17 September 2006

Two LGBT-related items

I've been meaning to post these for days, but they were rotting in my inbox, in the form of an email message from National Lesbian and Gay Task Force, until now.

Ethnic homophobia is a severe problem for me, especially the machismo kind coming from the Latino communities. I was pleased to know that the National Congreso Latino, during its meeting earlier this month in Los Angeles, overwhelmingly passed a resolution committing itself to LGBT rights. Although the cultural prejudices remain overwhelming and oppressive, this is a step in the right direction for the Latino community.

Meanwhile, the Governator decided that LGBT-positive school curriculum did not belong in California's schools. It was a measure pushed by openly lesbian Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica, watered down to appease moderates, but was virulently opposed by two Republicans, Dennis Mountjoy (of Monrovia - my former Assemblyman) and Bob Huff (of Diamond Bar - my current Assemblyman). I am reminded that even within the so-called blue Los Angeles County, there are large swaths of red and hate - and that contrary to liberal fantasies, the large influx of immigrants are NOT turning the places blue at all (both Mountjoy and Huff represent large numbers of upper-class Asian immigrants).