I need your help. I would like to post a profile of LGBT owned business in the Oakland area. If you know of a business that fits this, please leave me a comment or send me an email with the company name and a website or a phone number with an email address.

I would like to start showing the rest of our readers where they can find and support not only local businesses, but LGBT owned businesses. Once I start getting some business names, I will create a tag to use so that you can easily see the list of businesses. I will also try to venture out to some of these businesses on the weekends.

As a community, we need to start spending a little extra time and, if possible, a little extra money to help support local businesses. Additionally, supporting local LGBT businesses will help to make sure that your money isn’t going to support anti-LGBT causes including Prop H8.

My email address is zander@queerlandia.com.

Please keep in mind that this is not a free advertising opportunity for anything and everything. Depending on the type of business, I may choose not to profile the company. If you are unsure of whether or not your business is appropriate, you can leave a comment or send me an email. I would also like to focus on local businesses for now, and not national companies.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me out with this. I really appreciate the opportunity to help out the local LGBT businesses in the Oakland area.

Sincerely,

Zander Maverick

This year started off in quite the same way until I stumbled upon a little article in USAToday this week. This article discussed something called Operation Santa, which seemed like something new that was going on. After reading the article, however, I discovered that Operation Santa is celebrating its 99th year. I think my hatred of Christmas has prevented me from finding this before now.

After reading this article, my hatred of Christmas has softened. I still hate the greedy, fake, rude people, but I am beginning to see the softer side that has been hiding behind Black Friday and Cyber Monday for all of these years. I am seeing a side of Christmas that is allowing me to type the word Christmas instead of Xmas. I almost feel like the Grinch towards the end of the movie where my heart is growing.

With all of that out of the way, I want to spread the news about Operation Santa. You can go to a participating Post Office and pick up a letter. Then, you go out and buy the items, take them to FedEx Office in Emeryville (sorry, had to plug my center here) to get them packed up and ready for shipping and then take them to the Post Office to have them shipped to the selected child at no charge.

What?? You can help a child believe in miracles and Santa for one more year? You can give something useful to a child in need like a new coat? School supplies? What has this world come to when you can so easily help a child in need instead of having to go through political charities where half of your money goes toward salaries and expenses.

So what do you think? Do you want to join with me to help make one child a little happier this year? Yes? Good. There is a participating Post Office right here in Oakland.

After New York marriage equality passed, the executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, Reverend Jason McGuire alleged that Governor Andrew Cuomo violated senatorial procedure by holding secret meetings; rushing the bill through the legislature and offering dollars and fancy dinners to any Republicans voting for the bill.

McGuire filed a lawsuit to overturn marriage equality on these technical grounds and this week New York Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins allowed the lawsuit to proceed. But that’s a good thing, even if Wiggins did add a few saucy words slamming Cuomo for his alleged hastiness and arm-bending. Here’s why:

Basically the lawsuit challenges marriage equality because of how it was passed, not why it was passed. As such, McGuire’s lawsuit provides no arguments against marriage equality, only against the methods used to legalize it. And while the court proceedings get underway, it will give the media a chance to scrutinize the anti-LGBT records of NYCF as well as their partners Torah Jews for Decency and the Liberty Counsel, both far-right groups that have spent years demonizing LGBT families.

Furthermore, even if McGuire succeeds, his case could get overturned at the appellate level and a ruling in his favor won’t do anything achieve the anti-LGBT dream of overturning the marriage law in four years nor allowing New York to vote on marriage equality. So while we’ll be keeping our eyes on this case, you probably shouldn’t lose too much sleep over it just yet.

via  Queerty.

While this may seem like a defeat for marriage equality supporters, the decision is actually a win for equality in general. If the court had decided that the sponsors could not defend the law in court, the elected officials would have achieved a new power: veto by refusal. Do we really want our law makers to have the power to determine which laws to defend and which laws to ignore? We have three branches of government for a reason, and the Governor and Attorney General of California were trying to usurp the powers of the court. This would not be a good thing.

via Queer Landia | Different from the norm.

I have fun every time I go to the White Horse for Club Drama and I am sure that you will too. If you haven’t been there yet, you need to check this out. The people are fun; the music is great and the staff is fabulous!

And if that isn’t enough to get you out on a Saturday night, Club Drama is now sponsored by Queer Oakland. So do me a favor and stop by for a couple of drinks. If you get there before 9pm, you won’t have to pay the cover charge.

Come out from 1pm to 8pm at the White Horse and listen to the great music from DJs Candy, Nico and Starr. Additionally, there will be guest DJs at some of the events.

And, as always, they have free candy! What more could you ask for?

I am so excited. Charlie Ballard has invited me to come see this show in November, so I will be there with bells on next Friday, November 11th. You should join me. That will allow you to agree with or criticize the review that I post.

Hometown comedian Charlie Ballard, who’s been seen on LOGO, Comedy Central and NBC’s America’s Got Talent, brings his no-holds-barred, avant-garde variety show to Oakland. Gay, straight, bi, lesbian and transgendered comics and performers will gather to entertain with a wide variety of talents, including stand-up, improv and sketch comedy; monologues; music and much more. Ballard designed this monthly show to break boundaries and change the way audiences think about the word “gay.”

For tickets click here

www.charlieballard.com

via Hella Gay Comedy Show in Oakland | Queer Oakland.

via Zachary Quinto Comes Out (via New York).

If you want more information or if you want to sample the music, head over to the Club Drama website.