by Peter DelVecchio

California honors Milk during civil rights law anniversary

On Jan. 14 Equality California Government Affairs Director Alice Kessler joined other civil rights leaders to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California’s principal civil rights non-discrimination law. During the state-sponsored ceremony at the state Capitol, Kessler presented an award honoring assassinated San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk to Milk’s nephew, Stuart.

As shown in the current biopic Milk, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in California history. He also worked to pass one of the first local gay rights ordinances in the country, a model for subsequent legislation at the state level.

Indeed, the effort to add protections to FEHA for LGBT people in 1991—AB 101—had to be modified to exclude housing. Even then the bill was vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson, which led to weeks of protests. Housing and employment protections—what amounted to a “gay rights bill”—were finally signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis and added to FEHA in 2000.

“EQCA led the effort to add sexual orientation and gender identity to that law, and we can never take these protections for granted,” EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors told IN Los Angeles magazine. “We greatly appreciate the governor's recognition of the enormous significance of Harvey Milk to all Californians and are humbled that he asked Equality California to present it.”

Asked if he thought that Schwarzenegger’s recognition of the importance of the inclusion of LGBT rights to FEHA and his invitation to EQCA suggested he might have changed his mind about signing a law recognizing Harvey Milk Day, Kors said, “The governor vetoed the Milk Day state holiday last year and said that he believed Harvey Milk was only significant locally. Thanks to the film Milk, the entire world is learning about the enormous contributions of Harvey Milk, including Gov. Schwarzenegger. That bodes very well for the Harvey Milk Day legislation.”

Black LGBT group protests Oakland police slaying

The Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition, a Los Angeles-based African-American LGBT group, held a candlelight vigil in Leimert Park Jan. 14, one of many events held nationwide to protest the alleged police slaying of an unarmed African-American man in Oakland on Jan. 1, according to a release.

Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker, was allegedly shot in the back while lying prone on the platform at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Oakland by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Witnesses described the slaying as an “execution.”

Videos of the shooting taken by passengers with cell phones have been posted widely online, sparking a national uproar.

Mehserle was arrested in Nevada Nov. 13. Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff said Mehserle has been charged with murder. “From the evidence we have, there’s nothing that would mitigate that, [to] something lower than murder,” Orloff said at a press conference with BART Police Chief Gary Gee.

Protesters were demanding prosecution of all officers involved in the incident, an investigation by the California Department of Justice and a BART community forum to permit citizens to voice their concerns.

LGBT people of color meet

(l-r) Ron Buckmire of Jordan/Rustin Coalition, Shoshana Vogel, senior manager of affirmative action and diversity at the Screen Actors Guild, Karin Wang of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, facilitator Jose Montano and Cesar Portillo of Bienestar attended the Jan. 15 “People of Color and LGBT Collective Meeting,” hosted by Asian Pacific Islander Equality, Bienestar and the Jordan/Rustin Coalition.

HIV advocates’ mixed reactions to budget

HIV/AIDS advocacy group Project Inform expressed mixed reactions to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2009 budget proposal in a Jan. 12 release.

“In the context of a $41.6 billion ... deficit, the ... group thanked the governor for proposing no cuts to HIV/AIDS programs, and for fully funding the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which provides free HIV medications to low-income Californians,” the release says.

The group, however, criticized “proposed cuts to other health and human services programs, particularly Medi-Cal,” which it said would harm “some of the most vulnerable Californians living with HIV.”

Free medical meth treatment available

End Dependence, which describes itself as an L.A.-based public benefit organization offering financial grants for the biologic component of addiction treatment, currently has grants available for people addicted to meth, cocaine and/or alcohol. Grantees will receive access to Prometa, an out-patient medical treatment intended to reduce cravings and improve mental clarity, and assistance with designing a total therapeutic plan. For applications and grant guidelines, visit enddependence.org, or call (310) 456-8998. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information about Prometa, visit prometainfo.com.