Tucson Observer

Shop for holiday gifts (or a little something for yourself) at locally-owned Bohemia, 2920 E. Broadway, Saturday, November 28. 10% of sales will be donated to Wingspan, Tucson and Southern Arizona’s LGBT Community Center!

It’s a wonderful opportunity to holiday shop and give back to an important cause.

Bohemia offers a unique shopping experience for those on the hunt for great handmade gifts, an accent for a wall or table, a unique home accessory or just some fun kitsch. Bohemia works with over 200 different local and regional artists and crafts people to create a diverse inventory that will inspire your senses and color your soul.

Bohemia, an Artisans Emporium was rated: Best Place for Gifts, 2009, Tucson Home Magazine and Best Art/Artisan Jewelry, 2009 & 2005-2007, Tucson Weekly.

Please join Reveille for their production of “Our Holiday Memories.”

Sit back and relax as Reveille takes you on a sentimental journey to the holidays of years gone by. Reveille members will share their photos and memories from their own personal holidays growing up, intermingled with songs of the season, sung in that gorgeous Reveille style. There will be laughter and tears as they travel down memory lane. Make Reveille’s holiday concert one of your holiday traditions.

Our Holiday Memories – Saturday, December 5 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, December 6 at 3:00 p.m. Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 East Adams Street, Tucson.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $10 students with I.D. or $20 at the door, and may be purchased from any Reveille member, online at www.reveillemenschorus.org, Antigone Books or by calling Reveille at (520) 304-1758.

Lambda Legal has filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tucson to block a move to strip domestic partner benefits from Gay and Lesbian state employees. Arizona lawmakers included a provision stripping domestic partner health benefits from state employees as part of a last-minute budget deal signed by Governor Jan Brewer in September, while retaining spousal health benefits for heterosexual workers, 365Gay.com reported.

Lambda Legal represents 10 state employees – including from the Arizona Highway Patrol, the State Department of Game and Fish, and state universities – who rely on health benefits from their employers to keep their families safe.

“This is an issue of equal pay for equal work,” said Tara Borelli, staff attorney for Lambda Legal. ”By stripping away these vital benefits from loyal state employees, the state isn’t just paying them less for the same work than their heterosexual colleagues — it’s pulling away a vital lifeline that all workers need. This is simply cruel and saves the state next to nothing.”

State lawmakers voted over the summer to eliminate the state’s domestic partner benefits, which were adopted with the leadership of former Governor Janet Napolitano, now Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Current Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the budget bill with the provision revoking the health insurance coverage for domestic partners.

Arizona Highway Patrol Officer Tracy Collins is lead plaintiff and relies on her work-provided health benefits to protect her partner of 11 years, Diana Forrest, and their family. ”I put my life on the line every day for the people of Arizona just by going to work,” said Collins. ”Though the stress of working a dangerous job takes a toll on my family, I’m proud to be a public servant. But losing Diana’s health coverage will put us in a desperate situation.”

“This discriminatory elimination of vital health benefits denies equal pay for equal work to a small, politically vulnerable group of dedicated public workers who perform valuable services and pay equal taxes. By stripping Gay and Lesbian state employees of health coverage for a domestic partner, the new law unfairly and unconstitutionally inflicts severe hardship upon a targeted group of Arizona families,” added Borelli.

Equality Across America Tucson Congressional District Action Team (EAA-Tucson) will meet December 6, 2009 2 to 4:00 p.m. at Colors, 5305 E. Speedway Blvd.

EAA continues the work of achieving full federal equality for LGBT Americans in all matters of civil law.

Please bring your ideas, passion, and a friend! This meeting will focus on creating a sustainable organization and outreach to allies and allied organizations. For more information visit: www.eaatucson.org.

Please join in for an event at Antigone Books, 411 N. 4th Ave., Friday, November 20, 7:00 p.m.

Join us for talks and slide presentations from Linda and Dick Buscher, authors of Historic Photos of Arizona (Turner, $39.95) and Roger Carpenter, editor of 2 volumes of Letters from Tucson (1925-1927 and 1933-1942). The Buschers’ book is a photographic journey depicting the unique history, culture and natural beauty of Arizona captured in nearly 200 black and white images. The authors have been writing and teaching the history of Arizona for more than 35 years. Roger Carpenter’s two volumes comprise a treasure trove of letters written by his mother in the first years of her life in Tucson, starting in 1925. In truly charming words and fascinating photos, they give an intimate portrait of Tucson from the point of view of an enthusiastic and very observant young biology teacher at the U of A. The wonderful 2nd volume, beginning during the depression and continuing into World War II, has just been released.

Please join in for an event at Antigone Books on Friday, November 27, 7:00 p.m., for a discussion of the art world with art dealer Richard Polsky and listen to live music by local legend Al Perry.  Richard Polsky will discuss his new book, I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) (Other Press, $23.95), a fascinating look at the art world told by an art dealer who was pleased to sell his Warhol painting for $320,000, seven times its original price, only to discover it might have sold for $70 million a few years later.  In this instructive, irreverent and often uproarious memoir, Polsky explains the capricious functioning of the art market and the economic and cultural forces that have transformed it in recent years.  Local legend Al Perry will celebrate his newest CD, “The Three Track Session,” by playing a short solo acoustic set.  Perry has taken home the “Hall of Fame” award in the Tucson Area Music Awards (or TAMMIES), as well as Critics Choice for Album of the Year.

The reading will be followed by a question and answer period. Refreshments will be served.  For more information, call (520) 792-3715.

The 21st Annual Jerôme Beillard Festival for Life hopes to bring in unprecedented community funding and support for local services and programs of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).

This year’s event will take place at the University of Arizona, Student Union Grand Ballroom, 1303 E. University Blvd., Sunday, November 22, 4 – 7:30 p.m.

“Every year the attendance at this event is wonderful. This year we’re hoping that it will be even greater. SAAF’s local programs and services are depending on increased holiday giving during this challenging time. I can’t say enough how much raising funds right now means to the stability and sustainability of the local services and outreach that the community needs and SAAF gives, so that we can address HIV and AIDS in a comprehensive and effective way.”, says Wendell Hicks, the organization’s Executive Director.

Tickets to the event are on sale now by calling (520) 628-7223 or you can purchase them online at festivalforlife.org.

“We’ve lowered ticket prices this year in hopes that even more people will enjoy the event. Last year ticket prices were $60 and $75 at the door. This year the tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. More people at the event means the possibility of raising more funds to help support programs and services. Most of the funds raised at this event are from the live and silent auction.”, says Hicks.

This year’s event aims to increase attendance and giving by making the evening more affordable and attractive to all. Auction items vary from unbelievable donated fine art from local and well-known artists, travel packages, and jewelry, to items like lunch and dinner gift certificates, personal services, pet baskets, and local attraction passes so that people of any income level can enjoy bidding and purchasing items. For more details about this event, please visit festivalforlife.org or contact (520) 628-7223.

Here is a list of some of the upcoming events of note, taking place for Tucson and Southern Arizona’s LGBT Community.

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Many events and items of note for the LGBT Community of Tucson and Southern Arizona are upcoming.

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TUCSON (Observer Update) – There’s an old saying that says, “The early bird gets the worm”, well, in this case two local LGBT organizations Eon and Wingspan rose to the occasion and their worm came in the shape of a 700 item shopping spree at a local Dollar Tree store. With ideas of necessities in their heads, Eon Youth group members as well as Eon Youth Program Director Khara Ellasante and Youth Outreach Specialist Kevin Jackson came prepared to conquer the store and stock up on supplies that this local LGBT organization so desperately needed.

The timer was set and the “Dashers” had exactly 30 minutes to shop to their hearts content. Among necessities for the shopping spree were hygiene products, cooking, and office supplies. But, with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, party supplies were also priorities on their minds in order to ensure that they could provide their deserving local youth with celebrations to remember this holiday season. As the wild round of shopping came to a close, nearly half a dozen Dollar Tree store carts were overfilled past the brim. The timed shopping spree had came to a close and 500 items ($500 dollars) were accumulated. A TucsonLGBT.Com representative realized that more than a cart and a half of supplies had yet to be rung up at the cash register.

Keeping the flow of generosity going, it was announced that there would be a “Bonus Round” that would ensure all the extra items would also be included in the shopping spree and allow the three (3) Eon Youth Group members to each fill three more empty carts with an additional 50ea items ($50 dollars worth) of merchandise. This would give them the opportunity to tie up any loose ends and grab all the last minute supplies the Eon Youth Group sorely needed since facing recent budget cuts.

The timer was set once again for 10 minutes, a Tucson LGBT representative announced, “READY SET GO!”, and the Eon Youth Group Members blasted off to conquer the aisles once again. Three more shopping carts were filled up again and it was time to do the final ring up at the register. The gracious staff at the Dollar Tree location at Grant and 1st Avenue worked diligently to ring up the badly needed items, all while providing their regular clientele with assistance as well, showcasing the kind of superior service the staff at TucsonLGBT.com have come to enjoy and appreciate in their charity events.

When all was said and done, 45 minutes of shopping later, 6 super sized carts filled to overflowing, and a cash register receipt over 8 feet long, everyone was all smiles! With the help of TucsonLGBT.com this Halloween is sure to be one long remembered by the local LGBT organizations Eon and Wingspan.

TUCSON (Observer Update) – The November breakfast meeting of the Tucson Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Chamber of Commerce will take place Thursday, November 19, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m., at the Hotel Tucson City Center Conference Suite Resort (formerly Inn Suites), 475 N. Granada Ave.

The program, is a Town Meeting: An Action Plan to Promote Economic Development in Our Community, Chair: City Councilman Rodney Glassman. The Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Committee is putting this forum together as part of its mission to provide leadership in the business community on local government issues.

RSVP by Monday, November 16, noon (any member who RSVP’s after this day will be charged $20), 615-6436 or info@tucsonglbtchamber.org.