Category Archives: Gay

Activism, Gay, Tobacco

Concord Pride Tabling for LGBTQMinusTobacco

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Happy to help where I can with this cause! Brian Davis of LGBTQ Minus Tobacco and I tabled in Concord where they had a nice pride event. It’s nice that I was recognized by a few folks despite this being over the water from where I live and still pretty far from where I lived when I was in the East Bay all those years. I did work nearby in Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill area for six years, but this is an important cause and there is momentum with the Tobacco Retail License here that the City of Concord has in the works. I hope I was able to bring some awareness to the locals.

Activism, Gay, Media Appearances, Street Fairs, Tobacco

Solano Pride Picnic Speech about TRL

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Group photos of attendees taken with a drone!

My friend Tom Bilbo gave me a chance to talk about the activism I’m doing with LGBTQ Minus Tobacco and a coalition of other organizations at today’s picnic. The microphone was faulty, but it was a great opportunity to also talk about the Tobacco Retail License we’re working on with the City Council in Vallejo and our accomplishment last year with the Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing ordinance that passed unanimously with City Council.

UPDATE: There was an article that mentioned us in the Vallejo Times Herald on Monday, June 13. Check it out here.

20230611-JAH-mentioned-in-article-Vallejo-shows-its-Pride-at-Mare-Island-picnic-–-Times-Herald-1Download
Gay

Happy Pride Month 2023

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Happy Pride Month everybody. It’d be terrific if people with faceless profiles didn’t dampen our pride by trying to connect with me on social media, because that’s not something I’ll ever encourage, especially in June!

I’m here for you, together with countless millions, when you need to come out, even though this is not National Coming Out Day, which is also a thing!

Meanwhile, we’re fighting for your rights every day no matter where in the world you live. Don’t let people like Rondha Insantis in his white go-go boots make you feel less than, Floridians. There are people with far more oppressive leaders, but we have to fight bigotry and ignorance everywhere, as WE are on the right side of history.

It’s already sort of a tradition to post the diversity pride flag up every June 1 in this household, but we’ll try to remember to take a portrait of us after doing so each year.
Up for all of June, although we have various other rainbow accouterments visible from the street every day, of course.
Diversity flag.
Activism, Art, California, Gay, Holidays, Street Fairs

Mad Hatter Vallejo Holiday Parade 2022

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The Steampunk Santa crew with grand marshall Drew Lago and his companion.

While we lived here last year, I regret I was too exhausted from the Photos with Santa in 2021 to participate. This year both Shando and I participated. We were highly impressed with the whole shebang. We intend to be even better prepared next year when there will hopefully not be as much rain. I’m glad we all muddled through though!

In a very poignant gesture, Santa Tom Bilbo put a big pink “Q” at the back of the float, which represented our solidarity with our brothers and sisters who were targeted for being LGBTQ (as all of this float’s participants were in that category or an ally). It is also a symbol against gun violence and assault weapons being available for civilians, to paraphrase Tom when being interviewed for Vallejo Times Herald.

Activism, Gay

Activism on National Coming Out Day

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As a result of my tabling for LGBTQ Minus Tobacco at the Fiestas Patrias event in Vallejo recently, the organization was asked by James Hogan Middle-High School to table in their quad for National Coming Out Day (October 11). Interestingly I attended James LOGAN High School in Union City.

As a proud Vallejo citizen, I was glad to meet the principal and other staff members who appreciated the information and hand-outs we had for the students who we were glad to see swarm our table when we were there.

We seemed to be well-received, not only by staff, but many of the kids, even if a few of them may have been surprised that we were a queer-focused organization. Staff member Judith Lerner had the kids sign this beautiful banner at the table next to us: