The Advocate November/December 2021

THERE’S A PHOTO a friend took of me on New Year’s Day 2021 that I recently came across while scrolling my Instagram page. In it, I’m on the deck of the mid-century modern house my friend and his husband rented in the Hollywood Hills for New Year’s Eve. They live just 17 miles away but wanted to begin the year with a different view than from the home they’d barely left for 10 months during lockdowns. In the photo, the downtown Los Angeles skyline in the distance frames my head on one side and the San Gabriel Mountains on the other, and I look content, though just barely grinning. Most importantly, I’m proudly sporting a sweatshirt that reads “Pro Science, Pro Dolly” from Phenomenal, an apparel and advocacy company that…

SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR London Breed officially declared August as Transgender History Month in the city, the first such month in the United States. The declaration, made August 24, was planned in cooperation with the Transgender District and Office of Transgender Initiatives. “I am honored to join the transgender community today to declare August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco,” Breed said about the decision. “Our transgender community has a rich cultural history in this city and is so important to our diverse identity. San Francisco has been and always will be a place where everyone can seek refuge, sanctuary, and safety. Today, we celebrate both our city’s pride and the transgender community.” The proclamation was signed on the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria riot in the Tenderloin neighborhood, which marked…

“Employment discrimination and harassment against LGBT people remain persistent and pervasive in 2021,” said Brad Sears, founding executive director at the Williams Institute and lead author of a new study. “Passing the Equality Act would ensure that LGBT people — particularly transgender people and LGBT people of color — are allowed to participate fully in the workplace as well as other public settings.” 46% The percentage of LGBT workers who reported experiencing unfair treatment at work at some point in their lives, including being fired, not hired, or harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 9% The percentage of LGBT employees who reported experiences of discrimination in the past year, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which extended employment nondiscrimination protections to LGBT people nationwide. 11% The percentage…

THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE passed a resolution in August designating a portion of California State Highway 101 in Los Angeles’s West San Fernando Valley as the Dr. Sally Ride Memorial Highway. Ride was not only the first U.S. woman in space, but she is also the first space traveler known to be LGBTQ+. “Sally would be so honored to have part of Highway 101 near her hometown named after her,” Ride’s partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy, said in a release. “And it is very appropriate — Sally spent countless hours on 101 driving to school and to tennis tournaments.” Ride grew up in L.A.’s Encino neighborhood and became the first American woman to travel to space in 1983. She died of cancer in 2012 at age 61. “As the first American woman in…

MICHAEL COSTA, a gay man, has been appointed executive director of the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The association, nicknamed C4A, is a nonprofit organization representing 33 agencies, including both government and private groups. It is the primary voice on aging issues in California and works closely with state government entities. Costa, 69, has worked with groups focusing on aging people and other vulnerable populations for more than 30 years. He served on San Francisco’s LGBT Aging Policy Task Force in 2012. “Michael is joining us at a pivotal time and will build upon the strong success of the C4A in advocating for additional investments for older adults and people with disabilities,” Victoria Jump, president of C4A, said in a press release. “With his experience we are in great hands.” “I look…

ICONIC DC COMICS superhero Wonder Woman has always stood for truth, justice, equality, and — for LGBTQ+ fans who’ve seen the demographics of Themyscira, the mythical all-women island of Amazon warriors Wonder Woman hails from — queerness as well. As part of her monumental 80th birthday, DC released the book Wonderful Women of the World, edited by Laurie Halse Anderson with a cover by acclaimed artist Nicola Scott. The book highlights the work of 23 true superheroines — pioneering women around the world, including Malala Yousafzai, Beyoncé, Marsha P. Johnson, and marriage equality warrior Edith Windsor. That story follows Windsor from meeting her partner, Thea Spyer, through their marriage and Windsor’s ultimate victory in the Supreme Court that paved the way for nationwide marriage equality. Windsor’s tale is juxtaposed with…