Florida Agenda

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – To coincide with National Suicide Prevention Month, the Trevor Project announced a campaign to target wider public awareness of teen suicide and prevention. Officials say the “Talk To Me” campaign is inspired by Department of Health and Human Services research released this month. That data reports a significant impact in prevention rates for programs that encourage depressed teens to seek help.

According to statistics, suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 10 to 24-year-olds. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts, and nearly half of transgender youth have seriously contemplated suicide (one-quarter report having made an actual suicide attempt).

Officials say that September is an especially stressful month for teens starting or returning to school. The Talk To Me project was set up to provide encouragement to depressed teens, via persons who pledge to provide support to someone who may be contemplating suicide.

The Trevor Project—founded in 1998 and now the nation’s leading organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth— established National Suicide Prevention Month, along with National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9 to 15), World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) and The Trevor Project Day (September 27), to draw attention to the national crisis of teen suicide.

The organization receives 35,000 calls annually.

By ROBERT ELIAS DEATON

Way back in the mid-seventies, which seems like a lifetime ago, we would go to the gaslight district in downtown San Diego for the sailors who hung out there in all the saloons, tattoo emporiums, porn shops and massage parlors that populated the area. It was a run-down fun place in those days, when the city itself was known for its military population, and its proximity to Tijuana, Mexico.

Now the area has been totally gentrified, is officially called the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District, and is a colorful and eclectic assortment of restaurants, bars, shops, lounges and live music venues, that is a must-see for any visit to the second largest city in California. Yes, there are gas lights on the streets, as well as historical art deco buildings that take you back to the turn-ofthe-( last)-century.

Two things you should know about S.D. right from the start: A) you’ll need a rental car. The gay areas and sights are strung throughout the town from one end to the other. B) There are three main gayborhoods here: Hillcrest, University Heights, and North Park.

Hillcrest is really the center of all things gay, bordered on the north by University Heights and the East by North Park. Stroll along University Avenue to get a feel for the place, with its coffee shops, stores, and assorted bistros.

Rich’s San Diego (1051 University Ave. between 10th and Vermont) is the oldest and most popular dance club in the city. We also love the Brass Rail (3796 5th Ave. at Robinson) with its Latino base and an outside patio, which allows you to take a breather as you people-watch out front. For those who like their action on the dirty side, The Loft (3610 5th Ave. at Brookes) is the local dive where hankypanky and stiff drinks are the order of the night.

While in the Hillcrest area, don’t miss a stop at Hash House a Go Go (3628 5th Ave.). It’s our favorite big-portion restaurant, and a legend for breakfast according to locals who have made it an institution. Our favorite item on the menu is the Hash Cobb Salad, served later in the day.

Balboa Park, which borders Hillcrest on the South, is a 1,200-acre bounty of hiking and biking, museums, historic expositions buildings, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo (home of the Giant Pandas). Get to it via public transportation or the Cabrillo Freeway. Go early and spend all day exploring this green haven. For the rougher side of gay San Diego, head to North Park, where you’ll find the only real leather bar in town. The San Diego Eagle (3040 Park Way at Ray Street—one block parallel to University) is small, sexy and exactly what you’d expect, which is a good thing. At Pecs (2046 University Ave. at Alabama), there’s no indication you’re at a gay club. Just look for the “Open” sign and march right in to find the hottest cruising in all of San Diego. Want to find a date? This is the place.

If you’re young and posing is your thing, head immediately to Bourbon Street in University Heights (4612 Park Blvd. at Madison). There’s something adorable about watching 22-yearolds trying to look cool. Okay, maybe it’s not so adorable, but this is the place to find it in any case. Regardless of what turns you on, this land of sunshine 300 days-a-year has a bit of it available somewhere or other. San Diego— guaranteed fun.

By Rory Barbarosa

Dancer: Casper Smart Is Gay, Using Jennifer Lopez

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – A rival dancer has been trying to “out” the 25-year-old boyfriend of Jennifer Lopez, claiming in online posts that Casper Smart is gay, and only using Lopez to acquire fame and wealth. Joshua Lee Ayers, who worked in the 2010 dance film “Step Up 3D” with Smart, has been using his Twitter account to call into question the former J-Lo backup dancer’s sexual orientation.

Ayers, a dancer at Hollywood nightclub Boulevard3, began his online harassment in March, after Twitter fans asked Smart about his choreography techniques. Ayers responded that “He stealz them off of other choreographers…” He then began accusing Smart of denying his homosexuality, tweeting, “LOL @jessyterrero check out Ur Gay Homie @caspersmart. Know as a low key homo in hollywood!!! http://yfrog.com/ h477mcaj.” Lopez, 42, started dating Smart, who is 17 years her junior, in November 2011, after she announced her split from husband Marc Anthony.

 Prop 8 Decision Paves Way for High Court Ruling

By Cliff Dunn

On Tuesday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled to deny an appeal of a February lower court decision against California’s Proposition 8. The appeals court’s ruling paves the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the fate of marriage equality by next year.

The 9th Circuit decision means the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to have two major gay-rights cases on its docket in the near future. The ruling comes less than a week after a federal appeals court in Boston ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—the federal law that declares marriage to be solely between a man and a woman—discriminates against married same-sex couples, by denying them the same benefits granted under the law to heterosexual couples.

As in the California appeals court ruling, the Massachusetts judges chose narrow ground to assert that the law singles out gay couples for discrimination, in ways that violate their Constitutional rights to equal protection.

Neither federal panel took the step of declaring that the Constitution supports the right to same sex marriage.

Tuesday’s case concerns the statewide referendum passed by California voters in 2008 that placed a prohibition in the state constitution recognizing same sex marriages. In their 2-to-1 decision that struck down Proposition 8, the appeals court judges said, “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gay men and lesbians in California.” The ban had reinstated a previous one against same-sex nuptials, just six months after the California Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional.

After the ballot measure amended the state constitution, two same sex couples sued in federal court, arguing that Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.

After the three-judge panel ruled in February that the ban violates federal constitutional guarantees—but limited the ruling’s effects to within California—sponsors of Proposition 8 asked the 9th Circuit to assemble an 11-judge panel to reconsider the case. A majority of the circuit’s judges voted against such a rehearing.

Although many believe that the U.S. Supreme Court will decide to hear one or both of these cases, the justices are not obligated to do so. Experts say that the nine-member high court is divided 4-to-4 on the question of marriage equality, with Justice Anthony Kennedy widely considered being the deciding vote. Both the California and Massachusetts federal appeals court rulings referred at several points to decisions by Justice Kennedy to legally justify the basis for their reasoning.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA  – The Trevor Project has announced the appointment of a new executive director and CEO. Abbe Land, a member of the West Hollywood, California city council, has been tapped to lead the not-for-profit organization which spearheads suicide prevention programs for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.

Ricky Strauss, the Trevor Project’s interim chair, said that Land “is a recognized and respected health care professional who brings an impressive history of ensuring care to under-represented populations.”

Since 2003, Land has served as co-CEO of the Saban Free Clinic in Los Angeles. Between 1986 and 1997, she served as councilmember and twice as mayor of the City of West Hollywood. Land was re-elected to the city council in 2003, and again last March, for which she is currently serving a four-year term.

The Trevor Project, founded in 1998, is the nation’s leading crisis and suicide prevention organization specializing in the needs of LGBTQ youth.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Califor-nia Supreme Court has ruled that the backers of California’s Proposition 8 have the standing to defend the proposition in court. The decision was made on behalf of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals who has asked for a decision.

The 9th Circuit will now decide how it wishes to proceed.

Proposition 8, formally known as the California Marriage Protection Act, was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections. The measure added a new provision to the Declaration of Rights, to the California Constitution and provides that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

In August of 2010, a district court struck down Prop 8 because California’s Governor and Attorney General declined to defend the law in federal court, but Prop 8?s sponsors stepped forward to do so. A federal appeals court took up the case, but put it on hold in order to ask the state’s highest court whether the sponsors have the legal right to bring the case.

The state Supreme Court decision is an advisory opinion that will be sent to the federal appeals court. That court will then take the ruling under consideration and determine on its own whether it thinks the supporters have the legal standing to bring the case.

SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican whose decision in 2007 to drop his opposition to same-sex marriage, put him at odds with the GOP, has joined California Governor Jerry Brown and the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco, all Democrats, in urging Congress to overturn a law denying recognition of such marriages.

According to the LA Times, Sanders, Brown, LA Mayor Antonio Villaragoisa and San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee signed a letter urging members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance legislation that would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

PALM SPRINGS, CA – California hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bucked a national trend and rose by 25% with the most dramatic shifts taking place in Palm Springs and San Francisco, both cities with significant gay and lesbian populations.

According to California Watch, hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation jumped from three cases in 2009 to 14 in 2010. San Francisco recorded six incidents in 2009 and 24 in 2010.

Rhonda Long, administrative services officer for the Palm Springs Police Department, said she could not explain the uptick in cases without looking at them individually. Long said the department was taking steps to prevent hate crimes in the community.
The Palm Springs Police Department said it has been rebuilding its image within the gay community since a 2009 scandal.

Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez retired in January after he was accused of and admitted to making insensitive comments during a sex sting operation in 2009 targeting gay men who officers believed were having sex in a public park restroom.

Officers arrested 19 people in the operation.

SAN DIEGO, CA – Doug Manchester, a real estate developer has agreed to purchase the area’s dominate newspaper, The San Diego Union-Tribune. In 2008, Manchester donated $125,000 to the successful campaign to pass California’s Proposition 8.

The purchase is expected to be completed by December 15 but further details have not been disclosed.

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, the Union-Tribune is the nation’s 25th largest newspaper.

VENTURA, CA – According to the Los Angeles Times, the Oxnard teen who shot a gay classmate he believed was flirting with him has agreed to spend the next 21 years in prison, a plea deal that ends a case that drew national attention and ignited debate on how schools should deal with openly gay students.

Brandon McInerney, who was 14 when he pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Larry King twice in the head in 2008, has already served nearly four years in jail and would be released by the time he is 38, under terms of the deal.

McInerney’s first trial ended with jurors split between convicting him of voluntary manslaughter and first-degree murder.

Several of the jurors have since spoken in favor of a plea bargain, in order to avoid a second trial.

During the first trial, prosecutors portrayed McInerney as a budding white supremacist who hated homosexuals and was enraged by King’s sexuality and aggressive flirtations.

The defense argued that McInerney was the product of a violent and dysfunctional home and had reached an emotional breaking point in response to King’s advances.

A national gay rights group later said prosecutors should have done the “just and merciful thing” and reached a plea deal in the case.

“Brandon McInerney killed Larry King and should go to jail for his crime,” said Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. “However, the first trial subjected everyone – especially Larry and Brandon’s peers – to a painful spectacle that accomplished nothing.”

At trial, several teachers testified that King had become increasingly bold in his behavior in the weeks before the shooting.

One of the teachers, Jill Eckman, demanded that administrators do something about rising tensions but was told to teach tolerance for King’s gender expression.