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Castro Street Fair 50th Annual Event

The 50th Annual Castro Street Fair takes place on Sunday October 6th from 11A to 6P at Castro & Market Street in San Francisco, CA. This is one of the oldest LGBTQ community celebrations in the world founded by Harvey Milk in 1974. The street fair seeks to honor Milk’s original vision that embodies all that is San Francisco & the Castro which is an historical, hyper-local, grass-roots event, built to support & reflect the community & its important causes. The Castro Street Fair 50th Anniversary entertainment lineup has gone through the roof with a lineup of local talent, emergent artists & legendary headliners performing throughout the Fair’s footprint for this year’s milestone event. The Castro Street Fair not only is a showcase & celebration of the Castro neighborhood & community but it also features a wide array of local artists, craftspeople & performers with than 50,000 guests visiting the Fair annually as well as over 200 exhibitors. Hundreds of local artists, vendors, craftspeople & organizations line the streets & celebrate the diversity of the neighborhood. There is a suggested donation of $10 or $20 at the entry gates the day of the fair or online donations anytime with proceeds going to the non-profit organizations for their beneficiaries roster for the year. Donations & annual proceeds from the Fair help support dozens of local non-profits within the Castro community. Additionally they support Castro Merchants Association for the purchase & maintenance of the world-famous Rainbow Flag which flies in Harvey Milk Plaza. Since 1998 the Fair is proud to have given nearly $1.6 million back to its community beneficiaries. 
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Equality California 25th LA Award Event

Equality California announced that award-winning writer & director Julian Breece will be honored with their Equality Visibility Award at its 25th anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards. Hosted by Sasha Colby the marquee event will be held at Los Angeles’s Fairmont Century Plaza on Saturday October 5th. Breece stated, “I didn’t grow up with affirming representations of black queer & trans people in my immediate environment, so novels & movies weren’t just an escape, they were a vital lifeline & my key source of personal liberation. While voices in my immediate surroundings communicated that LGBTQ+ people were less than, defective & unworthy of dignity & love, the books I read and movies I watched on-screen challenged that hostile world-view & opened my eyes to the vastness of human experience & the vast possibilities for my life as a gay man. As a filmmaker, my goal has always been to pay that forward on some level. I aim to tell stories that reveal the beautiful complexity of queer lives in a way that promotes empathy, healing & equality for all people.” Equality California will also honor Dr. Greg Sarris Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria with their Community Leadership Award. Tony Hoang Equality California Executive Director concluded, “We are thrilled to celebrate the Los Angeles Equality Awards with steadfast LGBTQ+ community leaders & visionaries as we celebrate this significant milestone & the many victories we have accomplished to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Californians. This year’s event will not only honor the leaders & advocates who have paved the way for equality, but it will also reaffirm our commitment to the work still ahead.” 
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LGBTQ Horizons Foundation Gala Event

The fabulous org Horizons that envisions a world where all LGBTQ people can live freely & fully, gala event takes place Saturday October 5th at 7:30P for a spectacular night at the California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park on 55 Music Concourse Drive in San Francisco, CA. This year they’re honoring Dr. Marcy Adelman with their Visionary Award in recognition of her pioneering vision & profound contributions to LGBTQ seniors. Her dedication to creating inclusive communities including co-founding Openhouse has transformed countless lives & serves as an enduring legacy of care, compassion & leadership. They’re also honoring Suzanne Ford with their Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional leadership & unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community. Her vision, dedication & advocacy has made a profound impact on the lives of many & her work continues to be inspirational for us all. Enjoy a glamorous evening featuring festival-style food booths, a special guest performance, an exciting live auction, artistic showcases from our LGBTQ community & more. Entertainment will be provided by singer criibaby as well as Emjay Mercury an international award winning drag performer who uses drag to challenge machismo as we know it & The Golden Girls Live!, San Francisco’s wildly popular drag parody of the iconic sitcom. Horizons has fought against homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism & gender inequality for over 40 years. They’re committed to centering equity & inclusion in every aspect of Horizons Foundation including grantmaking & programs with their board & staff as well as their policies & practices in fundraising & how they invest in their public roles. They hold themselves accountable to these commitments & expect our LGBTQ community to do likewise for generations to come. 
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Equality Forum LGBT 2024 Icons (VIDEO)

Equality Forum is kicking off their annual LGBT History Month celebration Tuesday October 1st by acknowledging 31 LGBT icons. George Chauncey, Yale University Chair of the History Department stated, “LGBT History Month sends an important message to our nation’s teachers, school boards, community leaders & youth about the vital importance of recognizing & exploring the role of gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people in American history." The 2024 LGBTQ Icons are: Ron Ansin, Philanthropist & Activist, Laphonza Butler, First Out Black U.S. Senator, Maki Carrousel, Japanese Transgender Actor, Desmond Child, Award-Winning Songwriter, Margaret Chung, First Female Chinese American Doctor, Christian Cooper, Write & Birder, River Gallo, Intersex Filmmaker & Activist, Robert Garcia, Congressman, Rob Halford, Heavy Metal Musician, Jeanne Hoff, Transgender Trailblazer, Susan Love, Breast Health Pioneer, George Michael, Grammy Winning Pop Superstar, Kevin Naff, Washington Blade Editor, Fabian Nelson, Mississippi State Representative, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Renowned Conductor, Robyn Ochs, Bisexual Activist, Pat Parker, Poet & Activist, Mark Pocan, Congressman, Herb Ritts, Photographer, Beth Robinson, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Richard Schneider, Editor & Publisher, Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber, Social Justice Activist, Jackie Shane, Transgender Singer, Ari Shapiro, NPR Host & Performer, Sam Smith, Grammy Winning Singer Songwriter, William Dorsey Swann, Pioneering Drag Queen, Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Activist, Diana Taurasi, WNBA Superstar, Colton Underwood, Athlete & TV personality, Luther Vandross, Grammy Award Winning Singer & Joel Wachs, Warhol Foundation President. Each day of October a new Icon is featured with a video, biography, downloadable images & other resources. Equality Forum coordinates LGBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives & presents the largest annual national & international LGBT civil rights summit. WATCH  
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Newsom Vetoes Advance Trans Care Bill

California Governor Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 2442 that would have required the expedited processing of licensure applications for medical & mental health providers offering gender-affirming care within their licensed scope of practice. A signature on AB 2442 would have built on California’s long-standing nationwide leadership on LGBTQ rights by significantly improving access to care for transgender individuals in California & across the country which is critical to their safety, health & well-being. Tony Hoang Equality California Executive Director stated, “We are deeply disappointed in Governor Newsom’s decision to veto AB 2442, which would have helped to ensure that the Golden State remains a safe haven for transgender people and their families across the country. As more states enact draconian healthcare bans, California has seen an influx in transgender youth & their families traveling to our state seeking such care & resources. Understandably, this has strained an already overburdened provider network in California. AB 2442 provided a common-sense solution — expediting licensure for those providers with a demonstrated commitment to offering gender-affirming care — to strengthen California’s existing provider network & protect access to care for out-of-state patients. We are grateful to Assemblymember Zbur for championing this important measure. We remain committed to ensuring that transgender people in California & across the country can access the essential health care they need.” As of August 2024 nearly 40% of transgender youth in the U.S. are living in 26 states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care. Some states such as Oklahoma, Texas & South Carolina have even considered banning care for transgender adults. 
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Newfest LGBTQ Film Festival 36th Year

The 36th edition of Newfest NYC’s LGBTQ Film Festival takes place in person from October 10th through October 20th in theaters throughout Manhattan & Brooklyn & will also be available to stream virtually throughout the United States on NewFest’s on-demand platform October 10th through October 22nd. Now the largest LGBTQ film festival in the United States NewFest36 will include more than 140 new queer features, shorts & episodic projects plus special legacy screenings. David Hatkoff NewFest Executive Director stated, “On the cusp of a historic election, the LGBTQ+ community is, once again, at a moment where we need to show up for ourselves & each other. As the largest queer film festival in the country, NewFest takes the responsibility of providing a safe & joyful space for queer audiences to celebrate queer stories very seriously. In our festival’s 36th year, we are thrilled to share films that inspire empathy, delight, discovery & connection & a lineup that honors the incredible diversity & creativity of the LGBTQ+ community.” Nick McCarthy NewFest Director of Programming concluded, “This year’s expansive lineup is a bold testament to both the future & legacy of queer cinema. We’re thrilled to showcase a marvelous mix of groundbreaking new films & amplify the landmark queer filmmakers that blazed trails before. From modern rom coms to compelling nonfiction to genre delights, this year’s inclusive & sterling slate proves our community’s far-reaching experiences & stories cannot be boxed in. We’re so excited to gather artists & audiences as we celebrate this evolution & envision the magical future of queer cinema together at the 36th edition of the festival.” 
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New Book Frontlines Trans Youth Crisis

As the U.S. Supreme Court is about to address laws that ban trans youth from accessing life-saving healthcare a new book “Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories & Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth” has been published. Adam Polaski, Communications & Political Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality & one of the authors of the book stated, “This book was a labor of love for the Campaign for Southern Equality staff, with team members contributing at every level & community members from all walks of life trusting us with their stories. We are honored to bring this book into the world as a tool to educate the public, illustrate the immense challenges that trans youth, families & advocates are facing & motivate all of us to get involved in the work to ensure that every young person, especially those most marginalized & targeted by cruel political forces, can live with dignity & respect.” Alexis Stratton also one of the authors of the book concluded, “There is so much political noise about transgender young people, which enables & even encourages the public to look past the very real, long-lasting harms that legislative attacks are causing for transgender youth & their families. Our mission with Trans Kids, Our Kids is to center, elevate & amplify the voices of the people who are grappling with the fallout – the parents & family members, the doctors & attorneys, the advocates & above all, the young people themselves. Our book introduces extraordinary & diverse people who bring to the forefront not only the fear & pain that the trans community is experiencing but also the ways that we are finding joy & supporting each other through this crisis.” 
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Castro Street Fair 50th Annual Event

The 50th Annual Castro Street Fair takes place on Sunday October 6th from 11A to 6P at Castro & Market Street in San Francisco, CA. This...

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