Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day – Light The Night Pride Ride in Visalia

Tuesday, October 11, will be the 28th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.  Inspired by the October 14, 1979 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, NCOD is an annual celebration to recognize the bravery of those who live their lives openly and authentically, and of their straight allies who support them.

In Visalia, theSOURCE LGBT+ Center will hold the “Light the Night Pride Ride”, an evening bike ride through the city.  Riders will decorate their bikes with lights and regalia in recognition of NCOD.  See our Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/301772293536144/ .

Riders will begin the evening with a presentation by the Visalia Police Department on biking safety and regulations, followed by a leisurely ride through Visalia.  Those interested in joining can meet up in the parking lot behind Montgomery Square, 208 W. Main Street, at 6pm.

Harvey Milk, San Francisco Supervisor and the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, and who was assassinated along with Mayor George Mascone in 1978, often urged his listeners to stop hiding.

“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends if indeed they are your friends. You must tell the people you work with. You must tell the people in the stores you shop in. Once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and all. And once you do, you will feel so much better.” – Harvey Milk

Much has transpired since his death and that first march on Washington D.C., but Milk’s words still resonate with us today.  NCOD reminds us that for many still in the closet, coming out remains the best course of action.  Freeing oneself from the shackles of fear and invisibility can lead to a much more fulfilling life.   NCOD is a celebration of all those who have come out before us, and made our journeys a little bit easier.  Also recognizing our allies who have supported us along the way, we honor their efforts, often taken in the face of strong opposition.  We couldn’t have gotten as far as we have without them.

theSOURCE LGBT+ Center’s mission is to provide places for our LGBT+ population to Learn, Grow, Belong, Transform, Question + Support. You don’t have to be OUT to come IN!

208 S. Main Street, Suite B, Visalia – downstairs in the Montgomery Square building.

Office hours Tuesday through Friday, 3pm to 6pm.  Events as scheduled, and other hours by arrangement.

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thesourcelgbt/

Web page http://thesourcelgbt.org

Phone: 559-429-4277

Trump and women

10-7 in police code is “out of service”. 10/07/2016 will be remembered as the day Donald Trump went ‘out of service’ in his bid to become the next President of the United States.

I won’t repeat the statements he made in the ‘hot-mic’ incident from 2005, they’re everywhere now.  Even if he tries to claim he was simply making empty boasts to impress or fool the interviewer, you still have to wonder about the maturity and intelligence of someone who would do such a thing. It’s much more likely Trump was telling the truth, and we should believe what he said. I will watch to see how the Republican party deals with this revelation about Trump’s real character.  Some have already begun distancing themselves, but it remains to be seen if they will tolerate his being the head of the GOP. How his running mate deals with this will be illuminating, as well. Already known for being anti-LGBT and anti-woman, Pence still can’t appreciate the wagon to which he’s hitched his political future.

I’ve already seen Trump supporters start posting (or continuing to post) about Bill Clinton and his sordid past, but they don’t seem to make the connection that Bill is NOT the Democratic candidate.  His past issues are not in play, but I suppose he’s an easy target. Condemnation of Hillary seems to be that she should not have ‘stood by her man’, or that she said mean things about the women with which Bill allegedly had affairs.  All of that, of course, has little to do with the basic moral character of Trump, but deflection may serve to distract the “poorly educated” from his true feelings toward women.  They are playthings, there for his amusement and pleasure.

The question I want to ask local Trump supporters is this:  If your wife/mother/sister/daughter was in the same room, alone, with Donald Trump, how would you feel?  If he decided he found her attractive, and did exactly what he said he did with that woman, while newly married to the latest Mrs. Trump, are you fine with that? Because if you are willing to dismiss this revelation as not enough to shake your support, the people in your life should know that about you.

The acts Donald Trump was recorded describing, if they had been committed in California, are very likely a violation of Penal Code Section 243.4.  If convicted of such a crime, the penalty is up to a year in jail, up to $3,000 fine, and lifetime registration as a sex offender (with all the limitations that imposes).

I don’t care what you think about Hillary Clinton, but if, after this revelation, you continue to support Donald Trump, you cannot claim to respect women.  Every Trump sign and bumper sticker will be an admission of such, from this day forward.

Donald Trump is 10-7.

Image: REUTERS