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Pride Month | June 2017  

Wishing you a powerful Pride month of celebration, protest, community and resilience. Remember: We didn’t get this far without a fight, and the work is far from over.

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Bored? Then add the #ResistMarch to your calendar. And I’ll see you on Sunday, June 11th at 8AM at the intersection of Hollywood & Highland. We resist against any forces that aim to divide us as humans! ✊🏼🏳️‍🌈 #iResist #WeResist #LAPride #LongBeach #LongBeachPride #queer #bisexual #blog #blogger #artist #losangeles #hollywood #smiles #laughter #makeup #hair #theatre #actress #actor #filmmaker #female #woman #resist #lalaland #lalalandday (at Hollywood & Highland)

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As you all undoubtedly know at this point, I’ve been helping out with the #ResistMarch in Los Angeles. We’re only a couple weeks away, and we are now looking for volunteers for the day of the event! Our goal is over 1000 volunteers (this event is going to be massive guys), so if you’re free come out and be part of history! Also come and hang out with me! We can party at Pride after! And PLEASE spread the word even if you don’t live in LA!!! We need as much help as we can get!!!! 🏳️‍🌈

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Corporate America. #ResistMarch doesn't want your money, but we want your people standing with us in unity.

#ResistMarch has replaced the annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade on Sunday, June 11th to highlight the challenges that confront the LGBTQ+ community. Historically, the pride parade has been supported by corporations that want to get their brands in front of hundreds of thousands of people who line the route. However, now that we’ve returned our parade to its roots as a demonstration for basic human rights, corporate America won’t let their employees show up. A certain executive from a television network, told me “We don’t do marches. We will not encourage our employees to march. If they do, they may not wear our logo.” Let me get this straight. Your employees can show up to probably the most partisan activity in modern America. the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. But when it’s time to march for human rights, we’ve crossed some line? Clearly you don’t know why pride was started. This begs more than a few questions: When is the right time to stand up, step forward and say human rights matter? Is it controversial to stand with immigrants afraid for their lives? Is it controversial to stand with dreamers that don’t want their families ripped apart? Is it controversial to stand with Muslims who want to live peacefully in the country they call home, a country that has been a beacon of freedom of religious expression since its founding? Is it controversial to stand with the LGBTQ+ community that hopes its hard-won rights remain intact? I say it is not controversial. Marching for human rights is not a blue American ideal or a red American ideal. It’s a red, white and blue American ideal. It’s at the very heart of our founding principles; the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution enshrines every American’s sacred rights to free speech, to peaceable assembly and to petition the government. Again, a march for freedom is not controversial, and for Americans especially, it’s not even a close call. America has always been a world leader in human rights. Sitting on the sidelines is not leading. Waiting to see how the dust settles is not leading. As a corporation, your voice matters, and I encourage you to support us. As Dr. King reminded us, “The time is always right to do what is right.” History is replete with stories of organizations and corporations that decided not to take sides while the employees whose service and the customers whose monies they rely upon were marginalized. Thinking that you can quietly sit out a movement while we buy your wares is short-sighted. Such thinking may protect your next quarterly earnings projection, but, in the long run, ignoring a substantial and loyal consumer base is not a winning proposition. Make no mistake. We know who stood with us during good times, and we are paying close attention to those that abandon us in a time of need. American business and its leaders are uniquely positioned to send a powerful signal and set the tone for our country. Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, did just that when he pulled his company out of Georgia and Indiana because of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Similarly, PayPal canceled a planned expansion in North Carolina in the wake of its passage of HB 2, the so-called ‘bathroom bill,’ which also led the NCAA to pull future athletic events from the state. Like Starbucks’ support for marriage equality, these organizations understand the importance of doing the right thing even when there’s risk involved. Isn’t that what they teach in business school? No risk, no reward. Corporate executives lead every day. Now is the time to leverage your voice and your brand to do the right thing. Stand with human rights and invite your employees to stand proudly on the right side of history. Join us on the obvious arc towards more tolerance and more freedom. We understand this feels uncomfortable but giant leaps of faith are when the magic happens. Circling back to one of Dr. King’s profound lessons, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Please don’t leave us now when now is when we need you most. Join us at Hollywood and Highland on Sunday June 11 at 8AM.

-Brian Pendleton

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“Pride needs to speak for us, and we need Pride to reflect who we really are — diverse, not all affluent, and proud to come in every color of the rainbow.”

March with us Sunday June 11th at Hollywood and Highland!

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Resistance + Pride Icons

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18 things you can do right now to protect LGBTQ rights under Donald Trump

1. Learn your rights. Many people don’t realize that their rights are, in fact, protected on a local, state, and federal level — specifically in health care, employment and in school. These laws cannot simply be undone overnight. Understanding your legal protections is very important to fighting discrimination. Lambda Legal has compiled a post-election FAQ and Know Your Rights information guide. Read the materials carefully. If you need help with any legal matter related to LGBTQ issues or HIV discrimination, contact Lambda Legal’s Help Desk. (Rachel Tiven, CEO of Lambda Legal)

2. Donate or volunteer with Trans Lifeline. Trans Lifeline is the only crisis hotline specifically designed for transgender people. They’ve experienced an unprecedented number of calls from trans people in crisis following the election (more than 300 within the first day or so). They’ve continued to experience a high level of demand in the days since. Transgender people are nine times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. In the wake of the election, trans people fear for their rights and lives even more. Trans people who call suicide hotlines face ignorance and discrimination. They need your support. (Rachel Tiven)

3. Get LGBTQ individuals elected to office. We need more diverse talent in public life. Support the Victory Fund, an organization which works to support LGBTQ candidates running for office nationwide. Victory Fund provides trainings, endorsements, fellowships and resources for LGBTQ candidates. In November, 87 of the Fund’s endorsed candidates won elections across all levels of government, including Kate Brown of Oregon, the nation’s first openly LGBTQ governor. Carlos Guillermo Smith became the first openly LGBTQ Latino elected to the Florida state legislature, representing the Orlando area after the Pulse nightclub tragedy. All six openly LGBTQ members of Congress were reelected. You can find a list of all of the candidates that Victory Fund endorsed here. (Jared Milrad)

4. Gear up for the Supreme Court fight. There’s an upcoming Supreme Court case that is very important for the future of transgender rights: Gavin Grimm vs. Gloucester County School Board. In 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Virginia filed a lawsuit against the Gloucester County School Board for adopting a discriminatory bathroom policy that segregates transgender students from their peers. The question will be heard at the Supreme Court in February, with a decision expected in summer 2017. Become familiar with the case, and then donate and show your support. (Justin Mikita, co-founder & partner at Hawkins Mikita)

5. Support media that correctly represents the LGBTQ community. Now more than ever, we need correct representation across all media, especially when it comes to the casting of cisgender people in transgender roles (ex. Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl) and the erasure of people of color and trans sex workers in stories of our history (ex. the “bioflick” Stonewall). Here are a few shows and films that do this the right way: Orange is the New Black, with Laverne Cox as trans prisoner Sophia; Tangerine, which casts two trans women, Mya Parks and Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez, as trans sex workers; Sense8, in which Jamie Clayton plays a lesbian trans woman and cyberactivist; and How to Get Away With Murder, where Alexandra Billings plays a trans woman on trial for her husband’s murder. (Devlin Andrews)

6. Call your members of Congress. Tell your elected officials how important it is to protect LGBTQ people. Tell them you will be watching what they do. You don’t even need to be a citizen to do this! You can find your local representatives at CommonCause.org. Also check out the Human Rights Campaign’s guide to elected officials. Follow these tweets for guidance on how to effectively contact your member of Congress. And here’s a script you can use when you call, which includes a section about marriage equality. (Rachel Tiven)

7. Support LGBTQ centers around the country. Leading organizations are providing mental health, counseling and support group services to vulnerable LGBTQ people. Now more than ever, they need support. Consider donating or volunteering with CenterLink, a member-based coalition founded in 1994 that supports the development of strong, sustainable LGBTQ community centers in the United States and around the world. The Center Orlando organized vigils and provided counseling following the Pulse nightclub shooting. The Los Angeles LGBT Center serves Southern California, home to some of the most vulnerable LGBTQ populations in the country, and sees more than 42,000 visitors per year. (Jared Milrad)

8. Specifically, support local homeless youth shelters. An estimated 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. Centers geared specifically toward youth are instrumental in providing career placement, school, college and secondary school mentorship and health care. Here’s a database of LGBTQ centers, where you can search for a homelessness-focused group. If you don’t have a center in your community, consider starting one or checking to see if shelters near you properly provide for their LGBTQ clients. Also, consider donating food, clothing or money to LGBTQ shelters in other communities. At this time of year, many hold toy and clothing drives; others accept donations year-round. (Devlin Andrews)

9. Support or create after-school programs for queer youth. Now more than ever, LGBTQ youth need safe spaces to build closer relationships with teachers and friends outside of their potentially hostile home environments. If you’re in a position to do so, start a gay-straight alliance or a chapter of PFLAG in your local school so that queer youth have a place to express their concerns, fears and needs without the threat of ridicule, rejection or outing. Check out GLSEN or PFLAG for more information and tools to start a program in your community. (Devlin Andrews)

10. Support the Human Rights Campaign. HRC is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, representing more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide. Here are a few of the issues HRC is focused on: transgender equality and bringing visibility to the discrimination and violence transgender people experience daily; banning discrimination in housing and the workplace for all LGBTQ people; advocating for fair-minded Supreme Court justices. Become familiar with HRC’s work and donate or volunteer to show your support. (Justin Mikita, member, HRC board of directors)

11. Utilize the power of your wallet. You have tremendous power as a consumer to support brands that support LGBTQ rights. Conversely, don’t line the pockets of corporations that support anti-LGBTQ legislation and elected officials. To find out more about which companies to support, consider these resources: OpenSecrets, Human Rights Campaign’s corporate equality index and Guidestar, which allows you to review the expenditures of corporate foundations. (Brian Wenke, executive director, It Gets Better)

12. Take a stand as a business. Advocacy from businesses is particularly important at this time. If you’re an employer, make sure you have an internal LGBTQ group for your LGBTQ employees. Companies like Salesforce, Facebook, Apple, Google, and the Gap have great internal organizations that can serve as models. Salesforce’s Marc Benioff and Paypal’s Max Levchin have both been proactive in getting businesses to take a stand in the wake of LGBTQ protests in North Carolina and Indiana. For LGBTQ employees, make sure to join your company’s group if one exists. (Emanuel Yekutiel)

13. March, rally, make noise and fight! The modern American queer revolution started with a brick thrown through a window. Today, we can’t afford to take a passive role in this fight. Here are a few different tactics you can use to get involved: On social media, follow groups like @MarchAndRallyLA and monitor popular events in your area on Facebook to find large organized protests. Visit this page from the ACLU for a full list of your rights as a public protester. If you don’t live in a large metropolitan area, or don’t feel safe protesting in your community, take action online. Write protests in the form of blog posts, emails to your government officials, vlogs, or guest op-eds on news sites. (Devlin Andrews)

14. Be visible. One of our most effective and powerful weapons is sharing our own stories publicly. In March, South Dakota’s conservative Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed HB 1008, an anti-trans bill, after meeting with trans students and hearing their stories. It’s important for LGBTQ people to be loud and bold members of the community. If you’re in a position to do so safely, make sure people understand who you are and how you feel about queer issues. Post pro-LGBTQ articles on your Facebook page. Hold your partner’s hand in public. Wear a pride shirt. Talk to your friends and family about who you and other queer people are. As long as you keep yourself safe, do everything to ensure others you meet know you’re living as your authentic self and not going anywhere. (Rachel Tiven)

15. Study LGBTQ history. Contrary to popular belief, the LGBTQ movement as a whole did not begin at Stonewall. The first documented gay rights organization in the United States, the Society for Human Rights, was formed much earlier, in the 1920s, and LGBTQ history dates back hundreds of years. It is important to get educated on this history. One great resource for learning this history is Quist, an app that provides “this day in history” info about LGBTQ issues. Another is The Lavender Effect, which works to document LGBTQ history in creative ways. Finally, consider going to LGBTQ archives across the U.S. (Brian Wenke)

16. Convert your most unlikely friends into LGBTQ allies. Identify the most unlikely high-profile potential allies in your life and create a game plan to get them to become champions of LGBTQ equality. Perhaps you went to college with someone who is now a professional athlete, prominent preacher or politician? Maybe you are family friends with a local business owner who is well known in your community? In every community, there are people who perpetuate anti-LGBTQ stigma and stereotypes. If individuals from within the communities we trust the least become our vocal supporters, it will change hearts and minds. To educate and activate your friends, articulate the why and what. “Why” should they care about LGBTQ equality, and “what” do we want them to do about it? (Hudson Taylor)

17. Have conversations with Trump supporters. Find ways to engage loved ones and others who voted for Trump. Have honest, respectful and ongoing conversations. Here’s a resource with some suggested language, including some areas specifically focused on LGBTQ rights and gender identity. (Robbie Ross, chief of staff at Purpose)

18. Make your advocacy intersectional. Over the next four years, there will be many communities that find themselves isolated, excluded or othered. The only way to meaningfully prevent that is by working together. Pick three social justice issues with which you feel least comfortable and get educated about them by learning about the organizations doing the work in those spaces. Here are a few to start with: BYP100, a member-based activist organization creating justice and freedom for all black people; United We Dream, the largest immigrant-youth-led organization in the nation; and URGE, an organization mobilizing young people to support reproductive and gender equity. (Hudson Taylor)

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Pride is not cancelled! The parade as simple been replaced with a human rights march. Please join us Sunday June 11th 8am at Hollywood and Highland!

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#Repost @topgaynewz ・・・ The iconic LA Pride Parade — a decades-old celebration of the LGBT community — will be replaced this year with a #resistmarch In lieu of the colorful floats that typically roll down Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, this year’s event on June 11 will simply consist of “people moving through the streets” marching for human rights, said Brian Pendleton, a board member for Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that organizes the annual event. “We’re getting back to our roots,” Pendleton said. “We will be resisting forces that want to roll back our rights, and politicians who want to make us second-class citizens.” The first Los Angeles Pride Parade took place in 1970 and was so controversial that the city’s police commission tried to stop it, citing the possibility that participants would be attacked. In the years since, the event moved to West Hollywood and grew to include a multi-day festival celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The move to scrap the parade in favor of a protest march comes a year after Christopher Street West tried, controversially, to re-brand the accompanying festival as a music festival in an effort to appeal to millennials. Protesters derided the event as a “gay Coachella” and organized under the moniker #NotOurPride.

Pendleton said this year’s march, which will be called Resist March, was inspired by the massive women’s marches that took place across the globe the day after President Trump’s inauguration.

#Resist #gaydaysla #lapride #lgbt #weho #hollywood #westandunited #lgbtrights #transrights #transyouth #womensmarch #marchforscience #obamacare #healthcare #humanrights http://ift.tt/2qgNgrE

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Our rainbow has always been a symbol of resistance. The only difference now is that there will be more people than ever standing beneath it. Tell us what you're resisting by using #iresist...

Tell your friends, tell your family, tell whoever to meet you at Hollywood and Highland, June 11th, 8am. With your help we can make this the largest LGBT march in history!

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30 days out, time to start spreading the word!