HONOR PAC Marches in Solidarity
with Gay and Union Activists to Honor
Civil Rights Hero Cesar E. Chavez

Chavez’ call for equal rights and justice for all resonates with the Gay Community.

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” – Cesar E. Chavez

 

The Latino Equality Alliance, formed in the aftermath of Prop 8, brought established and nascent Latino and non-Latino LGBT organizations together to honor civil rights hero Cesar Chavez during the 11th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Day Walk & Festival this past Saturday at historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles. Organizations that participated under the umbrella of the Latino Equality Alliance include: Bienestar, CHIRLA, Courage Campaign, Equal Roots, HONOR PAC, Love Honor Cherish, Marriage Equality USA, Somos Familia, The Wall Las Memorias and other organizations.

"As Latinos, Cesar Chavez has been a role model in struggling for basic education, employment, and even voting rights. As gay Latinos, we’ve experienced a culture clash having grown up fighting for civil rights and then seeing them be taken away at the ballot box,” said Ari Gutierrez Co-Chair of the Latino Equality Alliance and HONOR PAC Executive Vice President. “We join this march commemorating the life work of Cesar Chavez, as we have for years, in hope that our fellow Latinos and the world recognizes that we are, after all, fighting for a common cause – civil rights.”

Cesar Chavez helped America to understand the plight of migrant farm workers through political action, peaceful disobedience, hunger strikes, boycotts and marches. He and his family participated in early gay rights marches, including a very empowering speech Mr. Chavez offered at the 2nd Gay Rights March on Washington, DC in 1997.

HONOR PAC Endorsed Candidate
Robert Garcia wins Long Beach City Council!

Garcia will become the first openly gay Latino to be
elected to the Long Beach City Council

 

HONOR PAC congratulates Robert Garcia for his hard-fought victory in the Long Beach City Council race. Councilman-Elect Garcia won his first campaign for the seat vacated by Bonnie Lowenthal, who was elected to the State Assembly, with 41% of the vote. Mr. Garcia was endorsed by HONOR PAC because he demonstrated a strong commitment, based on his personal experiences, to supporting legislation and issues that uniquely impact Latinos and the LGBT community. We look forward to his success.

Robert started his LGBT activism when he was elected as the first openly gay student body president of Cal State Long Beach. Most recently, he worked with Long Beach's effort to defeat Proposition 8.

For more information about this impressive victory and
to contribute directly Robert 's campaign debt relief, go to:WWW.ROBERTGARCIA.COM

HONOR PAC PLEDGES TO SUPPORT
BUS TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE

The Latino Equality Alliance will host a bus to go from
Los Angeles to Fresno the Saturday After the
Supreme Court Decision.

HONOR PAC has pledged to collaborate with the Latino Equality Alliance to sponsor a 45-person bus to Meet in the Middle 4 Equality, a statewide event planned for the first Saturday after the California State Supreme Court renders its decision on the Proposition 8 cases. The bus will travel from Los Angeles to Fresno City Hall in downtown Fresno at 1:00 pm. The Latino Equality Alliance will host a fundraiser to raise funds in support of the bus. More details about the fundraiser and bus will be provided next week.

HONOR PAC and the Latino Equality Alliance is committed to begin a new movement toward full equality for LGBT people and their families. Win or lose, we will Meet in the Middle 4 Equality!

For More Information, visit
http://www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com

 

GAY & LESBIAN ARMENIAN SOCIETY
OF LOS ANGELES

The Education/Resource Committee (ERC) of GALAS would like to invite you to attend the 4th annual Armenian GLBT Conference titled,

"The Road to Equality: The Past, Present and
Future of the Gay Rights Movement."

Saturday, April 18th
at Plummer Park (Rooms 5 & 6) in West Hollywood.
The Conference will begin at 9:30 AM and end at 2:30 PM

This year with Prop.8 in the forefront, GALAS is focusing the conference sessions on the important political issues relating to GLBT Civil Rights. Registered guests will also be invited to a social mixer that night at 8:00 PM. The cost of the Conference will be $20 (pre-registration), $25 (at the door), $60 (Conference plus GALAS Membership).

For more information, visit:

 

San Diego, April 18-19
Oakland, May 2-3

Inspired by the "Camp Obama" trainings that powered neighbor-to-neighbor organizing across America in 2008, Camp Courage is an intensive two-day training designed to teach the principles and skills of community organizing to activists working to restore marriage equality to California.

HONOR PAC IS PROUD TO WELCOME FOUR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Cecilia Cabello

Cecilia works for Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti as his primary deputy for City Council meetings and serves as his chief liaison to Councilmembers and their staff for setting Council meeting agendas. Cecilia also served as Chief Political Advisor to the Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, and was Special Projects Manager for Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis. Cecilia is the founder of Allies for Equality.

Marcia Dávalos is Director of Regional Networks for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). LCHC provides education; research; public policy, and legislative advocacy to improve the conditions, services, and health of Latinos in the State of California. Previously, Marcia served as Southern California Field Organizer for a statewide ballot initiative under the leadership and training of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and as Deputy Campaign Manager for a State Democratic Primary with training and support from Emily’s List and the Victory Fund Leadership Institute.

Bridgett Gonzalez is a long-time community activist. In the mid 1990’s, Bridgett was active in fighting against Contract on America to save affordable subsidized housing nationwide and most recently, worked on Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles' Unlawful Detainer Equal Access Project helped thousands of tenants keep their homes. Bridgett has been involved in numerous political campaigns including serving as the Campaign Manager for the No on Prop 8 East Los Angeles office.

Michelle is currently a student at Rio Hondo College and will serve as the Student Representative for the HONOR PAC Board of Directors. Michelle was an active volunteer for the No on Prop 8 East Los Angeles Campaign Office and led efforts to inform early voters at the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office in Norwalk. Michelle also recently served as a campaign intern for the California Democratic Party where she coordinated volunteer activities.

HONOR PAC Statement on Withdrawal of
Thomas Saenz to head the
Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division

HONOR PAC is saddened that Mr. Thomas Saenz, who is nationally-recognized for his expertise in constitutional law and civil rights, is no longer being considered to lead U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. We are greatly concerned by the success of anti-immigrant extremists in pulling Mr. Saenz from consideration because of his longstanding leadership in protecting and promoting the civil rights of immigrants living in the United States, and because of his work with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), one of our community’s finest civil rights organizations and a co-petitioner in the effort to overturn Proposition 8.

HONOR PAC believes in the dignity of all Latinos regardless of immigration status, and opposes measures to criminalize undocumented immigrants. HONOR PAC supports fair immigration policies and promotes family unification of LGBT citizens and their foreign-born partners.