Get Engaged Tour, Napa, July 15: "Are We Ready for 2010?!", Napa organizers ask

Local LGBT equality organizers are working to make sure we keep marriage equality on our radars. Next up is a forum on Wednesday, July 15 in Napa at Kennedy Park:

A Forum to explore strategies to return California to an “equality” state

A broad statewide coalition of LGBT marriage equality activists and our straight allies are gathering across California to help make that decision.

The “Get Engaged Tour” is an opportunity for local communities to…

• Learn the most recent polling data on public opinion related to marriage equality
• Determine the opportunities and challenges of returning to the polls in 2010 or 2012
• Understand what is happening legislatively at the Federal level and what can be done locally to support those efforts
• Measure our commitment to a ”Repeal Prop 8” initiative
• Provide local input on what Napa Valley would like to see and needs in a campaign
• Begin to organize, strategize and take action

Attend the Get Engaged Meeting in Napa!

Wednesday, July 15th – 7 to 9pm
Pelusi Building – J. F. Kennedy Park
2296 Streblow Drive, Napa

Current polling data shows that we need everyone to “Get Engaged” today to win marriage equality tomorrow. The Get Engaged Tour is our first step. If we empower our grassroots community with the necessary support to do the work that needs to be done…we can win.

Time is crucial and it is short! To properly conduct an initiative campaign in 2010, the decision to move forward must be made by the end of July! The Get Engage Tour community feedback needs to be submitted prior to a Statewide Leadership Summit tentatively scheduled for Saturday July 25th to take place in the Inland Empire.

Some of the sponsors of the Get Engaged Tour…

Marriage Equality USA, Human Rights Campaign, Courage Campaign,

Equality California, Napa Valley Equality Coalition, Napa Valley Unity League

A more complete list of coalition partners is available at www.getengagedtour.org

For more information about the Napa Valley event, contact Paul Boisvert: pboisvert1@yahoo.com or Renee Fannin: rfannin907@aol.com – 858-353-2422

Mamma Mia this Fri, July 10; Summer sing-a-longs at Napa Opera House

How did this slip under my radar? Fabulously fun sing-a-longs, popular for years at the Castro and other old-time theaters (even as close as Vallejo's Empress theater) are coming to the Napa Opera House this summer, starting this Friday, July 10:

Summer Movie Sing-a-Long:
Mamma Mia!
Friday, July 10, 7PM
$12, Rated PG-13

A sublime song every five minutes, and you’ll know every word with supertitles provided! Get your vocal pipes ready to belt out a bevy of those delectable percolating tunes from the never-to-be-forgotten disco pop era.

Media partner Sonoma Valley Sun

The next showing, and final in the series will be Hairspray, on Friday, July 24th.

Fixed It! Click through to Valley's Other Fruit now works

Okay. I think I fixed it. Users on Internet Explorer should be able to click through to the site and read our happy little local gay page again. (Please spread the word that the blog "works" now to those friends and gays of yours that had since given up!)

For the nerds that read the fruit (or the tech-curious), here was the problem. And, technically, I didn't "fix it", it's a temporary workaround. There's seems to be a bad interaction with something going on at Blogger servers and with Internet Explorer.

I'm an advocate of faster, safer, more fun browsers anyways, so try here to get away from old, slow, boring (and many times broken) Internet Explorer.

YES, you can click something else besides that blue "e" to get online!

Here are my browser faves:

• Download Mozilla's Firefox
• Download Google's Chrome

Video from Napa's 4th of July Parade; LGBTQ & ally contingents marched

I didn't get to attend Napa's big, new 4th of July Parade this year, but I heard it was wonderful. With the theme, "Freedom for Everyone" (the full parade's theme this year was "Let Freedom Ring"), Napa's LGBTQ contingents and allies brought some bright color and fun to the parade.

I am not sure, but this might be the first time the gays have marched openly in Napa in a non-gay themed parade. Use the comments if you know or know otherwise. Thanks to friend of The Fruit, Cathy, we have video to share of the Unity League and PFLAG (Napa Equality Coalition and others?) contingents, embedded on the site:

Napa Unity League monthly Mixer, Monday, July 6

Yup, it's that time of the month...

Join us at RiverPointe Napa Valley (500 Lincoln Avenue in Napa) as we mix & mingle from 6 to 8 pm. Pizza from Mary’s Pizza Shack will be on the menu. The cost? A $5.00 suggested donation to offset expenses. Feel free to bring a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer, some soda and/or nibbles to share. We meet on the 2nd floor of the Clubhouse building.

On the agenda – information about Relay for Life (see below) & results from the Silent Auction & Balloon Raffle that was held at the Beringer Twilight T-Dance to benefit the CARE Network at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. You’ll also be able to purchase Napa Valley Pride rainbow wristbands and sign up to help with the Napa Valley AIDS Walk.

Monday, July 6, 2009, 6:00pm - 8:00pm @ RiverPointe Napa Valley (500 Lincoln Avenue, Napa).

Click here for previous Unity League meetings and info from The Valley's Other Fruit. Click here to go to the Unity League's official site.

Napa LGBTQ & allies in 4th of July parade, Saturday: come join us!

photo by dbking

Napa's queer organizers are at it again, in a very good way...and looks like our home-town Fourth of July Parade might finally get some brighter color in it!

I just got invited via Facebook, and thought I'd include all the friends of The Fruit, too:

COME MARCH WITH US AT NAPA'S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE THIS SATURDAY!

The Parade Theme this year is "LET FREEDOM RING"

OUR CONTINGENT WILL PROUDLY MARCH WITH THE THEME OF “FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE”

Participating Organizations are Napa Valley Unity League, Napa Valley Equality Coalition, PFLAG, LGBT Youth & their supportive friends and others

WHEN: SATURDAY, JULY 4TH

IF YOU WANT TO MARCH, JOIN US at 10:00 AM - at 3rd Street and Wilson in front of the Register Building. We're contingent number 30a.

WEAR your favorite colorful t-shirt with a gay-positive message on it and/or bring a sign to carry with a message appropriate for the event.

THE PARADE WILL BEGIN at 11:30 AM and is estimated to last 1.5 hours

The parade goes all the way down 5th to Coombs, Right on Coombs, then a LEFT on 4th and disbands at 4th and Randolph. So you can have a great view along 5th, or Coombs or 4th Street. The parade is estimated to last 1.5 hours – prepare yourself for a hot day (bring water and sunscreen)

If you have any questions please contact Renee rfannin907@aol.com

For the full invite or to RSVP online, visit the invite's Facebook page. Thoughts on the theme of our contingent? Napa's parades in general? Your participation (or non-participation)? Plans for the 4th?

rainbow umbrella marcher photo by thaths

Gay sex decriminalized in India: BREAKING NEWS

Late Wednesday night California time, the Indian Delhi High Court decriminalized consensual gay sex for the capital of the country.

The ruling says that treating consensual gay sex as a crime is a violation of fundamental rights protected by the constitution...

...Sex between people of the same gender has been illegal in India since British colonial times and can be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

As Joe.My.God poignantly made note of earlier in the day, due to India's enormous population, "Even if only 5% of India is gay, this ruling will affect the lives of over 50 million of our people."

Napa Guerrilla Gay Bar goes to Jonesy's @ the Airport, Sat, July 11

Since Napa has no gay bars, the "Guerrilla Gay Bar" finds a nice (or fun or interesting or at the very least kitschy) spot for us LGBT folk to go check out every couple of weeks or so.

We've had fabulous times at: Henry's (a locals' fave Napa dive), Compadres (great river patio celebration of our blogoversary), Pancha's (iconic down-home Yountville dive), Silo's (new-ish Jazz destination in downtown Napa), Mary's Pizza (community benefit fundraiser), Bardessono (upscale Pride kickoff and cocktails poolside)...

...and now Napa Guerrilla Gay Bar is showing up in force at Jonesy's Famous Steakhouse...at the Napa Airport:

Jonesy's Famous Steak House
2044 Airport Road
at the Napa County Airport just south of Napa

Saturday, July 11, 2009
starting at 7:00 pm

The cocktail lounge at Jonesy's will be the perfect location for aerial maneuvers - you can almost imagine Goose and Maverick singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" to the recently out Kelly McGillis when you walk in.

Here's the intel:

* Jonesy's has a full bar - and will have drink specials just for us
* They offer appetizers in their bar - and are working on a food special or two as well
* Their "special potatoes" are legendary and they have their own brand of Bleu Cheese Dressing
* "Prime Rib Friday & Saturday Nights" may provide the reason for many of our carnivorous troops to move into the restaurant after a cocktail or two

Anyone ever been to Jonesy's? Who's down to check it out w/ the Guerrilla Gay Bar?

Fortunate Families, Casey Lopata in Berkeley tonight: LGBT Catholics special meeting, Mon, June 29

When I was first coming out to myself and then to close friends and family four years ago, I devoured books and information to help me start learning new ways to be true to my whole self. One of those books that was really important to me--and to me being able to come out to my mom/family--was called Fortunate Famlies, by Mary Ellen and Casey Lopata. Both devout Catholics when the oldest of their six sons came out to them, they wrote the book as a response of how to be true to being Catholic and true to their love for their gay son, and they share the experience of hundreds of Catholic families in similar situations:

Fortunate Families addresses the experience of Catholic parents who love their gay sons and lesbian daughters. The book had its genesis in a descriptive survey of over 200 such parents. It integrates results from the survey, church documents and stories so readers can access what they need most. Some readers will search for accurate information about Catholic teaching; others may connect with the lived experience of other Catholic parents. Still others will find examples of ministerial advocacy and support within the Catholic Church...Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families welcomes families of all faiths.

Tonight the two parents who wrote the book will be in Berkeley to present at a special meeting of LGBT Catholics at Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish. I'll be going.

LGBT Catholics: A Special Evening of Reflection for LGBT Catholics, their Families and Friends
Monday, Jun 29, 7pm to 9pm
Newman Hall, 2700 Dwight Way & College Avenue, Berkeley

Please join us for an evening of reflection for LGBT Catholics, their families and friends on Monday night June 29th, 7-9 p.m., in the lounge . The evening will be presented by Mary Ellen and Casey Lopata, who are the founders of Fortunate Families (www.fortunatefamilies.com).

Also, to note:

LGBT Catholics: Summer Break.
We will be on summer break and will resume in the Fall.

For more information on the group or to subscribe to the group's announcement list, contact Antonio Salas at LGBT_Newman @yahoo.com or (510) 663-6302. All are welcome.