Déjà vu all over again: Liberty Hill, Texas

In 2008, the City Council of Porterville, California became the first and only government body to formally vote to urge residents to support Proposition 8 on the statewide ballot. That proposition would go on to pass, and banned marriage equality (AKA gay marriage) in the state. In 2013, after appeals and rulings, the United States District Court would strike down the initiative as un-Constitutional. (In 2015, the United States Supreme Court would rule that marriage equality bans were a violation of the US Constitution as well, and struck down all bans.)

What has this to do with Liberty Hill, Texas? That’s the déjà vu all over again.

On June 14, 2023, Mayor Liz Branigan of Liberty Hill, Texas, issued a proclamation, designating June as Pride Month.

I’m sure Liberty Hill has, like most communities, a lot of issues for local government to deal with. It takes something like a Pride Proclamation to get the folks of the town to pay attention. They showed up at the city council meeting, most of them not happy. You’d think the Mayor had just imposed ‘wokeness’ on them, and the citizens now have to wear stylish clothes and listen to Drag Queens read them children’s stories.

Here is the text of the entire proclamation:

PRIDE PROCLAMATION
Whereas, Liberty Hill is a Loving, Wholesome and Family-centered community; and
Whereas, Liberty Hill is an inclusive and supportive community; and
Whereas, We value all of our citizens because of the unique and precious nature of all of God’s children; and
Whereas, We oppose hate, abuse, discrimination or bullying of any person,
Now Therefore, I, Liz Branigan, as Mayor, do proclaim the month of June as Pride Month in Liberty Hill, in harmony with the larger community of the United States.
Proclaimed this the 14th day of June 2023.

---

Mayor Liz Branigan

That’s rather bland, isn’t it? It doesn’t even specifically refer to LGBTQ. That didn’t stop the “loving Christians” from flooding the council chambers and going off on the ‘slippery slope’ the city was forcing on them.

This is almost a replay of the events of June, 2013, in Porterville, California. Porterville is a small city in Central California, smack in the buckle of the state’s very red, very conservative Bible belt of the central valley. Kevin McCarthy is the Congressman for the area, as Devin Nunes was before him.

Here’s a blog I wrote about the Porterville proclamation, before it was issued.

When the proclamation was issued by Porterville’s mayor, all hell broke loose. (Kudos to Liberty Hill for not having a scene anything like Porterville’s.)

It should be noted that up until this proclamation, the process to issue one in Porterville was similar to Liberty Hill’s. The mayor gets an application from someone in the community, they decide if it meets the very basic requirements, and if so it gets placed on the agenda. Someone on city staff prints up the proclamation, it’s slipped into one of those blue folders, the Mayor and, if they desire, the city council members sign it. It’s then presented at a council meeting, usually to the person that initiated the request.

The only person to sign Porterville’s proclamation was the Mayor, Virginia Gurrola. Here’s the Porterville proclamation.

Another one of those “divisive” “gay agenda” things being “rammed down their throats”.

The proclamation did not go over well.

Other city council members decided enact another first in the nation (as far as we can ascertain), and rescind the proclamation in a formal vote. That didn’t work out as first planned, because the council members were in such a rush to undo what the Mayor had done that they didn’t add it to the agenda correctly. Thus began a Keystone Kops caper stretching over the summer as the other council members struggled to get it right. They eventually did, and rescinded the Pride proclamation, and ‘replaced’ it with a proclamation of “A Month of Community Charity and Goodwill to All in Porterville”. Doesn’t that sound like something that was said in the Liberty Hill meeting?

So now Liberty Hill Texas has a choice. Will they wish their LGBT community a happy Pride Month, or will they go the Porterville route, and fight tooth and nail to remove a rather milquetoast proclamation? Will they vilify the mayor?

The Visalia Times Delta published a blog post I wrote about the entire situation in the September 21-22, 2013 print edition of the Opinion page. You can read it here.

It’ll be interesting to see what Liberty Hill decides to do.

Like I said, déjà vu all over again.

Porterville Harvey Milk Day Proclamation 5/21/2019

December 1 is World AIDS Day

Saturday, December 1, 2018, will mark the 30th anniversary of the observance of World AIDS Day. Started in 1988, WAD is an international observance dedicated to raising the awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease.

It is estimated up to 41.5 million people have died of AIDS worldwide since it was identified. There are estimated to be 36.7 million people living with HIV today.

Once a fatal diagnosis, there are now treatments which do not cure, but halt the progression of AIDS. Infected individuals can, with treatment, live normal, healthy lives. When treatment results in undetectable levels of HIV in an infected person, transmission of the virus to another person is considered not possible. “Undetectable=Untransmittable”

Along with safer sex practices, there is now a medical treatment to prevent an uninfected person from becoming infected with HIV. Called PrEP, it is medication that can block infection when taken as directed.

For current information locally, and referral to sources of treatment, prevention, and support, contact The Source LGBT+ Center on the web, or on  Facebook. Office hours at the drop in center are Tuesday through Friday, 3 pm till 6 pm. The center is located at 208 W. Main St, Suite B, Visalia. (downstairs in the Montgomery Square)  559-429-4277

MAGA – with forest rakes

The President of the United States:

“I was with the president of Finland, and he said: ‘We have a much different [sic]…, we’re a forest nation.’ And they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don’t have any problem.”  November 17, 2018

The President of Finland:

“I mentioned [to] him that Finland is a land covered by forests and we also have a good monitoring system and network.”

Twitter:

“LOL” (paraphrased – and tons of pictures of Finnish residents with rakes in the forest)

The rest of the world:

SMH (also paraphrased)

Vladimir Putin:

“ухмылка”

Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony to be held in Visalia Tuesday

On Tuesday, November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance will be recognized in a ceremony held at Visalia’s Garden Street Plaza. Beginning at 6:30 pm, join The Source LGBT+ Center as we honor those lost this year.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

In 2017 there were 27 reported cases of homicide where the victim was transgender. Already in 2018 there have been 22 reported murders, with a disproportionate number of victims each year being transgender women of color.

During the week of November 12-19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address the issues trans people face.

For information, support, resources, and referral services for transgender youth and adults (as well as the lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities), contact The Source LGBT+ Center at 559-429-4277, or at

The Source LGBT+ Center on the web at https://www.thesourcelgbt.org

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesourcelgbt/

Our drop in center is located at 208 W. Main St., Suite B, Visalia
(downstairs at the Montgomery Square)
The center is open 3 pm to 6pm, Tuesday through Friday.

Transgender Program Coordinator to speak at PFLAG Tulare-Kings Counties

Dana Galante, Transprogram Coordinator at The Source LGBT+ Center, will be this month’s featured speaker at PFLAG Tulare-Kings Counties. November  12-19 is Transgender Awareness week, and Galante will speak on the current status of the transgender community in Tulare and Kings Counties, the programs and activities at The Source LGBT+ Center, and her experiences as the mother of a transgender son.

When: Sunday, November 18, 2018  3pm to 5pm

Where: The Educational and Cultural Center, Congregation B’nai David, 1039 S. Chinowth, Visalia.

PFLAG provides a safe and confidential space place to talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, and works to build a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

There is no cost to attend, and membership is optional. Refreshments will be served.

PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.

CNN reporter banned from White House

The White House has revoked the “hard pass” of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, for “being rude”.  Perhaps, if Donald Trump is too much of a snowflake to handle a reporter doing his job, “John Barron” should be trotted out to handle the press. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is taking flak for reposting/uploading a doctored video, claiming Acosta “put hands on” a woman staffer. The White House press corps should boycott this administration until Acosta’s credentials are reactivated. Leave nothing but Fox “News” and a couple of websites to cover their nonsense and lies.

You never saw this kind of juvenile behavior during the Obama administration. Or Bush’s, either.

Vladimir is probably thinking “good first step, Donny.”

Nunes absenteeism continues unabated – victory celebrated in Hanford

I suppose congratulations are in order. Devin Nunes kept his seat, winning CA22 with 56% of the vote over Andrew Janz’s 44%. That’s the closest margin I can recall in a long time (other than the time he ran unopposed), so Janz at least gave him a run for his money.

Since he won, he’s certainly entitled to celebrate with like-minded folks, but come on…

in Hanford?

Nunes has been accused of being an absentee representative, who refuses to talk to his constituents unless they write a large campaign check first. He’s held no town halls in years, and for the past two has been on a rampage against any media outlets who dare ask him questions. The only exception seems to be Fox, who often interview him from what’s labeled as the World Ag Expo, even though that only happens a few days a year. I assume they mean the International Agri-Center in Tulare, but with Fox you can never be sure. Channel 30 was refused comment as they tried to cover his re-election celebration.

So how does Devin handle the win? Celebrating in Hanford. Just in case you’re wondering, Hanford’s not in CA22. It’s not even close.

Even in victory, Nunes is an absentee representative. His supporters don’t seem to care.

How did Hillary lose?

Well, of course, the Russians.

But, what’s even worse, Hillary lost* because too many people who might have voted for her stayed home. They bought into the common wisdom that she had it in the bag, and there was no way Trump could win. They didn’t vote. Putin’s boy snuck through some loopholes, and to his own surprise** won the electoral college.

The E/C won’t be involved this time around, but with all this talk of a #BlueWave flipping the House and maybe even the Senate to the Democrats, we could get lulled into thinking our votes aren’t needed. They are. Every single one of them.

Get to your polling place Tuesday. If you’re in California, your boss has to give you two hours of paid time off to vote, if you need it. If you have an absentee or mail in ballot, be sure it gets to the post office in time.

I wasn’t going to suggest who you should vote for when I started writing this, but I’ve changed my mind. Vote Democratic, down the ticket, top to bottom. Especially for Andrew Janz in CA22. It’s time to retire Nunes, and get to work repairing the damage he, the GOP, and Trump have done to our country.

Vote.

Don’t you dare sit this one out.

*Even though she got 3 million more votes than Trump.

**He bought the common wisdom, too.

Trump claims authority to alter 14th amendment with executive order.

Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Although there are four other sections to the 14th amendment, Trump is floating the idea to alter section one with an executive order.

He can’t do that.

The amendment can be changed (a later section of the 14th amendment limiting voting to men only is one that has been, for example, by the 19th amendment), but only by a process clearly delineated in Article 5 of the Constitution. Executive orders do not apply.

Trump has floated the idea of removing birthright citizenship from people born in the United States if their parents are undocumented immigrants. This trial balloon should be clearly shown to be solid lead, and move not a millimeter from the basement of bad ideas.

If we let him alter the highest law in the land with an executive order, we’ve abandoned the republic, and have instituted a monarchy. Trump thinks of himself as king, it’s time we disabused him of that idea.