Equal Junction

Tonight there will be a vigil for the LGBT youths who took their own lives after being bullied. May they rest in peace and teach us to respect one another.  If you or someone you know is having a personal crisis right now, please dial 911 or speak with a counselor at The Trevor Project or dial 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

VIGIL WILL BE AT THE WEST HOLLYWOOD PARK
JUST SOUTH OF THE ABBEY
OCT. 5TH 7PM-8PM

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL TO REMEMBER THE LIVES OF:

PLEASE JOIN US IN REMEMBERING OUR LGBT TEENS THAT WE LOST TO SUICIDE. LET’S SHOW SUPPORT TO OUR YOUTH……. SHOW THEM, THAT LIFE DOES GET BETTER! AND HOW BEAUTIFUL LIFE IS! PLEASE BRING A CANDLE, BRING A COMPANION, AND COME SHOW COMMITMENT TO END BULLYING, HATE. AND TO HONOR THE LIVES OF THESE INNOCENT LGBT TEENS!

Photo Via

October 4th, 2008. We became one and were married at the Sunset Marquis in Hollywood, CA. We cannot believe its already been 2 years, it has moved so quickly, and the politics and environment have done the same. Still, as evident by the recent losses of youth, we have a lot more to do.

We never thought our marriage as an ‘at last’, but a new beginning to be one of the pioneers for the future of our community. Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it will get better. We wish we could have the ears of every LGBT person and say things are going to be just fine. There will be some turbulence, but eventually we will land safely and arrive at a destination where RESPECT will be there to embrace all of us!

Keep on fighting, keep raising the bar, and cope and deal with the obstacles that may come our way.

In Pride,

The Cermak-Ochoa’s

PIEHOLE was a wonderful pizza joint. We lived around the corner from it years ago and it was a great place to get a slice of pizza at any hour of the night. The owner, Doug Brandt, was unable to renew it’s lease and has not yet found a more reasonable place to relocate. Mr Brandt truly reached out to the community, especially the youth. Since Piehole was located in the heart of Boystown, and was not a bar, LGBT youths would frequent the place causing quite a stir, but Brandt turned lemons into lemonade.

“Brandt took a different tack, reaching out to groups such as Youth Pride Center and the Center on Halsted to try to provide a welcoming space for everyone. He hired some youths in the groups and also held events such as “Soul at the ‘Hole,” an open mic night.

“It was great,” Brandt said. “It started off because we’re not a 21-and-over establishment and we had some youths coming in. We had an excellent relationship with YPC and the Center on Halsted.”

Brandt said some perceptions of the youths are off-base. All but a few of them, he said, are just out to socialize in a safe community.

“We just saw an injustice,” he said. “We didn’t discriminate against anybody. We just can’t believe that a community like the gay community that’s fought discrimination would want to discriminate. If they are 18, they have a right to be out on the street.”

Lets hope Piehole reopens soon so that it will feed the community again!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

Here is a completely nice, innocent girl who is taking a test that asks questions of Who is the smart one, the nice one, the mean one, etc? Is racial profiling something we are born with or is it the unfamiliar, or not being exposed that has this girl answer the way she does? Your thoughts?

To Learn More CLICK HERE

On Friday, Mar 6, 3 cousins from Hayward, CA decided to shoot a bb gun at a man walking on 16th street. Investigators say the 3 men attacked him because they believed he was Gay. The 3 cousins also filmed the shooting. The 3 men were apprehended and released on 50K bond each.

The 3 men were only 24 years old. Is another generation in danger of inheriting the hatred from their elders, or is this act a cry for help to understand the unfamiliar? Why did this happen in a city that many think wouldn’t happen? To read more CLICK HERE

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

Dr. Oz opened up the minds of viewers and brought Transgender youths to teach the audience about their lives.

To view more, click after the Jump

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Stupendous idea right?

The Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) invested $37,000 in ads on public transport. One of their ads simply state “I am Gay and this is where I Play”-this particular ad shows men playing basketball, and simply living as who they are, no closet doors, no shame, or stereotypes.

Congrats to LIGALY for a simple concept that will be an impact on the youth of Long Island and beyond. Check out their site and you will find more of their ads to enjoy.

For more info CLICK HERE

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

Mayor Cory Booker has turned Newark around. With the help of the Mayor of Newark’s leadership, New Jersey is at the top of the nation among big cities for reductions in murders and shootings, achieving decreases of more than 40% reductions in both categories. To clean up the city, Newark has committed to a $40 million transformation of the city’s parks and playgrounds.

Booker is very supportive of the LGBT Youth of Newark. The city’s awareness of LGBT youth was increased due to the hateful killing of Sakia Gunn, a young Lesbian, in 2003. A program is in the works mirroring the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a 30-year-old organization that serves LGBTQ youth in NYC.

For more info CLICK HERE