Southard, director of the Department of Mental Health, advised taking the pregnant woman out of her existing situation and placing her in a “healthy environment.”

The answer was logical, but seemed to be wishful thinking. Mario Perez, director of the Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, acknowledged that there is a “premium” on beds available for treatment and promised funding for 200 more beds, though he did not give specifics.

Southard had tried to bridge the communication gap, forthrightly sharing a personal story and acknowledging with Pat Ogawa, director of the county’s Alcohol and Drug Programs, that the county has failed to create a comprehensive, coordinated response that integrates services and resources among the departments overseeing mental health, alcohol and drugs, HIV/AIDS and STDs.

But while well-meaning, the officials seemed unimpressed by the waiting lists for healthy environments—a situation sure to get worse when prevention marketing creates a demand for help but nowhere to go.

Though the county report declares that crystal meth is a “substantial” public health problem, there was no sense of urgency. Someone asked, “Why is the county still not willing to declare a state of emergency?” The room erupted into applause. Ogawa said that Public Health Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding (who has repeatedly expressed his concern about meth) felt that such a declaration would create a “big splash,” but eventually attention would fade. The answer is to work together over the long run.

“This was a beginning,” Zaldivar told IN. “It means we need to combine our forces and hold them accountable. But how can the county prioritize crystal meth when they don’t know what meth is or what effect it has?”—Karen Ocamb

Student Civil Rights Act Passes Senate; Juvenile Justice Act Introduced

On April 17, the state Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 777, the Student Civil Rights Act, a bill that protects students in California’s publicly-funded schools and programs from discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Authored by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) and sponsored by Equality California, the bill strengthens the state’s current nondiscrimination laws and creates uniform standards within the education code so that protections for all students, teachers and administrators are clearly defined.

“One of the best ways to give all students a fair opportunity to learn is by ensuring that all schools follow consistent anti-bias standards,” said Geoff Kors, EQCA executive director, in a statement. “This bill brings the state’s education code up to date with California's evolving nondiscrimination policies so that schools have clear guidance regarding their obligations to provide a safe educational environment.”

In another bill introduced in the state Senate, LGBT youth in California’s juvenile justice system would be given new protections from mistreatment. Authored by Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), the Juvenile Justice Safety and Protection Act would create a Youth Bill of Rights in which all youth are to be informed of services available for addressing rights violations. Migden’s bill would further create a comprehensive nondiscrimination policy in juvenile justice settings prohibiting bias based on actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability and health status.

“My bill is about ensuring the safety of not only LGBT youth, but all youth, within the juvenile justice system,” said Migden, in a statement. “Even when young people have lost their way and are incarcerated, they should not be targets of violence and harassment.”

Transgender Teen Runs for Prom King at Fresno High School; Project 10 Holds LGBTQ Youth Prom

In a landmark show of gender expression on a school campus, a transgender teen ran for prom king at Fresno High School on April 21. Though Cinthia Covarrubias, 17, did not win, his candidacy is believed to be the first time an openly transgender student in the United States ran for prom royalty. To get Covarrubias’ name on the ballot, school officials reversed a previous district protocol allowing only biological males to run for prom king and females for queen.

“It’s really important for an individual student like Cinthia to be able to feel she has the same access to participate in this rite of passage,” said Carolyn Laub, director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. “We are growing as a society to accept much more diversity in gender expression, and that’s a positive thing.”

Project 10, Inc., the nation’s first LGBT youth outreach program, will sponsor its own LGBTQ Youth Prom on Friday, May 18, at the Friendship Auditorium in L.A. near Griffith Park. Tickets are $30 presale and $40 at the door and includes free parking, dinner, beverages, DJ and live entertainment. For more information, see www.project10.org.

L.A. Times Sports Writer Comes Out as Transsexual

In the Los Angeles Times April 26, veteran sports writer Mike Penner told readers he was leaving for vacation and when he returns, he will be Christine.  

“I am a transsexual sportswriter,” Penner wrote. “It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues and friends will be shocked to read them. That's OK. To borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a time.”

Black Lesbian KPFK General Manager Accused of Sexual Harassment

Eva Georgia, a black lesbian from South Africa and general manager of the progressive radio station KPFK (90.7 FM), is being sued for sexual harassment and racial discrimination by KPFK’s news director, Molly Paige, a straight white woman, reports the L.A. Weekly.

According to the lawsuit, Georgia made “not so subtle remarks of a quid pro quo nature in order to force [Paige] to submit to Georgia’s sexual advances,” including caressing Paige’s hair inappropriately, suggesting lesbian sex and trying to coax her into Georgia’s hotel room during a business trip. Since the suit was filed in L.A. Superior Court on Feb. 2, complaints about Georgia’s previous work ethic at a gay and lesbian community center in Long Beach and at radio stations in South Africa have been circulating over online message boards. Esther Manilla, a former KPFK staffer, told L.A. Weekly that she was also sexually harassed by Georgia before she was eventually fired.

“Character assassination has been used throughout history and is very effective to destroy the good work someone does,” stated Georgia, in an e-mail to L.A. Weekly. “You have to ask yourself what is buried beneath it, especially when the accused is an out gay, black woman.”

National Black Justice Coalition Hosts State of LGBT California Event

As part of the annual California Legislative Black Caucus Foundation Conference taking place May 1-5, the National Black Justice Coalition will host its second annual State of Black LGBT California event on Saturday, May 5, from 2-5 p.m. at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in L.A.

The three-part State of Black LGBT California event will begin with a discussion on developing a statewide black LGBT network, then another discussion on coalition building with other minority LGBT political leaders and a final discussion about bedroom politics and the marriage rights battle on the 2008 ballot.

For more information, see www.clbcfoundation.org.

Advocacy & Activism Meeting

Want to become an activist? On May 2 from 9:30-11:30am at the Precious Blood Church, 435 S. Occidental Blvd., there will be a community meeting about advocacy and activism. Presenters include Dr. Terry Grand, who will talk about ACT UP and AIDS Activism; Tim Young and Eddie Martinez of Act Now Against Meth discussing crystal meth activism; and members of the Overdose Prevention Task Force talking about overdose activism. To register, e-mail sforrest@bhs-inc.org or hivdatfla@yahoo.com or call Susan at (323) 461-3161, ext. 14.